bate

¹ American  

[beyt] / beɪt /

verb (used with object)

bated, bating

1. to moderate or restrain.

   unable to bate our enthusiasm.

2. to lessen or diminish; abate.

   setbacks that bated his hopes.

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verb (used without object)

bated, bating

1. to diminish or subside; abate.

idioms

1. with bated breath. bated.

bate ² American  

[beyt] / beɪt /

verb (used without object)

bated, bating

1. (of a hawk) to flutter its wings and attempt to escape in a fit of anger or fear.

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noun

1. a state of violent anger or fear.

bate ³ American  

[beyt] / beɪt /

verb (used with or without object)

bated, bating

1. Tanning. to soak (leather) after liming in an alkaline solution to soften it and remove the lime.

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noun

1. the solution used.

bate ¹ British  

/ beɪt /

verb

1. another word for abate

2. holding one's breath in suspense or fear

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bate ² British  

/ beɪt /

verb

1. to soak (skin or hides) in a special solution to soften them and remove chemicals used in previous treatments

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noun

1. the solution used

bate ³ British  

/ beɪt /

verb

1. (intr) (of hawks) to jump violently from a perch or the falconer's fist, often hanging from the leash while struggling to escape

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bate ⁴ British  

/ beɪt /

noun

1. slang a bad temper or rage

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Etymology

Origin of bate¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, shortening of abate

Origin of bate²

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English bat(t)en “to beat, stamp, flap (wings, etc.), peck, strike,” from Middle French (se) bat(t)re, ultimately from Latin battuere, battere, batuere “to beat, pound”; cf. abate

Origin of bate³

First recorded in 1870–75; variant of beat “to pare off turf”; probably from Swedish beta “to tan”; cognate with German beizen “to tan, pickle;” see also bait ( def. )

Explanation

To bate means to hold back or restrain, and you may see it in language that's either old or meant to sound old. A relative of bate appears in the phrase "with bated breath," which describes what you do when you anxiously wait. If you're awaiting the results of your hot-dog eating contest "with bated breath," you're so anxious and excited that you're holding your breath (and maybe you had too many hot dogs). Bate also turns up in the obscure vocabulary of falconry, a sport that involves training birds of prey to hunt. When a falcon is sitting on its perch and excitedly beats its wings as if to fly away, the bird is said to bate.

Example Sentences

The wrapping was used to fix a defect in the main engines of the submarine, Bate explained.

From BBC • Jul. 16, 2025

Bate is one of the most experienced members of the ParalympicGB squad, and won two gold medals at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.

From BBC • Sep. 6, 2024

But Latham's illness means Bate is unable to participate and he was forced to withdraw on Friday morning, hours before the race.

From BBC • Sep. 6, 2024

Earlier, Stephen Bate was forced to withdraw from this afternoon's B road race as his pilot, Chris Latham, is unwell.

From BBC • Sep. 6, 2024

Bate and Spud, moving like midnight bats, left the cabin and darted through the trees.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George