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Indent vs Tab - What's the difference?

indent | tab |

As nouns the difference between indent and tab

is that indent is a cut or notch in the margin of anything, or a recess like a notch while tab is a small flap or strip of material attached to something, for holding, manipulation, identification, etc.

As verbs the difference between indent and tab

is that indent is to notch; to jag; to cut into points like a row of teeth; as, to indent the edge of paper while tab is mark with a tab.

indent

English

(wikipedia indent)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A cut or notch in the margin of anything, or a recess like a notch.
  • A stamp; an impression.
  • A certificate, or intended certificate, issued by the government of the United States at the close of the Revolution, for the principal or interest of the public debt.
  • A requisition or order for supplies, sent to the commissariat of an army.

    • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To notch; to jag; to cut into points like a row of teeth; as, to indent the edge of paper.
  • To be cut, notched, or dented.
  • To dent; to stamp or to press in; to impress; as, indent a smooth surface with a hammer; to indent wax with a stamp.
  • (historical) To cut the two halves of a document in duplicate, using a jagged or wavy line so that each party could demonstrate that their copy was part of the original whole.
  • (obsolete) To enter into a binding agreement by means of such documents; to formally commit (to doing something); to contract.
  • *, New York, 2001, p.91:
    • The Polanders indented with Henry, Duke of Anjou, their new-chosen king, to bring with him an hundred families of artificers into Poland.
  • * South
    • to indent and drive bargains with the Almighty
  • (obsolete) To engage (someone), originally by means of indented contracts.
    • to indent''' a young man to a shoemaker; to '''indent a servant
  • (typography) To begin (a line or lines) at a greater or lesser distance from the margin; as, to indent the first line of a paragraph one em; to indent the second paragraph two ems more than the first. See indentation, and indention. Normal indent pushes in a line or paragraph. "hanging indent" pulls the line out into the margin.
  • (obsolete) To crook or turn; to wind in and out; to zigzag.
  • (military, India, dated) To make an order upon; to draw upon, as for military stores.
    • (Wilhelm)

    Antonyms

    * unindent * outdent

    Anagrams

    * * * ----

    tab

    English

    Etymology 1

    First attested 1607, of uncertain origin.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A small flap or strip of material attached to something, for holding, manipulation, identification, etc.
  • * 1993 , Irvine Welsh: Trainspotting , p 333:
    • He pulls off his belt, cursing as the studs catch in the tabs of his jeans.
  • (by extension, graphical user interface) A navigational widget for switching between sets of controls or documents.
  • (label) A tablet, especially one containing illicit drugs.
  • A fast march or run with full kit.

    • Verb

  • Mark with a tab.
  • (computing) To use the Tab key on a computer or typewriter to navigate the screen or page.
  • * 2010 , Chris Anderson, Pro Business Applications with Silverlight 4 (page 210)
    • You can prevent a control from getting the focus when the user is tabbing between controls by settings its IsTabStop property to False.
  • Short for tabulate.
    • Derived terms
    * keep tabs on * tabbed

    Etymology 2

    Apocopation (shortening) of tabulation.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (informal) A restaurant bill.
  • (slang) Credit account, e.g., in a shop or bar.
    • Put this round on my tab , will you, barman.
  • Short for tabulator.
  • (computing) A space character ((tab)) that extends to the next aligned column, traditionally used for tabulation.
    • Derived terms
    * pick up the tab

    Etymology 3

    Likely to have been formed by clipping the Geordie pronunciation of the word or alternatively from the brand name Ogden's Tabs .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (Geordie and Mackem) cigarette.
    • Giv'is a tab man!

    References

    *

    Etymology 4

    Shortening of tablature.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A form of musical notation indicating fingering rather than the pitch of notes, commonly used for stringed instruments.

    • Etymology 5

    Derived from the Latin Cantabrigia (often shortened to Cantab.).

    Noun

  • (rfv-sense)(slang) A student of Cambridge University.

    • Etymology 6

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (label) A tabloid newspaper.
  • * 1999 , George H. Douglas, The Golden Age of the Newspaper, p. 229:
  • * 2010 , Robert Lusetich, Unplayable: An Inside Account of Tiger's Most Tumultuous Season:

    • Anagrams

    * * * * English clippings ----