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re·bate¹

(rēbāt′)

A deduction from an amount to be paid or a return of part of an amount given in payment.

tr.v. (rēbāt′, rĭ-bāt) re·bat·ed, re·bat·ing, re·bates

1. To deduct or return (an amount) from a payment or bill.

2. To lessen; diminish.

[From Middle English rebaten, to deduct, from Old French rabattre, rebattre, to reduce, to beat down again : re-, re- + abbattre, to beat down; see ABATE.]

rebat·er n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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