▪ I. † corbet Obs.—1
[a. F. corbet:—Rom. type *corvetto, dim. of corvus raven, and so a synonym of OF. corbel, corbeau.]
= corbel n. 2.
| c 1384 Chaucer H. Fame iii. 214 Ne how they hate yn masoneryes As corbetz [Caxton corbettis, Thynne corbettes] and ymageryes [Bodl. MS. corbettz full of ymageryes]. 1617 Minsheu Ductor, Corbell, Corbet, or Corbill in masonrie. 1656 Blount Glossogr., Corbel, Corbet, or Corbil. |
¶ Erroneously explained in Dictionaries, etc., from misinterpreting the prec. passage in Chaucer; the error has been extended to corbel.
| 1616 Bullokar, Corbets, places in walles where Images stand. [So in Cockeram 1623, etc.]. 1703 T. N. City & C. Purchaser 117 Corbets, Holes left in the Walls of ancient Churches, etc., for Images to stand in. 1838 J. Britton Dict. Arch. 98 Corbets, Corbetts, Corbettis, have all been used as synonymous with corbels; but corbets seem more particularly to signify niches for images: Chaucer uses corbettis in this sense. |
▪ II. corbet
see curvet.