How do you use the word "tab" in a sentence?

Q: How do you use the word "tab" in a sentence?

Here are real-life examples of using "tab": My father picked up the tab for dinner, which came to $150. Put everything on my tab. I'll settle it when I check out.

Tab Meaning

/tæb/

Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

Definition

nounA small flap or strip of material attached to or inserted into something, for holding, manipulation, identification, opening etc.

nounAn ear.

Sentence Examples

My father picked up the tab for dinner, which came to $150.

Put everything on my tab. I'll settle it when I check out.

Who is going to pick up the tab for this?

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms:

check tabloid

Antonyms:

None

CEFR Practice Quiz

He opened the soda can by pulling the metal ____.

CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)

Please remember to keep a ____ on how much money you are spending while you are away on your holiday today.

Word Origin & History

First attested 1607, of uncertain origin.

Literary Quotations & Historical Citations

""His name was written upon a tab within it - Maple White, Lake Avenue, Detroit, Michigan."" — 1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:

"He pulls off his belt, cursing as the studs catch in the tabs of his jeans." — 1994 [1993], Irvine Welsh, “Station to Station”, in Trainspotting, London: Minerva, →ISBN, page 333:

"We lifted the tabs on the cans and poured the brew carefully into glasses." — 2010, Peter Corris, Torn Apart, Allen and Unwin, page 18:

"That’s the relief I feel when clearing all the tabs in my internet browser. Clicking the crosses like a long line of kisses finally indulged." — 2020 December 11, Hannah Jane Parkinson, “Is your browser window full of open tabs? Time for a digital declutter”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

"As he fished a Visa credit card out of his green leather wallet, the bartender yelled out a question over the music: “Do you want to start a tab?” Mr. Korinke shook his head no and swiftly closed out. The pair might order more drinks later on, but the prospect of opening a tab was verboten. […] His ethos reflects a growing phenomenon among Gen Z bargoers: an aversion to opening bar tabs." — 2025 May 31, Paula Mejía, “Gen Z Doesn’t Want to Start a Bar Tab”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC:

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