Etymology Dictionary

RABBET,  to cut the edges of boards so that they overlap and can be joined together.  (F.,—L. and G.)   M. E. rabet; see Prompt. Parv.   'Many deep rabbotted incisions;'   Holland, tr. of Plutarch, p. 902 (R.)   The Halifax gibbet, in Harrison's Descr. of England, b. ii. c. I 1, ed. Furnivall, p. 227, is described as having a block of wood 'which dooth ride vp and downe in a slot, rabet, or regall betweene two peeces of timber.'—F. raboter, 'to plane, levell, or laye even;' Cot.   He also gives:  'rabot, a joyner's plane, a plaisterer's beater.'   The F. adj. raboteux means 'rugged, knotty, rough.'   Littré refers these words to O. F. rabouter, to thrust back, compounded of Lat. re, F. a (= Lat. ad ), and boter (later bouter), to thrust.   This O. F. verb is, in fact, equivalent to E. re-abut.   β. The notion of abutting or projecting gives the sense of rugged to the adj. raboteux; whilst the notion of removing the roughness is in the verb.   See Re- and Abut.   γ. At the same time, it is certain that F. rabot, as shewn by Cotgrave's 2nd definition, was confused with F. rabat, a beater, connected with rabatre (mod. F. rabattre), lit. to re-abate; for which see Re- and Abate.   Even in E., the word rabbet is sometimes spelt rebate.