n.
(pl. tabbies)
- a grey or brownish cat mottled or streaked with dark stripes.
- silk or other fabric with a watered pattern.
- a plain weave.
- concrete made of lime, shells, gravel, and stones, which dries very hard.
History
Tabby entered English in the 16th century, and originally referred to a kind of striped silk taffeta; it derives from French tabis, which was based on the Arabic name (al-‘Attābiyya) of the quarter of Baghdad where the taffeta was manufactured. The tabby cat is thought to have got its name because its streaked coat was reminiscent of the fabric.
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