What is "abatement"

Abatement \A*bate"ment\ (-ment), n. [OF. abatement, F. abattement.]

1. The act of abating, or the state of being abated; a lessening, diminution, or reduction; removal or putting an end to; as, the abatement of a nuisance is the suppression thereof.

2. The amount abated; that which is taken away by way of reduction; deduction; decrease; a rebate or discount allowed.

3. (Her.) A mark of dishonor on an escutcheon.

4. (Law) The entry of a stranger, without right, into a freehold after the death of the last possessor, before the heir or devisee.
   --Blackstone.

   Defense in abatement, Plea in abatement, (Law), plea to the effect that from some formal defect (e.g. misnomer, lack of jurisdiction) the proceedings should be abated.

mid-14c., from Old French abatement, from abattre (see abate).\n

Etymology 1 n. 1 The act of abating, or the state of being abated; a lessening, diminution, or reduction; a moderation; removal or putting an end to; the suppression of. (First attested from 1340 to 1470.)(R:SOED5: page=2) 2 The amount abated; that which is taken away by way of reduction; deduction; decrease; a rebate or discount allowed; in particular from a tax. (Late 15^th century.) 3 (context heraldry English) A mark of dishonor on an escutcheon; any figure added to the coat of arms tending to lower the dignity or station of the bearer.(Early 17^th century.) Etymology 2

n. 1 (context legal English) The action of a person that abates, or without proper authority enters a residence after the death of the owner and before the heir takes possession. 2 (context legal English) The reduction of the proceeds of a will, when the debts have not yet been satisfied; the reduction of taxes due.(R:RHCD: page=1)(First attested around 1150 to 1350.)

1. n: an interruption in the intensity or amount of something [syn: suspension, respite, reprieve, hiatus]

2. the act of abating; "laws enforcing noise abatement"

Abatement refers generally to a lessening, diminution, reduction, or moderation; specifically, it may refer to:

• Abatement of debts and legacies, a common law doctrine of wills
• Abatement in pleading, a legal defense to civil and criminal actions based purely on procedural and technical issues involving the death of parties
• Abatement (heraldry), a modification of the shield or coat of arms that supposedly can be imposed by authority (in England supposedly by the Court of Chivalry) for misconduct
• Asbestos abatement
• Bird abatement, driving or removing undesired birds from an area
• Dust abatement, the process of inhibiting the creation of excess soil dust, a pollutant that contributes to excess levels of particulate matter
• Graffiti abatement
• Nuisance abatement

An abatement (sometimes termed rebatement) is a modification of a coat of arms, representing a less-than honorable augmentation, imposed by an heraldic authority (such as the Court of Chivalry in England) or by royal decree for misconduct. The practice of inverting the entire escutcheon of an armiger found guilty of high treason has been attested since the Middle Ages and is generally accepted as reliable, and medieval heraldic sources cite at least one instance of removing an honourable charge from a coat of arms by royal decree as an abatement of honour. Other abatements of honour implied by the addition of dishonourable stains and charges, appearing in late 16th-century texts, have never been reliably attested in actual practice. Additionally, as many heraldic writers note, the use of arms is not compulsory, so armigers are more likely to relinquish a dishonored coat of arms than to advertise their dishonor.