[f. ABATE v.1 + -ING1.] The action or process of bringing down or lowering.
1. The action of casting down or overthrowing; and fig. of doing away with, or putting an end to. Obs. except in Law.
c. 1460. Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon. (1714), 34. What Dishonour is this, and abatyng the Glory of a Kyng.
1768. Blackstone, Comm., III. 168. This expression, of abating, which is derived from the French and signifies to quash, beat down, or destroy, is used by our law in three senses. The first, which seems to be the primitive sense, is that of abating, or beating down a nuisance … and in a like sense … of abating a castle or fortress.
2. A lowering, lessening, diminution, decrease.
c. 1460. Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon. (1714), 37. Pensions without grete abatyng of the Kyngs Revenues.
1548. W. Thomas, Ital. Gram. (1567), Diminumento, the abatyng or decrease.
1674. Playford, Skill of Musick, I. xi. 38. Those excellent Graces and Ornaments … which we call Trills, Grupps, Exclamations of Increasing or Abating of the Voice.
1699. Evelyn, Acetaria, 12 (1729). Nor ought it to be over-oyl’d, too much abating of its grateful acidity.
1861. Trench, Seven Ch. in Asia, 77. The abating of any other love but that to God and Christ.
3. A deducting, or subtracting.
1557. Recorde, Whetst., S iij b. Subtraction doeth depend onely of the signe of abatemente, which is this –, and signifieth lesse, or abatyng.
c. 1620. A. Hume, Orthog. Brit. Tongue, 23. In abating from the word following, we, in the north, use a mervelouse libertie.
