tabby

/ˈtæbi/

/tæˈbi/

Other forms: tabbies

A tabby is a house cat with stripes on its fur, often in browns and grays. There are different breeds of tabby cats. Occasionally one will dangle off a branch under a caption that says, “Hang in there.”

Tabby can refer to domesticated cats, but it's also an adjective describing the stripy pattern itself. Tabby cats, with their swirling tabby patches, might also have a marking in the shape of an M on their foreheads. Maine coon cats are one example of a tabby breed. In the 1600's, tabby was a kind of striped silk fabric, and the word comes from the Arabic 'Attabiy, a Baghdad neighborhood where the cloth was traditionally produced.

Definitions of tabby

1. adjective

   having a gray or brown streak or a pattern or a patchy coloring; used especially of the patterned fur of cats
   synonyms: brinded, brindle, brindled

   patterned

   having patterns (especially colorful patterns)
2. noun

   a cat with a gray or tawny coat mottled with black
   synonyms: tabby cat

   type of:

   Felis catus, Felis domesticus, domestic cat, house cat

   any domesticated member of the genus Felis
3. noun

   female cat
   synonyms: queen

   type of:

   Felis catus, Felis domesticus, domestic cat, house cat

   any domesticated member of the genus Felis