Rabate

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. A recessed or sloping edge in a structure such as a frame or door ; a long, narrow groove cut into a surface for fitting or decoration
2. An architectural detail where an edge is set back or angled to create a joint or overlap ; a slender channel carved into material for joining or aesthetic purposes
3. The indented border often found in frames or joints ; an elongated furrow designed into a surface to accommodate another piece or ornament

Etymology: "Rabate" is an archaic spelling of "rebate," a verb meaning to cut a groove or recess along the edge of a piece of wood or stone so that another piece can fit into it. The word came into English from Old French "rabatre," which combined "re-," meaning back or again, with "batre," meaning to beat. Literally, then, it meant to beat back or beat down, and the sense of cutting a groove comes from the idea of striking into the edge of a material. The same French verb sits behind the English "abate," meaning to lessen or reduce. That word and "rebate" are closely related through the shared root "batre," which is why the two look and sound so alike. The "rebate" form in English kept its sense of cutting into a surface, while "abate" drifted toward the idea of beating something down into less.