Etymology: (1630–40; < F tabis (taken as pl.), MF (a)tabis silk cloth < ML attābi < Ar &ain;yattābī, der. of (al-)&ain;Attābīyah, quarter of Baghdad where the silk was first made, lit., the quarter of (Prince) &ain;Attāb)
Definition of 'tabby'
Princeton's WordNet
1. (noun)tabby, tabby cat a cat with a grey or tawny coat mottled with black
2. (adj)tabby, queen female cat
3. (adj)brindled, brindle, brinded, tabby having a grey or brown streak or a pattern or a patchy coloring; used especially of the patterned fur of cats
Definition of 'tabby'
Webster Dictionary
1. (adj)tabby having a wavy or watered appearance; as, a tabbywaistcoat
2. (adj)tabby brindled; diversified in color; as, a tabby cat
3. (noun)tabby a kind of waved silk, usually called watered silk, manufactured like taffeta, but thicker and stronger. The watering is given to it by calendering
4. (noun)tabby 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
5. (noun)tabby a brindled cat; hence, popularly, any cat