ga bel', a name given in France to a tax upon salt, which was first imposed in 1286 as a temporary import. It was later perpetuated from reign to reign. Salt was made a government monopoly, and every family in France was compelled to buy a certain amount each week, at a price fixed by the government. This price varied among the provinces. The gabelle was extremely unpopular and was finally suppressed by the revolutionary government in 1790.