/kahr"been, -buyn/ , n.
1. a light, gas-operated semiautomatic rifle.
2. (formerly) a short rifle used in the cavalry.
[ 1595-1605; earlier carabine carabin a lightly armed cavalryman, compared with ( e ) scarabin gravedigger for plague victims (
escarbot cockchafer, dung beetle scarabaeus SCARAB), though semantic change is unclear ]