habnab

adverb hab·nab \ ˈ(h)abˌnab \

variants: or less commonly hab or nab \ˈ(h)abə(r)ˈnab\

Definition of habnab

dialectal, British

: in one way or another : by hook or crook

There's more!

Love words? You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
Advanced search features
Ad free!

Origin and Etymology of habnab

from (assumed) Middle English dialect habbe nabbe, habbe or nabbe whether he (she, I) has (have) or does (do) not have, from Middle English dialect, habbe, 1st & 3d person singular present subjunctive of habben to have (from Old English habban) + Middle English or + Middle English dialect nabbe, 1st & 3d person singular present subjunctive of nabben not to have, from Old English nabban, from ne not + habban to have