WordGarden.iotab
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /tˈæb/
US
- /ˈtæb/
Meanings
Noun
a labeled section in a browser or app that lets you switch between open pages or views
a bill or running account, especially at a bar or restaurant
a small projecting strip, flap, or label used for pulling, fastening, or identifying something
More meaningsFewer meanings
the keyboard key used to move focus or jump to the next position in text or forms
Beyond the definition
A "tab" is a versatile little word. Most often, it means a running bill at a bar or restaurant, the amount you pay before you leave. In the digital world, it means the labeled section at the top of a web browser or app that lets you switch between pages or screens. It can also mean a small flap or label attached to something, like the part on a file folder that helps you find it quickly. On a keyboard, the Tab key moves the cursor or jumps to the next space. Whether you "pick up the tab" for a friend or "keep tabs on" a project, the word often has the idea of tracking, moving, or organizing.
The word "tab" is small, but it appears in many everyday situations. One common meaning is a running bill, especially at a bar, cafe, or restaurant. If you order several things and pay at the end, they may "put it on your tab." From this meaning, we also get the phrase "pick up the tab," which means to pay for someone else.
Another very common meaning is the tab you see in a browser, app, or software window. Each one marks a page, document, or section and lets you switch easily from one to another. This idea comes from the older physical sense of a small flap, label, or piece that sticks out so something can be found, opened, pulled, or sorted more easily. File folders, clothing labels, and pull-tabs on cans are all examples of this kind of use.
"Tab" also appears on keyboards as the Tab key, which usually moves the cursor forward or jumps to the next field. In addition, the phrase "keep tabs on" means to watch or track something carefully. So although the exact meaning changes with the context, the word often points to one of a few related ideas: a bill being tracked, a label that helps organize something, or a control that helps you move from one place to another.
Examples
- 1
Browser multitasking
I opened the recipe in a new tab so I could keep the video playing.
- 2
Browser clutter
She had so many tabs open that her laptop started to slow down.
- 3
Form navigation
Press `Tab` to move to the next box on the form.
- 4
File folder
Write your name on the tab at the top of the folder.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Bar bill
We put the drinks on our tab and paid when we left.
- Phraseput something on your tab
add it to the bill to pay later
- 6
Paying the bill
Dinner was my idea, so I'll pick up the tab.
- Phrasepick up the tab
pay the bill
- 7
Monitoring someone
My parents still keep tabs on me, even though I live alone.
- Phrasekeep tabs on someone
watch what they are doing
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
- panel
- browser page
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- open a new tab
- close a tab
- switch tabs
- tab bar
Word family
- tabbed
Explore
- user interface
- navigation
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- tabnoun