[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/tabby/)

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# tabby

noun (a tabby, tabbies); adjective (tabby)

«tabby» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A tabby is a cat with a striped, swirled or spotted coat, often grey, brown or ginger, with an «M» shape on its forehead. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tabby/#m1)
2. Tabby describes this kind of striped pattern: «a tabby kitten». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tabby/#m2)
3. (old) A tabby can be a female cat. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tabby/#m3)

### In the lessons

In everyday life and stories, tabby cats are very common pets, like Mog in the picture books. In science lessons on genetics and animals, children learn tabby is a coat pattern, not a breed. Phrases: «a tabby cat», «a ginger tabby», «a silver tabby».

### Examples

- Our tabby cat sleeps on the windowsill. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tabby/#x1)
- The tabby kitten had a white tip on its tail. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tabby/#x2)
- A ginger tabby followed us home. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tabby/#x3)
- Tabbies have an «M» shape on their foreheads. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tabby/#x4)
- Mog is a famous tabby in a picture book. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tabby/#x5)
- My tabby chases leaves in the garden. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tabby/#x6)

### Note

Countable; plural «tabbies». «Tabby» is a pattern, not a breed. Myth: all ginger cats are male — most are, but not all.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «tabby» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tabby/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«tabby» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/tabby.html) on Mova free.