tabby

See also Tabby

English

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈtæb.i/
• Rhymes: -æbi

Etymology

Mid 17th c. French atabis < Arabic attabi < ult. from Arabic al-Attabiya, the name of a section of Baghdad, Iraq, which is associated with the manufacture of a certain type of waved silk; see also taffeta, another type of silk whose name derives from the Persian taftah "woven cloth" and shares a similar etymological origin.

Noun

tabby (countable and uncountable; plural tabbies)

1. (uncountable) A kind of waved silk, usually called watered silk, manufactured like taffeta, but thicker and stronger. The watering is given to it by calendering.
2. (uncountable) A mixture of lime with shells, gravel, or stones, in equal proportions, with an equal proportion of water. When dry, this becomes as hard as rock.
3. (countable) A brindled cat
4. (countable, archaic) An old maid or gossip.

Synonyms

• (An old maid or gossip): See Wikisaurus:old woman

Translations

cat

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 虎斑貓 (cmn), 虎斑猫 (cmn) (hǔbānmāo), 斑貓 (cmn), 斑猫 (cmn) (bānmāo)

• French: chat tigré (fr) m, tabby (fr) m
• German: Tabby (de) n
• Hungarian: cirmos (hu)

• Italian: soriano (it)
• Japanese: トラネコ (ja) (toraneko), 虎猫 (ja) (とらねこ, toraneko), トラ猫 (ja) (toraneko)
• Russian: полосатая кошка (ru) (polosátaja kóška) f, полосатый кот (ru) (polosátyj kot) m
• Spanish: gato atigrado (es) m

Adjective

tabby (not comparable)

1. Having a wavy or watered appearance; as, a tabby waistcoat.
2. Brindled; diversified in color; as, a tabby cat.

Translations

brindled

• French: moiré (fr), ondé (fr)

• Italian: soriano (it)