Emily Dickinson Lexicon
Definition for A-BATE'MENT
A-BATE'MENT, n.
- The act of abating; the state of being abated.
- A reduction, removing, or pulling down, as of a nuisance. – Blackstone.
- Diminution, decrease, or mitigation, as of grief or pain.
- Deduction, sum withdrawn, as from an account.
- Overthrow, failure, or defeat, as of a writ. – Blackstone.
- The entry of a stranger into a freehold after the death of the tenant, before the heir or devisee. – Blackstone.
- 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.
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