Forms: α. 4–5 taberett, 5 -ette, 5–6 -et, 5– tabret, 6 -ette, 7 tabberet, tabaret); β. 6 tabertte, -erde, -arte, -arde; γ. 5 taborete, 6–7 tabouret. [f. TABOR + -ET.]
1. A small tabor; a timbrel. Hist. or arch.
α. 1464. Mann. & Househ. Exp. (Roxb.), 264. Item, for a hedstalle for the taberet iiij d.
1489. Caxton, Faytes of A., III. xiv. 198. He had lost hys pype and hys tabret.
1535. Coverdale, Gen. xxxi. 27. That I might haue brought the on the waye with myrth,… with tabrettes and harpes.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts (1658), 134. A Hare … was seen in England … playing with his former feet upon a tabberet.
1683. Pettus, Fleta Min., II. 12. Choice Instruments of Musick … also the Tabaret.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa (1810), IV. xxvi. 147. Not a tabret, nor the expectation of a new joy to animate him on!
1879. Stainer, Music of Bible, 155. The tabret has now been excluded from sacred buildings, having given place to the more solemn and imposing drum.
β. 1556. Chron. Gr. Friars (Camden), 27. With trompettes, shalmes, and taberttes in the best maner.
1570. Levins, Manip., 31/1. A Tabarde, timpanum.
1575. Turberv., Falconrie, 191. The Falconer muste haue with him a little drumme or Taberde fastened to the pommell of his saddle.
1600[?]. Chester Pl., Banns, 118. Get mynstrilles to that shewe, pipe, tabarte, and flute.
γ. 1599. Bp. Hall, Sat., IV. i. 78. Or Mimoes whistling to his tabouret.
1676. Dugdale, Baronage Eng., II. 107/2. So shalle they departe the Manoir … with Trompets, Tabouretts, and other manoir of Mynstralce [orig. c. 1500].
1885. H. C. McCook, Tenants Old Farm, 299. In the katydid … the musical instruments are a pair of taborets.
b. fig. 1610. Boys, Expos. Dom. Epist., Wks. (1622), 443. Making their infirmities and sinnes our tabret and delight.
† 2. transf. A performer on a tabret. Obs.
a. 1377. in Househ. Ord. (1790), 4. Mynstrelles—Taberett 1.
14[?]. in Hist. Coll. Citizen London (Camden), 220. On manly man … that was a taberette … stode a-pon an hylle wyth hys tabyr and hys pype.
1464. Mann. & Househ. Exp. (Roxb.), 239. I delyverd my taborete the same day a new gowen, and iij.d.
1540. in Vicary’s Anat. (1888), App. xii. 241. Item, for John Buntanus, tabret—xlj s. iiij d.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 67. Amongst the horse were aboue fortie Kettle-drummes and Tabrets.
