in the manage, implies the performing any downward motion properly. Thus a horse is said to abate or take down his curvets, when he puts both his hind legs to the ground at once, and observes the same exactness in all the times.

To ABATE, (from the French abattre, to pull down, overthrow, demolish, batter down, or destroy,) a term used by the writers of the English common law both in an active and neuter sense; as, To abate a castle, is to beat it down. To abate a writ, is, by some exception to defeat or overthrow it. A stranger abateth; that is, entereth upon a house or land void by the death of him that last possessed it, before the heir takes possession, and so keepeth him out; wherefore, as he that putteth out him in possession is said to disseize, so he that steppeth in between the former possessor and his heir is said to abate. In the neuter signification thus: The writ of the demandant shall abate; that is, shall be disabled, frustrated, or overthrown. The appeal abateth by covin; that is, the accusation is defeated by deceit.