ETYM French carbine, Old Fren. calabrin carabineer, from OF and Pr. calabre, Old Fren. cable, chable, an engine of war used in besieging, from Late Lat. chadabula, cabulus, a kind of projectile machine, from Greek, a throwing down; cata down + ballein to throw. Related to Parable.
Light automatic rifle.
1. A short-barreled lightweight firearm originally used by cavalry.
2. A light short-barreled repeating rifle that is used as a supplementary military arm or for hunting in dense brush.