DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan

 A·bate v. i.
 1. To decrease, or become less in strength or violence; as, pain abates, a storm abates.
    The fury of Glengarry . . . rapidly abated.   --Macaulay.
 2. To be defeated, or come to naught; to fall through; to fail; as, a writ abates.
 To abate into a freehold, To abate in lands Law, to enter into a freehold after the death of the last possessor, and before the heir takes possession. See Abatement, 4.
 Syn: -- To subside; decrease; intermit; decline; diminish; lessen.
 Usage: -- To Abate, Subside. These words, as here compared, imply a coming down from some previously raised or excited state. Abate expresses this in respect to degrees, and implies a diminution of force or of intensity; as, the storm abates, the cold abates, the force of the wind abates; or, the wind abates, a fever abates. Subside (to settle down) has reference to a previous state of agitation or commotion; as, the waves subside after a storm, the wind subsides into a calm. When the words are used figuratively, the same distinction should be observed. If we conceive of a thing as having different degrees of intensity or strength, the word to be used is abate. Thus we say, a man's anger abates, the ardor of one's love abates, “Winter's rage abates”. But if the image be that of a sinking down into quiet from preceding excitement or commotion, the word to be used is subside; as, the tumult of the people subsides, the public mind subsided into a calm. The same is the case with those emotions which are tumultuous in their nature; as, his passion subsides, his joy quickly subsided, his grief subsided into a pleasing melancholy. Yet if, in such cases, we were thinking of the degree of violence of the emotion, we might use abate; as, his joy will abate in the progress of time; and so in other instances.

 Free·hold n. Lw An estate in real property, of inheritance (in fee simple or fee tail) or for life; or the tenure by which such estate is held.
 To abate into a freehold. See under Abate.
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