abate

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Contents

English [edit]

Wikisource
See also the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica's article on:

Pronunciation [edit]

Etymology 1 [edit]

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

Verb [edit]

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

  1. (transitive, obsolete) To put an end to; To cause to cease. [First attested from around (1150 to 1350).][1]
  2. (transitive, law, only) To put an end to; To cause to cease. [First attested from around (1150 to 1350).][1]
    to abate a nuisance
  3. (intransitive) To become null and void. [First attested in the late 15th century.][1]
    The writ has abated.
  4. (transitive, law) To nullify; make void. [First attested in the late 15th century.][1]
    to abate a writ
  5. (transitive, obsolete) To humble; to lower in status; to bring someone down physically or mentally. [Attested from around (1150 to 1350) until the mid 17th century.][1]
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
      The hyer that they were in this present lyf, the moore shulle they be abated and defouled in helle.
  6. (intransitive, obsolete) To be humbled; to be brought down physically or mentally. [Attested from around (1150 to 1350) until the mid 17th century.][1]
  7. (transitive, obsolete) To curtail; to deprive. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the mid 19th century.][1]
    Order restrictions and prohibitions to abate an emergency situation.
  8. (transitive) To reduce in amount, size, or value. [First attested in 1325][2][1]
    Legacies are liable to be abated entirely or in proportion, upon a deficiency of assets.
  9. (intransitive) To decrease in size, value, or amount. [First attested in 1325][2]
  10. (transitive) To moderate; to lessen in force, intensity, to subside. [First attested from around (1150 to 1350).][1]
  11. (intransitive) To decrease in intensity or force; to subside. [First attested from around (1150 to 1350).][1]
  12. (transitive) To deduct or omit. [First attested from 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 […]
  13. (transitive) To bar or except. [First attested in the late 16th century.][1]
  14. (transitive) To cut away or hammer down, in such a way as to leave a figure in relief, as a sculpture, or in metalwork.
  15. (transitive, obsolete) To dull the edge or point of; to blunt. [Attested from the mid 16th century until the late 17th century.][1]
  16. (transitive, archaic) To destroy, or level to the ground. [First attested from 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.
Usage notes [edit]
  • (to put an end to): This definition is obsolete in the general sense; Only in the legal sense is it still utilized.
Synonyms [edit]
Antonyms [edit]
Derived terms [edit]
Related terms [edit]
Translations [edit]
to bring down or reduce to a lower state
to bring down a person physically or mentally
to decrease or become less in strength
to deduct, to omit
to bar, to except
obsolete: to bring entirely down or put an end to
to be defeated
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked

Etymology 2 [edit]

Verb [edit]

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]

Etymology 3 [edit]

  • From Middle French abatre (“to throw down”).

Noun [edit]

abate (plural abates)

  1. (obsolete) abatement. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the late 17th century.][1]

External links [edit]

Etymology 4 [edit]

Alternative forms [edit]

Noun [edit]

abate (plural abates)

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

References [edit]

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 2003 [1933], Brown, Lesley editor, The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, edition 5th, Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-860575-7, page 2:
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2004 [1998], Elliott K. Dobbie; Dunmore, C. William, et al., Barnhart, Robert K. editor, Chambers Dictionary of Etymology, Edinburgh, Scotland: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, ISBN 0550142304, page 2:

Italian [edit]

Etymology [edit]

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

Pronunciation [edit]

Noun [edit]

abate m (plural abati)

  1. abbot

Related terms [edit]

Anagrams [edit]

Novial [edit]

Etymology [edit]

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

Noun [edit]

abate

  1. abbot or abbess

Related terms [edit]

Romanian [edit]

Etymology 1 [edit]

From Late Latin abbattere, present active infinitive of abbattō, from Latin battuō.

Verb [edit]

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
  2. to change paths, swerve from, wander from
  3. (reflexive) to stop (going a certain way)
  4. to dissuade
  5. to knock down
Conjugation [edit]
    abate (Third conjugation)
infinitive a abate
gerund abătând
past participle abătut
number singular plural
person 1st person 2nd person 3rd person 1st person 2nd person 3rd person
indicative eu tu el/ea noi voi ei/ele
present abat abați abate abatem abateți abat
imperfect abăteam abăteai abătea abăteam abăteați abăteau
simple perfect abătui abătuși abătu abăturăm abăturăți abătură
pluperfect abătusem abătuseși abătuse abătuserăm abătuserăți abătuseră
subjunctive eu tu el/ea noi voi ei/ele
present să abat să abați să abată să abatem să abateți să abată
imperative — tu — — voi —
affirmative abate abateți
negative nu abate nu abateți
Synonyms [edit]
Related terms [edit]

Etymology 2 [edit]

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

Noun [edit]

abate m (plural abați)

  1. abbot

Spanish [edit]

Verb [edit]

abate (infinitive abatir)

  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.

Portuguese [edit]

Verb [edit]

abate

  1. third-person singular present indicative of abater
  2. second-person singular imperative of abater
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