to abate in lands

1 definition found

to abate in lands - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Abate \A*bate"\ ([.a]*b[=a]t"), v. i. [See Abate, v. t.]
     1. To decrease, or become less in strength or violence; as,
        pain abates, a storm abates.
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              The fury of Glengarry . . . rapidly abated.
                                                    --Macaulay.
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     2. To be defeated, or come to naught; to fall through; to
        fail; as, a writ abates.
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     To abate into a freehold, To abate in lands (Law), to
        enter into a freehold after the death of the last
        possessor, and before the heir takes possession. See
        Abatement, 4.
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     Syn: To subside; decrease; intermit; decline; diminish;
          lessen.
  
     Usage: To Abate, Subside. These words, as here compared,
            imply a coming down from some previously raised or
            excited state. Abate expresses this in respect to
            degrees, and implies a diminution of force or of
            intensity; as, the storm abates, the cold abates, the
            force of the wind abates; or, the wind abates, a fever
            abates. Subside (to settle down) has reference to a
            previous state of agitation or commotion; as, the
            waves subside after a storm, the wind subsides into a
            calm. When the words are used figuratively, the same
            distinction should be observed. If we conceive of a
            thing as having different degrees of intensity or
            strength, the word to be used is abate. Thus we say, a
            man's anger abates, the ardor of one's love abates,
            "Winter's rage abates". But if the image be that of a
            sinking down into quiet from preceding excitement or
            commotion, the word to be used is subside; as, the
            tumult of the people subsides, the public mind
            subsided into a calm. The same is the case with those
            emotions which are tumultuous in their nature; as, his
            passion subsides, his joy quickly subsided, his grief
            subsided into a pleasing melancholy. Yet if, in such
            cases, we were thinking of the degree of violence of
            the emotion, we might use abate; as, his joy will
            abate in the progress of time; and so in other
            instances.
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