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squab - What does it mean?

Definition of 'squab'

English

Noun

(en-noun)
  • A baby pigeon or dove.
  • The meat of a squab (i.e. a young (domestic) pigeon or dove) used as food.
  • A baby rook.
  • A thick cushion, especially a flat one covering the seat of a chair or sofa.
  • * (imitating Earl of Dorset), Artemisia'', 1795, Robert Anderson (editor), ''A Complete Edition of the Poets of Great Britain , page 86,
  • On her large ?quab you find her ?pread, / Like a fat corp?e upon a bed, / That lies and ?tinks in ?tate.
  • * (rfdate)
  • Punching the squab of chairs and sofas.
  • A person of a short, fat figure.
  • * , The Progress of Error'', 1824, ''Poems of William Cowper, Esq , page 28,
  • Gorgonius sits abdominous and wan, / Like a fat squab upon a Chinese fan:

    Synonyms

    * (baby pigeon) piper, squeaker, pigeon chick, young pigeon, baby dove * (baby rook) rook chick, young rook

    Verb

    (squabb)
  • (obsolete) To fall plump; to strike at one dash, or with a heavy stroke.
  • To furnish with squabs, or cushions.
  • Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Fat; thick; plump; bulky.
  • * (rfdate) Betterton
  • Nor the squab daughter nor the wife were nice.
  • Unfledged; unfeathered.
  • a squab pigeon
    (King)

    Adverb

    (-)
  • (slang) With a heavy fall; plump.
  • * (rfdate) L'Estrange
  • The eagle took the tortoise up into the air, and dropped him down, squab , upon a rock.
    (Webster 1913)

    Similar to 'squab'

    scab, swab, squib, sahib, swob, sweb, shab, saheb