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To beat down; to overthrow. [Obs.] The King of Scots . . . sore abated the walls. Edw. Hall.

The act of abating, or the state of being abated; a lessening, diminution, or reduction; removal or putting an end to; as, the abatement of a nuisance is the suppression thereof.

One who, or that which, abates.

A means of defense formed by felled trees, the ends of whose branches are sharpened and directed outwards, or against the enemy.

Provided with an abatis.

(a) One who abates a nuisance. (b) A person who, without right, enters into a freehold on the death of the last possessor, before the heir or devisee. Blackstone.

A public slaughterhouse for cattle, sheep, etc.

Grass and sprigs beaten or trampled down by a stag passing through them. Crabb.

The sounding-board over a pulpit or rostrum.

Belonging to an abbey; as, abbatial rights.

Abbatial. [Obs.]

contraction or omission, especially of words written or spoken. It is one thing to abbreviate by contracting, another by cutting off. Bacon.

Shortened; relatively short; abbreviate.

The result of abbreviating; an abridgment. Tylor.

One who abbreviates or shortens.

Serving or tending to abbreviate; shortening; abridging.

An abbreviation; an abbreviated state or form. [Obs.]

s sovereign power; to withdraw definitely from filling or exercising, as a high office, station, dignity; as, to abdicate the throne, the crown, the papacy.

The act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder; commonly the voluntary renunciation of sovereign power; as, abdication of the throne, government, power, authority.

Causing, or implying, abdication. [R.] Bailey.