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Abate vs Devolve - What's the difference?

abate | devolve |

As a noun abate

is .

As a verb devolve is

.

abate

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) abaten, from (etyl) . Cognate to modern French abattre .

Verb

(abat)
  • (transitive, obsolete, outside, legal) To put an end to; to cause to cease.
    • to abate a nuisance
  • To become null and void.
    • The writ has abated .
  • (legal) To nullify; make void.
    • to abate a writ
  • (obsolete) To humble; to lower in status; to bring someone down physically or mentally.
  • *
    • The hyer that they were in this present lyf, the moore shulle they be abated and defouled in helle.
  • (obsolete) To be humbled; to be brought down physically or mentally.
  • (obsolete) To curtail; to deprive.
    • Order restrictions and prohibitions to abate an emergency situation.
  • * 1605 , , King Lear , II.ii:
    • She hath abated me of half my train.
  • To reduce in amount, size, or value.
    • Legacies are liable to be abated entirely or in proportion, upon a deficiency of assets.
  • *
    • His eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated .
  • To decrease in size, value, or amount.
  • To moderate; to lessen in force, intensity, to subside.
  • * 1597 , , [http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/575 Essays or Counsels, Civil and Morall] :
    • Not that they feel it so, but only to abate the edge of envy.
  • * 1855 , , History of England from the Accession of James II, Part 3 , [http://books.google.com/books?id=MN5CNdgbSTYC&pg=PA267 page 267]:
    • The fury of Glengarry rapidly abated .
  • To decrease in intensity or force; to subside.
  • * :
  • To deduct or omit.
    • We will abate this price from the total.
  • * 1845 , , The Church History of Britain , Volume 3, [http://books.google.com/books?id=OfefAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA100 page 100]:
    • Allowing nine thousand parishes (abating the odd hundreds) in England and Wales
  • To bar or except.
  • *
    • Abating his brutality, he was a very good master.
  • To cut away or hammer down, in such a way as to leave a figure in relief, as a sculpture, or in metalwork.
  • (obsolete) To dull the edge or point of; to blunt.
  • (archaic) To destroy, or level to the ground.
  • * 1542 , , 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 * (diminish in force or intensity) diminish; subside; decline; wane; ebb * (bring someone down) humble; depress * (come to naught) fall through; fail
    Antonyms
    * augment; accelerate; intensify; rise; revive
    Derived terms
    * abatable * abatement * abater * unabated * abate of
    Related terms
    * abator * abattoir * abatis

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Abatement.

    • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) abatre, an alteration of enbatre, from (etyl) en + .

    Verb

    (abat)
  • (legal) To enter a tenement without permission after the owner has died and before the heir takes possession.

    • Etymology 4

    From (etyl) abate, from (etyl) .

    Alternative forms

    * abbate

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An Italian abbot, or other member of the clergy.

    • References

    * * ----

    devolve

    English

    Verb

    (en-verb)
  • (obsolete) To roll (something) down; to unroll.
  • * 1744 , (Mark Akenside), The Pleasures of the Imagination , II:
    • every headlong stream / Devolves its winding waters to the main.
  • * 1830 , , Character :
    • He spake of virtue […] And with […] a lack-lustre dead-blue eye, Devolved his rounded periods.
  • To be inherited by someone else; to pass down (upon) the next person in a succession, especially through failure or loss of an earlier holder.
  • * 1932 , (Duff Cooper), Talleyrand , Folio Society 2010, p. 4:
    • an accident […] rendered him permanently lame, and therefore unfitted him, in the opinion of his parents, to inherit his father's many titles, which, it was then arranged, should devolve upon his younger brother.
  • To delegate (a responsibility, duty etc.) (on) or (upon) someone.
  • * 1704 , (Joseph Addison), Remarks on Several Parts of Italy :
    • They devolved their whole authority into the hands of the council of sixty.
  • * 1756 , (Edmund Burke), A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful :
    • An artful man became popular, the people had power in their hands, and they devolved a considerable share of their power upon their favourite […].
  • To fall as a duty or responsibility (on) or (upon) someone.
  • * , Episode 16:
    • For the nonce he was rather nonplussed but inasmuch as the duty plainly devolved upon him to take some measures on the subject he pondered suitable ways and means during which Stephen repeatedly yawned.
  • To degenerate; to break down.
    • A discussion about politics may devolve into a shouting match.

    Related terms

    * devolution

    Anagrams

    * ----