tab
TAB
/tæb/
An cumulative bill or running account for goods or services, especially food and drink consumed at a venue.
Implies deferred payment where charges accumulate until the patron decides to settle the total.
The story behind the word. Originally originating in 19th-century American slang as a shortened form of 'tablet' or 'tag', referring to small slips of paper used by shopkeepers to mark items or tally debts owed by regular customers.
Word relationships
- bill: A bill is any formal request for payment, whereas a tab is a running informal tally.
- check: Check usually refers to the final presented itemized total for a single meal session.
- prepayment: Payment made before goods or services are provided rather than accumulated on credit.
Commonly confused with
- tag: A tag is a physical label attached to an item, whereas a tab is an ongoing balance of charges.
Word family
- tabbed (adjective): Marked or fitted with a tab.
Collocations
- run up a tab
- pick up the tab
- keep a tab open
- close out the tab
Idioms & expressions
- pick up the tab (pay the bill for a group)
Example sentences
- "She offered to pick up the tab for her colleague's birthday celebration." Social gathering
- "Please leave a credit card at the bar if you wish to keep your tab open." Customer service
Memory hook
TAB = Tally At Bar. Tally your drinks until you pay.
When not to use
Avoid in formal accounting reports where 'invoice', 'statement', or 'ledger' is appropriate.
Fun facts
- The popular 1960s diet soda TAB was named partly as a play on keeping a tab on your weight.
Also appears in
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