habnab

adverb

hab·​nab

ˈ(h)abˌnab

variants or less commonly hab or nab

ˈ(h)abə(r)ˈnab

dialectal, British

: in one way or another : by hook or crook

Word History

Etymology

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

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