tabby

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 →
2. Tabby describes this kind of striped pattern: «a tabby kitten». tree →
3. (old) A tabby can be a female cat. tree →

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 →
• The tabby kitten had a white tip on its tail. tree →
• A ginger tabby followed us home. tree →
• Tabbies have an «M» shape on their foreheads. tree →
• Mog is a famous tabby in a picture book. tree →
• My tabby chases leaves in the garden. tree →

Note

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