Jump To:

• rabat
  rabat

  noun

  a sleeveless, backless, vestlike garment extending to the waist, worn by a cleric beneath the clerical collar, especially in the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches.
• Rabat
  Rabat

  noun

  a seaport in and the capital of Morocco, in the NW part.

rabat

¹ American  

[rab-ee, ruh-bat] / ˈræb i, rəˈbæt /

noun

Ecclesiastical.

1. a sleeveless, backless, vestlike garment extending to the waist, worn by a cleric beneath the clerical collar, especially in the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches.

---

rabat ² American  

[rab-uht] / ˈræb ət /

noun

1. a piece of unglazed and imperfectly fired pottery, used for polishing hard surfaces.

---

Rabat ³ American  

[rah-baht, ruh-] / rɑˈbɑt, rə- /

noun

1. a seaport in and the capital of Morocco, in the NW part.

---

Rabat British  

/ rəˈbɑːt /

noun

1. the capital of Morocco, in the northwest on the Atlantic coast, served by the port of Salé: became a military centre in the 12th century and a Corsair republic in the 17th century. Pop: 673 000 (2003)

---

Etymology

Origin of rabat¹

From Middle French, dating back to 1860–65; see origin at rebate ¹

Origin of rabat²

< French, Middle French. See rebate ¹

Example Sentences

Dakar and Rabat have longstanding ties but relations have been strained since the Africa Cup of Nations final, which Senegal won in mid-January before being stripped of the title, which was transferred to Morocco.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Working at the tournament, I remember a feeling there was an extra edge in the build-up to the final in Rabat, compared to previous editions.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

The commotion began when the referee awarded a penalty to Morocco in the 88th minute with the contest tied at 0-0 in Rabat.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

Referee Jean-Jacques Ndala blew the final whistle of that match in Rabat almost two months ago, but the ramifications of events during the game will impact African football for a long time to come.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

Apparently freedom fighters thought so as well, for Rabat was the crossroads of virtually every liberation movement on the continent.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela