What does "squab" mean?
Squab: Unfledged; unfeathered; as, a squab pigeon. King.
Additional senses
- 2.(Zoöl.) A neatling of a pigeon or other similar bird, esp. when very fat and not fully fledged.
- 3.A person of a short, fat figure. Gorgonious sits abdominous and wan, Like a fat squab upon a Chinese fan. Cowper.
- 4.A thickly stuffed cushion; especially, one used for the seat of a sofa, couch, or chair; also, a sofa. Punching the squab of chairs and sofas. Dickens. On her large squab you find her spread. Pope.
- 5.With a heavy fall; plump. [Vulgar] The eagle took the tortoise up into the air, and dropped him down, squab, upon a rock. L'Estrange.
- 6.To fall plump; to strike at one dash, or with a heavy stroke. [Obs.]
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00