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verb (used with object)
1.
to moderate or restrain: unable to bate our enthusiasm.
2.
to lessen or diminish; abate: setbacks that bated his hopes.
verb (used without object)
3.
to diminish or subside; abate.
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Bate
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is hornswoggle. Does it mean:
| to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax. |
| to introduce subtleties into or argue subtly about. |
4.
with bated breath, with breath drawn in or held because of anticipation or suspense: We watched with bated breath as the runners approached the finish line.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
verb (used with object), verb (used without object)
1.
Tanning. to soak (leather) after liming in an alkaline solution to soften it and remove the lime.
noun
2.
the solution used.
Origin:
1870–75; variant of beat to pare off turf, Old English bǣtan to bait; cognate with Swedish beta to tan, German beissen to macerate
1870–75; variant of beat to pare off turf, Old English bǣtan to bait; cognate with Swedish beta to tan, German beissen to macerate
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
|
Link To Bate
Collins
World English Dictionary
| bate1 (beɪt) | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | another word for abate |
| 2. | with bated breath holding one's breath in suspense or fear |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
bate
"to reduce, to lessen in intensity," c.1300, aphetic of abate (q.v.). Now only in phrase bated breath, which was used by Shakespeare in "The Merchant of Venice" (1596).
EXPANDbate
c.1300, "to contend with blows or arguments," from O.Fr. batre "to hit, beat, strike," from L.L. battere, from L. batuere "to beat, knock" (see batter (v.)). In falconry, "to beat the wings impatiently and flutter away from the perch." Figurative sense of "to flutter downward" attested from 1580s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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