| 释义 |
abate
I. \əˈbāt, usu -ād.+V\ verb
(-ed/-ing/-s)
Etymology: Middle English abaten, from Old French abatre, abattre to knock down, fell, slaughter, from a- (from Latin ad-) + batre, battre to beat, from Latin battuere — more at bat
transitive verb
1. law
a. : to bring entirely down : demolish : put an end to : do away with
< abate a nuisance >
< abate an action >
b. : nullify : make void
< abate a writ >
2. obsolete : to lower in status : humble
3.
a. : to reduce or lessen in degree or intensity : diminish, moderate
< may … abate their zeal and give up their hopes of world conquest — Elmer Davis >
b. : to reduce in value
< abate a tax >
< the legacies were abated pro rata to pay debts >
4. : deduct, omit
< abate part of a price >
5. : to beat down, cut away, or otherwise lower, so as to leave a figure in relief (as in metalwork or stonecutting)
6. : deprive
< she hath abated me of half my train — Shakespeare >
7. obsolete : to turn or dull the edge or point of : blunt
< abates my sword's keen edge — Thomas Heywood >
intransitive verb
1. : to decrease in force, intensity, or violence : lessen, subside
< wait for a storm to abate >
< the fear of immediate war has measurably abated >
2.
a. : to become defeated or become null or void (as of a writ or appeal)
b. : to decrease in amount or value
< the legacies abated proportionately >
Synonyms: see abolish, decrease
II. intransitive verb
(-ed/-ing/-s)
Etymology: Anglo-French abatre, alteration of enbatre, from Old French en- + batre to beat
law : to enter without right upon a tenement after the death of the last possessor and before the heir or devisee takes possession |