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abate

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abate


  4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Abate  \A*bate"\  ([.a]*b[=a]t"),  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Abated},  p. 
  pr  &  vb  n.  {Abating}.]  [OF.  abatre  to  beat  down  F. 
  abattre  LL  abatere  ab  or  ad  +  batere  battere  (popular 
  form  for  L.  batuere  to  beat).  Cf  {Bate},  {Batter}.] 
  1.  To  beat  down  to  overthrow.  [Obs.] 
 
  The  King  of  Scots  .  .  .  sore  abated  the  walls. 
  --Edw.  Hall. 
 
  2.  To  bring  down  or  reduce  from  a  higher  to  a  lower  state, 
  number,  or  degree;  to  lessen;  to  diminish;  to  contract;  to 
  moderate;  to  cut  short;  as  to  abate  a  demand;  to  abate 
  pride,  zeal,  hope. 
 
  His  eye  was  not  dim,  nor  his  natural  force  abated. 
  --Deut.  xxxiv 
  7. 
 
  3.  To  deduct;  to  omit;  as  to  abate  something  from  a  price. 
 
  Nine  thousand  parishes,  abating  the  odd  hundreds. 
  --Fuller. 
 
  4.  To  blunt.  [Obs.] 
 
  To  abate  the  edge  of  envy.  --Bacon. 
 
  5.  To  reduce  in  estimation;  to  deprive.  [Obs.] 
 
  She  hath  abated  me  of  half  my  train.  --Shak. 
 
  6.  (Law) 
  a  To  bring  entirely  down  or  put  an  end  to  to  do  away 
  with  as  to  abate  a  nuisance,  to  abate  a  writ. 
  b  (Eng.  Law)  To  diminish;  to  reduce.  Legacies  are  liable 
  to  be  abated  entirely  or  in  proportion,  upon  a 
  deficiency  of  assets. 
 
  {To  abate  a  tax},  to  remit  it  either  wholly  or  in  part 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Abate  \A*bate"\  ([.a]*b[=a]t"),  v.  i.  [See  {Abate},  v.  t.] 
  1.  To  decrease,  or  become  less  in  strength  or  violence;  as 
  pain  abates,  a  storm  abates. 
 
  The  fury  of  Glengarry  .  .  .  rapidly  abated. 
  --Macaulay. 
 
  2.  To  be  defeated,  or  come  to  naught;  to  fall  through  to 
  fail  as  a  writ  abates. 
 
  {To  abate  into  a  freehold},  {To  abate  in  lands}  (Law),  to 
  enter  into  a  freehold  after  the  death  of  the  last 
  possessor,  and  before  the  heir  takes  possession.  See 
  {Abatement},  4. 
 
  Syn:  To  subside;  decrease;  intermit;  decline  diminish; 
  lessen. 
 
  Usage:  To  {Abate},  {Subside}.  These  words  as  here  compared, 
  imply  a  coming  down  from  some  previously  raised  or 
  excited  state.  Abate  expresses  this  in  respect  to 
  degrees,  and  implies  a  diminution  of  force  or  of 
  intensity;  as  the  storm  abates,  the  cold  abates,  the 
  force  of  the  wind  abates;  or  the  wind  abates,  a  fever 
  abates.  Subside  (to  settle  down)  has  reference  to  a 
  previous  state  of  agitation  or  commotion;  as  the 
  waves  subside  after  a  storm,  the  wind  subsides  into  a 
  calm.  When  the  words  are  used  figuratively,  the  same 
  distinction  should  be  observed.  If  we  conceive  of  a 
  thing  as  having  different  degrees  of  intensity  or 
  strength,  the  word  to  be  used  is  abate.  Thus  we  say  a 
  man's  anger  abates,  the  ardor  of  one's  love  abates, 
  ``Winter's  rage  abates''.  But  if  the  image  be  that  of 
  a  sinking  down  into  quiet  from  preceding  excitement  or 
  commotion,  the  word  to  be  used  is  subside;  as  the 
  tumult  of  the  people  subsides,  the  public  mind 
  subsided  into  a  calm.  The  same  is  the  case  with  those 
  emotions  which  are  tumultuous  in  their  nature;  as  his 
  passion  subsides,  his  joy  quickly  subsided,  his  grief 
  subsided  into  a  pleasing  melancholy.  Yet  if  in  such 
  cases,  we  were  thinking  of  the  degree  of  violence  of 
  the  emotion,  we  might  use  abate;  as  his  joy  will 
  abate  in  the  progress  of  time;  and  so  in  other 
  instances. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Abate  \A*bate\  ([.a]*b[=a]t"),  n. 
  Abatement.  [Obs.]  --Sir  T.  Browne. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  abate 
  v  1:  make  less  active  or  intense  [syn:  {slake},  {slack}] 
  2:  become  less  in  amount  or  intensity;  "The  storm  abated"  [syn: 
  {let  up},  {slack  off},  {slack},  {die  away}] 




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