I. ˈta-bē noun
( plural tabbies )
Etymology: French tabis, from Middle French atabis, from Medieval Latin attabi, from Arabic ‘attābī, from Al-‘ Attābīya, quarter in Baghdad
Date: 1638
1.
a. archaic : a plain silk taffeta especially with moiré finish
b. : a plain-woven fabric
2.
[ tabby (II)]
a. : a domestic cat with a striped and mottled coat
b. : a domestic cat ; especially : a female cat
[
tabby 2a
]
II. adjective
Date: 1640
1. : of, relating to, or made of tabby
a tabby vest
2. : striped and mottled with darker color : brindled
a tabby cat
III. noun
Etymology: Gullah tabi, ultimately from Spanish tapia adobe wall
Date: 1775
: a cement made of lime, sand or gravel, and oyster shells and used chiefly along the coast of Georgia and South Carolina in the 17th and 18th centuries