Well attestedNamed through a historical place-name
tabby
noun · first attested 17th century
The striped cat is named for a striped silk from Baghdad.
A cat with a striped or mottled coat.
Record
- Relationship
- Named through a historical place-name
- Confidence
- Well attestedThe place link is the standard scholarly account.
- Attested
- 17th century
- Part of speech
- noun
Explanations here are written for this atlas. Dictionary text is not copied; the sources are linked so the claim can be checked.
- Step 1
Baghdad
- In English
tabby
The cloth was named for al-Attabiyya, a quarter of Baghdad. English applied the fabric's name to the cat's markings.
Also pinned to Baghdad
1 more from the same place
Iraq
All 6 entries 4 more words from Iraq
muslinThe cotton is named for Mosul.MosulmousselineThe French cousin of muslin, from the same Iraqi city.MosulBabelesqueBabel is not a mythical city: it is simply the Hebrew name for Babylon, whose ruins are south of Baghdad.BabylonBabylonizeCoined for what Nebuchadnezzar did to the names of his captives.Babylon