different between temper vs abate

English

Alternative forms

• tempre (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English temperen, tempren, from Old English ?etemprian, temprian, borrowed from Latin temper? (“I divide or proportion duly, I moderate, I regulate; intransitive senses I am moderate, I am temperate”), from tempus (“time, fit season”). Compare also French tempérer. Doublet of tamper. See temporal.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?t?mp?/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?t?mp?/
• Rhymes: -?mp?(?)

Noun

temper (countable and uncountable, plural tempers)

1. A tendency to be in a certain type of mood; a habitual way of thinking, behaving or reacting.
   • c. 1596, William Shakespeare, King John, Act V, Scene 2,^[1]

     A noble temper dost thou show in this;

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, Dublin: John Smith, Book 4, Chapter 2, p. 141,^[2]

     […] when she smiled, the Sweetness of her Temper diffused that Glory over her Countenance, which no Regularity of Features can give.

   • 1814, Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, Chapter 4,^[3]

     I am of a cautious temper, and unwilling to risk my happiness in a hurry.

   • 1868, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, Chapter 26,^[4]

     […] Amy smiled without bitterness, for she possessed a happy temper and hopeful spirit.

   • 1928, Virginia Woolf, Orlando, Penguin, 1942, Chapter 2, p. 48,^[5]

     […] it appeared as if to be alone in the great house of his fathers suited his temper.

2. State of mind; mood.
   • 1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book 9, lines 1046-1048,^[6]

     Remember with what mild

     And gracious temper he both heard and judg’d

     Without wrauth or reviling;

   • 1719, Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe, London: W. Taylor, p. 193,^[7]

     […] I must testify from my Experience, that a Temper of Peace, Thankfulness, Love and Affection, is much more the proper Frame for Prayer than that of Terror and Discomposure;

   • 1818, Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, Volume 3, Chapter 5,^[8]

     […] her temper was fluctuating; joy for a few instants shone in her eyes, but it continually gave place to distraction and reverie.

   • 1850, Charles Dickens, David Copperfield, Chapter 29,^[9]

     ‘You should be careful not to irritate her, James. Her temper has been soured, remember, and ought not to be tried.’

   • 1950, Nevil Shute, A Town Like Alice, London: Heinemann, 1952, Chapter 3, p. 94,^[10]

     She bowed to him, to put him in a good temper.

3. A tendency to become angry.
   • 1909, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea, Chapter 3,^[11]

     “I guess you’ve got a spice of temper,” commented Mr. Harrison, surveying the flushed cheeks and indignant eyes opposite him.

   • 1958, Graham Greene, Our Man in Havana, Penguin, 1969, Chapter 5,^[12]

     ‘What a temper you’ve got, Wormold.’

     ‘I’m sorry. Drink takes me that way.’

   • 2013, J. M. Coetzee, The Childhood of Jesus, London: Harvill Secker, Chapter 28, p. 251,^[13]

     His criticism of Inés makes him bristle. Nonetheless, he holds his temper in check.

4. Anger; a fit of anger.
   • 1919, Henry Blake Fuller, Bertram Cope’s Year, Chapter 28,^[14]

     Hortense remained for several days in a condition of sullen anger—she was a cloud lit up by occasional unaccountable flashes of temper.

   • 1953, C. S. Lewis, The Silver Chair, London: Geoffrey Bles, 1965, Chapter 1,^[15]

     Jill suddenly flew into a temper (which is quite a likely thing to happen if you have been interrupted in a cry).

   • 1999, Colm Tóibín, The Blackwater Lightship, New York: Scribner, Chapter 4, p. 110,^[16]

     […] she banged the door as she left as though in temper and walked to her car.

5. Calmness of mind; moderation; equanimity; composure.

   to keep one's temper; to lose one's temper; to recover one's temper

   • 1611, Ben Jonson, Catiline His Conspiracy, London: Walter Burre, Act IV,^[17]

     Restore your selues, vnto your temper, Fathers;

     And, without perturbation, heare me speake:

   • 1819, Walter Scott, The Bride of Lammermoor, Chapter 22,^[18]

     “And I think, madam,” said the Lord Keeper, losing his accustomed temper and patience, “that if you had nothing better to tell us, you had better have kept this family secret to yourself also.”

   • 1857, Anthony Trollope, Barchester Towers, Chapter 19,^[19]

     […] her temper was rarely ruffled, and, if we might judge by her appearance, she was always happy.
6. (obsolete) Constitution of body; the mixture or relative proportion of the four humours: blood, choler, phlegm, and melancholy.
   • 1650, Thomas Fuller, A Pisgah-Sight of Palestine and the Confines Thereof, London: John Williams, Book 3, Chapter 12, p. 345,^[20]

     […] it is hard to say, whether [Christ’s] pain was more shamefull, or his shame more painfull unto him: the exquisiteness of his bodily temper, increasing the exquisiteness of his torment, and the ingenuity of his Soul, adding to his sensibleness of the indignities and affronts offered until him.

7. Middle state or course; mean; medium.
   • 1848, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, Philadelphia: Porter & Coates, 1849, Volume 3, Chapter 11, p. 86,^[21]

     The perfect lawgiver is a just temper between the mere man of theory, who can see nothing but general principles, and the mere man of business, who can see nothing but particular circumstances.

8. The state of any compound substance which results from the mixture of various ingredients; due mixture of different qualities.

   the temper of mortar

9. The heat treatment to which a metal or other material has been subjected; a material that has undergone a particular heat treatment.
10. The state of a metal or other substance, especially as to its hardness, produced by some process of heating or cooling.

    the temper of iron or steel

    • c. 1591, William Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part 1, Act II, Scene 4,^[22]

      Between two blades, which bears the better temper: […]

      I have perhaps some shallow spirit of judgement;

      But in these nice sharp quillets of the law,

      Good faith, I am no wiser than a daw.

11. (sugar manufacture, historical) Milk of lime, or other substance, employed in the process formerly used to clarify sugar.
    • 1803, John Browne Cutting, “A Succinct History of Jamaica” in Robert Charles Dallas, The History of the Maroons, London: Longman and Rees, Volume 1, pp. xciv-xcv,^[23]

      All cane juice is liable to rapid fermentation. As soon, therefore, as the clarifier is filled, the fire is lighted, and the temper (white lime of Bristol) is stirred into it. The alkali of the lime having neutralized its superabundant acid, a part of it becomes the basis of the sugar.

Synonyms

• (tendency of mood): disposition, temperament
• ((fit of) anger): rage

Coordinate terms

• (Heat treatment): quenching

Derived terms

Related terms

• contemper
• distemper
• temperament
• temperance
• temperate

Translations

Verb

temper (third-person singular simple present tempers, present participle tempering, simple past and past participle tempered)

1. To moderate or control.
2. To strengthen or toughen a material, especially metal, by heat treatment; anneal.

   • The temper'd metals clash, and yield a silver sound.

3. To sauté spices in ghee or oil to release essential oils for flavouring a dish in South Asian cuisine.
4. To mix clay, plaster or mortar with water to obtain the proper consistency.
5. (music) To adjust, as the mathematical scale to the actual scale, or to that in actual use.
6. (obsolete, Latinism) To govern; to manage.
   • 1591, Edmund Spenser, Mother Hubberd's Tale

     With which the damned ghosts he governeth, / And furies rules, and Tartare tempereth.

7. (archaic) To combine in due proportions; to constitute; to compose.
   • 1610, The Tempest, by Shakespeare, act 3 scene 3

     You fools! I and my fellows

     Are ministers of fate: the elements

     Of whom your swords are temper'd may as well

     Wound the loud winds, or with bemock'd-at stabs

     Kill the still-closing waters, as diminish

     One dowle that's in my plume; […]

8. (archaic) To mingle in due proportion; to prepare by combining; to modify, as by adding some new element; to qualify, as by an ingredient; hence, to soften; to mollify; to assuage.
   • 1839, George Bancroft, History of the United States of America Volume 2

     Puritan austerity was so tempered by Dutch indifference, that mercy itself could not have dictated a milder system.

   • 1682 (first performance), Thomas Otway, Venice Preserv'd

     Woman! lovely woman! nature made thee / To temper man: we had been brutes without you.

   • 1812-1818, Lord Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage

     But thy fire / Shall be more tempered, and thy hope far higher.

   • 1709, Joseph Addison, The Tatler No. 100

     She [the Goddess of Justice] threw darkness and clouds about her, that tempered the light into a thousand beautiful shades and colours.

9. (obsolete) To fit together; to adjust; to accommodate.

   • Thy sustenance […] serving to the appetite of the eater, tempered itself to every man's liking.

Derived terms

• mistemper
• nontempering
• retemper
• temperable
• temperedness
• temperer
• tempering
• untemper
• untempered
• well-tempered

Translations

Further reading

• temper in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• temper in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• tempre

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.