TAB'BY, adjective [See the Noun.] Brinded; brindled; diversified in color; as a tabby cat. TAB'BY, noun 1. A kind of waved silk, usually watered. It is manufactured like taffeta, but is thick and stronger. The watering is given to it by the calendar. 2. A mixture of stone of shells and mortar, which becomes hard as a rock; used in Morocco. TAB'BY, verb transitive To water or cause to look wavy; as, to tabby silk, mohair, ribin, etc. This is done by a calendar without water.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI