1. To lessen or to make something decrease gradually: "It is hoped that the wind will abate after the storm."

"Instead of leaving right away, they decided to wait until the storm abated."

2. To suppress or to end a nuisance, act, or writ: "Carl's neighbor finally abated the loud noise created by the music that was being played earlier in the evening."
3. Etymology: from Old French abattre, "to beat down"; from Latin ad-, "to" + battuere, "to beat".

Abate generally implies to lessen or to decrease in some way, but it may mean to stop or to suppress. The storm, the fever, and the pain abate; however, interest declines. People abate a nuisance, terminate a controversy, suppress a rebellion, curtail or reduce production when there is a surplus.