On Thursday 20 May 2010 15:46:50 Neil Bothwick wrote: > On Thu, 20 May 2010 14:07:49 +0100, Peter Humphrey wrote: > > > The root word it derives from basically means "to make smaller or > > > less important". > > > > Actually, in the Mother Tongue, it means "to express disapproval > > of" (I quote an Oxford English dictionary). > > You quote one of the three definitions in the OED. The second is > "plead earnestly against", which applies here. The third is "pray > against" which applies just before removal fro the tree :)
I don't have access to the OED; only to a NODE*, which gives only the definition I quoted. I assume from that that the other two are minor usages. And I still think "express disapproval of" is the meaning here. * New Oxford Dictionary of English, which I have seen severe criticisms of. -- Rgds Peter.
