abate

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /əˈbeɪt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /əˈbeɪt/
• Rhymes: -eɪt

• Audio

  (file)

From Middle English abaten, borrowed from Old French abatre (“to beat down”) (possibly via Middle French), from Late Latin abbatto, from ab- (“away”) + batto, from Latin battuere (“to beat”). Cognate to modern French abattre.

abate (third-person singular simple present abates, present participle abating, simple past and past participle abated)

1. (transitive, obsolete outside law) To put an end to; to cause to cease. [attested since about 1150 to 1350][1]

   to abate a nuisance

2. (intransitive) To become null and void. [attested since the late 15th century][1]

   The writ has abated.

3. (transitive, law) To nullify; make void. [attested since the late 15th century][1]

   to abate a writ

4. (transitive, obsolete) To humble; to lower in status; to bring someone down physically or mentally. [attested from around 1150 to 1350 until the mid 1600s][1]
   • (Can we date this quote?) Geoffrey Chaucer

     The hyer that they were in this present lyf, the moore shulle they be abated and defouled in helle.

5. (intransitive, obsolete) To be humbled; to be brought down physically or mentally. [attested from around 1150 to 1350 until the mid 1600s][1]
6. (transitive, obsolete) To curtail; to deprive. [attested from around 1350 to 1470 until the mid 1800s][1]

   Order restrictions and prohibitions to abate an emergency situation.

   • 1605, William Shakespeare, King Lear, II.ii:

     She hath abated me of half my train.

7. (transitive) To reduce in amount, size, or value. [attested since 1325][2][1]

   Legacies are liable to be abated entirely or in proportion, upon a deficiency of assets.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Deuteronomy 34:7:

     His eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.

8. (intransitive) To decrease in size, value, or amount. [attested since 1325][2]
9. (transitive) To moderate; to lessen in force, intensity, to subside. [attested since around 1150 to 1350][1]
   • 1597, Francis Bacon Essays or Counsels, Civil and Morall:

     Not that they feel it so, but only to abate the edge of envy.

   • 1855, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, Part 3, page 267:

     The fury of Glengarry […] rapidly abated.

10. (intransitive) To decrease in intensity or force; to subside. [attested since around 1150 to 1350][1]
    • c. 1719, Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe:

      […] in the morning, the wind having abated overnight, the sea was calm, […]

11. (transitive) To deduct or omit. [attested since around 1350 to 1470][1]

    We will abate this price from the total.

    • 1845, Thomas Fuller, The Church History of Britain‎, volume 3, page 100:

      Allowing nine thousand parishes (abating the odd hundreds) in England and Wales […]

12. (transitive) To bar or except. [attested since the late 1500s][1]
    • (Can we date this quote?) Samuel Johnson

      Abating his brutality, he was a very good master.

13. (transitive) To cut away or hammer down, in such a way as to leave a figure in relief, as a sculpture, or in metalwork.
14. (transitive, obsolete) To dull the edge or point of; to blunt. [attested from the mid 1500s till the late 1600s][1]
15. (transitive, archaic) To destroy, or level to the ground. [attested since around 1350 to 1470][1]
    • 1542, Edward Hall, The Union of the Noble and Illustre Famelies of Lancastre and York:

      The kynge of Scottes planted his siege before the castell of Norham, and sore abated the walls.

• (bring down or reduce): lessen; diminish; contract; moderate; cut short; decrease; lower; suppress; terminate; remove; remit; slacken
• (diminish in force or intensity): diminish; subside; decline; wane; ebb; mitigate; assuage; temper; alleviate; relax
• (bring someone down): humble; depress; appease; pacify; soothe; soften; tranquilize
• (come to naught): fall through; fail

• augment; accelerate; aggravate; amplify; continue; develop; enhance; enlarge; extend; foment; increase; intensify; magnify; prolong; raise; rise; revive

abate (plural abates) (obsolete)

1. abatement. [from around 1400 until the late 1600s][1]

From Anglo-Norman abatre, an alteration of enbatre, from Old French en + batre (“to beat”).[2]

abate (third-person singular simple present abates, present participle abating, simple past and past participle abated)

1. (intransitive, law) to enter a tenement without permission after the owner has died and before the heir takes possession. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.][1]

From Italian abate, from Latin abbās, abbātis, from Ancient Greek ἀββᾶς (abbâs), from Aramaic אבא‎ (’abbā, “father”).

• abbate

abate (plural abates)

1. an Italian abbot, or other member of the clergy. [First attested in the early 18th century.][1]

• abate at OneLook Dictionary Search
• abate in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

• abeat

• abbate

From Latin abbātem, accusative form of abbās, from Ancient Greek ἀββᾶς (abbâs), from Aramaic אבא‎ (’abbā, “father”).

• IPA^(key): /aˈba.te/, [äˈbäːt̪e̞]

• audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: a‧bà‧te

abate m (plural abati, feminine badessa)

1. abbot
   • 1321, Dante Alighieri, La divina commedia: Purgatorio [The Divine Comedy: Purgatory] (paperback), Bompiani, published 2001, Canto XVIII, lines 118–120, page 272:

     «Io fui abate in San Zeno a Verona ¶ sotto lo 'mperio del buon Barbarossa, ¶ di cui dolente ancor Milan ragiona.»

     «I was San Zeno's abbot at Verona under the empire of good Barbarossa of whom still sorrowing Milan holds discourse.»

• abatonzolo (“pejorative”)

• → Albanian: abat
• → Belarusian: абат (abat)
• → Bulgarian: абат (abat)
• → English: abate
• → Romanian: abate
• → Russian: аббат (abbat)
• → Ukrainian: абат (abat)

• abate in Dizionario Italiano Olivetti

• beata

From abats (“abbott”) +‎ -e (fem.).

• IPA^(key): [abatɛ]

• (file)

abate f (5th declension, masculine form: abats)

1. abbess (the female superior of a Catholic abbey or nunnery)

   abate ir katoļu sieviešu klostera priekšniece ― an abbess is the leader of a Catholic nunnery (lit. women's monastery)

   abates ievēlēšana notiek bīskapa vai viņa pilnvarotā pārstāvja klātbūtnē ― the selection of an abbess occurs in the presence of a bishop or of his authorized representative

• abatija

• abate at tezaurs.lv

• IPA^(key): [ɐb.ɐˈtʲɛ]

abatè

1. locative singular of abatas
2. instrumental singular of abatė

• IPA^(key): [ɐbˈaː.tʲɛ]

abãte

1. vocative singular of abatas
2. vocative singular of abatė

From Norman abatre.

abate

1. to beat down, bring down, calm down

From Italian abate, from Latin abbās, abbātis, from Ancient Greek ἀββᾶς (abbâs), from Aramaic אבא‎ (’abbā, “father”).

abate c (plural abates)

1. abbot or abbess

abate

1. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present indicative of abater
2. second-person singular (tu, sometimes used with você) affirmative imperative of abater

From Vulgar Latin *abbatere, present active infinitive of *abbatō, *abbatuō, from Latin battuō.

a abate (third-person singular present abate, past participle abătut) 3rd conj.

1. to stray (often figuratively in a moral sense), derogate, deviate, divert from, digress

   Synonyms: devia, îndepărta

2. to change paths, swerve from, wander from
3. (reflexive) to stop (going a certain way)

   Synonym: opri

4. to dissuade
5. to knock down

   Synonyms: dărâma, da jos

• bate

Borrowed from Italian abate, from Latin abbās, abbātis, from Ancient Greek ἀββᾶς (abbâs), from Aramaic אבא‎ (’abbā, “father”).

abate m (plural abați)

1. abbot

• IPA^(key): /aˈbate/, [aˈβat̪e]

abate

1. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present indicative form of abatir.
2. Informal second-person singular (tú) affirmative imperative form of abatir.