Meanings
- uncountableA Barbadian spirituous liquor or drink distilled from potatoes.
The flips or vines they feed hogs and rabbits with; and an excellent drink is made of the roots, called mabby.
1795 October, “Review of New Publications”, in The Gentleman's Magazine: and Historical Chronicle, volume 65, part 2, number 4, page 8452 more examples
Their usual Drink is Mabby, made of Potato's, which refreshes, and is good against the Phlegm; also another Liquor call'd Oko, made of steep'd Cassadar, and is like Beer in taste, strength, and colour.
1671 [1670], Arnoldus Montanus, translated by John Ogilby, America: being an accurate description of the New World […], page 358Others were selling yams, water cresses, radishes, tomatoes, bananas, achiote or annatto, beans, peas, beef, fat bacon, lard, codfish, fresh fish, coffee, sugar, tobacco twists, cigars, rice, bread, sirups used as sweet drinks, mabby (a native drink), and butter.
1899 March 5, “The Yauco Market”, in Porto Rico: Reports of Henry K. Carroll, Dec. 30, 1898 and Oct. 1899 and of U.S. Insular Commission, May, 1899, published 1899, page 234
- not comparablepronunciation spellingPronunciation spelling of maybe.
We allowed as how mabby you took it 'long with you.
1996, Ray Broadus Browne, Lincoln-lore: Lincoln in the Popular Mind, page 422 more examples
"Mabby he won't be tellin' ye all, even if be is shtarted, " replied Mrs. Finerty.
2009, Charles Stewart, The Fugitive Blacksmith, page 162“Mabby I haint got common sense, and mabby I haint got eyes in my head,” Eli muttered, with dull fire in the place where eyes should have been, if he had had any.
2014, Mary MacLane, Michael R. Brown, Human Days: A Mary MacLane Reader, page 565
Cite this entry
mabby. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mabby
“mabby.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mabby. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mabby,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mabby.
Source: mabby on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.