plural squabs
1
a
: couch
b
: a cushion for a chair or couch
2
or plural squab : a fledgling bird
specifically : a fledgling pigeon about four weeks old
3
: a short fat person
squab adjective

Examples of squab in a Sentence

at one point Robinson Crusoe tells of making a rough-hewn squab with the skins of animals he had killed
Recent Examples on the Web The squabs are fed an exclusive diet of crop milk for the first week or two of their life, and then gradually the parents mix in adult food. Popsci Staff, Popular Science, 28 Feb. 2024 The boldness of that squab represented tasting-menu cuisine at its best. Pete Wells, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Less wonderful: the very, very rare squab breast sealed with a lobe of foie gras inside a pastry crust. Pete Wells, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2024 According to the team, Four Kings is intended to function as an izakaya-like restaurant—an informal space designed for sharing drinks and no-fuss bites—for Cantonese food, with dishes like fried squab, pork chop rice, escargot with XO butter, and mapo spaghetti. Kate Kassin, Bon Appétit, 17 Jan. 2024 Dishes will be lighter and more forward-looking than those previously served, Michael told the San Francisco Chronicle, and might include spiny lobsters, squab grown for Quince in Sonoma, and porcini mushrooms that the staff has been preserving. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 28 Nov. 2023 Here, it’s served alongside puffed duck feet and a truffle bao bun filled with squab liver, the chef’s take on Korean bar snacks. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 8 Oct. 2023 And the servers will encourage you to eat with your hands, at least for the aforementioned squab. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 8 Oct. 2023 Dover sole is followed by a frog’s leg is trailed by squab garnished with jewellike raspberries. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 24 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'squab.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Swedish dialect skvabb loose, fat flesh

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of squab was in 1664

Dictionary Entries Near squab

Cite this Entry

“Squab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/squab. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

squab

noun
plural squabs or squab
: a young bird
especially : a young pigeon about four weeks old and ready for use as food

More from Merriam-Webster on squab

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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