Rabbet
//ˈɹæbɪt// noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A longitudinal channel, groove, or recess cut out of the edge or face of a plank of wood or other material; especially, one intended to fit another member to form a joint.
- 2 Obsolete form of rabbit. alt-of, obsolete
"I would fain see him walk in querpo, like a cased rabbet, without his holy furr upon his back, that the world may once behold the inside of a fryar."
- 3 a rectangular groove made to hold two pieces together wordnet
Verb
- 1 To cut a rabbet in a piece of material. transitive
- 2 cut a rectangular groove into wordnet
- 3 join with a rabbet joint wordnet
Example
More examples"I would fain see him walk in querpo, like a cased rabbet, without his holy furr upon his back, that the world may once behold the inside of a fryar."
Etymology
From Middle English rabeten, from Old French raboter, rabouter (“to thrust back”, verb), from Old French re- + boter, bouter. The noun is from Middle English rabet, from Old French rabot, from the verb.
Related phrases
More for "rabbet"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.