■ noun ( plural tabbies )
1》 a grey or brownish cat mottled or streaked with dark stripes.
2》 silk or other fabric with a watered pattern.
3》 a plain weave.
4》 concrete made of lime, shells, gravel, and stones, which dries very hard.
Word 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 ~ cat is thought to have got its name because its streaked coat was reminiscent of the fabric.