abate

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   To lessen (something) in force or intensity

   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, […]
   • Abate thy rage ſweete knight, Abate thy rage.
   • By the oft removal of a Wild-ſtock, cutting the ends of the Roots, and diſ-branching ſomewhat of the Head at every change of place, it will greatly abate of its natural wildneſs, and in time bring forth more civil and ingenuous Fruit: […]
2. 2

   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.
   • […] Lance, after having made some shew of helping him to his horse, ran back to tell his master the joyful intelligence, that a lucky accident had abated Chiffinch's party to their own number.
3. 3

   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.
4. ›+ 25 more definitionsshow fewer

   1. 4

      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.
   2. 5

      To give no consideration to (something)

      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.
      • Sir, he was not Scotch; and, abating his brutality, he was a very good maſter.
   3. 6

      To dull (an edge, point, etc.)

      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, […]
   4. 7

      To make (a writ or other legal document) void

      To make (a writ or other legal document) void; to nullify.

      • to abate a writ
   5. 8

      To put an end to (a nuisance).

      • She was ordered by the court to abate the nuisance.
      • […] the law allows an extrajudicial remedy, yet that does not exclude the ordinary courſe of juſtice: […] I may either abate a nuſance by my own authority, or call upon the law to do it for me: […]
   6. 9

      To dismiss or otherwise bring to an end (legal proceedings) before they are completed,…

      To dismiss or otherwise bring to an end (legal proceedings) before they are completed, especially on procedural grounds rather than on the merits.

   7. 10

      To curtail or end (something)

      To curtail or end (something); to cause to cease.

      • to order restrictions to abate an emergency
   8. 11

      To give (someone) a discount or rebate

      To give (someone) a discount or rebate; also, to relieve (someone) of a debt.

   9. 12

      To bring down (someone) mentally or physically

      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.
      • Rules and axioms for preserving of a Kingdom.[…]If any great person to be abated, not to deal with him by calumniation or forged matter[…]
      • So long as the world lived by sense, and discourses of natural reason, as they were abated with human infirmities, and not at all heightened by the Spirit and divine revelation[…]
   10. 13

       Chiefly followed by from, of, etc.

       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.
       • Three shillings and eightpence, your worship—I could not abate a penny and set forth the value honestly.
   11. 14

       Chiefly followed by of

       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, […]
       • But O Saint! be not thou an Epicure! If delight draw thy heart, thou loſeſt ſo much in delectation, as Religion; and abateſt thy Soul ſo much of Solace, as God of Service!
   12. 15

       To decrease in force or intensity

       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.
       • [folio 8, verso] For Winters wrath beginnes to quell, And pleaſant ſpryng appeareth. […] [folio 10, recto] Gloss. […] To quell) to abate.
       • My fury ſhall abate, And I the Crownes will take.
   13. 16

       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.
       • […] the same greatness of wealth is for the most part not collected and obtained without sucking it from many, according to the received similitude of the spleen, which never swelleth but when the rest of the body pineth and abateth.
   14. 17

       To lower in price or value

       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.
   15. 18

       Of an edge, point, etc.

       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.
   16. 19

       Of a writ or other legal document

       Of a writ or other legal document: to become null and void; to cease to have effect.

       • The writ has abated.
       • If a Writ of Error abates or diſcontinues by the Act and Default of the Party, a ſecond Writ of Error ſhall be no Superſedeas; otherwiſe if it abates or diſcontinues by the Act of God or the Law.
   17. 20

       Of legal proceedings

       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.

   18. 21

       To give a discount or rebate

       To give a discount or rebate; to discount, to rebate.

   19. 22

       To bow down

       To bow down; hence, to be abased or humbled.

   20. 23

       Abatement

       Abatement; reduction; (countable) an instance of this.

   21. 24

       Deduction

       Deduction; subtraction; (countable) an instance of this.

   22. 25

       To enter upon and unlawfully seize (land) after the owner has died, thus preventing an…

       To enter upon and unlawfully seize (land) after the owner has died, thus preventing an heir from taking possession of it.

   23. 26

       An Italian abbot or other member of the clergy.

   24. 27

       In the habit of.

       • He's gotten abate o' drinkin'.
   25. 28

       A surname from Italian.

The neighborhood

• synonymabate
• synonymdecline
• synonymdie away
• synonymdrop off
• synonymdwindle
• synonymebb
• synonymfade away
• synonymfade out
• synonymfall away
• synonymfall off
• synonymgutter out
• synonymmelt away
• antonymbuild
• antonymescalate
• antonymintensen
• antonymintensify
• antonymramp up
• antonymwax
• neighborabatis
• neighborabator
• neighborabattoir
• neighborsoften
• neighborwaste
• neighborwear
• neighbordecrease
• neighborlanguish
• neighborpine
• neighbortrail off
• neighborwither