- rebut (v.)
- c. 1300, "to thrust back," from Old French reboter, rebuter "to thrust back," from re- "back" (see re-) + boter "to thrust, hit" (see butt (v.)). Legalese sense of "try to disprove, refute by evidence or argument" is from 1817. Related: Rebutted; rebutting.
