Deturb

/dɪˈtɜrb/ verb

Definition

A rare or archaic verb meaning to disturb, disquiet, or unsettle someone.

Etymology

From Latin 'deturbare' (from 'de-' meaning 'down' + 'turbare' meaning 'to disturb'). This word is largely obsolete in modern English, surviving mainly in historical texts and specialized academic contexts.

Kelly Says

This word is so old that it barely appears in modern dictionaries, yet it perfectly captures something English speakers still feel—that sense of being deeply unsettled—in just one elegant verb that Shakespeare and his contemporaries would have used.

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