dab

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dab

to press briefly with a cloth, sponge, etc. without rubbing: dab a cut to stop the bleeding; to press lightly
Not to be confused with:
daub – to coat or smear a surface with a thick substance; to paint crudely: daub the primer on the raw wood
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

dab 1

 (dăb)
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: dabbed the back of the fabric with glue.
3.
a. To rub or pat (something) lightly: dabbed his eye with the corner of his sleeve.
b. To press (something) lightly against an object or surface: dabbed a napkin to her lips.
c. To remove or brush away with light strokes: dabbed the tears from the child's eyes.
v.intr.
To make light patting or stroking motions: dabbed at the wound with a piece of gauze.
n.
1. A small amount: a dab of jelly.
2. A quick light pat.
[Middle English dabben, to strike.]

dab 2

 (dăb)
n.
Any of various flatfishes, especially the edible Limanda limanda of northeast Atlantic waters.
[Middle English dabbe.]

dab 3

 (dăb)
n. Chiefly British
A dab hand.
[Origin unknown.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

dab

(dæb)
vb, dabs, dabbing or dabbed
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
n
4. a small amount, esp of something soft or moist: a dab of ink.
5. a small light stroke or tap, as with the hand
6. (often plural) chiefly Brit a slang word for fingerprint
[C14: of imitative origin]

dab

(dæb)
n
1. (Animals) a small common European brown flatfish, Limanda limanda, covered with rough toothed scales: family Pleuronectidae: a food fish
2. (Animals) (often plural) any of various other small flatfish, esp flounders. Compare sand dab
3. (Animals) Also called: patiki a sand flounder, Rhombosolea plebia, common around New Zealand's South Island
[C15: from Anglo-French dabbe, of uncertain origin]

DAB

abbreviation for
(Broadcasting) digital audio broadcasting
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

dab1

(dæb)

v. dabbed, dab•bing,
n. v.t.
1. to pat or tap gently: I dabbed my eyes with a handkerchief.
2. to apply (a substance) by light strokes.
3. to strike, esp. lightly.
v.i.
4. to strike lightly; make a dab; pat: She dabbed at the stain on her dress.
n.
5. a quick or light pat, as with something soft.
6. a small lump or quantity: a dab of powder.
[1250–1300; compare Norwegian dabbe shuffle along, German tappen grope]
dab′ber, n.

dab2

(dæb)

n.
any of several flatfishes of the genus Limanda, esp. the European flatfish, L. limanda.
[1570–80; of obscure orig.]

dab3

(dæb)

n. Slang.
a person skilled in something; expert.
Also called dab′ hand′.
[1685–95; of uncertain orig.]

DAB

Dictionary of American Biography.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

dab


Past participle: dabbed
Gerund: dabbing

Imperative
dab
dab
Present
I dab
you dab
he/she/it dabs
we dab
you dab
they dab
Preterite
I dabbed
you dabbed
he/she/it dabbed
we dabbed
you dabbed
they dabbed
Present Continuous
I am dabbing
you are dabbing
he/she/it is dabbing
we are dabbing
you are dabbing
they are dabbing
Present Perfect
I have dabbed
you have dabbed
he/she/it has dabbed
we have dabbed
you have dabbed
they have dabbed
Past Continuous
I was dabbing
you were dabbing
he/she/it was dabbing
we were dabbing
you were dabbing
they were dabbing
Past Perfect
I had dabbed
you had dabbed
he/she/it had dabbed
we had dabbed
you had dabbed
they had dabbed
Future
I will dab
you will dab
he/she/it will dab
we will dab
you will dab
they will dab
Future Perfect
I will have dabbed
you will have dabbed
he/she/it will have dabbed
we will have dabbed
you will have dabbed
they will have dabbed
Future Continuous
I will be dabbing
you will be dabbing
he/she/it will be dabbing
we will be dabbing
you will be dabbing
they will be dabbing
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been dabbing
you have been dabbing
he/she/it has been dabbing
we have been dabbing
you have been dabbing
they have been dabbing
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been dabbing
you will have been dabbing
he/she/it will have been dabbing
we will have been dabbing
you will have been dabbing
they will have been dabbing
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been dabbing
you had been dabbing
he/she/it had been dabbing
we had been dabbing
you had been dabbing
they had been dabbing
Conditional
I would dab
you would dab
he/she/it would dab
we would dab
you would dab
they would dab
Past Conditional
I would have dabbed
you would have dabbed
he/she/it would have dabbed
we would have dabbed
you would have dabbed
they would have dabbed
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.dab - a light touch or stroke
pat, tap
touching, touch - the act of putting two things together with no space between them; "at his touch the room filled with lights"
2.dab - a small quantity of something moist or liquid; "a dab of paint"; "a splatter of mud"; "just a splash of whiskey"
splatter, splash
small indefinite amount, small indefinite quantity - an indefinite quantity that is below average size or magnitude
Verb1.dab - apply (usually a liquid) to a surface; "dab the wall with paint"
swab, swob
apply, put on - apply to a surface; "She applied paint to the back of the house"; "Put on make-up!"
2.dab - hit lightly; "pat him on the shoulder"
pat
strike - deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon; "The teacher struck the child"; "the opponent refused to strike"; "The boxer struck the attacker dead"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

dab

verb
1. pat, press, touch, stroke, tap, wipe, mop, blot, swab dabbing her eyes with a tissue
2. apply, spread, smudge, daub, spot, stipple, bedaub She dabbed iodine on the cuts.
noun
1. spot, little, bit, drop, touch, taste, suggestion, pat, trace, hint, dash, particle, splash, sprinkle, smear, lick, trickle, dribble, fleck, smudge, tad (informal), speck, dollop (informal), modicum, soupçon, smidgen or smidgin (informal, chiefly U.S. & Canad.) a dab of glue
2. touch, stroke, flick, smear, blot, smudge just one dab of the right fragrance
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

dab 1

verb
To spread with a greasy, sticky, or dirty substance:
bedaub, besmear, daub, plaster, smear, smirch, smudge.
noun
A tiny amount:
bit, crumb, dash, dot, dram, drop, fragment, grain, iota, jot, minim, mite, modicum, molecule, ort, ounce, particle, scrap, scruple, shred, smidgen, speck, tittle, trifle, whit.
Chiefly British: spot.

dab 2

noun
Chiefly British. A person with a high degree of knowledge or skill in a particular field:
ace, adept, authority, dab hand, expert, master, past master, professional, proficient, wizard.
Informal: whiz.
Slang: crackerjack.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
شَيْء قَليل مِنلَمْسَه، تَرْبيتَهيَمْسَحُ، يُرَبِّتُ
jemný dotekkapkalehce poklepávat/poťukávatždibeček
dupduppeen lille smuleklat
megérintés
bera lauslega álétt snertingsmáklípa, klína
gniužulasgumulasšvelniai nuspaudytišvelnus prisilietimas
piciņapiesitienspieskārienspikucītisviegli pieskarties
kúštikľahko sa dotýkaťľahký dotyk
azıcıkbir parçahafif hafif bastırmakhafifçe dokunuş

dab

1 [dæb]
A. N
1. (= light stroke) → toque m; (= blow) → golpecito m
2. (= small amount) → pizca f; [of paint] → ligero brochazo m; [of liquid] → gota f
3. dabs (esp Brit) → huellas fpl digitales
B. VT (= touch lightly) → tocar ligeramente; (with cream, butter) → untar ligeramente; (with paint, water) → dar unos toques a
to dab a stain off → quitar una mancha humedeciéndola
to dab on → untar ligeramente
dab at VI + PREP to dab at one's mouth/eyes → limpiarse la boca/los ojos (dándose toquecitos)

dab

2 [dæb] N (= fish) → lenguado m

dab

3 [dæb]
A. ADJ to be a dab hand at (doing) sth (Brit) → ser un hacha para (hacer) algo
B. ADV dab in the middle (US) → en el mismo centro
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

DAB

[ˈdæb] n abbr (RADIO) (=digital audio broadcasting) → DAB m

dab

[ˈdæb]
vt
[+ one's eyes, lips] → se tamponner
He dabbed his lips with the napkin → Il se tamponna les lèvres avec la serviette.
to dab sth on sth [+ paint, cream] → appliquer qch par petites touches sur qch
He dabbed some paint on the wall → Il a appliqué de la peinture sur le mur par petites touches.
n
a dab [glue, paste, glue] → un peu
a dab of paint → un petit coup de peinture
dab at
vt [+ something damp] → tamponner; [+ one's eyes, mouth] → se tamponner; [+ wound] → tamponner
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

dab

1
n
(= small amount) → Klecks m; (applied with puff, of cream etc) → Tupfer m; (of liquid, perfume, glue etc) → Tropfen m; (of butter) → Klacks m; a dab of powder/ointment etc → etwas or ein bisschen Puder/Salbe etc; to give something a dab of paint → etw überstreichen
dabs pl (Brit inf: = fingerprints) → Fingerabdrücke pl
vt (with powder etc) → betupfen; (with towel etc) → tupfen; to dab one’s eyes → sich (dat) → die Augen tupfen; she dabbed ointment/powder on her face/the wound → sie betupfte sich (dat) → das Gesicht/die Wunde mit Salbe/Puder

dab

2
n (= fish) → Kliesche f, → Scharbe f

dab

3
adj (inf) to be a dab hand at something → gut in etw (dat) → sein; to be a dab hand at doing something → sich darauf verstehen, etw zu tun
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

dab

1 [dæb]
1. n (light stroke) → colpetto, tocco; (of paint) → pennellata; (small amount) → pochino, punta; (of glue) → goccio
a dab of paint → un colpetto di vernice
2. adj to be a dab hand at sth/at doing sth (fam) → essere in gambissima in qc/a fare qc
3. vt (touch lightly) (also dab at) → picchiettare lievemente; (eyes, wound) → tamponare; (apply, paint, cream) to dab sth on sth → applicare qc con colpetti leggeri su qc

dab

2 [dæb] n (fish) → limanda
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

dab

(dӕb) – past tense, past participle dabbed – verb
to touch gently with something soft or moist. He dabbed the wound gently with cottonwool.
noun
1. a small lump of anything soft or moist. a dab of butter.
2. a gentle touch. a dab with a wet cloth.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
Mentioned in ?
References in classic literature ?
Fanny, quite punishing her own forehead with the vehement dabs she now began to give it, fitfully went on.
View in context
I promise you nothing,' said the dolls' dressmaker, dabbing two dabs at him with her needle, as if she put out both his eyes.
View in context
For some years Wilson had been privately at work on a whimsical almanac, for his amusement--a calendar, with a little dab of ostensible philosophy, usually in ironical form, appended to each date; and the judge thought that these quips and fancies of Wilson's were neatly turned and cute; so he carried a handful of them around one day, and read them to some of the chief citizens.
View in context
So strong was the play-instinct in him, as well as was his constitution strong, that he continually outplayed Scraps to abject weariness, so that he could only lie on the deck and pant and laugh through air-draughty lips and dab futilely in the air with weak forepaws at Michael's continued ferocious-acted onslaughts.
View in context
Local charity Dar Al Ber Society (DABS) was among the first to respond to the workers' situation, providing them with lunch and dinner over the last two weeks and sharing their plight with Khaleej Times.
KT impact: Food, job offers pour in for 300 unpaid workers in UAE
Jeremy Kyle shocked viewers today when he learned how to DAB.
Jeremy Kyle awkwardly learns how to DAB after guest busts out the move during most ridiculous entrance ever; The Jeremy Kyle show viewers couldn't believe that anyone was still dabbing in 2018 - let alone Jezza
"At minimum, dabs are four times as strong as a joint, and the high is administered all at once," John Stogner, an assistant professor of criminology at the University of North Carolina, (http://www.livescience.com/51202-marijuana-dabbing-trend.html) told Live Science. Stogner, who studies emerging drug trends, co-authored a (http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2015/06/09/peds.2015-0454?sid=456bd0a5-b100-4933-a059-066466b7cbff) paper , which was published in the journal of Pediatrics in June 2015, highlighting the stoner trend.
Marijuana Dabbing, Not To Be Confused With Latest Dance Craze
The genesis of DABs can be said to be the use of DRBs on large civil engineering projects in the USA in the 1960s.
Using Dispute Adjudication Boards to Resolve Construction Disputes
Full rover: 1 Darren Dalton 10lb 1oz (one cod, nine whiting, six dabs); 2 Terry Dalton 7lb 5oz (six whiting, one flounder and four dabs); 3 Dale Miller 3lb 5.5oz (five whiting, two dabs).
Dalton stars on Tees
Satar from Rustam Haidari township in Parwan-e-Se, Kabul, accused DABS of looting people instead of providing affordable power.
Power bills hurt law-abiding consumers

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