Tabbed

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having extensions or small projecting pieces used to separate or organize sections ; arranged with specific spacing or indentations created by tab stops in text or data
2. Marked by small flaps or divisions for easy handling or sorting ; formatted so that lines or items align according to tab settings in a document or display
3. Featuring separate labeled divisions for organization or navigation ; designed with spaced indentations to align content neatly using horizontal tabulation

Etymology: "Tabbed" is simply "tab" with the suffix "-ed" attached, turning a noun into an adjective meaning "furnished with tabs." The noun "tab" is the older word here, and its history is the more interesting part: it has long meant a small flap or projecting strip, such as the loop on a garment or the label hanging from an item. That physical sense of a protruding tag is what gives the adjective its shape. The modern computing and interface sense grew from the same idea. A tab is a projecting marker, and in software and physical filing systems a row of such markers lets you jump between sections. A tabbed window or tabbed document therefore has its separate parts marked by small projecting labels, much like the index tabs on a folder. The sense of spaced indentation in the definition comes from the tabulator key, which sets stops across a line in a similar spirit of orderly divisions.

Synonyms: indexed, marked