bate
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bate 1
(bāt)tr.v. bat·ed, bat·ing, bates
1. To lessen the force or intensity of; moderate: "To his dying day he bated his breath a little when he told the story" (George Eliot). See Usage Note at bait1.
2. To take away; subtract.
[Middle English baten, short for abaten; see abate.]
bate 2
also bait (bāt)intr.v. bat·ed, bat·ing, bates also bait·ed or bait·ing or baits
To flap the wings wildly or frantically. Used of a falcon.
[Middle English baten, from Old French batre, to beat; see batter1.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
bate
(beɪt)vb
1. another word for abate
2. with bated breath holding one's breath in suspense or fear
bate
(beɪt)vb
(Falconry) (intr) (of hawks) to jump violently from a perch or the falconer's fist, often hanging from the leash while struggling to escape
[C13: from Old French batre to beat, from Latin battuere; related to bat1]
bate
(beɪt)vb (tr)
(Tanning) to soak (skin or hides) in a special solution to soften them and remove chemicals used in previous treatments
n
(Tanning) the solution used
[Old English bǣtan to bait1]
bate
(beɪt)n
slang Brit a bad temper or rage
[C19: from bait1, alluding to the mood of a person who is being baited]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
bate1
(beɪt)v. bat•ed, bat•ing. v.t.
1. to moderate or restrain: to bate one's enthusiasm.
2. to lessen or diminish; abate.
v.i. 3. to diminish or subside; abate.
Idioms: with bated breath, in a state of suspenseful anticipation.
[1250–1300; Middle English, aph. variant of abate]
bate2
(beɪt)v.i. bat•ed, bat•ing.
(of a hawk) to flutter the wings, as in anger or fear.
[1250–1300; Middle English: to beat, flap (wings, etc.) < Middle French (se) batre « Latin battuere to beat]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
bate
Past participle: bated
Gerund: bating
Imperative |
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bate |
bate |
bate
Past participle: bated
Gerund: bating
Imperative |
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bate |
bate |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
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bate
verbThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.