Abide Definition
- To conform to; comply with:
abide by the rules.
- to live up to (a promise, agreement, etc.)
- to submit to and carry out (a rule, decision, etc.)
Origin of Abide
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From Middle English abiden, from Old English ābīdan (“to abide, wait, remain, delay, remain behind; survive; wait for, await; expect”), from Proto-Germanic *uzbīdaną (“to expect, tolerate”), equivalent to a- + bide. Cognate with Scots abyde (“to abide, remain”), Middle High German erbīten (“to await, expect”), Gothic (usbeidan, “to expect, await, have patience”). The sense of pay for is due to influence from aby.
From Wiktionary
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Middle English abiden from Old English ābīdan ā- intensive pref. bīdan to remain bheidh- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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