Bate (&?;), v. t. To attack; to bait. [Obs.] Spenser.
Bate, imp. of Bite. [Obs.] Spenser.
Bate, v. i. [F. battre des ailes to flutter. Cf. Bait to flutter.] To flutter as a hawk; to bait. [Obs.] Bacon.
Bate, n. (Jewish Antiq.) See 2d Bath.
Bate, n. [Cf. Sw. beta maceration, soaking, G. beize, and E. bite.] An alkaline solution consisting of the dung of certain animals; -- employed in the preparation of hides; grainer. Knight.
Bate, v. t. To steep in bate, as hides, in the manufacture of leather.
||Ba*teau" (&?;), n.; pl. Bateaux (&?;). [F. bateau, LL. batellus, fr. battus, batus, boat, which agrees with AS. bt boat: cf. W. bad boat. See Boat, n.] A boat; esp. a flat-bottomed, clumsy boat used on the Canadian lakes and rivers. [Written also, but less properly, batteau.]
Bateau bridge, a floating bridge supported by bateaux.
Bat"ed (&?;), a. Reduced; lowered; restrained; as, to speak with bated breath. Macaulay.
Bate"ful (&?;), a. Exciting contention; contentious. [Obs.] "It did bateful question frame." Sidney.
Bate"less, a. Not to be abated. [Obs.] Shak.
Bate"ment (&?;), n. [For Abatement. See 2d Bate.] Abatement; diminution. Moxon.
Batement light (Arch.), a window or one division of a window having vertical sides, but with the sill not horizontal, as where it follows the rake of a staircase.
Bat"fish` (&?;), n. (Zoöl.) A name given to several species of fishes: (a) The Malthe vespertilio of the Atlantic coast. (b) The flying gurnard of the Atlantic (Cephalacanthus spinarella). (c) The California batfish or sting ray (Myliobatis Californicus.)
Bat"fowl`er (&?;), n. One who practices or finds sport in batfowling.
Bat"fowl`ing (&?;), n. [From Bat a stick.] A mode of catching birds at night, by holding a torch or other light, and beating the bush or perch where they roost. The birds, flying to the light, are caught with nets or otherwise.
Bat"ful (bt"fl), a. [Icel. bati amelioration, batna to grow better; akin to AS. bet better. Goth. ga-batnan to profit. √255. Cf. Batten, v. i., Better.] Rich; fertile. [Obs.] "Batful valleys." Drayton.
Bath (bth; 61), n.; pl. Baths (bz). [AS. bæð; akin to OS. & Icel. bað, Sw., Dan., D., & G. bad, and perh. to G. bähen to foment.] 1. The act of exposing the body, or part of the body, for purposes of cleanliness, comfort, health, etc., to water, vapor, hot air, or the like; as, a cold or a hot bath; a medicated bath; a steam bath; a hip bath.