tab

views updated May 23 2018

tab1 / tab/ • n. 1. a small flap or strip of material attached to or projecting from something, used to hold or manipulate it, or for identification and information. ∎  a similar piece of material forming part of a garment: [as adj.] shirts with tab collars. ∎  a strip or ring of metal attached to the top of a canned drink and pulled to open the can.2. inf. a restaurant or bar bill.3. Aeron. a part of a control surface, typically hinged, that modifies the action or response of the surface.• v. (tabbed, tab·bing) [tr.] mark or identify with a projecting piece of material: he opened the book at a page tabbed by a cloth bookmark. ∎ fig. identify as being of a specified type or suitable for a specified position: he was tabbed by the president as the next Republican National Committee chairman.PHRASES: keep tabs (or a tab) on inf. monitor the activities or development of; keep under observation.pick up the tab inf. pay for something: my company will pick up the tab for all moving expenses.DERIVATIVES: tabbed adj.tab2 • n. a facility in a word-processing program, or a device on a typewriter, used for advancing to a sequence of set positions in tabular work: set tabs at 1.4 inches and 3.4 inches.• v. (tabbed , tab·bing ) 1. short for tabulate. 2. [intr.] activate the tab feature on a word processor or typewriter: the user can tab to the phrase and press Enter.tab3 • n. inf. a tablet containing a dose of a drug.tab4 • n. inf. a tabloid newspaper: she tries to cover up his pecadillos before they make the tabs' front pages.

tab

views updated May 23 2018

tab
1. Short for (a) tabulate, i.e. to lay out data; (b) tabulation character, a control character used when laying out data to control the movement of a print or display mechanism. Most keyboards have a tab key, which may initiate the tabulation function or may be used for other control purposes.

2. A feature of many graphical interfaces where the user may select one of several optional screens by clicking on the tab. The term derives from card indexes where a small extension of the card allows easy identification of the required card.

TAB

views updated May 29 2018

TAB / tab/ • abbr. ∎  typhoid–paratyphoid A and B vaccine.

Tab

views updated May 23 2018

Tab Trade name; sugar‐free cola drink sweetened with cyclamate, introduced 1963.

tab

views updated May 14 2018

tab. Ear, or means of securing a rainwater-pipe to a wall.

tab

views updated May 21 2018

tab short broad strip, etc. XVII; depending or projecting piece on a dress XIX; label; (U.S) reckoning, check. of unkn. orig.

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