Dub Definition & Meaning

American

British

Usage

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms dub 1 American [duhb] / dʌb /

verb (used with object)

dubbed, dubbing

1. to invest with any name, character, dignity, or title; style; name; call.

   He was dubbed a hero.

2. to strike lightly with a sword in the ceremony of conferring knighthood; make, or designate as, a knight.

   The king dubbed him a knight.

3. to strike, cut, rub, or make smooth, as leather or timber.

idioms

1. dub bright, to shave off the outer surface of the planking of (a ship).

dub 2 American [duhb] / dʌb /

noun

Slang.

1. an awkward, unskillful person.

dub 3 American [duhb] / dʌb /

verb (used with object)

dubbed, dubbing

1. to thrust; poke.

2. Golf. to hit (a ball) poorly; misplay (a shot).

3. to execute poorly.

verb (used without object)

dubbed, dubbing

1. to thrust; poke.

noun

1. a thrust; poke.

2. a drumbeat.

dub 4 American [duhb] / dʌb /

verb (used with object)

dubbed, dubbing

1. to furnish (a film or tape) with a new soundtrack, especially one recorded in a different language.

2. to add (music, speech, etc.) to a film or tape recording (often followed byin ).

3. to copy (a tape or disc recording).

verb (used without object)

dubbed, dubbing

1. to copy program material from one tape recording onto another.

noun

1. the new sounds added to a film or tape.

2. a style of popular music based on reggae and produced by remixing previously recorded music to which audio samples and sound effects are added.

verb phrase

1. dub out to omit or erase (unwanted sound) on a tape or soundtrack.

   to dub out background noise.

dub 5 American [duhb] / dʌb /

noun

Chiefly Scot.

1. a pool of water; puddle.

dub 1 British / dʌb /

verb

1. to alter the soundtrack of (an old recording, film, etc)

2. (tr) to substitute for the soundtrack of (a film) a new soundtrack, esp in a different language

3. (tr) to provide (a film or tape) with a soundtrack

4. (tr) to alter (a taped soundtrack) by removing some parts and exaggerating others

"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. films the new sounds added

2. 1. music a style of record production associated with reggae, involving the removal or exaggeration of instrumental parts, extensive use of echo, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a dub mix

"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 dub 2 British / dʌb /

verb

1. (tr) to invest (a person) with knighthood by the ritual of tapping on the shoulder with a sword

2. (tr) to invest with a title, name, or nickname

3. (tr) to dress (leather) by rubbing

4. angling to dress (a fly)

"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. the sound of a drum

"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 dub 3 British / dʌb /

noun

1. a clumsy or awkward person or player

"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

verb

1. to bungle (a shot), as in golf

"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 dub 4 British / dʌb /

verb

1. informal short for double-bank

"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 dub 5 British / dʌb /

noun

1. dialect a pool of water; puddle

"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 dub 6 British / dʌb /

verb

1. slang (intr; foll by in, up, or out) to contribute to the cost of (something); pay

"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 dub mean? Dub has many meanings in English. It can variously mean "to nickname" and "to voice a film in a different language." It can be short for double and the letter W. It can be slang for a marijuana "joint", or $20 worth of drugs. Dub also refers to a popular genre of music derived from reggae.

Other Word Forms

• dubber noun

Etymology

Origin of dub1

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English dubben, late Old English (assumed) dubbian (in phrase dubbade tō ridere “dubbed to knight(hood)”), from Anglo-French dubber, dobber, douber, shortened form of ad(o)uber, equivalent to prefix a- (from Latin ad- “to”) + do(u)ber, from Old Low Franconian (assumed) dubban “to strike, beat,” cognate with Low German dubben; a- 5 ( def. ), dub 3, daube

Origin of dub2

First recorded in 1885–90; of expressive origin, flub, flubdub, dub 3

Origin of dub3

First recorded in 1505–15; apparently same word (with older sense) as dub 1

Origin of dub4

First recorded in 1925–30; short for double

Origin of dub5

First recorded in 1490–1500; of obscure origin; perhaps akin to Middle Low German dobbe “pond, puddle”

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 dubs the all-women’s institution a “kiln of respectability” and doesn’t mind the strict curfews and dress code because she revels in being part of the powerful “Spelman sisterhood.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Some fans of Heated Rivalry have even affectionately dubbed the show, which is partly funded by public money "Canadian government-funded yaoi".

From BBC

A few years ago, Europe also faced a brash, new attitude from Chinese diplomats, dubbed “Wolf Warriors” by Beijing’s state media.

From The Wall Street Journal

An AI chat-bot dubbed "Patty", embedded in the headsets, answers questions from employees about how to prepare menu items and flags when a product needs restocking.

From BBC

Every movement of her mouth and every sound had to be recorded so the bot, dubbed "Diella" or "Sun" in Albanian, could respond naturally to user requests.

From Barron's

Related Words

• designate
• nickname

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.