Contextualizebeta

drab

noun
/dɹæb/US

Etymology

Probably from Middle French and Old French drap (“cloth”), either: * from Late Latin drappus (“drabcloth, kerchief; piece of cloth”), most likely from Gaulish *drappo, from Proto-Indo-European *drep- (“to scratch, tear”); or * from Frankish *drapi, *drāpi (“that which is fulled, drabcloth”), from Proto-Germanic *drap-, *drēp- (“something beaten”), from *drepaną (“to beat, strike”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰrebʰ- (“to beat, crush; to make or become thick”). The English word is cognate with Ancient Greek δρέπω (drépō, “to pluck”), Avestan 𐬛𐬭𐬀𐬟𐬱𐬀 (drafša, “banner, flag”), Lithuanian drãpanos (“household linens”), Old Norse trefja (“to rub, wear out”), trof (“fringes”), Sanskrit द्रापि (drāpi, “mantle, gown”), Serbo-Croatian drápati (“to scratch, scrape”)).

  1. derived from *dʰrebʰ-✻ — “to beat, crush; to make or become thick”
  2. derived from *drap-✻
  3. derived from *drapi✻
  4. derived from *drep-✻ — “to scratch, tear”
  5. derived from *drappo✻
  6. derived from drappus — “drabcloth, kerchief; piece of cloth”
  7. derived from drap — “cloth”

Definitions

  1. A fabric, usually of thick cotton or wool, having a dull brownish yellow, dull grey, or…

    A fabric, usually of thick cotton or wool, having a dull brownish yellow, dull grey, or dun colour.

  2. The color of this fabric.

    • Most of the colours called drabs appear to me the same by day-light and candle-light.
    • [T]he carpet is a Brussels, of rather a small pattern, in various shades of greens and drabs.

  3. Often in the plural form drabs

    Often in the plural form drabs: apparel, especially trousers, made from this fabric.

    • He wore a pretty large wig, which had once been white, but was now of a browniſh yellow; his coat was one of thoſe modeſt-coloured drabs which mock the injuries of duſt and dirt; [...]
  4. ›+ 11 more definitions

    1. A dull or uninteresting appearance or situation, unremarkable.

      • Watership Down review – CGI rabbits can't save this Christmas turkey. The 1970s cartoon traumatised generations of children, but the new version is tame, drab and deeply unsatisfying. What, really, was the point?

    2. Of the color of some types of drabcloth

      Of the color of some types of drabcloth: dull brownish yellow or dun.

      • The coffee presently appeared, brought not as usual by the footman, in scarlet and drab, but by the old butler, in threadbare but well-brushed black, [...]

    3. Particularly of color

      Particularly of color: dull, uninteresting.

      • Year by year they will find her with even thinner hair, sharper shoulders, drabber cheeks; and he, looking upon her with the forgiveness of complete indifference, will say to himself, "She is bad, and she is ugly; I was well rid of her!"

    4. A dirty or untidy woman

      A dirty or untidy woman; a slattern.

      • As ſtiff as a drabs diſtaff.

    5. A promiscuous woman, a slut

      A promiscuous woman, a slut; a prostitute.

      • Take heed to false harlots, and more, ye wot what. / If noise ye heare, / Looke all be cleare: / Least drabs doe noie thee, / And theeues destroie thee.
      • [T]hey ſay hee keepes a Troyan drab, and yſes the traytor Calcas tent, Ile after … —Nothing but letchery all incontinent varlots.
      • Experience ſhewes, his Purſe ſhall ſoone grow light, / Whom Dice waſtes in the day, Drabs in the night: / Let all auoyde falſe Strumpets, Dice, and Drinke; / For hee that leaps in Mudde, ſhall quickly ſinke.

    6. To consort with prostitutes

      To consort with prostitutes; to whore.

      • You may ſay, you ſaw him at ſuch a time, marke you mee, / At game, or drincking, ſwearing, or drabbing, / You may go ſo farre.
      • Very fine! This Sempronius is a bleſſed Perſon indeed! he Games, he Cheats, he Swears, he Drinks, he Drabs; [...]

    7. A small amount, especially of money.

      • Thanks to my stars, I once can see / A window here from scribbling free! / Here no conceited coxcombs pass, / To scratch their paltry drabs on glass; / Nor party-fool is calling names, / Or dealing crowns to George and James.
      • He could play good guy and give them a few drabs of info to sweeten things.

    8. A box used in a saltworks for holding the salt when taken out of the boiling pans.

    9. An instance of a transgender or non-binary person presenting as the gender corresponding…

      An instance of a transgender or non-binary person presenting as the gender corresponding to their sex assigned at birth instead of that corresponding to their internal gender identity (most commonly a trans woman dressed as a man).

    10. Poison.

    11. To poison.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at drab. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01drab02dun03grey04gray05dreary

A definitional loop anchored at drab. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

5 hops · closes at drab

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA