English · Slang Historical

tabby

Preserved but no longer current.

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

An old maid; either from Tabitha, a formal antiquated name; or else from a tabby cat, old maids being often compared to cats. To drive Tab; to go out on a party of pleasure with a wife and family.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Một cô gái già; so sánh với mèo cái già

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)

Where it’s used: Origin British & Irish English

Sources & notes

Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.

Topics: Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “tabby” mean?

An old maid; either from Tabitha, a formal antiquated name; or else from a tabby cat, old maids being often compared to cats. To drive Tab; to go out on a party of pleasure with a wife and family.

Is “tabby” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

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