tabby

tabby
    adj 1: having a grey or brown streak or a pattern or a patchy
           coloring; used especially of the patterned fur of cats
           [syn: {brindled}, {brindle}, {brinded}, {tabby}]
    n 1: a cat with a grey or tawny coat mottled with black [syn:
         {tabby}, {tabby cat}]
    2: female cat [syn: {tabby}, {queen}]
    

Tabby \Tab"by\, a.
   1. Having a wavy or watered appearance; as, a tabby
      waistcoat. --Pepys.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Brindled; diversified in color; as, a tabby cat.
      [1913 Webster]

   {Tabby moth} (Zool.), the grease moth. See under {Grease}.
      [1913 Webster]
    

Tabby \Tab"by\ (t[a^]b"b[y^]), n.; pl. {Tabbies}
   (t[a^]b"b[i^]z). [F. tabis (cf. It. tab[`i], Sp. & Pg.
   tab['i], LL. attabi), fr. Ar. 'att[=a]b[imac], properly the
   name of a quarter of Bagdad where it was made, the quarter
   being named from the prince Attab, great grandson of Omeyya.
   Cf. {Tobine}.]
   1. A kind of waved silk, usually called {watered silk},
      manufactured like taffeta, but thicker and stronger. The
      watering is given to it by calendering.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A mixture of lime with shells, gravel, or stones, in equal
      proportions, with an equal proportion of water. When dry,
      this becomes as hard as rock. --Weale.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. A brindled cat; hence, popularly, any cat.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. An old maid or gossip. [Colloq.] --Byron.
      [1913 Webster]
    

Tabby \Tab"by\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Tabbied}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Tabbying}.]
   To water; to cause to look wavy, by the process of
   calendering; to calender; as, to tabby silk, mohair, ribbon,
   etc.
   [1913 Webster]
    

69 Moby Thesaurus words for "tabby":
      Cheshire cat, Chinchilla cat, Maltese cat, a tale-bearing animal,
      alley cat, banded, barred, blue cat, brinded, brindle, brindled,
      busybody, calico cat, cat, feline, gib, gib-cat, gossip,
      gossip columnist, gossiper, gossipmonger, grimalkin, house cat,
      kit, kitling, kitten, kitty, kitty-cat, listed, maiden lady,
      marbled, marbleized, mouser, newsmonger, newspaperman, old maid,
      puss, pussy, pussycat, quidnunc, reporter, rumormonger,
      scandalmonger, silver cat, spinstress, streaked, streaky, striatal,
      striate, striated, strigate, strigose, striolate, striped, stripy,
      tabby cat, talebearer, taleteller, tattler, tattletale, telltale,
      tiger cat, tittle-tattler, tom, tomcat, tortoise-shell cat, veined,
      watered, yenta