Abate
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abate¹
- /əˈbeɪt/ US, UK
- /əˈbeət/
Rhymes with -eɪt
Where it comes from
From Middle English abaten, from Anglo-Norman abatre, from Late Latin abbattere, from Latin battere.
detailed etymology, sense derivation, and cognates
The verb is derived from Middle English abaten (“to demolish, knock down; to defeat, strike down; to strike or take down (a sail); to throw down; to bow dejectedly or submissively; to be dejected; to stop; to defeat, humiliate; to repeal (a law); to dismiss or quash (a lawsuit); to lessen, reduce; to injure, impair; to appease; to decline, grow less; to deduct, subtract; to make one’s way; attack (an enemy); (law) to enter or intrude upon (someone’s property); of a hawk: to beat or flap the wings”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman abater, abatier, abatre, abbatre, Middle French abattre, abatre, abattre, Old French abatre, abattre (“to demolish, knock down; to bring down, cut down; to lessen, reduce; to suppress; to stop; to discourage; to impoverish, ruin; to conquer; to overthrow; to kill; to remove (money) from circulation; (law) to annul”), from Late Latin abbattere (“to bring down, take down; to suppress; to debase (currency)”), from Latin ab- (prefix meaning ‘away; from; away from’) + Latin battere, from older battuere (“to beat, hit; to beat up; to fight”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰedʰ- (“to dig; to stab”)).
The noun is derived from the verb.
verb abates · abating · abated · abate
- To lessen (something) in force or intensity; to moderate. [Jupiter] whiche by his goodnes as Marcianus ſaieth, abateth the malice of Saturne. Therfore the Poets faine, that he did put his father out of his kingdome, Iſidore writeth as he abateth the malice of the euill Planets, […]
- To reduce (something) in amount or size. Thou haſt dominion ouer their power, and when they be exalted & ſet aloft in their waies, thou abateſt their courage, and deſtroyeſt them with thy mighty arme.
- To cut away or hammer down (material from metalwork, a sculpture, etc.) in such a way as to leave a figure in relief.
- To lower (something) in price or value. Few words drive a bargain with Peter Eskett. I never abate one farthing of my price; but then that price never asks more than a fair profit.
- To demolish or level to the ground (a building or other structure). […] the kyng of Scottes […] with all hys hoſte and power entered into Englande (and threw doune pyles) the .xxij. daye of August, and planted hys ſiege before the Caſtell of Norham, and ſore abated the walles.
- To give no consideration to (something); to treat as an exception. Abate throw at Nouum, and the whole world againe, Cannot picke out fiue ſuch, take each one in his vaine.
- To dull (an edge, point, etc.); to blunt. Abate the edge of traitors gracious Lord, That vvould reduce theſe bloudy daies againe, And make poore England vveepe in ſtreames of bloud, […]
- To make (a writ or other legal document) void; to nullify. to abate a writ
- To put an end to (a nuisance). She was ordered by the court to abate the nuisance.
- To dismiss or otherwise bring to an end (legal proceedings) before they are completed, especially on procedural grounds rather than on the merits.
- To curtail or end (something); to cause to cease. to order restrictions to abate an emergency
- To give (someone) a discount or rebate; also, to relieve (someone) of a debt. […] when I talk'd of a lodging I had heard of, nearer my business, for two shillings a week, which, intent as I now was on saving money, made some difference, she bid me not think of it, for she would abate me two shillings a week for the future; so I remained with her at one shilling and sixpence a
- To bring down (someone) mentally or physically; to lower (someone) in status. He is honoured amonge theym that be honoured, that fortune abateth without faute: and he is shamed amonge theym that be shamed, that fortune inhanceth without merite.
- Chiefly followed by from, of, etc.: to omit or remove (a part from a whole); to deduct, to subtract. We will abate this price from the total.
- Chiefly followed by of: to deprive (someone or something of another thing). She hath abated me of halfe my traine, Lookt blacke vpon me, ſtrooke mee with her tongue Moſt Serpent-like vpon the very heart, […]
- To decrease in force or intensity; to subside. […] Plini writeth, that the crueltie of the Ramme abateth, if he bee perced in the horne neare vnto the eare. For the chiefeſt parte of his ſtrength, is in his hedd, where he is well armed to fighte.
- To decrease in amount or size. And the waters returned from aboue the earth, going and returning: and after the end of the hundreth and fiftieth day the waters abated.
- To lower in price or value; (law) specifically, of a bequest in a will: to lower in value because the testator's estate is insufficient to satisfy all the bequests in full. Bequests and legacies are liable to be abated entirely or in proportion, upon a deficiency of assets.
- Of an edge, point, etc.: to become blunt or dull. The third ſhild yelow, ſignifying the Barriers, and he that toucheth that ſhilde ſhalbee anſwered twelve ſtrokes at the Barriers, wyth the ſworde, edge and poynt abated.
- Of a writ or other legal document: to become null and void; to cease to have effect. The writ has abated.
- Of legal proceedings: to be dismissed or otherwise brought to an end before they are completed, especially on procedural grounds rather than on the merits. […] in actions ariſing ex contractu, by breach of promiſe and the like, where the right deſcends to the repreſentatives of the plaintiff, and thoſe of the defendant have aſſets to anſwer the demand, though the ſuits ſhall abate by the death of the parties, yet they may be revived againſt or by the e
- To give a discount or rebate; to discount, to rebate.
- To bow down; hence, to be abased or humbled.
- Chiefly followed by of: to deduct or subtract from. So toilsome was the road to trace, The guide, abating of his pace, Led slowly through the pass's jaws, […]
Similar: abate, decline, die away, drop off, dwindle, ebb, fade away, fade out, fall away, fall off, gutter out, melt away
noun abates
- Abatement; reduction; (countable) an instance of this. [Letter to Algernon Sidney dated 13 October 1681 (Julian calendar).] There are many things make a man's life uneasy in the world, which are great abates to the pleasure of living, but scarcely one equal to that of the unkindness or injustice of friends.
- Deduction; subtraction; (countable) an instance of this. That men weigh heavier dead than alive, if experiment hath not failed us, we cannot reaſonably grant. For though the triall hereof cannot ſo well be made on the body of Man, nor will the difference be ſenſible in the abate of ſcruples or dragmes, yet can we not confirm the ſame in leſſer animalls fr
abate²
- /əˈbeɪt/ US, UK
- /əˈbeət/
Rhymes with -eɪt
Where it comes from
From Anglo-Norman abatre, probably an alteration of Anglo-Norman and Middle French embatre, enbatre (“to drive or rush into; to enter into a tenement without permission”) (compare Late Latin abatare), from Middle French, Old French em-, en- (prefix meaning ‘in, into’) + Middle French, Old French batre (“to beat, hit, strike”) (from Latin battere, battuere, the present active infinitive of battuō (“to beat, hit; to beat up; to fight”); see further at etymology 1). The English word was probably also influenced by the verb abate.
verb abates · abating · abated
- To enter upon and unlawfully seize (land) after the owner has died, thus preventing an heir from taking possession of it. So, if Lands be given to Father and Son, and to the heirs of their two bodies begotten, the remainder over in fee, and afterwards the Father dieth without any Iſſue but the Son, and afterwards the Son dieth without Iſſue, and a Stranger abateth, he in the remainder ſhall have one Formedon in the rem
Similar: abate, decline, die away, drop off, dwindle, ebb, fade away, fade out, fall away, fall off, gutter out, melt away
abate³
- /əˈbeɪt/ US, UK
- /əˈbeət/
Rhymes with -eɪt
Where it comes from
Borrowed from Italian abate (“abbot”), from Latin abbātem, the accusative singular of abbās (“abbot”), from Ancient Greek ἀββᾶς (abbâs), a variant of ἀββᾱ (abbā, “father; title of respect for an abbot”), from Aramaic אַבָּא (’abbā, “father; ancestor; teacher; chief, leader; author, originator”), from Proto-Semitic *ʔabw- (“father”), ultimately imitative of a child’s word for “father”. The English word is a doublet of abbot.
noun abates · abbate
- An Italian abbot or other member of the clergy.
abate⁴
- /əˈbeɪt/ US, UK
- /əˈbeət/
Rhymes with -eɪt
Where it comes from
Unknown
adjective more abate · most abate
- In the habit of. He's gotten abate o' drinkin'.
Abate⁵
Where it comes from
Borrowed from Italian Abate.
proper noun Abates
- A surname from Italian.
