pull-tab

IPA/ˈpʊl tæb/
IPA/ˈpʊl tæb/

pull-tab — noun

1. the small metal ring or flat piece attached to the top of a metal can of food or

1.nounB1
Definition

the small metal ring or flat piece attached to the top of a metal can of food or drink; you lift or pull it to open the can by tearing the thin metal seal underneath

Example

Theo pulled the pull-tab on his soda can, but the ring snapped off in his hand.

verb collocation: pull / snap off

Mei saved the pull-tabs from every can she opened for the school's charity collection.

phrase: save pull-tabs for charity

Common collocations
  • pull a pull-tab
  • lift the pull-tab
  • snap off
  • pull-tab breaks
  • stay-on pull-tab
  • pull-tab design
Synonyms
  • ring-pull

    used especially in British English; emphasises the ring shape

  • tab

    shorter, more general term that can also refer to other kinds of fasteners

  • ring tab

    technical term used in the packaging industry

Usage Note

The older style of pull-tab came off completely from the can and was a common litter item; modern 'stay-on tabs' remain attached after opening.

Common Mistakes

I pulled the pull-tab and the can opened with a loud sound.
I pulled the pull-tab and the can opened with a loud pop.
'pop' is the conventional onomatopoeia for opening a can.

Word family

  • ring-pull
    nounB1
  • tab
    nounA2
  • stay-on tab
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Pull-tab is the most common general term for the small metal piece used to open drink or food cans. Ring-pull is more frequent in British English and strongly suggests the circular ring shape that you hook with your finger; it is less common in American English. Tab is a shorter, informal version that can also refer to other kinds of fasteners (e.g. the tab on a zipper or a file folder), so the meaning is usually clear only from context. Ring tab is a technical term used mainly in packaging engineering and manufacturing documents. In everyday conversation, someone might ask 'Can you pass me the tab?' while pointing at a soda can, but a written instruction would say 'Pull the pull-tab upwards to open.'

pull-tab ↗ring-pulltab ↗ring tab

Common collocations

Nouns

  • soda can
  • beer can
  • soup can
  • tin can
  • aluminium can
  • can lid

Phrases

  • pull the pull-tab
  • lift the pull-tab
  • the pull-tab snaps off
  • stay-on pull-tab
  • collect pull-tabs for charity

Etymology

English compound: pull + tab

Pull-tab is a compound noun formed from the verb 'pull' (Old English pullian, meaning 'to pluck or tug') and the noun 'tab' (probably from 'tab' meaning a small flap or strip, first recorded in English around 1600). The word entered common use in the 1960s after Ermal Fraze invented the easy-open can end in 1959, and it quickly spread as packaged drinks and canned food became household staples worldwide.

First known use

1963

1963, in the meaning defined above