I. ˈrēˌbāt, ̷ ̷ˈ ̷ ̷, usu -ād.+V verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English rebaten, from Middle French rabattre to beat down again, turn back down, reduce, from Old French, from re- + abattre to beat down, from a- (from Latin ad- ) + battre to beat, from Latin battuere, battere — more at bat
transitive verb
1. : to reduce the force, effect, intensity, or activity of : diminish , lessen
2. : to reduce the sharpness or edge of : make dull : blunt
rebate and blunt his natural edge — Shakespeare
3. heraldry : to remove a part of (a charge)
b. : to remove part of a charge from (an escutcheon)
4.
a. : to make a rebate of
rebated over a hundred dollars in interest
b. : to give a rebate to
secretly rebated a few large shippers of freight
intransitive verb
: to give or make a practice of giving rebates
disliked rebating but accepted it as a necessary evil to … stay in business — D.L.Kemmerer
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: French rabat, from Middle French rabattre
: abatement , repayment : as
a. : a return of a portion of the interest on a loan for payment of the loan before its due date
b. : a retroactive abatement, credit, discount, or refund (as from a wholesaler to a retailer) usually as consideration for a specified volume of business
c. : a portion of an insurance premium returned directly or indirectly to the policyholder by an agent or broker from commissions received either as an inducement to purchase insurance or to gain a competitive advantage over another agent or broker in selling insurance
III.
variant of rabbet