different between abate vs numb

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??be?t/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /??be?t/
• Rhymes: -e?t

Etymology 1

From Middle English abaten, from Old French abatre (“to beat down”) (possibly via Middle French), from Late Latin abbatto, from ab- (“away”) + batto, from Latin battuere (“to beat”). Cognate to modern French abattre.

Verb

abate (third-person singular simple present abates, present participle abating, simple past and past participle abated)

1. (transitive, obsolete outside law) To put an end to; to cause to cease. [attested since about 1150 to 1350]

2. (intransitive) To become null and void. [attested since the late 15th century]

3. (transitive, law) To nullify; make void. [attested since the late 15th century]

4. (transitive, obsolete) To humble; to lower in status; to bring someone down physically or mentally. [attested from around 1150 to 1350 until the mid 1600s]

   • The hyer that they were in this present lyf, the moore shulle they be abated and defouled in helle.

5. (intransitive, obsolete) To be humbled; to be brought down physically or mentally. [attested from around 1150 to 1350 until the mid 1600s]
6. (transitive, obsolete) To curtail; to deprive. [attested from around 1350 to 1470 until the mid 1800s]
   • 1605, William Shakespeare, King Lear, II.ii:

     She hath abated me of half my train.

7. (transitive) To reduce in amount, size, or value. [attested since 1325]

   • His eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.

8. (intransitive) To decrease in size, value, or amount. [attested since 1325]
9. (transitive) To moderate; to lessen in force, intensity, to subside. [attested since around 1150 to 1350]
   • 1597, Francis Bacon Essays or Counsels, Civil and Morall:

     Not that they feel it so, but only to abate the edge of envy.

   • 1855, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, Part 3, page 267:

     The fury of Glengarry […] rapidly abated.

10. (intransitive) To decrease in intensity or force; to subside. [attested since around 1150 to 1350]
    • c. 1719, Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe:

      […] in the morning, the wind having abated overnight, the sea was calm, […]

11. (transitive) To deduct or omit. [attested since around 1350 to 1470]
12. (transitive) To bar or except. [attested since the late 1500s]
13. (transitive) To cut away or hammer down, in such a way as to leave a figure in relief, as a sculpture, or in metalwork.
14. (transitive, obsolete) To dull the edge or point of; to blunt. [attested from the mid 1500s till the late 1600s]
15. (transitive, archaic) To destroy, or level to the ground. [attested since around 1350 to 1470]
    • 1542, Edward Hall, The Union of the Noble and Illustre Famelies of Lancastre and York:

      The kynge of Scottes planted his siege before the castell of Norham, and sore abated the walls.

Synonyms

• (bring down or reduce): lessen; diminish; contract; moderate; cut short; decrease; lower; suppress; terminate; remove; remit; slacken
• (diminish in force or intensity): diminish; subside; decline; wane; ebb; mitigate; assuage; temper; alleviate; relax
• (bring someone down): humble; depress; appease; pacify; soothe; soften; tranquilize
• (come to naught): fall through; fail

Antonyms

• (bring down or reduce): augment, accelerate, aggravate, amplify, continue, develop, enhance, enlarge, extend, foment, increase, intensify, magnify, prolong, raise, rise, revive

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Noun

abate (plural abates)

1. (obsolete) Abatement. [from around 1400 until the late 1600s]

Etymology 2

From Anglo-Norman abatre, an alteration of enbatre, from Old French en + batre (“to beat”).

Verb

abate (third-person singular simple present abates, present participle abating, simple past and past participle abated)

1. (intransitive, law) to enter a tenement without permission after the owner has died and before the heir takes possession. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]

Etymology 3

From Italian abate, from Latin abb?s, abb?tis, from Ancient Greek ????? (abbâs), from Aramaic ???? (’abb?, “father”). Doublet of abbot.

Alternative forms

• abbate

Noun

abate (plural abates)

1. an Italian abbot, or other member of the clergy. [First attested in the early 18th century.]

References

• abate at OneLook Dictionary Search
• abate in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Anagrams

• abeat

Italian

Alternative forms

• abbate

Etymology

From Late Latin abb?tem, accusative form of abb?s, from Ancient Greek ????? (abbâs), from Aramaic ???? (’abb?, “father”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a?ba.te/
• Rhymes: -ate
• Hyphenation: a?bà?te

Noun

abate m (plural abati, feminine badessa)

1. abbot

Derived terms

• abatino (diminutive)
• abatonzolo (pejorative)

Related terms

Descendants

• ? Albanian: abat
• ? Belarusian: ???? (abat)
• ? Bulgarian: ???? (abat)
• ? English: abate
• ? Romanian: abate
• ? Russian: ????? (abbat)
• ? Ukrainian: ???? (abat)

Anagrams

• beata

References

• abate in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
• abate in Dizionario Italiano Olivetti

Latvian

Etymology

From abats (“abbott”) +? -e (fem.).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [abat?]

Noun

abate f (5th declension, masculine form: abats)

1. abbess (the female superior of a Catholic abbey or nunnery)

Declension

Related terms

• abatija

Further reading

• abate at tezaurs.lv

Lithuanian

Pronunciation 1

• IPA^(key): [?b.??t??]

Noun

abatè

1. locative singular of abatas
2. instrumental singular of abat?

Pronunciation 2

• IPA^(key): [?b?a?.t??]

Noun

abãte

1. vocative singular of abatas
2. vocative singular of abat?

Middle English

Verb

abate

1. Alternative form of abaten

Portuguese

Verb

abate

1. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present indicative of abater
2. second-person singular (tu, sometimes used with você) affirmative imperative of abater

Romanian

Etymology 1

From Vulgar Latin *abbatere, present active infinitive of *abbat?, *abbatu?, from Latin battu?.

Verb

a abate (third-person singular present abate, past participle ab?tut) 3rd conj.

1. to stray (often figuratively in a moral sense), derogate, deviate, divert from, digress

   Synonyms: devia, îndep?rta

2. to change paths, swerve from, wander from
3. (reflexive) to stop (going a certain way)

   Synonym: opri

4. to dissuade
5. to knock down

   Synonyms: d?râma, da jos

Conjugation

Derived terms

• abatere

Related terms

• bate

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Italian abate, from Latin abb?s, abb?tis, from Ancient Greek ????? (abbâs), from Aramaic ???? (’abb?, “father”).

Noun

abate m (plural aba?i)

1. abbot

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a?bate/, [a???a.t?e]

Verb

abate

1. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present indicative form of abatir.
2. Informal second-person singular (tú) affirmative imperative form of abatir.

English

Etymology

From the past participle of nim (“to take”). Compare German benommen (“dazed, numb”). The final ?b? is a later addition to the spelling; it was never pronounced, and did not appear in the original word.

Pronunciation

• enPR: n?m, IPA^(key): /n?m/
• Rhymes: -?m

Adjective

numb (comparative number, superlative numbest)

1. Physically unable to feel, not having the power of sensation.

   Synonyms: deadened, insensible

2. Emotionally unable to feel or respond in a normal way.

   numb with shock; numb with boredom

   • 1915, Nellie McClung, In Times Like These, Toronto: McLeod & Allen, Chapter 2,^[1]

     […] when we know that hundreds are rendered homeless every day, and countless thousands are killed and wounded, men and boys mowed down like a field of grain, and with as little compunction, we grow a little bit numb to human misery.

   • 1966, Truman Capote, In Cold Blood, New York: Modern Library, 1992, Part One, p. 77,^[2]

     […] seeing the dog—somehow that made me feel again. I’d been too dazed, too numb, to feel the full viciousness of it.

   • 2016, Julian Barnes, The Noise of Time, Random House Canada, Part Three,^[3]

     […] he submitted […] as a traitor, his mind numb with vodka, submits to a firing squad.

   Synonym: stunned

3. (obsolete) Causing numbness.
   • c. 1592, William Shakespeare, Richard III, Act II, Scene 1,^[4]

     […] he did lap me

     Even in his own garments, and gave himself,

     All thin and naked to the numb cold night.

Antonyms

• sensible, sensitive

Derived terms

Related terms

• numskull

Translations

Verb

numb (third-person singular simple present numbs, present participle numbing, simple past and past participle numbed)

1. (transitive) To cause to become numb (physically or emotionally).

   Synonym: benumb

2. (transitive) To cause (a feeling) to be less intense.
   • 1861, Elizabeth Gaskell, “The Grey Woman” in The Grey Woman and Other Tales, London: Smith, Elder & Co.,^[5]

     [I was] thankful for the pain, which helped to numb my terror.

   Synonym: dull

3. (transitive) To cause (the mind, faculties, etc.) to be less acute.
   • 1912, Saki, “The Hounds of Fate” in The Chronicles of Clovis, London: John Lane, p. 219,^[6]

     […] hunger, fatigue, and despairing hopelessness had numbed his brain […]

   • 1927, Hugh Lofting, Doctor Dolittle’s Garden, Part Four, Chapter 6,^[7]

     The noise, the rush of air past our ears, was positively terrific. It actually seemed to numb the senses and make it almost impossible to take in impressions at all.

   • 2004, Cory Doctorow, Eastern Standard Tribe, Chapter 13,^[8]

     [The sofa] exhaled a breath of trapped ancient farts, barf-smell, and antiseptic, the parfum de asylum that gradually numbed my nose to all other scents on the ward.

   Synonym: dull

4. (intransitive) To become numb (especially physically).
   • 1918, Lewis R. Freeman, Many Fronts, London: John Murray, “Wonders of the Teleferica,” p. 270,^[9]

     […] after fumbling with numbing fingers for ten or fifteen minutes, he waved his hand with a gesture of despair […]

   • 1919, Arthur Murray Chisholm, The Land of Strong Men, New York: H.K. Fly, Chapter 18,^[10]

     […] once more his feet began to numb. Again he got down and stamped the circulation going, but as soon as he began to ride again they numbed.

Derived terms

• mind-numbing

Translations