tabby cat
Definition
Noun: A domestic cat (Felis catus) characterized by a distinctive coat pattern of stripes, dots, lines, or swirling patterns, often with a distinctive "M"-shaped marking on the forehead. The term commonly refers to cats with a grey, brown, or tawny base coat mottled or marked with black.
Usage
The term "tabby cat" is used to describe a cat based on its coat pattern, not its breed. Many different cat breeds can have tabby markings. It is a common and specific descriptor in everyday language.
Examples
- Noun:
- The stray tabby cat with the striped tail comes to our garden every morning.
- She adopted a friendly grey tabby cat from the animal shelter.
- Not all ginger cats are tabbies, but many tabby cats have beautiful swirling patterns on their sides.
Advanced Usage
- "Classic tabby": A tabby pattern characterized by bold, swirling patterns on the cat's sides, often resembling a marble cake.
- "Mackerel tabby": A tabby pattern with narrow, parallel stripes running down the cat's sides, resembling fish bones.
- "Ticked tabby": A pattern where individual hairs are banded with different colors, giving a speckled or agouti appearance, often with minimal visible stripes.
- "Spotted tabby": A pattern where the markings appear as spots rather than continuous stripes or swirls.
Variants and Related Words
- Tabby (noun): A common shortened form for "tabby cat."
- We have two cats: a black one and a tabby.
- Tabby (adjective): Used to describe the coat pattern itself.
- She has a cat with beautiful tabby markings.
Synonyms
- Striped cat: (A common synonym, though "tabby" encompasses more than just stripes.)
- Moggie (UK, informal): A non-pedigree cat, which often has a tabby coat.
Related Phrases
- Tabby pattern: The specific arrangement of stripes, spots, or swirls on the cat's fur.
- The tabby pattern is determined by specific genes.
Noun
-
a cat with a grey or tawny coat mottled with black
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