A bowed stringed instrument of the medieval era and the early Renaissance. In its most common form, it has a narrow boat-shaped body and 1-5 (usually 3) strings. Played on the arm or under the chin, the technique and tuning may have influenced the development of the violin.

The introduction of the rebec into Western Europe coincided with the Arabic conquest of the Iberian Peninsula. It quickly became adopted as a key instrument in Arab classical music and in the Ottoman Empire. The name probably derives from the Arabic rebab.

A distinguishing feature of the rebec is that the bowl (or body) of the instrument is carved from a solid piece of wood. This distinguishes it from the later period vielles and gambas known in the Renaissance.

In time, the viol came to replace the rebec and it was little used beyond the Renaissance.