dribble

present singular third person dribbles · participle present dribbling · participle past dribbled · past dribbled

1. ball gamesIn various ball games, to move (with) the ball, controlling its path by kicking or bouncing it repeatedly.
2. To let saliva drip from the mouth; to drool.

   The baby dribbled onto its bib.

3. intransitiveTo fall in drops or an unsteady stream; to trickle.
4. figurativelyintransitiveTo move or roll slowly or in small quantities.

   Denny slid over a couple of steps and swung feebly at it. The ball hit the wooden frame of his racket and dribbled into the net.

   1952, Charles Coombs, Young Readers Sports Treasury, page 14

   3 more examples

   The last formal word of compliment was spoken and the audience dribbled away with a sense of having performed a duty only slightly less meritorious than that of going to church.

   1927, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados Mysteries

   Derrick's hand passed along the plate while the catcher flipped and fell on his back in a huge cloud of dust. The ball went dribbling toward the backstop.

   1991, David Halecroft, Wild Pitch, →ISBN, page 56

   After two minutes and 25 seconds, he scored with a pea-roller that totally foxed Stoke keeper Dennis Herod and dribbled in off a post.

   2017, Scott Murray, The Title: The Story of the First Division, →ISBN, page 138

5. transitiveTo let something fall in drips.

   let her [the cook] follow him softly with a ladle full, and dribble it all the way up stairs to the dining-room

   1731 (date written; published 1745), [Jonathan] Swift, Directions to Servants […], London: […] R[obert] Dodsley, […], and M. Cooper, […], →OCLC

6. datedTo live or pass one's time in a trivial fashion.
7. To perform a card flourish in which the cards fall smoothly from one's hand.

plural dribbles

1. uncountableDrool; saliva.
2. colloquialuncountableRubbish; worthless matter.

   Your pieces are amateur at best—at worst they are a commercial hoax—something you’d find at Kmart for the kids to take back to their dorms. Frankly, I’m shocked you would waste my time with this dribble. You are no artist, my dear.

   2006, Mary Carter, chapter 27, in She’ll Take It, New York, N.Y.: Kensington Books, →ISBN, page 231

   2 more examples

   “Are these mangers also called ‘Labor Camps’? Those baby production lines Hitler set up to produce a race of pure bloods.” / “No,” said Ute, openly irritated at the remark. She looked over at Captain Browder, saying with her eyes, “Do we have to keep on with this dribble?” / Browder broke in, “Trank, let’s cut out this insignificant ramble. Let’s go straight to the subject of mangers where girls can give birth in secret.”

   2007, Paul F. F. Hood with Carra Leah Hood, chapter 15, in Tomorrow, Soldier, part 3 (Himmler’s Gas Station), Bloomington, Ind.; Central Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire: AuthorHouse, →ISBN, page 244

   I’ve returned everything that I borrowed and then some, but it never sat well with her father and he disowned her right along with me. Michael, did you know that I’m low life scum? Well, that’s what he called me the last time we were together. I apologize, I should never have bothered you with this dribble.

   2016, William McChesney, “Back to the War”, in Retribution: They Must All Die, New York, N.Y.: Page Publishing, →ISBN

3. countableA weak, unsteady stream; a trickle.
4. countableA small amount of a liquid.
5. countablehobbiesThe act of moving (with) a ball by kicking or bouncing it.
6. countableA card flourish in which the cards fall smoothly from one's hand.