Dab vs Dabble - What's the difference?
dab | dabble |
To press lightly in a repetitive motion with a soft object without rubbing.
* S. Sharp
To apply a substance in this way.
To strike by a thrust; to hit with a sudden blow or thrust.
* Sir T. More
To apply
A soft tap or blow; a blow or peck from a bird's beak; an aimed blow.
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(AAVE) A soft, playful given in greeting or approval.
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A small amount, a blob of some soft or wet substance.
(chiefly, in the plural, dated, British) Fingerprint.
A small amount of .
With a dab, or sudden contact.
One skilful or proficient; an expert; an adept.
* Goldsmith
A small flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae, especially ? a flounder.
(US) A sand dab, a small flatfish of genus .
To partially wet (something) by splashing or dipping; connotes playfulness.
To participate or have an interest in an activity, but in a casual or superficial way.
As a noun dab
is baptism (christian sacrament with water).As a verb dabble is
to partially wet (something) by splashing or dipping; connotes playfulness.dab
English
(wikipedia dab)Etymology 1
From (etyl) .Verb
(dabb)- I dabbed my face with a towel.
- A sore should only by dabbing it over with fine lint.
- He dabbed moisturizing liquid on his face.
- to dab him in the neck
Noun
(en noun)- page 197: I step closer to Profit and draw in a deep, steadying breath while the brothers exchange dabs . “What's up, fam? I see you finally made it.”
Coordinate terms
* fistbump, high fiveAdverb
(-)Etymology 2
Perhaps corrupted from adept.Noun
(en noun)- One excels at a plan or the title page, another works away at the body of the book, and the third is a dab at an index.
Synonyms
* See alsoDerived terms
* dab handEtymology 3
Origin unknown.Noun
(en noun)References
* Oxford English Dictionary (1989)Anagrams
* ----dabble
English
Verb
(en-verb)- The children sat on the dock and dabbled their feet in the water.
- She's an actress by trade, but has been known to dabble in poetry.