bate
1 of 2verb (1)
ˈbāt 
bated; bating
transitive verb
1
: to reduce the force or intensity of : restrain
waited with bated breath
2
: to take away : deduct
That grave and orderly senior was not going to bate a jot of his dignity …
George Eliot
George Eliot3
archaic : to lower especially in amount or estimation
And I shall have to bate my price … A. E. Housman
A. E. Housman4
archaic : blunt
And now I have bated your curiosity … J. F. Cooper
J. F. Cooperintransitive verb
obsolete : diminish, decrease
The wind is bating.
bate
2 of 2verb (2)
bated; bating
intransitive verb
of a falcon or hawk
: to attempt to fly off something (such as a gauntlet) in fear
Word History
Etymology
Verb (1)
Middle English, short for abaten to abate
Verb (2)
Middle English, from Middle French batre to beat, from Latin battuere
First Known Use
Verb (1)
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Verb (2)
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
bate
verb
ˈbāt
bated; bating
: to reduce the force or intensity of
… with parted lips and bated breath the audience hung upon his words … Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyerbate
verb
as in to remove
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- remove
- abate
- deduct
- detach
- disconnect
- subtract
- disjoin
- take off
- excise
- separate
- sever
- unfasten
- contract
- knock off
- amputate
- reduce
- cut
- decrease
- diminish
- cut back
- lower
- shorten
- curtail
- retrench
- abridge
- lop (off)
- lessen
- abbreviate
- compress
- condense
- constrict
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- tie
- add
- tack (on)
- annex
- adjoin
- attach
- append
- affix
- subjoin
- tag
- insert
- fix
- fasten
- hitch
- graft
- introduce
- inject
- infuse
- interfuse