1772, "natural infantile sound of gratitude" [Weekley].
"small flap or strip of material made fast to an object at one edge" for use in pulling, hanging, etc., c. 1600; of uncertain origin, possibly from a dialectal word. It is often interchangeable with tag (n.1). Middle English had tabbe "strap or string" (mid-15c.), for which Middle English Compendium compares Norwegian dialectal tave "piece of cloth, rag."
As a built-in opening device on a can, by 1963.
"account, bill, check," 1888, American English colloquial, probably a shortened form of tabulation or of tablet in the sense of "sheet for writing."
The figurative phrase keep tabs on "keep a (written) account or record of" is by 1886; in baseball reporting to keep tab was to "keep score" (1882).
Mr. Blake, of the New York Tribune, who keeps "tab" of the Blaine vote, claimed last night 333 votes on the first ballot .... [Owosso (Michigan) Times, June 6, 1884]
1969, short for tab key (1916) of a typewriter (later computer); a short form of tabulator. As "pill, lozenge" it is by 1961, shortened form of tablet (in the later 1960s and after especially one of sugar containing LSD). As an abbreviation of tabloid (newspaper) it is 1990s slang. As a short form of tabulator key of a typewriter (later computer) it is recorded from 1916.
obsolete form of tobacco. In pharmacy tabacum was "tobacco in the natural dried state."
"sleeveless overgarment," c. 1300 (late 13c. as a surname), from Old French tabart "simple sleeveless overtunic," also "heavy over-mantel" (12c.), a word of unknown origin; Diez suggests Latin tapete "figured cloth." Compare Medieval Latin tabardum, early Spanish tabardo, Italian tabarro.
Originally a coarse, sleeveless upper garment worn by peasants, monks, and others who worked out-of-doors; later a knight's surcoat, richly adorned (mid-15c.).
The name of the tavern in "Canterbury Tales." Middle English Compendium points to another Middle English tabard meaning "small tank for holding ale or rainwater."
1630s, "silken stuff; striped silk taffeta" (tabbies was a general name for watered silk), from French tabis "a rich, watered silk" (originally striped), earlier atabis (14c.), via Mediterranean languages from Arabic 'attabi, from 'Attabiyah, a neighborhood of Baghdad where such cloth was made. The place is said to be named for prince 'Attab of the Omayyad dynasty.
As an adjective from 1630s, "made of tabby;" by 1660s as "resembling tabby," hence tabby cat, one with a striped coat, attested from 1690s. The shortened form tabby for the cat is attested by 1774. "The wild original of the domestic cat is always of such coloration" [Century Dictionary].
In the shifted sense of "female cat" (1826) it was alliteratively paired with (and distinguished from) Tom (see tomcat). The use also might have been suggested by Tabby, a pet form of the fem. proper name Tabitha, which also was late 18c. slang for "spiteful spinster, difficult old woman" (as in Tabbyhood "condition of being an old maid," 1793).
TABBY, an old maid, either from Tabitha, a formal antiquated name, or else from a tabby cat, old maids being often compared to cats ; to drive Tab, to go out on a party of pleasure with a wife and family. [Grose, "Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue," 1785]
In World War I military slang and after in U.K. a Tabby could mean "a pretty girl."
also tabouli, tabbouleh, Middle Eastern vegetable salad, 1955, from Arabic tabbula.
