Webster
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Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Debate

De·bate′ (dē·bāt′), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Debated; p. pr. & vb. n. Debating.] [OF. debatre, F. débattre; L. de + batuere to beat. See Batter, v. t., and cf. Abate.] 1. To engage in combat for; to strive for.

Volunteers . . . thronged to serve under his banner, and the cause of religion was debated with the same ardor in Spain as on the plains of Palestine. Prescott.

2. To contend for in words or arguments; to strive to maintain by reasoning; to dispute; to contest; to discuss; to argue for and against.

A wise council . . . that did debate this business. Shak.

Debate thy cause with thy neighbor himself. Prov. xxv. 9.

Syn. — To argue; discuss; dispute; controvert. See Argue, and Discuss.

De·bate′, v. i. 1. To engage in strife or combat; to fight. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Well could he tourney and in lists debate. Spenser.

2. To contend in words; to dispute; hence, to deliberate; to consider; to discuss or examine different arguments in the mind; — often followed by on or upon.

He presents that great soul debating upon the subject of life and death with his intimate friends. Tatler.

De·bate′, n. [F. débat, fr. débattre. See Debate, v. t.] 1. A fight or fighting; contest; strife. [Archaic]

On the day of the Trinity next ensuing was a great debate . . . and in that murder there were slain . . . fourscore. R. of Gloucester.

But question fierce and proud reply Gave signal soon of dire debate. Sir W. Scott.

2. Contention in words or arguments; discussion for the purpose of elucidating truth or influencing action; strife in argument; controversy; as, the debates in Parliament or in Congress.

Heard, noted, answer'd, as in full debate. Pope.

3. Subject of discussion. [R.]

Statutes and edicts concerning this debate. Milton.

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Noah Porter, editor (Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913). Public domain. Text as transcribed by MICRA, Inc., from Project Gutenberg. Changed for Deep Dive Bible: Greek, which our source spelled in Latin letters, set in Greek letters; entries of one spelling merged into one article; Greek words our source left out (shown as “?”), read from the 1898 printing, from the same plates (the Library of Congress’s copy), where the place could be found with certainty. Of the others, 1,362 (a word or a single letter each) were inferred by AI from the context by the dictionary’s own rules and are marked with a wavy underline (tap or point at one to see the note); the rest, which could not be inferred with confidence, are left as “?”.