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daub

 - 3 dictionary results

daub

[dawb]
–verb (used with object)
1. to cover or coat with soft, adhesive matter, as plaster or mud: to daub a canvas with paint; to daub stone walls with mud.
2. to spread (plaster, mud, etc.) on or over something: to daub plaster on a brick wall.
3. to smear, soil, or defile.
4. to apply, as paint or colors, unskillfully.
–verb (used without object)
5. to daub something.
6. to paint unskillfully.
–noun
7. material, esp. of an inferior kind, for daubing walls.
8. something daubed on.
9. an act of daubing.
10. a crude, inartistic painting.

Origin:
1275–1325; (v.) ME dauben < AF, OF dauber to whiten, paint < L dealbāre, equiv. to de-, prevocalic var. of dē- de- + albāre to whiten, deriv. of albus white; (n.) late ME, deriv. of the v.


dauber, noun
daub⋅ing⋅ly, adverb
dauby, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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daub   (dôb)   
v.   daubed, daub·ing, daubs

v.   tr.
  1. To cover or smear with a soft adhesive substance such as plaster, grease, or mud.

  2. To apply paint to (a surface) with hasty or crude strokes.

  3. To apply with quick or crude strokes: daubed glue on the paper.

v.   intr.
  1. To apply paint or coloring with crude, unskillful strokes.

  2. To make crude or amateurish paintings.

  3. To daub a sticky material.

n.  
  1. The act or a stroke of daubing.

  2. A soft adhesive coating material such as plaster, grease, or mud.

  3. Matter daubed on.

  4. A crude, amateurish painting or picture.


[Middle English dauben, from Old French dauber, from Latin dēalbāre, to whitewash : dē-, intensive pref.; see de- + albus, white; see albho- in Indo-European roots.]
daub'er n., daub'er·y (dô'bə-rē) n.
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

daub 
c.1325, from O.Fr. dauber "to whitewash, plaster," probably from L. dealbare, from de- "thoroughly" + albare "to whiten," from albus "white." Painting sense is from 1630.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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