molest
VERB:
1. to bother, interfere with, or annoy.
2. to make indecent sexual advances to.
3. to assault sexually.
4. to disturb or annoy by malevolent interference.
5. to accost or attack, esp with the intention of assaulting sexually.
6. to make unwanted or improper sexual advances towards (someone)—especially, to force physical and usually sexual contact on (someone):
He was sent to prison for molesting children.
7. (somewhat old-fashioned) to annoy, disturb, or persecute (a person or animal) especially with hostile intent or injurious effect:
Who doth molest my contemplation? —Shakespeare. // Bees flew past him, bees flew into him, bees settled upon his coat, bees paused questioningly in front of him … but not a single bee molested him. —P. G. Wodehouse. // At a hearing last week, activists persuaded the commission that the porcupines were being chased, molested and "worried" for human amusement. —Kelli Anderson.
Another Example:
It was illegal to molest, capture, or kill any of the animals in the park.
Origin:
1325–75; Middle English molesten < Latin molestāre to irk, derivative of molestus irksome; compare mōlēs mass, burden, trouble. British dictionary: C14: from Latin molestāre to annoy, from molestus troublesome, from mōlēs mass. —Dictionary.com. //
First Known Use of molest: 15th century. History and Etymology for molest: Middle English, from Anglo-French molester, from Latin molestare, from molestus burdensome, annoying; akin to Latin moles mass. —Merriam-Webster.
Sources: 1, 2.
Added: 27 July 2020 {3:49 PM}
1. to bother, interfere with, or annoy.
2. to make indecent sexual advances to.
3. to assault sexually.
4. to disturb or annoy by malevolent interference.
5. to accost or attack, esp with the intention of assaulting sexually.
6. to make unwanted or improper sexual advances towards (someone)—especially, to force physical and usually sexual contact on (someone):
He was sent to prison for molesting children.
7. (somewhat old-fashioned) to annoy, disturb, or persecute (a person or animal) especially with hostile intent or injurious effect:
Who doth molest my contemplation? —Shakespeare. // Bees flew past him, bees flew into him, bees settled upon his coat, bees paused questioningly in front of him … but not a single bee molested him. —P. G. Wodehouse. // At a hearing last week, activists persuaded the commission that the porcupines were being chased, molested and "worried" for human amusement. —Kelli Anderson.
Another Example:
It was illegal to molest, capture, or kill any of the animals in the park.
Origin:
1325–75; Middle English molesten < Latin molestāre to irk, derivative of molestus irksome; compare mōlēs mass, burden, trouble. British dictionary: C14: from Latin molestāre to annoy, from molestus troublesome, from mōlēs mass. —Dictionary.com. //
First Known Use of molest: 15th century. History and Etymology for molest: Middle English, from Anglo-French molester, from Latin molestare, from molestus burdensome, annoying; akin to Latin moles mass. —Merriam-Webster.
Sources: 1, 2.
Added: 27 July 2020 {3:49 PM}