From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishebbebb1 /eb/ noun 1 [singular] (also ebb tide)HEO the flow of the sea away from the shore, when the tide goes out OPP flood tide2 → be at a low ebb3 → ebb and flow
Examples from the Corpus
ebb• John summed it up as the super sixties, sobering seventies and ebb and flow of the eighties.• In the past eighteen months he has felt at an appallingly low ebb.• We had a few concluding words about the literary scene in London, which he thought to have reached a pretty low ebb.• Inspiration seemed to be at a very low ebb.• At her lowest ebb, she would have scorned to stoop to such tactics.• At his lowest ebb, Macari was threatened with imprisonment and his wife rang friends to secure bail money of £50,000.• The latest setback is another sign of the ebb in the governor's influence.ebbebb2 verb [intransitive] 1 HEOif the tide ebbs, it flows away from the shore2 (also ebb away)REDUCE to gradually decrease Linda’s enthusiasm began to ebb away.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
ebb• Delay it, and its vitality would ebb.• Under these conditions, our normal self-assurance ebbs.• But the fear, whatever it was, was ebbing, and I could once again take deep breaths and release them.• The tide was ebbing, and they went down on the steeply shelving bed of the Conway.• Now the excitement had begun to ebb at leaving Miss Tish.• But their strength was ebbing away, and neither DeFreitas nor Botham could contribute, both on the field but carrying injuries.• As El Ni o ebbs away, drought follows the torrential rain.• I could feel my courage ebbing away.• But the power of men like Allen ebbed quickly after segregationist Democrats regained command of the Legislature in 1872.Origin ebb1 Old English ebba 