From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishtabtab1 /tæb/ noun [countable] 1 in typing a) TCa tab key b) a set position in a line of writing that you get to by pressing the tab key2 money that you owePAY FOR an amount of money that you owe, or a record of an amount of money that you owe The tab for the campaign was nearly $500 million. I’ll put it on your tab and you can pay tomorrow. He ran up a $4,000 tab in long-distance calls.► see thesaurus at bill3 → pick up the tab4 to open a) especially American EnglishDFDT a small piece of metal that you pull to open a can of drink SYN ring pull British English b) a small piece of metal, plastic, or paper that you pull to open something5 small piece of paper/plastic etcD a small piece of paper, cloth, plastic etc that sticks out from the edge of something, so that you can find it more easily an index tab labeled ‘Expenses’6 (also license tab) a small piece of sticky plastic with a date on it that you put on your car’s license plate in the US to show that the car is legally allowed on the road 7 → keep (close) tabs on somebody/something8 drug informalMDD a form of the illegal drug LSD or ecstasy a tab of acid9 cigarette British English informalDFT a cigarette10 Internet one of a number of web pages you have open at the same time Do you want to close all tabs or the current tab?
Examples from the Corpus
tab• In just two days, she'd run up a bar tab of $175.• He ordered dinner and asked for it to be put on his tab.• Our tab for the meal came to just $48.• Since insurers pick up about 55 percent of the tab, the premiums they charge drivers are steep, and getting steeper.• The bride's father paid the tab for the party.tabtab2 verb (tabbed, tabbing) [intransitive] to press the tab key on a computer or typewriter→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
tab• Twenty-year-old Tavarez was tabbed to play the leading role.From Longman Business Dictionarytabtab /tæb/ noun [countable]1a small piece of paper or cloth that is fixed to the edge of something, usually giving information about it2a bill for something, especially one that has gradually increased over timeOne out of three credit card holders pays their credit card tab in full every month.the estimated government tab for resolving the S&L crisis3a system used in some bars and restaurants in which they keep a record of what you have bought and you pay for it laterCan you put these drinks on my tab?4pick up the tab to pay for something, especially when it is not your responsibility to payTaxpayers are picking up the tab for the government’s mistakes.5 (also tab stop)COMPUTING a button on a computer keyboard that you press to move forward to a particular place on a line of textOrigin tab1 1. (1900-2000) tabulator “tab key” ((19-21 centuries)), from tabulate2. (1800-1900) Partly from table3. (1600-1700) Origin unknown. 4. (1900-2000) tablet 