▪ I. † rabate, n. Obs. rare.
Also rabbate.
[a. OF. rabat, rabbat n. to rabattre: see next, and cf. rebate n.]
Diminution; lessening, drawing in.
| 1589 Puttenham Eng. Poesie ii. xi[i]. (Arb.) 109 In his altitude he wil require diuers rabates to hold so many sizes of meetres. Ibid. iii. xi. 173 Your figures of rabbate be as many [as the ‘figures of addition’.] |
▪ II. † rabate, v. Obs.
Also 6 rabbate.
[a. F. rabattre to beat down, etc.; the more usual form in Eng. is rebate.]
= rebate v. in various senses.
| 1489 Sc. Acts Jas. IV (1814) 222 And samekle..to be defalkit and Rabatit in þe price of þe said siluer. 1530 Palsgr. 677/2, I rabate a porcyon out of a great somme. 1585 A. Poulet Letter-bk. (1874) 69 Rabating so many of my number..cannot be any way chargeable. 1632 J. Guillim Heraldry iii. xx. (ed. 3) 228 She [a Hawk] is sayd to Rabate, when by the motion of the bearers hand she recouerth the fist. |
Hence † rabated ppl. a.; † rabating vbl. n.
| 1589 Puttenham Eng. Poesie iii. xi. (Arb.) 173 Sometimes by adding sometimes by rabbating of a sillable or letter. Ibid. xxv. 310 The full and emptie euen, extant, rabbated, hollow, or..other figure and passion of quantitie. |
▪ III. rabate
obs. form of rabbet n. and v.