To reduce or lower something, or in leather-making, to soak hides in a solution to make them softer and more workable.
From Middle English 'baten,' derived from Old French 'abattre' meaning 'to beat down,' which comes from Latin 'ad-' (to) and 'battere' (to beat). The meaning shifted from physical beating to general reduction.
Medieval leather workers discovered that soaking hides in solutions containing bird droppings (yes, really!) would soften them—this chemical process is still called 'bating' today, and it's why old tanneries smelled absolutely terrible.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.