What does "squab" mean?
A fledgling (young) bird.; A young dove or pigeon.
Squab
/ˈskwɒb/ adj, adv, noun, verb, slang
adj, adv, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A fledgling (young) bird.; A young dove or pigeon.
- Grammar: squab is listed as adj, adv, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: avifauna, baby bird, bear, bird.
- Useful contrasts: adult pigeon, live bird.
- Usage evidence: Squab may be consumed by ripping the bird apart with your hands and sucking the meat from the bones.
How to use "squab"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "squab" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "squab" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "squab" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "squab" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "squab" is acting as adj, adv, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "avifauna" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "squab", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A fledgling (young) bird.; A young dove or pigeon. attributive, countable, sometimes, uncountable
- 2 an unfledged pigeon wordnet
- 3 A fledgling (young) bird.; A young chicken. attributive, countable, sometimes, uncountable
- 4 a soft padded sofa wordnet
- 5 A fledgling (young) bird.; A young rook. attributive, countable, sometimes, uncountable
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 flesh of a pigeon suitable for roasting or braising; flesh of a dove (young squab) may be broiled wordnet
- 7 The meat of young dove or pigeon, typically under four weeks old, used as food. uncountable
"Squab may be consumed by ripping the bird apart with your hands and sucking the meat from the bones."
- 8 A thick cushion, especially a flat one covering the seat of a chair or sofa. countable
"a. 1744, Alexander Pope (imitating Earl of Dorset), Artemisia, 1795, Robert Anderson (editor), A Complete Edition of the Poets of Great Britain, page 86, On her large ſquab you find her ſpread, / Like a fat corpſe upon a bed, / That lies and ſtinks in ſtate."
- 9 A person of a short, fat figure. countable
"Gorgonius sits abdominous and wan, / Like a fat squab upon a Chinese fan:"
Verb
- 1 To fall plump; to strike at one dash, or with a heavy stroke. obsolete
- 2 To furnish with squabs, or cushions. transitive
- 3 To stuff thickly and sew through, the stitches being concealed by buttons, etc. transitive
Adjective
- 1 Fat; thick; plump; bulky.
"Nor the squab daughter nor the wife were nice."
- 2 Unfledged; unfeathered.
"broken limbs of trees, eggs, and young squab pigeons precipitated from above"
- 3 Clumsy.
- 4 Curt; abrupt.
- 5 Shy; coy.
Adjective
- 1 short and fat wordnet
Adverb
- 1 With a heavy fall; plump. not-comparable, slang
"The eagle took the tortoise up into the air, and dropped him down, squab, upon a rock."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
adult pigeonlive bird
Example
"Squab may be consumed by ripping the bird apart with your hands and sucking the meat from the bones."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "squab"?
Common synonyms include: avifauna, baby bird, bear, bird, bird of jove, bird of juno.
How do you use "squab" in a sentence?
Squab may be consumed by ripping the bird apart with your hands and sucking the meat from the bones.
How do you pronounce "squab"?
Pronounced /ˈskwɒb/.
Etymology
Unknown. Possibly related to dialectal Swedish skvabb (“fatty, flabby”). First attested in the 17th century.