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

Chelsea put six past Maribor on the same night, while Bayern Munich and Shakhtar Donetsk both scored seven times in respective wins over Roma and Belarusian side Bate Borisov.

From BBC • Oct. 21, 2025

There, the Commander of HMS Astute, Christopher Bate, gifted the Queen a roll of clingfilm in a special holder for her birthday.

From BBC • Jul. 16, 2025

Judge Anthony Bate said 25-year-old Kadolski still had "no insight into the gravity" of his offending.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2025

Riders and pilots in the B category are a team, meaning a replacement pilot cannot be sourced for Bate.

From BBC • Sep. 6, 2024

One of the police officers snapped handcuffs on Bate.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George