Palliate

v. t.
  1. To cover with a mantle or cloak; to cover up; to hide.
  2. To cover with excuses; to conceal the enormity of, by excuses and apologies; to extenuate; as, to palliate faults.
  3. To reduce in violence; to lessen or abate; to mitigate; to ease without curing; as, to palliate a disease.