Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Abate
A-bate′
(ȧ-bāt′)
, Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Abated
, p. pr. & vb. n.
Abating
.] 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 priceNine 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. Shakespeare
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.
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.
– 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. A-bate′
(ȧ-bāt′)
, Noun.
Abatement.
[Obs.]
Sir T. Browne.
Webster 1828 Edition
Abate
ABA'TE
,Verb.
T.
1.
To beat down; to pull down; to destroy in any manner; as to abate a nuisance.2.
To lessen; to diminish; to moderate; as to abate zeal; to abate pride; to abate a demand; to abate courage.3.
To lessen; to mitigate; as to abate pain or sorrow.4.
To overthrow; to cause to fail; to frustrate by judicial sentence; as to abate a writ.5.
To deject; to depress; as to abate the soul. Obs.6.
To deduct; Nothing to add and nothing to abate.
7.
To cause to fail; to annul. By the English law, a legacy to a charity is abated by a deficiency of assets.8.
In Conneticut, to remit, as to abate a tax.ABA'TE
,Verb.
I.
2.
To fail; to be defeated, or come to naught; as a writ abates. By the civil law a legacy to a charity does not abate by deficiency of assets.3.
In law, to enter into a freehold after the death of the last occupant, and before the heir or devisee takes possession.4.
In horsemanship, to perform well a downward motion. A horse is said to abate, or take down his curvets, when, working upon curvets, he puts both his hind legs to the ground at once, and observes the same exactness in all the times.