Tabbycat
/ˈtæb.i kæt/noun
A domestic cat, especially one with a striped or mottled coat.
Did you know?The cat sense of *tabby* appears to come from the striped silk *attabi* associated with Baghdad, so a “tabbycat” is, historically, a cat named after a fabric.
Etymological Timeline
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
ʿattābī
“A rich striped silk cloth, originally associated with the Attabiy quarter of Baghdad”
14th Century
Old French
tabis
“A kind of rich watered or striped silk”
16th Century
English
tabby
“A striped or watered silk fabric”
17th Century
English
tabby
“A cat with striped markings, from the fabric resemblance”
Modern English
English
tabby cat
“A domestic cat with a striped or mottled coat”