nab n.1
1. (UK Und.) the head.
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Caveat for Common Cursetours in Viles & Furnivall (1907) 82: Nab a head. | |
| Groundworke of Conny-catching n.p.: Now I tower that bene bouse makes nase nabes. | |
| Belman of London (3rd) J3: [as cit. 1592]. | |
| Roaring Girle V i: O I wud lib all the lightmans [...] And couch till a palliard docked my dell, / So my bousy nab might skew rom-bouse well. | |
| ‘Why the Staff is called a Filch’ in Eng. Villainies (8th edn) M3: Every one of them carries a short staffe [...] which is called a Filch, having in the Nab or head of it, a Ferme (that is to say a hole). | |
| Canters Dict. Eng. Villainies (9th edn). | |
![[Ire]](/static/img/flags/ire.png "Ireland") | Eng. Rogue I 47: We use [...] Nab, a Head. | |
| ‘The Beggars Curse’ Canting Academy (1674) 14: [as cit. 1592]. | |
| Academy of Armory Ch. iii item 68c: Canting Terms used by Beggars, Vagabonds, Cheaters, Cripples and Bedlams. [...] Nab, head. | |
| Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Nab or Head. | |
| Triumph of Wit (5 edn). | |
| Lives of Most Noted Highway-men, etc. I 208: Nab [...] head . | |
| New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698]. | |
| , , , | | Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698]. |
| Canting Academy, or the Pedlar’s-French Dict. | |
| Life and Adventures. | |
| Sporting Mag. May VI 114/2: Nunky pays for we footmen; I’ll, sport a spruce nab. | |
| Metropolitan Mag. XIV Sept. 334: May I [...] be smothered if I had not sent a bit of blue pigeon through his nabs. |
2. (UK Und.) the head of a stick or penis.
| Canting Song O per se O O3: This cuffin, getting glimmer I’ th’ prat, so cleymed his jockey, The nab was queer, the bube him nipped, His quaroms all was pocky. |
3. (UK Und.) a hat.
| Lanthorne and Candle-Light Ch. 1: The Ruffin cly the nab of the Harman beck. | |
| ‘Maunder’s Initiation’ in Farmer Musa Pedestris (1896) 19: Cast your nabs and cares away, / This is maunder’s holiday. | |
| Strange Newes 3: Wand. Wh—. I have [...] pickt up many a Dick, and gull’d many a Cully of his Nab, tipt his bung, and sent his Callee to Egypt. | |
| Canting Academy 33: Cast our Nabs and Cares away, This is beggars Holiday. | |
| Squire of Alsatia II ii: Here’s a nab! you never saw such a one in your life. | |
| Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Nab c. a Hat, Cap [...] I’ll Nab ye, c. I’ll have your Hat or Cap. Nim the Nab, c. to Steal the Hat or Cap. | |
| Recruiting Officer II iii: I’se keep on my nab. | |
| Lives of Most Notorious Highway-men, etc. (1926) III 595: Nim the Nab. That is steal a man’s hat off his head. | |
| New Canting Dict. n.p.: I have Clickt the Nab from the Cull; I whipt the Hat from the Man’s Head. | |
| Life of Jonathan Wild (1784) II 176: Those who preferred the Nab, or trencher-hat with the brim flapping over their eyes. | |
| ‘A Cant Song’ Muses Delight 177: As I derick’d along to doss on my kin / Young Molly the fro-file I touted, / She’d nail’d a rum codger of tilter and nab, / But in filing his tatler was routed. | |
| Tony Lumpkin in Town (1780) 9: If he wants a coat cut in the kick, who can shew him? I – A tasty nab? Why Tim. | |
| , , | | Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue. |
| ‘Jack in his Element’ in Collection of Songs II 63: Pray how d’ye like my nib, / My trowsers wide, my trampers rum, / My nab, and flowing jib. | |
| Dict. Sl. and Cant. | |
| Lex. Balatronicum. | |
| Modern Flash Dict. | |
| Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open. |
4. (UK Und.) a coxcomb, a fop.
 | Ladies Losse 5T: hat Nab kist Tout full savorly, / And started back, like Horse cryes Wy-hee / At Female-Beard. | |
| Dict.of the Canting Crew. |
5. (UK Und.) an important person.
| Man o’ War’s Man (1843) 308: The nabs being under way, why, I thought it was my turn to spout a little. |
6. (Irish) the devil.
| Slanguage. |
7. (Irish) the joker (cards).
| Slanguage. |
In compounds
(UK Und.) a hat, a cap.
| Hye Way to the Spyttel House Eiii: His watch shall feng a prounces nobchete. | |
| Caveat for Common Cursetours in Viles & Furnivall (1907) 82: Nabchet a hat or cap. | |
| Groundworke of Conny-catching A2: Nabchet, a hat or cappe [...] I towre the strummel trine upon the nabchet and Togman. | |
| Lanthorne and Candle-Light Ch. 1: Then by ioyning of two simples, doe they make almost all their compoundes. As for example: Nab (in the Canting tongue) is a head, & Nab-cheate, is a hat or a cap. | |
| Martin Mark-all 39: Nab cheate an hat. | |
| Beggar’s Bush II i: Thus we throw up our nab-cheats first, for joy, / And then our filches; last we clap our fambles. | |
| Eng. Villainies (9th edn) . | |
| Eng. Rogue I 47: We use [...] Nab, a Head; Nab-cheat, a Hat. | |
| Canting Academy (2nd edn). | |
| Academy of Armory Ch. iii item 68c: Canting Terms used by Beggars, Vagabonds, Cheaters, Cripples and Bedlams. [...] Nab cheat, a Hat, or Cap, &c. | |
| Dict. Canting Crew. | |
| Triumph of Wit. | |
| Scoundrel’s Dict. 17: A Hat – Nab-cheat. | |
| Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue ms. additions n.p.: Nab cheat, a Hat. Cant. | |
| , | | Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (2nd, 3rd edn). |
| Lex. Balatronicum. | |
| Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue. |
(UK Und.) a bridle.
| Canting Academy (2nd edn). | |
| Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Nab-girder c. A Bridle. | |
| Triumph of Wit. | |
| New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698]. | |
| , , , | | Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698]. |
| Scoundrel’s Dict. 15: A Bridle – Nabgarder. | |
| , , | | Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Nab girder, or nob girder. A bridle. |
| Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1785]. | |
| Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue [as cit. 1785]. | |
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | Aus. Sl. Dict. 51: Nab-Girder, a bridle. |
In phrases
(UK Und.) signifying the hallmark, i.e. proof of quality, on a silver or gold object.
| Police! 321: A watch ... A tack, super, thimble, clocks, jerry. ‘Nabs on’ (hallmark). |