# drab

> English word · Noun · IPA /dɹæb/ · frequency rank #28,521

## Definitions
1. A fabric, usually of thick cotton or wool, having a dull brownish yellow, dull grey, or dun colour.
2. The color of this fabric.
3. Often in the plural form drabs: apparel, especially trousers, made from this fabric.
4. A dull or uninteresting appearance or situation, unremarkable.

## Etymology
Probably from Middle French and Old French drap (“cloth”), either:
* from Late Latin drappus (“drabcloth, kerchief; piece of cloth”), most likely from Gaulish *drappo, from Proto-Indo-European *drep- (“to scratch, tear”); or
* from Frankish *drapi, *drāpi (“that which is fulled, drabcloth”), from Proto-Germanic *drap-, *drēp- (“something beaten”), from *drepaną (“to beat, strike”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰrebʰ- (“to beat, crush; to make or become thick”).
The English word is cognate with Ancient Greek δρέπω (drépō, “to pluck”), Avestan 𐬛𐬭𐬀𐬟𐬱𐬀 (drafša, “banner, flag”), Lithuanian drãpanos (“household linens”), Old Norse trefja (“to rub, wear out”), trof (“fringes”), Sanskrit द्रापि (drāpi, “mantle, gown”), Serbo-Croatian drápati (“to scratch, scrape”)).

## Easily confused with
- **dry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drab-vs-dry)
- **dub** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drab-vs-dub)
- **Dre** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drab-vs-dre)
- **DRC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drab-vs-drc)
- **DRM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drab-vs-drm)
- **dua** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drab-vs-dua)
- **DRI** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drab-vs-dri)
- **DSA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drab-vs-dsa)
- **Dru** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drab-vs-dru)
- **drop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drab-vs-drop)
- **drug** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drab-vs-drug)
- **draw** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drab-vs-draw)
- **dumb** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drab-vs-dumb)
- **drew** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drab-vs-drew)
- **drag** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drab-vs-drag)
- **dual** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drab-vs-dual)
- **drum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drab-vs-drum)
- **drip** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drab-vs-drip)
- **dram** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drab-vs-dram)
- **dura** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/drab-vs-dura)

## Common misspellings (6)
`darb`, `ddrab`, `drabb`, `drba`, `drrab`, `rdab`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/drab