tab

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /tæb/ UK /tæb/ See IPA manual

noun verb

Meanings

1

noun
a small projecting flap or label; also a running bill or account

He kept a tab open at the bar and settled it at midnight.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a small projecting flap or... flap label tag marker bill account check

Word family

Derived forms tabbedtabbing

Related forms tabulate table

Etymology

Origin uncertain; perhaps a dialectal variant of tag, or related to tab in the sense of a small projecting piece. The 'bill/account' sense is American, of obscure origin.

Topics

Describing Qualities

# tab

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** tæb
**IPA (UK):** tæb

## Meanings
1. a small projecting flap or label; also a running bill or account

## Examples
- He kept a tab open at the bar and settled it at midnight.

## Synonyms
- flap
- label
- tag
- marker
- bill
- account
- check

## Derived Forms
- tabbed
- tabbing

## Related Forms
- tabulate
- table

## Etymology
Origin uncertain; perhaps a dialectal variant of tag, or related to tab in the sense of a small projecting piece. The 'bill/account' sense is American, of obscure origin.

## AI Etymology
Tab has uncertain origin; perhaps a dialectal variant of tag, or related to tab in the sense of a small projecting piece. The 'bill/account' sense is American, of obscure origin. The form preserves a compact historical development in which the older wording and the present sense remain closely connected. As a noun and verb, it denotes "a small projecting flap or label; also a running bill or account", keeping the historical idea close to its dictionary sense. Derivative forms include tabbed, tabbing; related words include tabulate, table.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

markdown

tab

Meanings

Thesaurus

Etymology

Topics

Keyboard Shortcuts

General

Send feedback