drab

drab
I. noun Etymology: origin unknown Date: circa 1515 1. slattern 2. prostitute II. intransitive verb (drabbed; drabbing) Date: 1599 to associate with prostitutes III. noun Etymology: Middle French drap cloth, from Late Latin drappus Date: 1541 1. any of various cloths of a dull brown or gray color 2. a. a light olive brown b. a dull, lifeless, or faded appearance or quality IV. adjective (drabber; drabbest) Date: 1686 1. a. of the dull brown color of drab b. of the color drab 2. characterized by dullness and monotony ; cheerless <
a drab life
>
drably adverbdrabness noun V. noun Etymology: probably alteration of drib Date: 1809 a small amount — usually used in the phrase dribs and drabs <
receiving donations in dribs and drabs
>

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • drab — drab·bet; drab·ble; drab·bler; drab; drab·ler; drab·ly; drab·ness; …   English syllables

  • drab — [dræb] adj [Date: 1500 1600; Origin: drab (dull colored) cloth (16 18 centuries), from Old French drap cloth ] 1.) not bright in colour, especially in a way that stops you from feeling cheerful = ↑dull ▪ The walls were painted a drab green. 2.)… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Drab — Drab, a. Of a color between gray and brown. n. A drab color. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Drab — (dr[a^]b), n. [AS. drabbe dregs, lees; akin to D. drab, drabbe, dregs, G. treber; for sense 1, cf. also Gael. drabag a slattern, drabach slovenly. Cf. {Draff}.] 1. A low, sluttish woman. King. [1913 Webster] 2. A lewd wench; a strumpet. Shak.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • drab — [ dræb ] adjective not colorful or interesting: his drab brown clothes Their lives seem so drab …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • drab — drab1 [drab] n. [< OFr drap, cloth < VL drappus < IE * drop < base * der , to skin] 1. a kind of cloth, esp. a yellowish brown wool 2. a dull yellowish brown adj. drabber, drabbest 1. of a dull yellowish brown color …   English World dictionary

  • Drab — Drab, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Drabbed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Drabbing}.] To associate with strumpets; to wench. Beau. & Fl. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Drab — Drab, n. [F. drap cloth: LL. drappus, trapus, perh. orig., a firm, solid stuff, cf. F. draper to drape, also to full cloth; prob. of German origin; cf. Icel. drepa to beat, strike, AS. drepan, G. treffen; perh. akin to E. drub. Cf. {Drape},… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • drab — {{/stl 13}}{{stl 8}}rz. mos IIIa, Mc. drabbie {{/stl 8}}{{stl 7}} z dezaprobatą o wysokim, rosłym mężczyźnie, często podejrzewanym o niecne zamiary lub wzbudzającym swym wyglądem lęk; oprych : {{/stl 7}}{{stl 10}}Do przedziału wtargnął jakiś drab …   Langenscheidt Polski wyjaśnień

  • drab — sb., et, drab, ene, i sms. drabs , fx drabschef, drabsforsøg …   Dansk ordbog

  • drab — index ordinary, pedestrian Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

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