Jump To:

• tab
  tab

  noun

  a small flap, strap, loop, or similar appendage, as on a garment, used for pulling, hanging, or decoration.
• tab.
  tab.

  abbreviation

  tables.
• TAB
  TAB

  abbreviation

  typhoid-paratyphoid A and B (vaccine)

tab

¹ American  

[tab] / tæb /

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 tab key.  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.

    2. tableau curtain.

11. Aeronautics. a small airfoil hinged to the rear portion of a control surface, as to an elevator, aileron, or rudder.

---

verb (used with object)

• tabs,
  present (3rd person singular)
• tabbed,
  past participle,  past
• tabbing
  present participle

1. to furnish or ornament with a tab or tabs.

2. to name or designate.

verb (used without object)

• tabs,
  present (3rd person singular)
• tabbed,
  past participle,  past
• tabbing
  present participle

1. to operate the tab function on a typewriter or computer.

idioms

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

   The police kept tabs on the suspect's activities.

tab ² American  

[tab] / tæb /

noun

1. Slang. a tablet, as of a drug or medication.

2. Informal. tabloid.

---

tab. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. tables.

2. (in prescriptions) tablet.

---

tab ¹ British  

/ 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. informal to keep a watchful eye on

---

verb

1. (tr) to supply (files, clothing, etc) with a tab or tabs

TAB ² British  

abbreviation

1. typhoid-paratyphoid A and B (vaccine)

2. Totalizator Agency Board

---

tab ³ British  

/ tæb /

noun

1. short for tabulator tablet

2. slang a portion of a drug, esp LSD or ecstasy

---

tab. ⁴ British  

abbreviation

1. table (list or chart)

---

tab More Idioms  

1. see keep tabs on.

---

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• tabbing
  present
• tabbed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• tab
  simple
• tabs
  simple
• have tabbed
  perfect
• has tabbed
  perfect
• am tabbing
  progressive
• are tabbing
  progressive
• is tabbing
  progressive
• have been tabbing
  perfect progressive
• has been tabbing
  perfect progressive

Past

• tabbed
  simple
• had tabbed
  perfect
• was tabbing
  progressive
• were tabbing
  progressive
• had been tabbing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will tab
  simple
• will have tabbed
  perfect
• will be tabbing
  progressive
• will have been tabbing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of tab¹

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

Origin of tab²

First recorded in 1920–25; by shortening

Origin of tab.³

From the Latin word tabella

Explanation

A tab is an attached flap or piece of material. You use a metal tab to open a can of soda, and you might use plastic tabs to separate sections in your binder. Some tabs help you open packaging ("Grasp the plastic tab and pull to open"), and others give you information about or help you identify something. The noun tab also means "an additional document or page" on a computer screen, as well as "a space" on a keyboard or typewriter. In North America, it's another name for a bill as well: "Put it on my tab, please!"

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tab tab. TAB tabs tabbed tabbing

One woman writes: “I like the idea of honoring the staff. If you were to pick up my $100 tab, I’d like it, sure.”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026

It was a long 100-day shoot, sitting in an emotional state that it’s like an open tab always for the entire length of the shoot.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

The streamer is the latest to integrate a tab for vertical videos into its interface, following Netflix, Prime Video and more.

From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026

The company’s first earnings report as a public company shows a surge in revenue and the tab for capital expenditures.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

I pulled up the tab on a can of diabetic wet food and yanked the metal top off with the familiar whoosh, causing Fig to “mrow” repeatedly.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

"His father is worth billions he could have picked up the tab. Clearly they just didn't want to pay for it," Libowitz said.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

“Everybody picks up this social tab. That feels good,” said Post.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2022

“Make sure when you get Gatorades, you put it on the golfer’s tab. They won’t mind,” Z laughed one day, his braids shaking underneath his bucket cap.

From Golf Digest ● Oct. 3, 2018

"The tab. You need to put the nachos on a card," she explained calmly.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2018

“Well, that was fast! I’ll just add it to the tab. When I can move again, I mean.”

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles

For a good cause, order at Coffee TAB, a Belltown nonprofit that trains low-income students in barista skills.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 24, 2023

In a statement, TAB Bank defended its practices, saying it is a better option than payday loans and helps “consumers who have no or limited credit.”

From Washington Post ● Sep. 30, 2022

TAB, he added, "would love to see a continued focus on the meat-and-potato issues that have made Texas the best place in the world to do business."

From Salon ● Jul. 6, 2022

The FAA convened a TAB soon after the second Boeing 737 MAX crash in March 2019 to assist in its review of the grounded airplane.

From Reuters ● Feb. 28, 2022

TAB posted that picture of P. Total triator.

From "Goodbye Stranger" by Rebecca Stead

It comes with an app so you can keep tabs on its performance, and the ability to automatically run during off-peak electricity hours.

From Slate ● Sep. 14, 2026

Molchanova said Epstein kept tabs on her spending.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026

The labour ministry stresses that it will keep tabs on companies to ensure they take measures to protect the wellbeing of employees.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

"Every day. I think he's kept tabs on things," said Root.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Ellsberg pulled out one of the blue binders and opened the metal tabs holding the pages.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

The maker of fuel-cell technology is one of three companies tabbed to join the benchmark index as part of a quarterly rebalancing.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026

Victor Wembanyama was always tabbed to be basketball’s next superstar.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026

Merrick Garland, a distinguished appellate court judge and Barack Obama's ill-fated 2016 pick for the Supreme Court, was tabbed for attorney general.

From BBC ● Jan. 12, 2025

At one point, he was tabbed as a consensus top-20 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline, Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2025

A quick search in the database pulled up the exact same book, and I tabbed through to the first page, making sure the words were enlarged as much as possible.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

“Kind of like collecting Pokémon, except instead of collecting Pokémon, I’m tabbing birds in my guide book.”

From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2025

He didn’t look far, tabbing Giants pro scouting director Zack Minasian as the new GM, the team announced Friday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2024

Dickert took the helm as interim coach and put confidence in de Laura, later tabbing him the “catalyst” to WSU’s strong finish on offense.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 18, 2022

Virginia Tech hired Brent Pry as its new football coach, the school announced Tuesday, tabbing the Penn State defensive coordinator to fill a vacancy that came open two weeks ago.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 30, 2021

Men would be going down to the river now—freshmen would be hearing reluctantly, some of them with tears, the coarse and violent criticism of the Third Year men who were tabbing them.

From The Prelude to Adventure by Sir Hugh Walpole

Related Words

• price tag