%rabb%

v. t. To befoul with rain and mud; to drabble. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ D. brabbelen to talk confusedly. √95. Cf. Blab, Babble. ] To clamor; to contest noisily. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A broil; a noisy contest; a wrangle. [ 1913 Webster ]

This petty brabble will undo us all. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A brabble. [ R. ] Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A clamorous, quarrelsome, noisy fellow; a wrangler. [ R ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Crab, n. ] 1. Characterized by or manifesting, sourness, peevishness, or moroseness; harsh; cross; cynical; -- applied to feelings, disposition, or manners. [ 1913 Webster ]

Crabbed age and youth can not live together. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Characterized by harshness or roughness; unpleasant; -- applied to things; as, a crabbed taste. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Obscure; difficult; perplexing; trying; as, a crabbed author. “Crabbed eloquence.” Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

How charming is divine philosophy!
Not harsh and crabbed, as dull fools suppose. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Cramped; irregular; as, crabbed handwriting.

-- Crab"bed*ly, adv. -- Crab"bed*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who catches crabs. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act or art of catching crabs. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Falconry) The fighting of hawks with each other. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Woolen Manuf.) A process of scouring cloth between rolls in a machine. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Somewhat sour or cross. [ 1913 Webster ]

The whips of the most crabbish Satyristes. Decker. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Crabbed; difficult, or perplexing. “Persius is crabby, because ancient.” Marston. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who associates with drabs; a wencher. Massinger. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A coarse linen fabric, or duck. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Somewhat drab in color. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having the character of a drab or low wench. “The drabbish sorceress.” Drant. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Drabbled p. pr. & vb. n. Drabbling ] [ &unr_;&unr_;&unr_;.See Drab, Draff. ] To draggle; to wet and befoul by draggling; as, to drabble a gown or cloak. Halliwell. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To fish with a long line and rod; as, to drabble for barbels. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Naut.) A piece of canvas fastened by lacing to the bonnet of a sail, to give it a greater depth, or more drop. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A draggle-tail; a slattern. Halliwell. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Crabbed; peevish. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who seizes or grabs. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Grabbled p. pr. & vb. n. Grabbling ] [ Freq. of grab; cf. D. grabbelen. ] 1. To grope; to feel with the hands. [ 1913 Webster ]

He puts his hands into his pockets, and keeps a grabbling and fumbling. Selden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To lie prostrate on the belly; to sprawl on the ground; to grovel. Ainsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ See Rabate. ] To abate or diminish. [ Obs. ] -- n. Abatement. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Rabbeted; p. pr. & vb. n. Rabbeting. ] [ F. raboter to plane, plane down, rabot a plane; pref. re- re- + OF. abouter, aboter. See Abut, and cf. Rebut. ] 1. To cut a rabbet in; to furnish with a rabbet. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To unite the edges of, as boards, etc., in a rabbet joint. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Rabbet, v., and cf. Rebate, n. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Carp.) A longitudinal channel, groove, or recess cut out of the edge or face of any body; especially, one intended to receive another member, so as to break or cover the joint, or more easily to hold the members in place; thus, the groove cut for a panel, for a pane of glass, or for a door, is a rabbet, or rebate. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Same as Rabbet joint, below. [ 1913 Webster ]

Rabbet joint (Carp.), a joint formed by fitting together rabbeted boards or timbers; -- called also rabbet. --
Rabbet plane, a joiner's plane for cutting a rabbet. Moxon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Rabbis r Rabbies. [ L., fr. Gr. "rabbi`, Heb. rabī my master, from rab master, lord, teacher, akin to Ar. rabb.] Master; lord; teacher; -- a Jewish title of respect or honor for a teacher or doctor of the law. “The gravest rabbies.” Milton. [1913 Webster]

Be not ye called Rabbi, for one is your Master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren. Matt. xxiii. 8. [1913 Webster]

n. [ F. ] Same as Rabbi. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The language or dialect of the rabbins; the later Hebrew. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ Cf. F. rabbinique. ] Of or pertaining to the rabbins or rabbis, or pertaining to the opinions, learning, or language of the rabbins. “Comments staler than rabbinic.” Lowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

We will not buy your rabbinical fumes. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a rabbinical manner; after the manner of the rabbins. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. rabbinisme. ] 1. A rabbinic expression or phraseology; a peculiarity of the language of the rabbins. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The teachings and traditions of the rabbins. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. rabbiniste. ] One among the Jews who adhered to the Talmud and the traditions of the rabbins, in opposition to the Karaites, who rejected the traditions. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Rabbinist. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. rabet, akin to OD. robbe, robbeken. ] (Zool.) Any of the smaller species of the genus Lepus, especially the common European species (Lepus cuniculus), which is often kept as a pet, and has been introduced into many countries. It is remarkably prolific, and has become a pest in some parts of Australia and New Zealand. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The common American rabbit (Lepus sylvatica) is similar but smaller. See Cottontail, and Jack rabbit, under 2d Jack. The larger species of Lepus are commonly called hares. See Hare. [ 1913 Webster ]

Angora rabbit (Zool.), a variety of the domestic rabbit having long, soft fur. --
Rabbit burrow, a hole in the earth made by rabbits for shelter and habitation. --
Rabbit fish. (Zool.) (a) The northern chimaera (Chimaera monstrosa). (b) Any one of several species of plectognath fishes, as the bur fish, and puffer. The term is also locally applied to other fishes. --
Rabbits' ears. (Bot.) See Cyclamen. --
Rabbit warren, a piece of ground appropriated to the breeding and preservation of rabbits. Wright. --
Rock rabbit. (a) (Zool.) See Daman, and Klipdas. (b) the pika. --
Welsh rabbit, a dish of which the chief constituents are melted cheese over toasted bread, flavored in various ways, as with ale, beer, milk, or spices. The name is popularly said to be a corruption of Welsh rare bit, but it is probably merely a humorous designation; -- also called Welsh rarebit. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To hunt rabbits. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The hunting of rabbits. T. Hughes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A place where rabbits are kept; especially, a collection of hutches for tame rabbits. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Etymol. uncertain. ] (Iron Manuf.) An iron bar, with the end bent, used in stirring or skimming molten iron in the process of puddling. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To stir or skim with a rabble, as molten iron. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ Akin to D. rabbelen, Prov. G. rabbeln, to prattle, to chatter: cf. L. rabula a brawling advocate, a pettifogger, fr. rabere to rave. Cf. Rage. ] To speak in a confused manner. [ Prov. Eng. & Scot. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Probably named from the noise made by it (see Rabble, v. i.) cf. D. rapalje rabble, OF. & Prov. F. rapaille. ] 1. A tumultuous crowd of vulgar, noisy people; a mob; a confused, disorderly throng. [ 1913 Webster ]

I saw, I say, come out of London, even unto the presence of the prince, a great rabble of mean and light persons. Ascham. [ 1913 Webster ]

Jupiter, Mercury, Bacchus, Venus, Mars, and the whole rabble of licentious deities. Bp. Warburton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A confused, incoherent discourse; a medley of voices; a chatter. [ 1913 Webster ]

The rabble, the lowest class of people, without reference to an assembly; the dregs of the people. “The rabble call him ‘lord.'” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to a rabble; like, or suited to, a rabble; disorderly; vulgar. [ R. ] Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Rabbled p. pr. & vb. n. Rabbling ] 1. To insult, or assault, by a mob; to mob; as, to rabble a curate. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

The bishops' carriages were stopped and the prelates themselves rabbled on their way to the house. J. R. Green. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To utter glibly and incoherently; to mouth without intelligence. [ Obs. or Scot. ] Foxe. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To rumple; to crumple. [ Scot. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A tumultuous crowd of low people; a rabble. “Rude rablement.” Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

And still, as he refused it, the rabblement hooted. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See 2d Rabble. ] (Mech.) A scraping tool for smoothing metal. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A tumultuous crowd; a rabble; a noisy throng. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ CF. Scramble. ] A Lenten dish, composed of eggs boiled hard, chopped, and seasoned with butter, salt, and pepper. Halliwell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of scrabbling; a moving upon the hands and knees; a scramble; also, a scribble. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Scrabbled p. pr. & vb. n. Scrabbling ] [ Freq. of scrape. Cf. Scramble, Scrawl, v. t. ] 1. To scrape, paw, or scratch with the hands; to proceed by clawing with the hands and feet; to scramble; as, to scrabble up a cliff or a tree. [ 1913 Webster ]

Now after a while Little-faith came to himself, and getting up made shift to scrabble on his way. Bunyan. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To make irregular, crooked, or unmeaning marks; to scribble; to scrawl. [ 1913 Webster ]

David . . . scrabbled on the doors of the gate. 1. Sam. xxi. 13. [ 1913 Webster ]