A male cat, especially a castrated tomcat.
From Middle English gib, short for Gilbert, a common name for cats. The term evolved from being a generic name for male cats to specifically referring to neutered tomcats by the 16th century.
This word reveals how human names often became generic terms for animals - just like how 'jack' became associated with male donkeys or 'tom' with male cats. Gilbert was such a popular medieval name that it became the go-to moniker for household tabbies!
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