Dab Definition & Meaning

American

British

Usage

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms dab 1 American [dab] / dæb /

verb (used with object)

dabbed, dabbing

1. to pat or tap gently, as with something soft or moist.

   The child dabbed his eyes with the handkerchief.

2. to apply (a substance) by light strokes.

   He dabbed the ointment on the rash.

3. to strike, especially lightly, as with the hand.

4. to consume (cannabis) by inhaling the vapor of heated cannabis extract oil.

5. Masonry. to dress (stonework) with a pointed tool.

6. Western U.S. to throw (a rope or line) in an effort to lasso or catch something.

   Joe dabbed his rope on the steer.

verb (used without object)

dabbed, dabbing

1. to strike lightly; make a dab; pat.

   She dabbed at the stain on her dress.

2. to consume cannabis by inhaling the vapor of heated cannabis extract oil.

   She dabs for a more intense high.

noun

1. a quick or light blow; a pat, as with the hand or something soft.

2. a small moist lump or mass.

   a dab of butter.

   Synonyms: smidgen, dollop, bit, pat

3. a small quantity.

   a dab of powder.

4. a dose of cannabis extract oil.

5. a dance move that involves posing with one’s nose in the crook of a bent elbow at chest level while extending the other arm to the side at or above shoulder level, often performed as a celebratory posture in sports or other competitions.

dab 2 American [dab] / dæb /

noun

1. any of several flatfishes of the genus Limanda, especially the European flatfish, L. limanda.

dab 3 American [dab] / dæb /

noun

1. Also called dab hand. a person skilled in something; an expert.

2. an excellent or extraordinary person or thing.

adjective

1. expert; excellent; extraordinary.

DAB 4 American

1. Dictionary of American Biography.

dab 1 British / dæb /

verb

1. to touch lightly and quickly

2. (tr) to daub with short tapping strokes

   to dab the wall with paint

3. (tr) to apply (paint, cream, etc) with short tapping strokes

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

1. a small amount, esp of something soft or moist

   a dab of ink

2. a small light stroke or tap, as with the hand

3. (often plural) a slang word for fingerprint

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 dab 2 British / dæb /

noun

1. a small common European brown flatfish, Limanda limanda, covered with rough toothed scales: family Pleuronectidae: a food fish

2. (often plural) any of various other small flatfish, esp flounders Compare sand dab

3. Also called: patiki. a sand flounder, Rhombosolea plebia , common around New Zealand's South Island

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 DAB 3 British

abbreviation

1. digital audio broadcasting

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 dab 4 British / dæb /

noun

1. informal See dab hand

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What else does dab mean? In slang, dab can be a highly concentrated marijuana extract, a type of hip-hop dance, or touching the ground with your foot while you ride a bicycle.Doing any of these actions is called dabbing, and yes, you could feasibly do all three at once—not that we recommend it.

Etymology

Origin of dab1

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English verb dabben “to strike, hit,” of uncertain origin; compare Old Icelandic dabba “to strike, tap,” Norwegian dabbe “to shuffle along, walk slowly,” Middle Dutch dabben “to pinch, knead,” German tappen “to feel along, grope”

Origin of dab2

First recorded in 1570–80; perhaps special use of dab 1

Origin of dab3

First recorded in 1685–95; of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She coped by dabbing at her face with a small navy blue towel that magically appeared from under the table.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s smack dab in the middle of the migration routes for the Round Valley and Casa Diablo herds, according to a recent study.

From Los Angeles Times

I grab some brown napkins from a table, and I’m dabbing at my hair when Kendrick comes up.

From Literature

She dabbed some oil on the inside of my wrists — a special concoction her mother Diane makes called Wolf Oil, which you can buy at the collective for $45.

From Los Angeles Times

Inside, women are dabbing moisturizers, sampling eye shadows and swabbing lipsticks.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• daub
• smear
• smudge
• swab
• wipe

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.