Illustration of tabby
- tabby 1a
tabby
1 of 3noun (1)
tab·by ˈta-bē 
plural tabbies
1
[tabby entry 2]
a
: a domestic cat with a striped and mottled coat
b
: a domestic cat
especially : a female cat
2
a
: a plain-woven fabric
b
archaic : a plain silk taffeta especially with moiré finish
tabby
2 of 3adjective
1
: striped and mottled with darker color : brindled
a tabby cat
2
: of, relating to, or made of tabby
a tabby vest
tabby
3 of 3noun (2)
: a cement made of lime, sand or gravel, and oyster shells and used chiefly along the coast of Georgia and South Carolina in the 17th and 18th centuries
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
French tabis, from Middle French atabis, from Medieval Latin attabi, from Arabic ʽattābī, from Al-ʽAttābīya, quarter in Baghdad
Noun (2)
Gullah tabi, ultimately from Spanish tapia adobe wall
First Known Use
Noun (1)
1638, in the meaning defined at sense 2b
Adjective
1640, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Noun (2)
1775, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
tabby
noun
tab·by ˈta-bē
plural tabbies
: a domestic cat with a striped and spotted coat
tabbies
noun
as in kittens
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- kittens
- kits
- tomcats
- alley cats
- felines
- kitties
- mousers
- cats
- moggies
- pussycats
- gibs
- pusses
- pussies
- house cats
