Often meaning to lessen, reduce, suppress, or in some cases to make entirely null and void. It can be found in various areas of law, emergency management and other general business matters across the board. You don't see it often, though odds are you will in time. In masonry it can also be the process of cutting away to provide relief.

 

"To decrease the cases of lime disease, we will have to abate the presence of Ixodes (hard bodied ticks)."

 

"The market shows that there will be a decrease in sales of our widget. We should abate production now so we don't wind up with excess inventory then."

 

"When they abate sales tax, our clothing sales are great!"

 

"When your property is out of compliance of codes in Kings County, and an injunction has already been filed with the court, it will have a status of �ABATE�.