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Citations:abate

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English citations of abate

1719 1851
ME « 15th c. 16th c. 17th c. 18th c. 19th c. 20th c. 21st c.
  1. To decrease in force or intensity; to subside.
  2. To decrease in amount or size.
    • 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “The Chase.—Third Day.”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 629:
      Whether fagged by the three days' running chase, and the resistance to his swimming in the knotted hamper he bore; or whether it was some latent deceitfulness and malice in him: whichever was true, the White Whale's way now began to abate, as it seemed, from the boat so rapidly nearing him once more; though indeed the whale's last start had not been so long a one as before.