Meaning
6 senses(transitive)To press lightly in a repetitive motion with a soft object without rubbing.
I dabbed my face with a towel.
Dab the tears from your eyes.
(transitive)To apply a substance in this way.
The nurse will dab some ointment on that gash.
tupfen, auftupfen
примо́чуватиprymóčuvaty, примочи́тиprymočýty
apply (usually a liquid) to a surface
To strike by a thrust; to hit with a sudden blow or thrust.
1532-1533, Thomas More, The Confutation of Tyndale's Answer to dabbe him in the necke
hit lightly
(slang)To apply hash oil to a heated surface for the purpose of efficient combustion.
to smoke marijuana using butane hash oil
(intransitive)To perform the dab dance move; to move both arms, parallel with one's head, to either side of the body.
дэбитьdɛbitʹ
to perform a dance move in which the dancer simultaneously drops the head while raising an arm and the elbow in a gesture that has been noted to resemble sneezing
Synonym of daub (to mark a bingo card)
Examples
15 sentencesMy girlfriend is doing a dab.
Tom did a dab of rosin.
Tom is a dab hand at cooking.
Jo is a dab hand at wallpapering.
ruДжо — мастер клеить обои. — Wezel
deJo versteht sich aufs Tapezieren. — Pfirsichbaeumchen
Would you like to do a dab?
Translations
5 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
By meaning 2
Origin
From Middle English dabben (“to strike”), probably of North Germanic origin, related to OlFrom Middle English dabben (“to strike”), probably of North Germanic origin, related to Old Icelandic dabba (“to tap, slap”), perhaps ultimately imitative. Compare also with Middle Dutch dabben (“to pinch, knead, fumble, dabble”) (Dutch dabben (“(of a horse) to stamp with the forelegs”)), Dutch deppen (“to dab”), possibly German tappen (“to fumble, grope”).
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Forms
dabs, dabbing, dabbed, dabbedPhrasal verbs
2 phrasal verbsSynonyms
4 synonymsWord family
3 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle