tab
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A short strip of material attached to or projecting from something to help opening or identifying or handling it.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
tabIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈtæb
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A short strip of material attached to or projecting from something in order to facilitate opening or identifying or handling it
“Pull the tab to open the can.”
A small flap or strip of material attached to or inserted into something, for holding, manipulation, identification, opening etc.
by extensiongraphical user interface
A navigational widget, resembling a physical tab, for switching between documents or sets of controls.
graphical user interface
The page or form associated with such a navigational widget.
by extension
The cost or bill for anything.
Alternative letter-case form of tab ("student at Cambridge").
verb
transitive
To affix with tabs; to label.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A2 · Elementary (estimated)
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A short strip of material attached to or projecting from something in order to facilitate opening or identifying or handling it
Used this way, tab is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“Pull the tab to open the can.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “tab to …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Natural pattern: tab to …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use tab
- “Pull the tab to open the can.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.