tab

See also TAB, and t.a.b.

English

Pronunciation

• IPA: /tæb/, SAMPA: /t{b/
• Rhymes: -æb

Etymology 1

First attested 1607, of uncertain origin.

Noun

tab (plural tabs)

1. A small flap or strip of material attached to something, for holding, manipulation, identification, etc.
   • 1993, Irvine Welsh: Trainspotting, p 333:

     He pulls off his belt, cursing as the studs catch in the tabs of his jeans.

2. (by extension) (graphical user interface) A navigational widget for switching between sets of controls or documents.
3. (informal) A tablet, especially one containing illicit drugs.
4. (British Army, slang) A fast march or run with full kit.
5. (slang) A student of Cambridge University, derived from the Latin Cantabrigia (often shortened to Cantab.).

Translations

small flap or strip of material attached to something

Estonian: lipik (et) Finnish: välilehti (fi) French: onglet (fr) m., languette (fr) f.

Italian: linguetta (it) Spanish: lengüeta (es) f. Swedish: flik (sv) c.

navigational widget in a GUI

Czech: karta (cs) f., záložka (cs) f., panel (cs) m. Estonian: kaart (et) Finnish: välilehti (fi) French: onglet (fr) m. German: Registerkarte (de) f., Reiter (de) m. Portuguese: guia (pt) f., aba (pt) f., separador (pt) f.

Scottish Gaelic: taba (gd) Slovene: zavihek (sl) m. Spanish: pestaña (es) f. Swedish: flik (sv) c. Turkish: sekme (tr)

tablet, especially one containing illicit drugs

Estonian: ratas (et) (slang)

Finnish: tabu (fi), nappi (fi)

fast march or run with full kit

Finnish: taistelumarssi (fi)

student of Cambridge University

Verb

tab (third-person singular simple present tabs, present participle tabbing, simple past and past participle tabbed)

1. Mark with a tab.
2. (computing) To use the Tab key on a computer or typewriter to navigate the screen or page.
   • 2010, Chris Anderson, Pro Business Applications with Silverlight 4 (page 210)

     You can prevent a control from getting the focus when the user is tabbing between controls by settings its IsTabStop property to False.

3. Short for tabulate.

Derived terms

• keep tabs on
• tabbed

Etymology 2

Apocopation (shortening) of tabulation.

Noun

tab (plural tabs)

1. (informal) A restaurant bill.
2. (slang) Credit account, e.g., in a shop or bar.

   Put this round on my tab, will you, barman.

3. Short for tabulator.
4. (computing) A space character (     ) that extends to the next aligned column, traditionally used for tabulation.

Translations

restaurant bill

Estonian: arve (et) Finnish: lasku (fi) French: note (fr) f., addition (fr) f., douloureuse (fr) f. (informal)

Spanish: cuenta (es) f. Swedish: nota (sv) c.

credit in a shop or bar

Dutch: rekening (nl) Estonian: arve (et) Finnish: piikki (fi) (slang), tili (fi), lasku (fi)

French: ardoise (fr) f. Swedish: räkning (sv) c.

short for tabulator

Estonian: tabeldi (et)

Finnish: sarkain (fi), tabulaattori (fi)

a space character that extends to the next column

Finnish: sarkainmerkki (fi) French: tabulation (fr) f.

Swedish: tabb (sv) c.

Derived terms

• pick up the tab

Etymology 3

Likely to have been formed by clipping the Geordie pronunciation of the word tobacco (tabaco) or alternatively from the brand name Ogden's Tabs.

Noun

tab (plural tabs)

1. (Geordie) cigarette.

   Giv'is a tab man!

Translations

cigarette — see cigarette

References

• The New Geordie Dictionary, Frank Graham, 1987, ISBN 0946928118

Etymology 4

Shortening of tablature.

Noun

tab (plural tabs)

1. A form of musical notation indicating fingering rather than the pitch of notes, commonly used for stringed instruments.

Translations

tablature — see tablature

Anagrams

• abt
• ATB
• bat
• TBA

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Kurdish

Noun

tab

1. patience