I. ˈbāt, usu -d.+V verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English baten, short for abaten to abate (beat down)
transitive verb
1. : to reduce the force or intensity of : moderate , restrain
he bated his breath
2. : to take away : deduct , subtract
that grave and orderly senior was not going to bate a jot of his dignity — George Eliot
3. archaic : to lower especially in amount or estimation : diminish , lessen
and I shall have to bate my price — A.E.Housman
4. archaic : to make dull the point or edge of : blunt
and now I have bated your curiosity — J.F.Cooper
5. : to leave out of consideration : except , omit
bating their jewels … I would not give three sous — Laurence Sterne
6. archaic : deprive
when baseness is exalted do not bate the place its honor for the person's sake — George Herbert
intransitive verb
dialect : to fall off : diminish , decrease
the wind is bating
II. intransitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English baten, from Middle French batre to beat, from Latin battere, battuere — more at bat
of a falcon : to beat the wings suddenly : flutter wildly downward from the fist or perch
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Swedish beta to macerate; akin to Old High German beiza maceration — more at bait
: a bath used by tanners after liming to remove the lime and soften the hides — compare puer
IV. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
: to steep (as hides) in bate
V.
variant of bait 5
VI.
variant of bete
VII.
dialect Britain
past of bite