Tab vs. Tub — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on November 3, 2023
A tab is a small flap or strip often used for keeping track of information or as a closure, while a tub is a large, open, deep container used for holding liquids or for washing.
Difference Between Tab and Tub
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Tabs are typically associated with organizational functions in files or documents, providing quick access to sections within binders, books, or a digital interface like a web browser. Tubs, in contrast, are substantial containers often used for bathing, laundry, or holding large quantities of substances.
A tab can also refer to an account or a bill in a restaurant or bar, symbolizing a running record of expenses. Meanwhile, a tub may also be a unit of measure or quantity, as in "a tub of ice cream," emphasizing its function as a vessel for holding products.
In computing, a tab is a component of a user interface, allowing navigation between different documents or web pages. On the other hand, tub does not have a direct computing analogy but could be colloquially used to describe a hefty, old-fashioned piece of hardware due to its size and shape.
Tabs can be made of paper, metal, or plastic, serving as labels or markers. Tubs are generally made of durable materials like plastic, metal, or ceramic, designed to hold weight and volume with stability.
A tab also refers to a section of a website or an application window, aiding in multitasking. A tub, by definition, does not serve a function in information organization or digital navigation.
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Comparison Chart
Primary Function
Organizational tool or UI element.
Large container for holding substances.
Material
Made of paper, metal, or plastic.
Usually plastic, metal, or ceramic.
Usage Context
Documents, browsers, accounts.
Bathing, washing, storage.
Related to
Information, navigation.
Volume, capacity.
Size
Small and flat.
Large and deep.
Compare with Definitions
Tab
A small flap or extension used as an aid for selecting or closing.
She attached a tab to each file for easy identification.
Tub
A wide, deep, open container used for washing or holding liquids.
She filled the tub with warm water for a bath.
Tab
The bill or total check at a bar or restaurant.
At the end of the night, he asked the bartender for his tab.
Tub
A small plastic container for food products.
She bought a small tub of cottage cheese from the grocery store.
Tab
A section of a user interface in software.
He opened a new tab in his browser to search for recipes.
Tub
A large vessel for holding ice cream or similar food items in bulk.
The ice cream shop displayed a tub of every flavor.
Tab
A small marker or identifier on a webpage or in a file.
The index had a tab for each chapter of the book.
Tub
A wide, open, deep, typically round container with a flat bottom used for holding liquids, growing plants, etc.
A rainwater tub
Tab
A small flap or strip of material attached to or projecting from something, used to hold, fasten, or manipulate it, or for identification and information.
Tub
A short, broad boat that handles awkwardly
The old tub's in need of a refit
Tab
A second or further document or page that can be opened on a spreadsheet or web browser.
Tub
Plant in a tub
Tubbed fruit trees
Tab
A restaurant bill
The waiter brought three drinks and a new tab
Tub
Wash or bathe in or as in a tub or bath
Even your formal evening gown can be tubbed
Tab
Short for tableau curtains
Tub
An open, flat-bottomed vessel, usually round and typically wider than it is deep, used for washing, packing, or storing.
Tab
A part of a control surface, typically hinged, that modifies the action or response of the surface.
Tub
The amount that such a vessel can hold.
Tab
A cigarette.
Tub
The contents of such a vessel.
Tab
A facility in a word-processing program, or a device on a keyboard, for advancing to a sequence of set positions in tabular work
The tab key
Tub
A bathtub.
Tab
A tablet, especially one containing an illicit drug
He faced charges of attempting to export Ecstasy tabs
Tub
(Informal) A bath taken in a bathtub.
Tab
A tabloid newspaper
She tries to cover up his peccadillos before they make the tabs' front pages
Tub
(Informal) A wide, clumsy, slow-moving boat.
Tab
Short for tablature
Get tips on learning how to read guitar tab
Tub
A bucket used for conveying ore or coal up a mine shaft.
Tab
Mark or identify with a projecting piece of material
He opened the book at a page tabbed by a cloth bookmark
Tub
A coal car used in a mine.
Tab
Use the tab key on a computer or typewriter keyboard
The user can tab to the phrase and press Enter
Tub
To pack or store in a tub.
Tab
Short for tabulate
Tub
To wash or bathe in a tub.
Tab
A projection, flap, or short strip attached to an object to facilitate opening, handling, or identification.
Tub
To take a bath.
Tab
A small, usually decorative flap or tongue on a garment.
Tub
A flat-bottomed vessel, of width similar to or greater than its height, used for storing or packing things, or for washing things in.
He bought a tub of lard to roast the potatoes in.
Tab
A small auxiliary airfoil that is attached to a larger one and that helps stabilize an aircraft.
Tub
The contents or capacity of such a vessel.
She added a tub of margarine to the stew.
Tab
A pull-tab.
Tub
A bathtub.
Tab
A bill or check, such as one for a meal in a restaurant.
Tub
A slow-moving craft.
Tab
Cost; price
The tab for upgrading the computers would be high.
Tub
Any structure shaped like a tub, such as a certain old form of pulpit, a short broad boat, etc.
Tab
A tabulator on a typewriter.
Tub
A small cask.
A tub of gin
Tab
A key on a computer keyboard that, when pressed, inserts a special ASCII character used for formatting text, as in indenting a line or block of text.
Tub
Any of various historically designated quantities of goods to be sold by the tub (butter, oysters, etc).
Tab
This special ASCII character.
Tub
(mining) A box or bucket in which coal or ore is sent up a shaft.
Tab
A tabloid.
Tub
(obsolete) A sweating in a tub; a tub fast.
Tab
To supply with a tab or tabs.
Tub
(slang) A corpulent or obese person.
Tab
To press the tab on a typewriter or computer keyboard
Tab over to the next column.
Tub
(transitive) To plant, set, or store in a tub.
To tub a plant
Tab
A small flap or strip of material attached to something, for holding, manipulation, identification, opening etc.
Tub
(ambitransitive) To bathe in a tub.
Tab
(slang) An ear.
Tub
An open wooden vessel formed with staves, bottom, and hoops; a kind of short cask, half barrel, or firkin, usually with but one head, - used for various purposes.
Tab
A navigational widget, resembling a physical tab, for switching between documents or sets of controls.
Tub
The amount which a tub contains, as a measure of quantity; as, a tub of butter; a tub of camphor, which is about 1 cwt., etc.
Tab
(GUI) The page or form associated with such a navigational widget.
How many tabs are open in your Web browser?
Tub
Any structure shaped like a tub: as, a certain old form of pulpit; a short, broad boat, etc., - often used jocosely or opprobriously.
All being took up and busied, some in pulpits and some in tubs, in the grand work of preaching and holding forth.
Tab
A fast march or run with full kit.
Tub
A sweating in a tub; a tub fast.
Tab
A restaurant bill.
Tub
A small cask; as, a tub of gin.
Tab
Credit account, e.g., in a shop or bar; slate
Put this round on my tab, please, barman.
Tub
A box or bucket in which coal or ore is sent up a shaft; - so called by miners.
Tab
(by extension) The cost or bill for anything.
Tub
To plant or set in a tub; as, to tub a plant.
Tab
(computing) A space character that extends to the next aligned column, traditionally used for tabulation.
Tub
To make use of a bathing tub; to lie or be in a bath; to bathe.
Don't we all tub in England ?
Tab
A cigarette.
Giv' us a tab man!
Tub
A relatively large open container that you fill with water and use to wash the body
Tab
A form of musical notation indicating fingering rather than the pitch of notes, commonly used for stringed instruments.
Tub
A large open vessel for holding or storing liquids
Tab
(Oxbridge slang) A student of Cambridge University.
Tub
The amount that a tub will hold;
A tub of water
Tab
(colloquial) A tabloid newspaper.
Tub
A container with a flat bottom and a curved lip, often with handles.
He carried the tub filled with gardening tools to the backyard.
Tab
(informal) A tablet, especially one containing illicit drugs.
Tub
An old, bulky, and cumbersome piece of equipment or machinery.
They replaced the old tub of a washing machine with a new, sleek model.
Tab
(transitive) To affix with tabs; to label.
Tab
(computing) To use the Tab key on a computer to advance the cursor or move the input focus, or on a typewriter to advance the carriage.
Tab
The flap or latchet of a shoe fastened with a string or a buckle.
Tab
A tag. See Tag, 2.
Tab
A loop for pulling or lifting something.
Tab
A border of lace or other material, worn on the inner front edge of ladies' bonnets.
Tab
A loose pendent part of a lady's garment; esp., one of a series of pendent squares forming an edge or border.
Tab
A small projecting piece of a file folder, file card, or similar sheet used in a filing system, on which a notation is written to permit convenient search for the folder, card, etc.
Tab
A bill or check for some purchase, as in a restaurant; as, the salesman will pick up the tab.
Tab
A key on a typewriter or computer keyboard which advances the carriage or curser to the next (preset) tab position; - used especially to type or print text or numbers in columns.
Tab
The bill in a restaurant;
He asked the waiter for the check
Tab
Sensationalist journalism
Tab
The key on an electric typewriter that causes a tabulation
Tab
A short strip of material attached to or projecting from something in order to facilitate opening or identifying or handling it;
Pull the tab to open the can
Files with a red tab will be stored separately
The collar has a tab with a button hole
Tab
A dose of medicine in the form of a small pellet
Tab
A key on a keyboard used for alignment in typing or moving to the next field.
Press the tab key to move to the next textbox.
Common Curiosities
What is a tab used for in a browser?
In a browser, a tab allows users to open multiple web pages in a single window.
Do tabs have a standard size?
No, tabs can vary in size depending on their purpose.
Can a tub be used for storage?
Yes, a tub can be used to store a variety of items, not just liquids.
Are all tubs large and heavy?
Tubs vary in size and weight, with some designed to be lightweight and portable.
Are tabs found in physical documents?
Yes, physical documents can have tabs for organization and indexing.
What materials are tubs made from?
Tubs are commonly made from materials like plastic, metal, or ceramic.
Is a tub always used for bathing?
No, tubs have multiple uses beyond bathing, such as washing clothes or holding items.
What does 'keep a tab on' mean?
It means to monitor or keep an ongoing record of something.
What is a tab in financial terms?
A tab is an account of the amount owed, particularly in bars or restaurants.
Are tubs only found in bathrooms?
No, tubs can be found in various settings, like laundry rooms or gardens.
Do tubs have lids?
Some tubs come with lids, especially those used for storage.
Can a tab be physical and digital?
Yes, tabs can be both physical, as on folders, or digital, as in computer interfaces.
How do I close a tab?
A tab can usually be closed by clicking an "x" on the tab or using a keyboard shortcut.
Can a tub be a unit of measure?
Yes, in informal contexts, tub can refer to the quantity that fits in a particular tub container.
How do tabs help in multitasking?
Tabs allow users to switch between different tasks or information quickly without losing context.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
