What is "abate"

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)

   1. To bring entirely down or put an end to; to do away with; as, to abate a nuisance, to abate a writ.

   2. (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.

Abate \A*bate\ ([.a]*b[=a]t"), n. Abatement. [Obs.]
--Sir T. Browne.

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.

"put an end to" (c.1300); "to grow less, diminish in power or influence" (early 14c.), from Old French abattre "beat down, cast down," from Vulgar Latin *abbatere, from Latin ad "to" (see ad-) + battuere "to beat" (see batter (v.)). Secondary sense of "to fell, slaughter" is in abatis and abattoir. Related: Abated; abating.

Etymology 1 n. abatement. (from around 1400 until the late 1600s)(R:SOED5: page=2) vb. 1 (context transitive obsolete outside legal English) To put an end to; to cause to cease. (attested since about 1150 to 1350) 2 (context intransitive English) To become null and void. (attested since the late 15th century) 3 (context transitive legal English) To nullify; make void. (attested since the late 15th century) 4 (context transitive obsolete English) To humble; to lower in status; to bring someone down physically or mentally. (attested from around 1150 to 1350 until the mid 1600s) 5 (context intransitive obsolete English) To be humbled; to be brought down physically or mentally. (attested from around 1150 to 1350 until the mid 1600s) 6 (context transitive obsolete English) To curtail; to deprive. (attested from around 1350 to 1470 until the mid 1800s) 7 (context transitive English) To reduce in amount, size, or value. (attested since 1325)(R:CDOE: page=2) 8 (context intransitive English) To decrease in size, value, or amount. (attested since 1325) 9 (context transitive English) To moderate; to lessen in force, intensity, to subside. (attested since around 1150 to 1350) 10 (context intransitive English) To decrease in intensity or force; to subside. (attested since around 1150 to 1350) 11 (context transitive English) To deduct or omit. (attested since around 1350 to 1470) 12 (context transitive English) To bar or except. (attested since the late 1500s) 13 (context transitive English) To cut away or hammer down, in such a way as to leave a figure in relief, as a sculpture, or in metalwork. 14 (context transitive obsolete English) To dull the edge or point of; to blunt. (attested from the mid 1500s till the late 1600s) 15 (context transitive archaic English) To destroy, or level to the ground. (attested since around 1350 to 1470) Etymology 2

vb. (context intransitive legal English) To enter a tenement without permission after the owner has died and before the heir takes possession. (First attested around 1350 to 1470.) Etymology 3

alt. An Italian abbot, or other member of the clergy. (First attested in the early 18th century.) n. An Italian abbot, or other member of the clergy. (First attested in the early 18th century.)

1. v: make less active or intense [syn: slake, slack]

2. become less in amount or intensity; "The storm abated"; "The rain let up after a few hours" [syn: let up, slack off, slack, die away]

Abate may refer to:

• A brand name for the insecticide temefos
• ABATE, a motorcycle and motorcyclist rights organization
• The Italian word for abbot and abbé

Abate is a surname both of Ethiopian and Italian origin. People with it include the following:

• Abiyote Abate (born 1980), Ethiopian long-distance runner
• Adamo Abate (990–c. 1060), Italian medieval Benedictine abbot
• Atnafu Abate (late 1930s-1977), Ethiopian military officer and politician
• Beniamino Abate (born 1962), Italian football (soccer) goalkeeper
• Bob Abate (1893–1981), Canadian sports coach
• Carlo Mario Abate (born 1932), Italian autoracing driver
• Carmine Abate (born 1954), Italian writer
• Catherine M. Abate (1947–2014), New York State Senator
• Emanuele Abate (born 1985), Italian athlete
• Getachew Abate (1895–1952), army commander and a member of the royalty of the Ethiopian Empire
• Giovanni Abate (born 1981), Italian footballer
• Greg Abate (born 1947)
• Ignazio Abate (born 1986), Italian football (soccer) right back/midfielder
• Joseph Abate (1902–1994), American mobster
• Leul Abate (born 1954), Ethiopian airline pilot and victim of three hijackings
• Loris Abate (born 1928), Italian jewelry designer and businessman
• Mulugeta Abate, Ethiopian musician
• Thomas Abate (born 1978), American musician