abate

 
Pronunciation: /əˈbeɪt/

verb

[no object]
  • (of something unpleasant or severe) become less intense or widespread: the storm suddenly abated
  • [with object] make (something) less intense: nothing abated his crusading zeal
  • [with object] Law reduce or remove (a nuisance): this action would not have been sufficient to abate the odour nuisance

Origin:

Middle English (in the legal sense): from Old French abatre 'to fell', from a- (from Latin ad 'to, at') + batre 'to beat' (from Latin battere, battuere 'to beat')