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View synonyms for tab

tab

1

[ tab ]

noun

  1. a small flap, strap, loop, or similar appendage, as on a garment, used for pulling, hanging, or decoration.
  2. a tag or label.
  3. a small projection from a card, paper, or folder, used as an aid in filing.
  4. Informal.
    1. a bill, as for a meal in a restaurant; check:

      That dinner went way over my budget, so I was relieved when she offered to pick up the tab.

    2. a list of accruing costs, as drinks ordered in a bar: .

      Go ahead and order another round of beers—we’ve got a running tab

  5. a small piece attached or intended to be attached, as to an automobile license plate.
  6. a small flap or tongue of material used to seal or close the opening of a container.
  7. Also called tabulator,. a key on a typewriter that moves the carriage, typing element, etc., a predetermined number of spaces, used for typing text in columns, for fixed indentations, etc.
  8. Also called tab key. a key on a computer keyboard that moves the cursor a predetermined number of spaces, used for keying text in columns or form fields, for fixed indentations, etc.
  9. Digital Technology.
    1. (in a web browser window or in a spreadsheet or other application) a page displayed by clicking on or selecting a user interface element that resembles a paper tab:

      The third tab in the spreadsheet list expenses.

    2. the display of this user interface element:

      I have too many tabs open in my browser right now.

  10. Theater.
    1. a small, often narrow, drop curtain, for masking part of the stage.
  11. Aeronautics. a small airfoil hinged to the rear portion of a control surface, as to an elevator, aileron, or rudder. Compare trim tab.


verb (used with object)

, tabbed, tab·bing.
  1. to furnish or ornament with a tab or tabs.
  2. to name or designate.

verb (used without object)

, tabbed, tab·bing.
  1. to operate the tab function on a typewriter or computer.

tab

2

[ tab ]

noun

  1. Slang. a tablet, as of a drug or medication.
  2. Informal. tabloid ( def 1 ).

tab.

3

abbreviation for

  1. tables.
  2. (in prescriptions) tablet.

TAB

1

abbreviation for

  1. typhoid-paratyphoid A and B (vaccine)
  2. Totalizator Agency Board
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

tab.

2

abbreviation for

  1. table (list or chart)
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

tab

3

/ tæb /

noun

  1. short for tabulator tablet
  2. slang.
    a portion of a drug, esp LSD or ecstasy
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

tab

4

/ tæb /

noun

  1. a small flap of material, esp one on a garment for decoration or for fastening to a button
  2. any similar flap, such as a piece of paper attached to a file for identification
  3. a small auxiliary aerofoil on the trailing edge of a rudder, aileron, or elevator, etc, to assist in the control of the aircraft in flight See also trim tab
  4. military the insignia on the collar of a staff officer
  5. a bill, esp one for a meal or drinks
  6. dialect.
    a cigarette
  7. keep tabs on informal.
    to keep a watchful eye on
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. tr to supply (files, clothing, etc) with a tab or tabs
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of tab1

First recorded in 1600–10; most senses of unknown origin; tab 1indef 7 short for tabulator; tab 1indef 10 short for tableau; tab 1indefs 4, 15 short for table

Origin of tab2

First recorded in 1920–25; by shortening

Origin of tab3

From the Latin word tabella
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Word History and Origins

Origin of tab1

C17: of unknown origin
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. keep tabs / tab on, Informal. to keep an account of; check on; observe:

    The police kept tabs on the suspect's activities.

More idioms and phrases containing tab

see keep tabs on .
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Example Sentences

Justice Department lawyers said Google had locked out rivals by signing deals with Apple, Mozilla, Samsung and others to be the default search engine that appears when users open a smartphone or a new tab in a web browser.

Then you give them a tab of acid and it goes in a completely different direction.

California officials might decide to have the state pick up the tab.

Earlier that evening, Richardson was dining at Geoffrey’s in Malibu, where she displayed strange behavior and failed to pay an $89 tab, according to guests and staff.

Esteemed film critic Alonso Duralde’s cover has Tab Hunter, Divine, Marlene Dietrich, Anna May Wong and Laverne Cox ablaze with a rainbow spotlight that emphasizes the importance of LGBTQ+ actors from different eras — but in this 336-page book, the author also includes stories and photos of queer writers, directors, producers, choreographers and more.

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Related Words

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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