bate

See also baté, bâté, bâte, and bäte

English

Pronunciation

• IPA: /beɪt/
• Rhymes: -eɪt
• Homophone: bait

Etymology 1

Aphetic from abate.

Verb

bate (third-person singular simple present bates, present participle bating, simple past and past participle bated)

1. (transitive) To reduce the force of something; to abate.
2. (transitive) To restrain, usually with the sense of being in anticipation; as, with bated breath.
3. (transitive, figuratively) To cut off, remove, take away.
   • circa 1658, Dr. Henry More, Government of the Tongue:

     He will not bate an ace of absolute certainty.

4. (archaic, transitive) To leave out, except, bar.
   • 1610, The Tempest, by Shakespeare, act 2, scene 1:

     (Sebastian) "Bate, I beseech you, widow Dido."

Translations

to reduce the force of something

• Bulgarian: намалявам (bg) (namaljavam), отслабвам (bg) (otslabvam), притъпявам (bg) (pritǎpjavam)

• Russian: убавлять (ru) (ubavljátʼ) n, уменьшать (ru) (umenʼšátʼ) n

to restrain

to cut off, remove, take away

archaic: to leave out, except, bar

References

• 1897 Universal Dictionary of the English Language, Robert Hunter and Charles Morris (editors), volume 1, page 459.

Etymology 2

• Noun: From the verb, or directly from the noun debate.
• Verb: From Anglo-Saxon = contention. From Old French batre (French battre). From Late Latin batere.

Noun

bate (uncountable)

1. Strife; contention.
   • 1598, William Shakespeare, King Henry IV, Part 2:

     ... and wears his boots very smooth, like unto the sign of the leg, and breeds no bate with telling of discreet stories;

   • 1888, Sir Richard Burton, The Book of The Thousand Nights And A Night (Arabian Nights)

     So the strife redoubled and the weapons together clashed and ceased not bate and debate and naught was to be seen but blood flowing and necks bowing; […]

   • 1911, H.G. Wells, The New Machiavelli:

     The other merely needs jealousy and bate, of which there are great and easily accessible reservoirs in every human heart.

Translations

strife, contention

Verb

bate (third-person singular simple present bates, present participle bating, simple past and past participle bated)

1. (intransitive) To contend or strive with blows or arguments.
2. (intransitive, falconry) Of a falcon: To flap the wings vigorously.

Translations

to contend, strive with blows or arguments

in falconry of a falcon: to flap the wings vigorously

See also

• (to contend or strive with blows or arguments): bait.

Etymology 3

From Swedish beta (“maceration, tanning”)

Noun

bate (plural bates)

1. An alkaline lye which neutralizes the effect of the previous application of lime, and makes hides supple in the process of tanning.
2. A vat which contains this liquid.

Translations

an alkaline lye

a vat which contains this liquid

Verb

bate (third-person singular simple present bates, present participle bating, simple past and past participle bated)

1. (transitive) To soak leather so as to remove chemicals used in tanning; to steep in bate.
2. (intransitive, slang) To masturbate.

Translations

to soak leather

masturbate — see masturbate

References

• 1897 Universal Dictionary of the English Language, Robert Hunter and Charles Morris (editors), volume 1, page 459.

Etymology 4

Formed by analogy with eat → ate, with which it shares an analogous past participle (eaten → beaten).

Verb

bate

1. (nonstandard) Simple past of beat; = beat.
   • 2008 October 20th, Lee Aronsohn, David Goetsch, Steven Molaro, and Bill Prady, The Big Bang Theory (Chuck Lorre Productions, Warner Bros. Television; CBS), season 2, episode 5: “The Euclid Alternative”

     Leonard: Penny’s taking you to the DMV; I’m going to bed.
     Sheldon: Why Penny?
     Leonard: Because rock bate scissors. Goodnight.

Translations

simple past of beat — see beat

Anagrams

• abet, beat, beta, Beta

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Dutch

Verb

bate

1. singular present subjunctive of baten

Anagrams

• beat

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Latin

Noun

bate

1. vocative singular of batus

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Portuguese

Verb

bate

1. Third-person singular (ele, ela, also used with tu and você^?) present indicative of bater
2. Second-person singular (tu) affirmative imperative of bater

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Romanian

Etymology

From Latin battere, battuere, present active infinitive of battō, battuō (“beat”).

Verb

a bate (third-person singular present bate, past participle bătut) 3rd conj.

1. to beat
2. to defeat
3. to strike, hit, punch

Conjugation

    bate (Third conjugation)

infinitive			a bate
gerund			bătând
past participle			bătut
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	bat	bați	bate	batem	bateți	bat
	imperfect	băteam	băteai	bătea	băteam	băteați	băteau
	simple perfect	bătui	bătuși	bătu	băturăm	băturăți	bătură
	pluperfect	bătusem	bătuseși	bătuse	bătuserăm	bătuserăți	bătuseră
subjunctive		eu	tu	el/ea	noi	voi	ei/ele
	present	să bat	să bați	să bată	să batem	să bateți	să bată
imperative		—	tu	—	—	voi	—
	affirmative		bate			bateți
	negative		nu bate			nu bateți

Synonyms

• (defeat): învinge, înfrânge
• (hit): lovi

Derived terms

• batere
• bătut
• bătălie

Related terms

• abate
• bătaie
• străbate
• zbate

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Spanish

Etymology 1

From English bat.

Noun

bate m (plural bates)

1. (sports) bat

Etymology 2

Noun

bate m (plural bates)

1. (Honduras, slang) reefer, joint (a marijuana cigarette).

Synonyms

• (joint): canuto m, carruco m (Honduras), leño m (Honduras), porro m, pito m (Chile)

Etymology 3

Verb

bate (infinitive batir)

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

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Walloon

Etymology

From Old French batre, from Late Latin battō, battere, alternative form of Latin battuō, battuere (“beat, pound; fight”).

Verb

bate

1. (pronominal) to fight