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dab

 - 10 dictionary results

dab

1  [dab] verb, dabbed, dab⋅bing, noun
Use dab in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
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, esp. lightly, as with the hand.
4. Masonry. to dress (stonework) with a pointed tool.
5. 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)
6. to strike lightly; make a dab; pat: She dabbed at the stain on her dress.
–noun
7. a quick or light blow; a pat, as with the hand or something soft.
8. a small moist lump or mass: a dab of butter.
9. a small quantity: a dab of powder.
Origin:
1250–1300; ME dabben; cf. Norw dabbe shuffle along, walk slowly, G Tappe pat, tappen to feel along, grope

Synonyms:
8. pat, bit; dollop, smidgen.

dab

2  [dab]
–noun
any of several flatfishes of the genus Limanda, esp. the European flatfish, L. limanda.
Origin:
1570–80; perh. special use of dab 1

dab

3  [dab] Slang.
–noun
1. Also called dab hand. a person skilled in something; an expert.
2. an excellent or extraordinary person or thing.
–adjective
3. expert; excellent; extraordinary.
Origin:
1685–95; of uncert. orig.

DAB

 
Dictionary of American Biography.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To dab
dab 1   (dāb)   
v.   dabbed, dab·bing, dabs

v.   tr.

  1. To apply with short poking strokes: dabbed some paint on the worn spots.

  2. To cover lightly with or as if with a moist substance.

  3. To strike or hit lightly.

v.   intr.
To tap gently; pat.
n.  

  1. A small amount: a dab of jelly.

  2. A quick light pat.


[Middle English dabben, to strike.]
dab 2   (dāb)   
n.  Any of various flatfishes, chiefly of the genera Limanda and Hippoglossoides, related to and resembling the flounders.

[Middle English dabbe.]
dab 3   (dāb)   
n.   Chiefly British
A dab hand.

[Origin unknown.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

dab 
c.1307, "heavy blow with a weapon," from dabben "to strike," perhaps imitative. Modern sense of "strike with a slight, quick pressure" developed by 1592, infl. by Fr. dauber (see daub). Dab hand is British slang, 1828, from dab "expert" (1691), said to be school slang, of unknown origin.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Abbreviations & Acronyms
DAB
Dictionary of American Biography
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia

dab

any of the flatfishes of the genus Limanda, family Pleuronectidae, found in the North Atlantic and North Pacific. Dabs are right-eyed flatfish-i.e., the eyes are usually on the right side of the head. The dab of European waters is L. limanda, an abundant and valuable food fish. It is small, usually under 25 cm (10 inches) long, and light brown, with or without dark spots.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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