mab
Mab (noun) means (dated, dialectal) A sloppy or slovenly woman. Example: “The old rhyme mocked her as a mab who never tidied her cottage.”
How to use mab
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA now-rare word for a messy woman or, separately, an old-fashioned word for a hired cab — you will mostly meet it in older English literature.
Don't confuse this obsolete common noun with Queen Mab, the fairy-queen character in folklore and Shakespeare, or with the given name Mab.
Word forms
mabbed past tense, mabs plural, mabs singular
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The old rhyme mocked her as a _____ who never tidied her cottage.
Etymology
Origin uncertain; the untidy-woman sense may be linked to the female name Mab, as in Queen Mab, the fairy queen of English folklore mentioned in Romeo and Juliet.
Frequently asked questions
What does “mab” mean?
The word “mab” means (dated, dialectal) A sloppy or slovenly woman. In plain terms, a now-rare word for a messy woman or, separately, an old-fashioned word for a hired cab — you will mostly meet it in older English literature.
How do you use “mab” in a sentence?
Here is “mab” used in a sentence: “The old rhyme mocked her as a mab who never tidied her cottage.”
What part of speech is “mab”?
“Mab” is a noun.
How many meanings does “mab” have?
“Mab” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: (dated, dialectal) A sloppy or slovenly woman.
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