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bate

1
[ beyt ]
/ beɪt /
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See synonyms for: bate / bated on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object), bat·ed, bat·ing.
to moderate or restrain: unable to bate our enthusiasm.
to lessen or diminish; abate: setbacks that bated his hopes.
verb (used without object), bat·ed, bat·ing.
to diminish or subside; abate.
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Idioms about bate

    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.

Origin of bate

1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, shortening of abate

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bate

baited, bated

Words nearby bate

bat boy, batch, Bat Chayil, batch plant, batch processing, bate, bat-eared, bateau, bateau neck, bateleur, bateleur eagle

Other definitions for bate (2 of 3)

bate2
[ beyt ]
/ beɪt /
verb (used without object), bat·ed, bat·ing.
(of a hawk) to flutter its wings and attempt to escape in a fit of anger or fear.
noun
a state of violent anger or fear.

Origin of bate

2
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

Other definitions for bate (3 of 3)

bate3
[ beyt ]
/ beɪt /
verb (used with or without object), bat·ed, bat·ing.
Tanning. to soak (leather) after liming in an alkaline solution to soften it and remove the lime.
noun
the solution used.

Origin of bate

3
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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to bate

abate, check, curb, ease, ebb, lapse, lessen, moderate, restrain, slacken, wane, fall off, let up, slack off

How to use bate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bate (1 of 4)

bate1
/ (beɪt) /
verb
another word for abate
with bated breath holding one's breath in suspense or fear

British Dictionary definitions for bate (2 of 4)

bate2
/ (beɪt) /
verb
(intr) (of hawks) to jump violently from a perch or the falconer's fist, often hanging from the leash while struggling to escape

Word Origin for bate

C13: from Old French batre to beat, from Latin battuere; related to bat 1

British Dictionary definitions for bate (3 of 4)

bate3
/ (beɪt) /
verb (tr)
to soak (skin or hides) in a special solution to soften them and remove chemicals used in previous treatments
noun
the solution used

Word Origin for bate

Old English bǣtan to bait 1

British Dictionary definitions for bate (4 of 4)

bate4
/ (beɪt) /
noun
British slang a bad temper or rage

Word Origin for bate

C19: from bait 1, alluding to the mood of a person who is being baited
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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