English word origin

Etymology of tab

First attested 1607, of uncertain origin.

7 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 7 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

verb

To affix with tabs; to label.

noun

A small flap or strip of material attached to or inserted into something, for holding, manipulation, identification, opening etc. · An ear. · A navigational widget, resembling a physical tab, for switching between documents or sets of controls. · The page or form (for example, on a web browser or file manager) associated with such a navigational widget.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

First attested 1607, of uncertain origin.

This page abbreviates 1 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To affix with tabs; to label."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "recordId": "03f1d3f802753edb16274ab9a87b74e1e1b863452587bc8cd153f7d343da1da3",
      "rawRecordSha256": "71fbf386f4ae4a4d860cf34406f9a70018e2c87ae481e54690f3b04c4e88355d",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 294736
    },
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A small flap or strip of material attached to or inserted into something, for holding, manipulation, identification, opening etc.",
        "An ear.",
        "A navigational widget, resembling a physical tab, for switching between documents or sets of controls.",
        "The page or form (for example, on a web browser or file manager) associated with such a navigational widget."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "slang",
        "broadly"
      ],
      "recordId": "e42d65604a3a6cb9441d905f1425d03952e2c92d218a2c8eb9d17cffa4e5be9a",
      "rawRecordSha256": "45d8221e2991417b7d828edc14631f616609ac7af274e858d24e83fe823a9639",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 294735
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 1,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

A restaurant bill. · Credit account, e.g., in a shop or bar; slate. · The cost or bill for anything. · A space character that extends to the next aligned column, traditionally used for tabulation.

verb

To use the Tab key on a computer to advance the cursor or move the input focus, or on a typewriter to advance the carriage.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Apocopation (shortening) of (variously) tabulate, tabulator, or tabulation.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "tabulate",
      "tabulate#English"
    ],
    [
      "tabulator",
      "tabulator#English"
    ],
    [
      "tabulation",
      "tabulation#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A restaurant bill.",
        "Credit account, e.g., in a shop or bar; slate.",
        "The cost or bill for anything.",
        "A space character that extends to the next aligned column, traditionally used for tabulation."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Canada",
        "US",
        "informal",
        "broadly"
      ],
      "recordId": "83a932bde53f13e1f465fd537a40fb0fbd5472a1414b90d3063d08f787ab26ea",
      "rawRecordSha256": "ea797bb0eeefbc0e95e1e4f8ade815fcf5e53bbcc3dc78302f93d69537cc24c7",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 294737
    },
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To use the Tab key on a computer to advance the cursor or move the input focus, or on a typewriter to advance the carriage."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "b5cd74b0d3306d3b4713c58d3707014620c08a3a4b537ee729b7e948f8fe2798",
      "rawRecordSha256": "1b183e6a637b3b91ec438bca92be474a7be9c7371e314ffa7359a85aee2285ab",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 294738
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

noun

A cigarette.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Likely to have been formed by clipping the Geordie pronunciation of the word tobacco or alternatively from the brand name Ogden's Tabs.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "tobacco",
      "tobacco#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A cigarette."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Geordie",
        "Mackem"
      ],
      "recordId": "b183c8a6cf9766ec685fd5588ab20bf55044b5ec708e94b52fce865f994505ed",
      "rawRecordSha256": "880f257538e630561fc0779729cc4679b8ee9a96dfee503a46ce286c2b2f554a",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 294739
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗

noun

A form of musical notation indicating fingering rather than the pitch of notes, commonly used for stringed instruments.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of tablature.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "tablature"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of tablature"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "tablature",
      "tablature#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A form of musical notation indicating fingering rather than the pitch of notes, commonly used for stringed instruments."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "c90decd5b3d347be72f96e6b7bee2c5cb35f48d9695ce9e569961ac6a006012a",
      "rawRecordSha256": "d99526ca2f614118248906b521b57628c1858ae6e4c30c984c194aeeaa827f96",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 294740
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 5

Original entry ↗

noun

A student of Cambridge University.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of Cantab, from Cantabrigian, from Latin Cantabrigia (“Cambridge”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Derivation mentionCantabrigiala

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "Cantab"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of Cantab"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "Cantabrigia",
        "gloss": "Cambridge"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin Cantabrigia (“Cambridge”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "Cantab",
      "Cantab#English"
    ],
    [
      "Cantabrigian",
      "Cantabrigian#English"
    ],
    [
      "Cantabrigia",
      "Cantabrigia#Latin"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A student of Cambridge University."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "e90a7840ee1e83736707f4f1df7aae707de96132aac31792d7ddd8e713d899d8",
      "rawRecordSha256": "9ac7ffa160176827d5dad47144be3c744ca0ef078e12854125dcbf06a5c66b29",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 294741
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 6

Original entry ↗

noun

A tabloid newspaper.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of tabloid.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "tabloid"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of tabloid"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "tabloid",
      "tabloid#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A tabloid newspaper."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial"
      ],
      "recordId": "d74ac0a8e80d57e017c0e572df0b8d3b39d4b898dc7b3d1d049a36f29d040c81",
      "rawRecordSha256": "c1712821bed79a0ddbc417bf524f145555476958c05e15fae397898877501c33",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 294742
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 7

Original entry ↗

noun

A tablet, especially one containing illicit drugs.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of tablet.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "tablet"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of tablet"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "tablet",
      "tablet#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A tablet, especially one containing illicit drugs."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ],
      "recordId": "84315948522a0aac5e054b6448573ac7eba156ee86e6035d8b90f9a405ed74f3",
      "rawRecordSha256": "f17372c42ee03ecf0282cf4d1e19298151e8a41fe28e38a20b10aa51a2b91c78",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 294743
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for tab →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-dGFi