# abate
## English
### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA: /əˈbeɪt/
* Audio (General American):(file)
* Audio (Canada):(file)
* Rhymes: -eɪt

### Etymology 1

From Middle English abaten, from Anglo-Norman abatre, from Late Latin abbattere, from Latin battere.
The verb is derived from Middle English abaten (“to demolish, knock down; to defeat, strike down; to strike or take down (a sail); to throw down; to bow dejectedly or submissively; to be dejected; to stop; to defeat, humiliate; to repeal (a law); to dismiss or quash (a lawsuit); to lessen, reduce; to injure, impair; to appease; to decline, grow less; to deduct, subtract; to make one’s way; attack (an enemy); (law) to enter or intrude upon (someone’s property); of a hawk: to beat or flap the wings”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman abater, abatier, abatre, abbatre, Middle French abattre, abatre, abattre, Old French abatre, abattre (“to demolish, knock down; to bring down, cut down; to lessen, reduce; to suppress; to stop; to discourage; to impoverish, ruin; to conquer; to overthrow; to kill; to remove (money) from circulation; (law) to annul”), from Late Latin abbattere (“to bring down, take down; to suppress; to debase (currency)”), from Latin ab- (prefix meaning ‘away; from; away from’) + Latin battere, from older battuere (“to beat, hit; to beat up; to fight”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰedʰ- (“to dig; to stab”)).
The noun is derived from the verb.

#### Verb

abate (third-person singular simple present abates, present participle abating, simple past and past participle abated)
* (transitive)
** To lessen (something) in force or intensity; to moderate. [from 14th c.]
    Synonyms: alleviate, assuage, diminish, lower, mitigate, relax, remit, temper
    Antonyms: aggravate, amplify, augment, enhance, foment, increase, intensify, magnify, raise
*** 1576, Gerard Legh, “Azure”, in The Accedens of Armory, London: […] Richard Tottel, →OCLC, folios 6, verso – 7, recto:[Jupiter] whiche by his goodnes as Marcianus ſaieth, abateth the malice of Saturne. Therfore the Poets faine, that he did put his father out of his kingdome, Iſidore writeth as he abateth the malice of the euill Planets, […]
*** 1599, [William Shakespeare], The Cronicle History of Henry the Fift, […] (First Quarto)‎, London: […] Thomas Creede, for Tho[mas] Millington, and Iohn Busby, […], published 1600, →OCLC:Abate thy rage ſweete knight, Abate thy rage.These lines do not appear in the version of the play published in the First Folio (1623).
*** 1664, J[ohn] E[velyn], “Pomona, or An Appendix Concerning Fruit-trees, in Relation to Cider, […]. Chapter VI. Of Transplanting, and Distance.”, in Sylva, or A Discourse of Forest-trees and the Propagation of Timber in His Majesties Dominions. […], London: […] Jo[hn] Martyn, and Ja[mes] Allestry, printers to the Royal Society, […], →OCLC, page 17:By the oft removal of a Wild-ſtock, cutting the ends of the Roots, and diſ-branching ſomewhat of the Head at every change of place, it will greatly abate of its natural wildneſs, and in time bring forth more civil and ingenuous Fruit: […]
*** 1670, Izaack Walton [i.e., Izaak Walton], “The Life of Mr George Herbert. […]”, in George Herbert, edited by Alexander B[alloch] Grosart, The Complete Works in Verse and Prose of George Herbert. […] (The Fuller Worthies’ Library), volume III (Prose), London: […] [Robson and Sons] for private circulation, published 1874, →OCLC, page 36:And it is to be noted that in the sharpest of his extreme fits he [George Herbert] would often say, 'Lord, abate my great affliction, or increase my patience; but, Lord, I repine not; I am dumb, Lord, before Thee, because Thou doest it.'
*** 1759, William Robertson, “Book II”, in The History of Scotland, during the Reigns of Queen Mary and of King James VI, till His Accession to the Crown of England. […], volume I, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar […], →OCLC, page 86:In the one period, an hundred and fifty years of peace between the two nations, the habit of being ſubjected to the ſame King, and governed by the ſame maxims, had conſiderably abated old animoſities, and prepared both people for incorporating.
*** 1859, John Stuart Mill, “Of the Liberty of Thought and Discussion”, in On Liberty, London: John W[illiam] Parker and Son, […], →OCLC, pages 68–69:To abate the force of these considerations, an enemy of free discussion may be supposed to say, that there is no necessity for mankind in general to know and understand all that can be said against or for the opinions by philosophers and theologians.
*** 1937, J. C. Murray, “To the Lusty Legume”, in E[ugene] L[ouis] Chicanot, editor, Rhymes of the Miner: An Anthology of Canadian Mining Verse, Gardenvale, Que.: Federal Publications, →OCLC, stanza 2, page 181:O, Blessed Bean! How often have I ate Whole plates of Thee, my hunger to abate! And thou abatedst it, Thou didst indeed, Thou ever over-satisfying feed!
** To reduce (something) in amount or size. [from 14th c.]
    Synonyms: decrease, lessen
    Antonyms: enlarge, increase
*** 1599, [George Flinton, compiler and transl.], “Praiers for Svnneday, Containing Laudes, Praises & Thanks-giuing, for the Benefits that God hath Bestowed vpon Vs. [A Psalme in which the Goodnesse of God is Praised.]”, in A Manvall of Praiers, Gathered Ovt of Many Famous & Good Authors, as well Auncient, as of the Time Present. […], Calicè [Calais; actually London: s.n.], →OCLC, pages 77–78:Thou haſt dominion ouer their power, and when they be exalted & ſet aloft in their waies, thou abateſt their courage, and deſtroyeſt them with thy mighty arme.
*** 1814, Robert Southey, “Notes”, in Roderick, the Last of the Goths, London: […] [F]or Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […], by James Ballantyne and Co. […], →OCLC, page cxi:And receive into thy heart the instructions that I shall give thee now, and see that thou swerve not from them, nor abatest them a jot; for if thou observest them not, or departest in aught from them, thou wilt bring damnation upon thy soul; […]
*** 1822, [Walter Scott], chapter IV, in Peveril of the Peak. […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC, page 100:[…] Lance, after having made some shew of helping him to his horse, ran back to tell his master the joyful intelligence, that a lucky accident had abated Chiffinch's party to their own number.
*** To cut away or hammer down (material from metalwork, a sculpture, etc.) in such a way as to leave a figure in relief.
** To lower (something) in price or value. [from mid 14th c.]
*** 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XVII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 201:Few words drive a bargain with Peter Eskett. I never abate one farthing of my price; but then that price never asks more than a fair profit.
** (archaic)
*** To demolish or level to the ground (a building or other structure). [from early 15th c.]
**** a. 1548 (date written), Edward Hall, Richard Grafton, “[The Triumphant Reigne of Kyng Henry the VIII.] The .V. Yere.”, in The Vnion of the Two Noble and Illustre Famelies of Lancastre & Yorke, […], London: […] Richardi Graftoni […], published 1548, →OCLC:[…] the kyng of Scottes […] with all hys hoſte and power entered into Englande (and threw doune pyles) the .xxij. daye of August, and planted hys ſiege before the Caſtell of Norham, and ſore abated the walles.
*** To give no consideration to (something); to treat as an exception. [from late 16th c.]
**** c. 1595–1596 (date written), W. Shakespere [i.e., William Shakespeare], A Pleasant Conceited Comedie Called, Loues Labors Lost. […] (First Quarto), London: […] W[illiam] W[hite] for Cut[h]bert Burby, published 1598, →OCLC; republished as Shakspere’s Loves Labours Lost (Shakspere-Quarto Facsimiles; no. 5), London: W[illiam] Griggs, […], [1880], →OCLC,:Abate throw at Nouum, and the whole world againe, Cannot picke out fiue ſuch, take each one in his vaine.
**** 1791, James Boswell, “[1772]”, in James Boswell, editor, The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. […], volume I, London: […] Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly, […], →OCLC, page 353:Sir, he was not Scotch; and, abating his brutality, he was a very good maſter.
*** (chiefly figuratively) To dull (an edge, point, etc.); to blunt. [from mid 16th c.]
**** c. 1593 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The Tragedy of King Richard the Third. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Valentine Sims [and Peter Short] for Andrew Wise, […], published 1597, →OCLC,:Abate the edge of traitors gracious Lord, That vvould reduce theſe bloudy daies againe, And make poore England vveepe in ſtreames of bloud, […]
**** 1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Enuy. IX.”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC, pages 45–46:Wherefore you ſhall obſerue that the more deepe, and ſober ſort of Politique perſons, in their Greatneſſe, are euer bemoaning themſelues, what a Life they lead; Chanting a Quanta patimur. Not that they feele it ſo, but onely to abate the Edge of Enuy.
** (law)
*** To make (a writ or other legal document) void; to nullify. [from late 15th c.]
    to abate a writ
*** To put an end to (a nuisance).
    She was ordered by the court to abate the nuisance.
**** 1768, William Blackstone, “Of Courts in General”, in Commentaries on the Laws of England, book III (Of Private Wrongs), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 22:[…] the law allows an extrajudicial remedy, yet that does not exclude the ordinary courſe of juſtice: […] I may either abate a nuſance by my own authority, or call upon the law to do it for me: […]
*** (chiefly US) To dismiss or otherwise bring to an end (legal proceedings) before they are completed, especially on procedural grounds rather than on the merits.
** (obsolete)
*** To curtail or end (something); to cause to cease. [14th–17th c.]
    Synonyms: cut short, stop, suppress, terminate
    to order restrictions to abate an emergency
*** To give (someone) a discount or rebate; also, to relieve (someone) of a debt. [15th–19th c.]
**** 1771–1790, Benjamin Franklin, “The Autobiography [Part 1]”, in John Bigelow, editor, Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. […], Philadelphia, Pa.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott & Co., published 1868, →OCLC, page 150:[…] when I talk'd of a lodging I had heard of, nearer my business, for two shillings a week, which, intent as I now was on saving money, made some difference, she bid me not think of it, for she would abate me two shillings a week for the future; so I remained with her at one shilling and sixpence as long as I staid in London.
*** To bring down (someone) mentally or physically; to lower (someone) in status. [14th–17th c.]
    Synonyms: abase, depress, humble
**** 1534, John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Berners, The golden boke of Marcus Aurelius, page 132:He is honoured amonge theym that be honoured, that fortune abateth without faute: and he is shamed amonge theym that be shamed, that fortune inhanceth without merite.
**** 1618, Sir Walter Raleigh, “Maxims of State”, in Remains of Sir Walter Raleigh, published 1669, page 27:Rules and axioms for preserving of a Kingdom. […] If any great person to be abated, not to deal with him by calumniation or forged matter […]
**** 1653, Jeremy Taylor, “Twenty-five Sermons Preached at Golden Grove; Being for the Winter Half-year, […]: Sermon IX. The faith and patience of the saints; or, the righteous cause oppressed.”, in Reginald Heber, editor, The Whole Works of the Right Rev. Jeremy Taylor, D.D. […], volume V, London: Ogle, Duncan, and Co. […]; and Richard Priestley, […], published 1822, →OCLC, page 523:So long as the world lived by sense, and discourses of natural reason, as they were abated with human infirmities, and not at all heightened by the Spirit and divine revelation […]
*** Chiefly followed by from, of, etc.: to omit or remove (a part from a whole); to deduct, to subtract. [15th–19th c.]
    We will abate this price from the total.
**** 1655, Thomas Fuller, “Section III. To the Right Worshipful Sir Richard Shugborough, of Shugborough in Warwickshire.”, in The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI), subsection 30–43 (Pope’s Profit by Sale of Trinkets, […]), page 54:Peter-pence succeeded; granted by Ina, king of the West Saxons, to pope Gregory II. anno 626. It was a penny paid for every chimney that smoked in England, which in that hospitable age had few smokeless ones; […] Now, though none can tell what these amounted to, yet conjecture may be made, by descending to such proportions, which no rational man will deny. Allowing nine thousand parishes (abating the odd hundreds) in England and Wales, a hundred houses in every parish, two chimneys in every house, one with another, it ariseth unto a yearly sum of seven thousand five hundred pounds.
**** 1881, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], “The Prince a Prisoner”, in The Prince and the Pauper: A Tale for Young People of All Ages, Montreal, Que.: Dawson Brothers, →OCLC, page 186:Three shillings and eightpence, your worship—I could not abate a penny and set forth the value honestly.
*** Chiefly followed by of: to deprive (someone or something of another thing). [15th–19th c.]
**** c. 1603–1606 (date written), [William Shakespeare], […] His True Chronicle Historie of the Life and Death of King Lear and His Three Daughters. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Nathaniel Butter, […], published 1608, →OCLC,:She hath abated me of halfe my traine, Lookt blacke vpon me, ſtrooke mee with her tongue Moſt Serpent-like vpon the very heart, […]
**** 1659, Philo-Christianus [pseudonym; William Brough], “A Service of the Pleasures of Piety, for Sunday or Other Day. [A Meditation of the Pleasures of Piety.]”, in Sacred Principles, Services and Soliloquies: Or, A Manual of Devotions Made Up of Three Parts: […], 4th edition, London: […] J[ohn] G[rismond] for John Clark, […], →OCLC, page 260:But O Saint! be not thou an Epicure! If delight draw thy heart, thou loſeſt ſo much in delectation, as Religion; and abateſt thy Soul ſo much of Solace, as God of Service!
* (intransitive)
** To decrease in force or intensity; to subside. [from 14th c.]
    Synonyms: decline, ebb, slacken, soften, wane
*** 1576, Gerard Legh, The Accedens of Armory, London: […] Richard Tottel, →OCLC, folio 53, verso:[…] Plini writeth, that the crueltie of the Ramme abateth, if he bee perced in the horne neare vnto the eare. For the chiefeſt parte of his ſtrength, is in his hedd, where he is well armed to fighte.
*** 1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “March. Ægloga Tertia.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Hugh Singleton, […], →OCLC, folio 10, recto:[folio 8, verso] For Winters wrath beginnes to quell, And pleaſant ſpryng appeareth. […] [folio 10, recto] Gloss. […] To quell) to abate.
*** 1599 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The Cronicle History of Henry the Fift, […] (First Quarto), London: […] Thomas Creede, for Tho[mas] Millington, and Iohn Busby […], published 1600, →OCLC,:My fury ſhall abate, And I the Crownes will take.
*** 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Deuteronomy 34:7, column 1:And Moſes was an hundred and twentie yeeres olde when he died: his eye was not dimme, nor his naturall force abated.
*** 1697, Virgil, “The First Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 63, lines 463–466:When Winter's rage abates, when chearful Hours Awake the Spring, and Spring awakes the Flow'rs, On the green Turf thy careleſs Limbs diſplay, And celebrate the mighty Mother's day.
*** 1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC, page 163:The third Day in the Morning, the Wind having abated over Night, the Sea was calm, and I ventur'd; but I am a warning Piece again to all raſh and ignorant Pilots; for no ſooner was I come to the Point, when even I was not my Boat's Length from the Shore, but I found my ſelf in a great Depth of Water, and a Current like the Sluice of a Mill: […]
*** 1785, “CODS”, in The Sportsman’s Dictionary; or, The Gentleman’s Companion: For Town and Country. […], 3rd edition, London: […] G. G[eorge] J[ohn] and J[ames] Robinson, […], →OCLC, column 2:CODS, or Stones swelled; a malady in horſes that comes in many ways, […] For the cure, take bole armoniac reduced to a fine powder, vinegar and whites of eggs well beaten together, and anoint the part with it daily, till the ſwelling abates: […]
*** 1849, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter II, in The History of England from the Accession of James II, volume I, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC, page 231:[…] during the eighteen years which had elapsed since the Restoration, the hatred of Puritanism had abated, and the hatred of Popery had increased.
*** 2022 October 7, Emma Goldberg, “The Job Market Has Been Like Musical Chairs. Will the Music Stop?”, in The New York Times‎:Counselors who support young job seekers have noticed their optimism abating. Rebecca Cassidy, who works at Georgetown University’s career center, was surprised by the relaxed attitude that students seemed to adopt toward their job searches last year.
** To decrease in amount or size. [from mid 16th c.]
*** 1560, [William Whittingham et al., transl.], The Bible and Holy Scriptures Conteyned in the Olde and Newe Testament. […] (the Geneva Bible), Geneva: […] Rouland Hall, →OCLC, Genesis VIII:3, folio 4, recto:And the waters returned from aboue the earth, going and returning: and after the end of the hundreth and fiftieth day the waters abated.
*** a. 1627 (date written), Francis Bacon, “Of the True Greatness of the Kingdom of Britain”, in James Spedding, Robert Leslie Ellis, and Douglas Denon Heath, editors, The Works of Francis Bacon, […], volume VII, London: Longman, Green, and Co.; […], published 1859, →OCLC, page 60:[…] the same greatness of wealth is for the most part not collected and obtained without sucking it from many, according to the received similitude of the spleen, which never swelleth but when the rest of the body pineth and abateth.
*** 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “The Chase.—Third Day.”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 629:Whether fagged by the three days' running chase, and the resistance to his swimming in the knotted hamper he bore; or whether it was some latent deceitfulness and malice in him: whichever was true, the White Whale's way now began to abate, as it seemed, from the boat so rapidly nearing him once more; though indeed the whale's last start had not been so long a one as before.
** To lower in price or value; (law) specifically, of a bequest in a will: to lower in value because the testator's estate is insufficient to satisfy all the bequests in full. [from early 18th c.]
    Bequests and legacies are liable to be abated entirely or in proportion, upon a deficiency of assets.
*** 1766, William Blackstone, “Of Title by Testament, and Administration”, in Commentaries on the Laws of England, book II (Of the Rights of Things), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC, pages 512–513:And in the caſe of a deficiency of aſſets, all the general legacies muſt abate proportionably, in order to pay the debts; but a ſpecific legacy (of a piece of plate, a horſe, or the like) is not to abate at all, or allow any thing by way of abatement, unleſs there be not ſufficient without it.
** (archaic, chiefly figuratively) Of an edge, point, etc.: to become blunt or dull. [from mid 16th c.]
*** a. 1548 (date written), Edward Hall, Richard Grafton, “[The Triumphant Reigne of Kyng Henry the VIII.] The .XVI. Yere.”, in The Vnion of the Two Noble and Illustre Famelies of Lancastre & Yorke, […], London: […] Richardi Graftoni […], published 1548, →OCLC:The third ſhild yelow, ſignifying the Barriers, and he that toucheth that ſhilde ſhalbee anſwered twelve ſtrokes at the Barriers, wyth the ſworde, edge and poynt abated.
** (law)
*** (chiefly historical) Of a writ or other legal document: to become null and void; to cease to have effect. [from late 15th c.]
    The writ has abated.
**** 1680, Edward Coke, “Where a Writ shall be Brought by Journeys Accompts. Hill. 45 Eliz. Rot. 36. in the Common Pleas. Spencer’s Case.”, in The Reports of Sir Edward Coke, Kt. […], 2nd edition, London: […] H. Twyford, […], →OCLC, part VI, page 375:But where the Writ abateth for default of the Clerk, as where it abateth for falſe Latin, or variance, or want of form, there the defendant ſhall have the benefit of a new Writ by Journeys Accompts, becauſe it was the fault of the Clerk of the Chancery, and not the fault of the defendant himſelf, […]
**** 1778, Matthew Bacon [i.e., Mathew Bacon], “Error”, in A New Abridgement of the Law. […], 4th edition, London: […] W[illiam] Strahan and M. Woodfall, […]; for C. Bathurst, […], →OCLC, section G (Of the Proceedings after the Record Removed, and herein of the Abatement of the Writ of Error), page 209:If a Writ of Error abates or diſcontinues by the Act and Default of the Party, a ſecond Writ of Error ſhall be no Superſedeas; otherwiſe if it abates or diſcontinues by the Act of God or the Law.
*** (chiefly US) Of legal proceedings: to be dismissed or otherwise brought to an end before they are completed, especially on procedural grounds rather than on the merits.
**** 1768, William Blackstone, “Of Pleading”, in Commentaries on the Laws of England, book III (Of Private Wrongs), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 302:[…] in actions ariſing ex contractu, by breach of promiſe and the like, where the right deſcends to the repreſentatives of the plaintiff, and thoſe of the defendant have aſſets to anſwer the demand, though the ſuits ſhall abate by the death of the parties, yet they may be revived againſt or by the executors: being indeed rather actions againſt the property than the perſon, in which the executors now have the ſame intereſt that their teſtator had before.
** (obsolete)
*** To give a discount or rebate; to discount, to rebate. [16th–19th c.]
*** To bow down; hence, to be abased or humbled. [14th–17th c.]
*** Chiefly followed by of: to deduct or subtract from. [15th–19th c.]
**** 1810, Walter Scott, “Canto V. The Combat.”, in The Lady of the Lake; […], Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for John Ballantyne and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, and William Miller, →OCLC, stanza III, page 194:So toilsome was the road to trace, The guide, abating of his pace, Led slowly through the pass's jaws, […]
**** 1849, Herman Melville, “Taji Takes Counsel with Himself”, in Mardi: And a Voyage Thither. […], volume I, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC, pages 208–209:So then, weighing all things well, and myself severely, I resolved to follow my Mentor's wise counsel; neither arrogating aught, nor abating of just dues; but circulating freely, sociably, and frankly, among the gods, heroes, high-priests, kings, and gentlemen, that made up the principalities of Mardi.

##### Conjugation

$^†$ Archaic or obsolete.

##### Synonyms

* See also Thesaurus:destroy

##### Derived terms

* abatable
* abatee
* abatement
* abate of
* abater
* bate
* unabated
* unabating

##### Related terms

* abatis
* abator
* abattoir

##### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

#### Noun

abate (countable and uncountable, plural abates) (obsolete)
* (uncountable) Abatement; reduction; (countable) an instance of this. [15th–17th c.]
** 1681 October 23, William Penn, chapter XIV, in Samuel M[acpherson] Janney, The Life of William Penn: With Selections from His Correspondence and Autobiography, 2nd edition, Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott, Grambo & Co., published 1852, →OCLC, page 192:[Letter to Algernon Sidney dated 13 October 1681 (Julian calendar).] There are many things make a man's life uneasy in the world, which are great abates to the pleasure of living, but scarcely one equal to that of the unkindness or injustice of friends.
* (uncountable) Deduction; subtraction; (countable) an instance of this. [17th c.]
** 1650, Thomas Browne, “Concerning Weight”, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC, 4th book, page 167:That men weigh heavier dead than alive, if experiment hath not failed us, we cannot reaſonably grant. For though the triall hereof cannot ſo well be made on the body of Man, nor will the difference be ſenſible in the abate of ſcruples or dragmes, yet can we not confirm the ſame in leſſer animalls from whence the inference is good; […]

### Etymology 2

From Anglo-Norman abatre, probably an alteration of Anglo-Norman and Middle French embatre, enbatre (“to drive or rush into; to enter into a tenement without permission”) (compare Late Latin abatare), from Middle French, Old French em-, en- (prefix meaning ‘in, into’) + Middle French, Old French batre (“to beat, hit, strike”) (from Latin battere, battuere, the present active infinitive of battuō (“to beat, hit; to beat up; to fight”); see further at etymology 1). The English word was probably also influenced by the verb abate.

#### Verb

abate (third-person singular simple present abates, present participle abating, simple past and past participle abated)
* (ambitransitive, law, chiefly historical) To enter upon and unlawfully seize (land) after the owner has died, thus preventing an heir from taking possession of it. [from mid 15th c.]
** 1680, Edward Coke, “Mich. 7 Jacobi. In the Common Pleas. Buckmere’s Case.”, in The Reports of Sir Edward Coke, Kt. […], 2nd edition, London: […] H. Twyford, […], →OCLC, part VI, pages 570–571:So, if Lands be given to Father and Son, and to the heirs of their two bodies begotten, the remainder over in fee, and afterwards the Father dieth without any Iſſue but the Son, and afterwards the Son dieth without Iſſue, and a Stranger abateth, he in the remainder ſhall have one Formedon in the remainder, although the Eſtate tails were ſeveral, […]

##### Translations
### Etymology 3

Borrowed from Italian abate (“abbot”), from Latin abbātem, the accusative singular of abbās (“abbot”), from Ancient Greek ἀββᾶς (abbâs), a variant of ἀββᾱ (abbā, “father; title of respect for an abbot”), from Aramaic אַבָּא (’abbā, “father; ancestor; teacher; chief, leader; author, originator”), from Proto-Semitic *ʔabw- (“father”), ultimately imitative of a child’s word for “father”. The English word is a doublet of abbot.

#### Noun

abate (plural abates)
* An Italian abbot or other member of the clergy. [from early 18th c.]

##### Alternative forms

* abbate

##### Translations
### References

* ↑ “abāten, -i(en, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
* ↑ “abate, v.$^1$”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, June 2021; “abate, v.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
* ↑ “† abate, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, December 2020.
* ↑ “abate, v.$^2$”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, December 2020.
* ↑ Compare Lesley Brown, editor-in-chief, William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, editors (2002), “abate”, in The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 5th edition, Oxford, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 2.
* James A. H. Murray et al., editors (1884–1928), “Abate”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volume I (A–B), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 9.

### Further reading

* abatement (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
* Abatement in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)
* Elliott K. Dobbie, C. William Dunmore, Robert K. Barnhart, et al. (editors), Chambers Dictionary of Etymology (Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2004 [1998], →ISBN), page 2
* “abate”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
* “abate”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

### Anagrams

* abeat

## Galician
### Verb

abate
* inflection of abater:
** third-person singular present indicative
** second-person singular imperative

## Indonesian
### Etymology 1

A genericized trademark of a BASF trademark.

#### Pronunciation

* (Standard Indonesian)
** IPA: /aˈbatə/ [aˈba.t̪ə]
*** Rhymes: -atə
** IPA: /aˈbate/ [aˈba.t̪e]
*** Rhymes: -ate
* Syllabification: a‧ba‧te

#### Noun

abatê (plural abate-abate)
* a powdered larvacide, see temefos for further information

### Etymology 2

From Seluwasan [Term?].

#### Pronunciation

* (Standard Indonesian) IPA: /aˈbate/ [aˈba.t̪e]
* Rhymes: -ate
* Syllabification: a‧ba‧te

#### Noun

abate (plural abate-abate)
* (dialectal, uncommon) broken wood

### Further reading

* “abate” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

## Italian
### Alternative forms

* abbate

### Etymology

From Late Latin abbātem, from Ancient Greek ἀββᾶς (abbâs), from Aramaic אבא (’abbā, “father”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /aˈba.te/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -ate
* Hyphenation: a‧bà‧te

### Noun

abate m (plural abati, feminine badessa, diminutive abatìno, augmentative abatóne, derogatory abatùccio or abatónzolo or abatùcolo)
* abbot
** 1310s, Dante Alighieri, “Canto XVIII”, in Purgatorio [Purgatory]‎, lines 118–120; republished as Giorgio Petrocchi, editor, La Commedia secondo l'antica vulgata [The Commedia according to the ancient vulgate]‎, 2nd revised edition, Florence: publ. Le Lettere, 1994: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 a still-sorrowing Milan talks.

#### Related terms

* abbazia
* badessa
* badia

#### Descendants

* → Albanian: abat
* → Belarusian: абат (abat)
* → Bulgarian: абат (abat)
* → English: abate
* → German: Abate
* → Romanian: abate
* → Russian: аббат (abbat)
* → Sardinian: abate
* → Ukrainian: абат (abat)

### Further reading

* abate in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
* abate in Dizionario Italiano Olivetti, Olivetti Media Communication

### Anagrams

* batea, beata

## Latvian
### Etymology

From abats (“abbott”) +‎ -e (fem.).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [abːatɛ]
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

abate f (5th declension, masculine form: abats)
* female equivalent of abats: 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

#### Related terms

* abatija

### Further reading

* abate at tezaurs.lv

## Lithuanian
### Pronunciation 1

* IPA: [ɐb.ɐˈtʲɛ]

#### Noun

abatè
* locative singular of abatas
* instrumental singular of abatė

### Pronunciation 2

* IPA: [ɐbˈaː.tʲɛ]

#### Noun

abãte
* vocative singular of abatas
* vocative singular of abatė

## Middle English
### Verb

abate
* Alternative form of abaten

## Portuguese
### Pronunciation

* (Brazil) IPA: /aˈba.t͡ʃi/
* (Brazil) IPA: /aˈba.t͡ʃi/
** (Southern Brazil) IPA: /aˈba.te/
* (Portugal) IPA: /ɐˈba.tɨ/ [ɐˈβa.tɨ]
* Rhymes: (Brazil) -at͡ʃi, (Portugal) -atɨ
* Hyphenation: a‧ba‧te

### Etymology 1

Deverbal from abater.

#### Noun

abate m (plural abates)
* slaughter

### Etymology 2
#### Verb

abate
* inflection of abater:
** third-person singular present indicative
** second-person singular imperative

## Romanian
### Etymology 1

Inherited from Late Latin abbattere, from Latin battere.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /aˈbate/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -ate
* Hyphenation: a‧bá‧te

#### Verb

a abate (third-person singular present abate, past participle abătut) 3rd conjugation
* to stray (often figuratively in a moral sense), derogate, deviate, divert from, digress
    Synonyms: devia, îndepărta
* to change paths, swerve from, wander from
* (reflexive) to stop (going a certain way)
    Synonym: opri
* to dissuade
* to knock down
    Synonyms: dărâma, da jos

##### Derived terms

* abatere

##### Related terms

* bate

### Etymology 2

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

#### Noun

abate m (plural abați)
* abbot

##### Declension
## Sardinian
### Etymology

From Italian abate, from Late Latin abbās, abbātem, from Ancient Greek ἀββᾶς (abbâs), from Aramaic אבא (’abbā, “father”). Compare Campidanese abati.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /aˈbate/

### Noun

abate m (plural abates, feminine badessa)
* (Logudorese, Nuorese) abbot

#### Related terms

* abadia
* abatzia
* badia

### References

* Rubattu, Antoninu (2006) Dizionario universale della lingua di Sardegna, 2nd edition, Sassari: Edes
* ↑ Wagner, Max Leopold (1960–1964) Dizionario etimologico sardo, Heidelberg

## Spanish
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /aˈbate/ [aˈβ̞a.t̪e]
* Rhymes: -ate
* Syllabification: a‧ba‧te

### Etymology 1

From Italian abate. Doublet of abad.

#### Noun

abate m (plural abates)
* (Spain, 19th century) a clergyman from Italy or France, or that has resided there.

### Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

#### Verb

abate
* inflection of abatir:
** third-person singular present indicative
** second-person singular imperative

### Further reading

* “abate”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

## Tagalog
### Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish abate, from Italian abate, from Late Latin abbātem, from Ancient Greek ἀββᾶς (abbâs), from Aramaic אבא (’abbā). Doublet of abad.

### Pronunciation

* (Standard Tagalog) IPA: /ʔaˈbate/ [ʔɐˈbaː.t̪ɛ]
* Rhymes: -ate
* Syllabification: a‧ba‧te

### Noun

abate (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜊᜆᜒ)
* abbé

### Further reading

* “abate”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018