Third person singular present tense of abet; to help, encourage, or support someone in doing something wrong or illegal.
From Old French abeter, from a- (to) + beter (to bait), of Germanic origin. The -s suffix marks third person singular in modern English.
The word abet originally meant to 'set a dog on' something—so when you abet a crime, you're metaphorically 'setting someone on' a wrongdoing, like releasing a hound toward prey!
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