Sekirov Dictionary

drab

/dɹæb/

noun 10
adjective 2
verb 2
forms 5

noun[before a noun]10

•
A small amount, especially of money.
- He could play good guy and give them a few drabs of info to sweeten things. — 2009
A dull or uninteresting appearance or situation, unremarkable.
•
The color of this fabric.
- Most of the colours called drabs appear to me the same by day-light and candle-light. — 1794
A fabric, usually of thick cotton or wool, having a dull brownish yellow, dull grey, or dun colour.
•
(old-fashioned) 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. — 1878
(slang) 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).
•
(old-fashioned) A dirty or untidy woman; a slattern.
- As stiff as a drabs distaff. — 1660
•
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; [...] — 1771
A box used in a saltworks for holding the salt when taken out of the boiling pans.
(slang, no longer used) Poison.

adjective[before a noun]2

•
Particularly of color: dull, uninteresting.
- The more he basked in golden dreams the drabber seemed his humdrum life behind the bank counter. — 1923
•
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, [...] — 1857

verb[before a noun]2

•
(no longer used) 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. — 1599
(slang, no longer used) To poison.

forms

drabbed · drabbing · drabs · drabber · drabbest

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