Emily Dickinson Lexicon

A-BATE'MENT, n.

1. The act of abating; the state of being abated.
2. A reduction, removing, or pulling down, as of a nuisance. – Blackstone.
3. Diminution, decrease, or mitigation, as of grief or pain.
4. Deduction, sum withdrawn, as from an account.
5. Overthrow, failure, or defeat, as of a writ. – Blackstone.
6. The entry of a stranger into a freehold after the death of the tenant, before the heir or devisee. – Blackstone.
7. In heraldry, a mark of dishonor in a coat of arms, by which its dignity is debased for some stain on the character of the wearer.