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tabby Definition

tabby (tabē)

noun pl. -·bies

  1. a silk taffeta with stripes or wavy markings; watered silk
  2. a light-colored cat with darker stripes, sometimes of another color
  3. any domestic cat, esp. a female
  4. Brit., Informal
    1. an old maid
    2. a malicious woman gossip

Etymology: Fr tabis, earlier atabis < ML attabi < Ar al-ʼattābīya < ʿattābī, the quarter of Baghdad where it was manufactured: after a prince ʼAttāb, of the Omayyad dynasty

adjective

  1. made of, or like, tabby
  2. having dark stripes over gray or brown; brindled

transitive verb -·bied, -·by·ing

to make wavy markings in (silk, etc.)

tabby Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • have: All colors can also have tabby or tortie patterns.
  • name: I'm a Siamese and my best friend is an orange tabby named Tigger.

Adjective modifier

  • spotted: In the light cast onto the path, a small, long, slender spotted tabby cried to be let in.
  • brown: He is a 3 year old grayish brown short haired tabby with some white under his chin.
  • silver: That was when he landed on Patty, all sixteen pounds of silver tabby.
  • blue: T his is Lexi, my long-awaited blue mitted tabby.
  • old: Oscar a 5yr old male tabby who was found abandoned, came to us to be re-homed.
  • orange: In Garfield, the orange tabby with attitude has a fondness for lasagna from, where else?

Modifies a noun

  • marking: The tabby markings are overlaid with patches of red or cream giving an effect of mingled colors.
  • shading: Tabby shading, if any, to tone with the points.
  • kitten: A gray tabby kitten with an injured foot from a road traffic accident was the first patient in the cat ward.
  • cat: I have a tabby cat called Rufus * What 2 things would you bring with you to a desert island?
  • pattern: Any shading on the body will show the underlying tabby pattern which may be ticked, spotted, mackerel or classic.
  • gene: The various tabby genes are covered in more detail below.

Noun used with modifier

  • tortie: Tortie Tabby British Shorthair - In the tortie tabby the tabby pattern is overlaid with shades of red or cream.
  • ginger: Tilly's best friend is Socks the ginger tabby who will be visiting you for milk each day.
  • silver: Derek knew better, a little silver tabby had already picked him.
  • ghost: In all the self-colours there is no ghost tabby markings or bars.
  • orange: He was a huge orange tabby cat who was so wonderful, patient and loving.
  • mushroom: FAWN TABBY POINT ( 32 9 ) ( Championship status ) Points: Clear warm pale rosy mushroom tabby markings.
tabby Quotes

Demurest of the tabby kind, The pensive Selima reclined, Gazed on the lake below.

—Gray,Thomas

Browse dictionary entries near tabby

  1. tabbouleh
  2. Tabasco
  3. tabard
  4. tabanid
  5. tab key
  6. tab
  7. ta-ta
  8. Taínaron, Cape
  9. ta'en
  10. ta-da
  1. tabernacle
  2. tabes
  3. tabes dorsalis
  4. Tabitha
  5. tabla
  6. tablature
  7. table
  8. table d'hôte
  9. table-hop
  10. table linen