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tabby
1[ tab-ee ]
/ ˈtæb i /
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noun, plural tab·bies.
adjective
striped or brindled.
made of or resembling tabby.
verb (used with object), tab·bied, tab·by·ing.
to give a wavy or watered appearance to, as silk.
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We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.
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Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?
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Origin of tabby
11630–40; back formation from French tabis (taken as plural), Middle French (a)tabis silk cloth <Medieval Latin attābi<Arabic ʿattābī, derivative of (al-)ʿAttābīyah, quarter of Baghdad where the silk was first made, literally, the quarter of (Prince) ʿAttāb
Words nearby tabby
tabard, tabaret, Tabari, Tabasco, tabbouleh, tabby, tabernacle, tabernacle frame, tabernacle mirror, Tabernacles, tabes
Other definitions for tabby (2 of 2)
tabby2
[ tab-ee ]
/ ˈtæb i /
noun
(in the southeastern U.S.) a building material composed of ground oyster shells, lime, and sand, mixed with salt water.
Origin of tabby
2An Americanism dating back to 1765–75; of uncertain origin; perhaps from Gullah tabi, from a West African language
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use tabby in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for tabby (1 of 2)
tabby1
/ (ˈtæbɪ) /
noun
a fabric with a watered pattern, esp silk or taffeta
Word Origin for tabby
C17: from Old French tabis silk cloth, from Arabic al-`attabiya, literally: the quarter of (Prince) `Attab, the part of Baghdad where the fabric was first made
British Dictionary definitions for tabby (2 of 2)
tabby2
/ (ˈtæbɪ) /
adjective
(esp of cats) brindled with dark stripes or wavy markings on a lighter background
having a wavy or striped pattern, particularly in colours of grey and brown
noun plural -bies
a tabby cat
any female domestic cat
British informal a gossiping old woman
Australian slang any girl or woman
Word Origin for tabby
C17: from Tabby, pet form of the girl's name Tabitha, probably influenced by tabby 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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