dab

present singular third person dabs · participle present dabbing · participle past dabbed · past dabbed

1. transitiveTo press lightly in a repetitive motion with a soft object without rubbing.

   Dab the tears from your eyes.

   1 more example

   I dabbed my face with a towel.

2. transitiveTo apply a substance in this way.

   The nurse will dab some ointment on that gash.

3. To strike by a thrust; to hit with a sudden blow or thrust.

   1532-1533, Thomas More, The Confutation of Tyndale's Answer to dabbe him in the necke

   1 more example

   Breach hit a line, Zoe Harrison dabbed a kick in behind and Abby Dow chased like fury.

   2025 August 22, Mike Henson, “England open World Cup with 11-try win over USA”, in BBC Sport

4. slangTo apply hash oil to a heated surface for the purpose of efficient combustion.
5. intransitivedanceTo perform the dab dance move; to move both arms, parallel with one's head, to either side of the body.

   Look, my bruddas don't dab, we just vossi bop

   2019, Stormzy, “Vossi Bop”

6. bingoSynonym of daub (to mark a bingo card)

   Synonyms: daub

plural dabs

1. A soft tap or blow; a blow or peck from a bird's beak; an aimed blow.

   I promise you nothing,' said the dolls' dressmaker, dabbing two dabs at him with her needle, as if she put out both his eyes.

   1865, Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend

   2 more examples

   “It was the most absurd kiss. I don't believe he'd ever kissed a woman in his life before. I threw my head back, and it was a sort of slidy, pecking dab, just on the end of the chin — here.” Mrs. Hauksbee tapped her masculine little chin with her fan.

   1889, Rudyard Kipling, “The Education of Otis Yeere”, in Under the Deodars, Boston: The Greenock Press, published 1899, page 42

   Then the minute feet made feeble dabs, or stabs, at the atmosphere; the tiny fists doubled themselves and wandered to and fro as if in search of the enemy.

   1917, Robert Hichens, In the Wilderness

   Synonyms: bump, pat, spat, tit

2. African-American VernacularA soft, playful box given in greeting or approval.

   The men gave each other dabs and another bear hug.

   2010, Adrianne Byrd, Body Heat, page 177

   2 more examples

   She gave a few more dabs to his buttocks. “There. By the time you've made love to me those weals will have dried up.”

   2006, Greta X, Angela Pearson, Whipsdom, page 75

   I step closer to Profit and draw in a deep, steadying breath while the brothers exchange dabs. “What's up, fam? I see you finally made it.”

   2010, De'nesha Diamond, Hustlin' Divas, page 197

3. A small amount, a blob of some soft or wet substance.

   a dab of glue

   Synonyms: blob, ace, atom, thought, atomy, aught, bissel, continental

   1. slangA small amount of hash oil.

      Synonyms: blob, ace, atom, thought, atomy, aught, bissel, continental

4. UKdatedin pluralFingerprint.

   One had Glash's dabs on it and a half-inch of Macallan at the bottom.

   2022, Liam McIlvanney, The Heretic, page 132

5. danceA hip hop dance move in which the dancer simultaneously drops the head while raising an arm, briefly resting their face in the elbow, as if sneezing into their elbow.
6. obsoleteA dabbler.

   Synonyms: amateur, dilettante

1. not comparableWith a dab, or sudden contact.

plural dabs

1. One who is skilful or proficient; an expert; an adept.

   One excels at a plan or the title page, another works away at the body of the book, and the third is a dab at an index.

   1869 [1759], David Mather Masson, The Miscellaneous Works of Oliver Goldsmith, The Globe Edition, London: Macmillan & Co., reprint of The Bee: A Select Collection of Essays on The Most Interesting and Entertaining Subjects by Oliver Goldsmith, page 353

   4 more examples

   for little Urchin as he is, he‘s ſuch a Dab at his Bow and Arrows‘ that ne‘re a Finsbury Archer of ‘em all can pretend to come near him.

   1691, John Dunton, editor, The Athenian Mercury, volume 4, number 3, London, Queſt[ion] 8, page 2, column 2

   Dab, c. expert exquiſite in Roguery a Rumdab, c. a very Dextrous fellow at fileing , thieving, Cheating, Sharping, sc. Heii a Dab at it, He is well vers'd in it.

   c. 1698, B. E., compiler, A New Dictionary of the Terms Ancient and Modern of the Canting Crew, London: W. Hawes, DA, page 53, column 1

   I hope he will like my answer; it is as good a one as I can write though nothing to his; Indeed I had always heard what a dab he was at a Love-letter.

   1790, Jane Austen, “A Collection of Letters”, in Love and Freindship ^([sic]) (manuscript), page 149; first published in J. R. Sanders, Love & Freindship and Other Early Works, New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1922

   “[…]’S’pose they’re ridin’ Vidley’s ponies?” “De Vitré’s sure to be. He’s a dab on a horse.[…]”

   1898 December 28, Rudyard Kipling, “"Stalky"”, in Windsor Magazine

   Synonyms: adept, ace, artist, buff, crackerjack, crack hand, dab hand, dabster

plural dabs

1. A small flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae, especially Limanda limanda; a flounder.
2. USA sand dab, a small flatfish of genus Citharichthys.

comparative more dab · superlative most dab

1. obsoletecostermongersBad.

   One afternoon, arriving at his stall later than usual, I said, almost unknowingly, 'A doogheno or a dabheno?' Jo, who had often chaffed me for my awkward mimicking of coster language, didn't even look up from peeling his apple. 'Dab,' he said, with a little shake of his head.

   2012, Anthony Quinn, The Streets, →ISBN, page 33

   1 more example

   Business topics are discussed in a most peculiar style. One man takes the pipe from his mouth and says, "Bill made a doogheno hit this morning." "Jem," says another, to a man just entering, "you'll stand a top o' reeb?" "On," answers Jem, "I've had a trosseno tol, and have been doing dab."

   1851, Henry Mayhew, “Habits and Amusements of Costermongers”, in London Labour and the London Poor, volume 1, page 11

   Synonyms: trosseno · Antonyms: doog, doogheno

1. abbreviationinitialismInitialism of digital audio broadcasting.

1. Hong KongabbreviationinitialismgovernmentInitialism of Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (a pro-Beijing political party in the HKSAR).