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re·bate 1 (rēbāt)
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n.
A deduction from an amount to be paid or a return of part of an amount given in payment.
tr.v. (rēbāt, rĭ-bāt) re·bat·ed, re·bat·ing, re·bates
1. To deduct or return (an amount) from a payment or bill.
2. To lessen; diminish.

[From Middle English rebaten, to deduct, from Old French rabattre, rebattre, to reduce, to beat down again : re-, re- + abbattre, to beat down; see ABATE.]

rebat·er n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
re·bate 2 (rēbāt, răbĭt)
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n. & v.
Variant of rabbet.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
rab·bet (răbĭt) also re·bate (rēbāt, răbĭt)
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n.
1. A cut or groove along or near the edge of a piece of wood that allows another piece to fit into it to form a joint.
2. A joint so made.
v. rab·bet·ed, rab·bet·ing, rab·bets also re·bat·ed or re·bat·ing or re·bates
v.tr.
1. To cut a rabbet in.
2. To join by a rabbet.
v.intr.
To be joined by a rabbet.

[Middle English rabet, from Old French rabat, recess in a wall, act of beating down, from rabattre, to beat down again; see REBATE1.]
(click for a larger image)
rabbet

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.