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Ra·bi

(rŭbē) also Ra·bi·a (rə-bēə)

Either the third or the fourth month of the year in the Islamic calendar. See Table at calendar.

[Arabic rabī', spring, fourth; see rbʿ in the Appendix of Semitic roots.]

ra·bi

(rŭbē)

The agricultural season in South Asia in which rain is scarce and only irrigated crops are grown, with crops sown in October and November and harvested from March to May.

[Hindi rabī and Urdu rabī', from Arabic rabī', fourth part, spring; see rbʿ in the Appendix of Semitic roots.]

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.

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