bate

bate ¹  (bt)

tr.v. bat·ed, bat·ing, bates

1. To lessen the force or intensity of; moderate: "To his dying day he bated his breath a little when he told the story" (George Eliot). See Usage Note at bait¹.

2. To take away; subtract.

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[Middle English baten, short for abaten; see abate.]

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bate ² also bait  (bt)

intr.v. bat·ed also bait·ed, bat·ing also bait·ing, bates also baits

To flap the wings wildly or frantically. Used of a falcon.

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[Middle English baten, from Old French batre, to beat; see batter¹.]

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	bate - moderate or restrain; lessen the force of; "He bated his breath when talking about this affair"; "capable of bating his enthusiasm" curb, hold in, control, moderate, contain, check, hold - lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or keep within limits; "moderate your alcohol intake"; "hold your tongue"; "hold your temper"; "control your anger"
	2.	bate - flap the wings wildly or frantically; used of falcons flap, beat - move with a thrashing motion; "The bird flapped its wings"; "The eagle beat its wings and soared high into the sky"
	3.	bate - soak in a special solution to soften and remove chemicals used in previous treatments; "bate hides and skins" chemical science, chemistry - the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions souse, soak, sop, dowse, drench, douse - cover with liquid; pour liquid onto; "souse water on his hot face"