dabble

dabble

spatter or splash; undertake an activity casually: dabble in politics

Not to be confused with:

dapple – mottled or spotted marking, as on a horse; to mark with spots

Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

dab·ble

 (dăb′əl)

v. dab·bled, dab·bling, dab·bles

v.tr.

To splash or spatter with or as if with a liquid: "The moon hung over the harbor dabbling the waves with gold" (Katherine Mansfield).

v.intr.

1. To splash liquid gently and playfully.

2. To undertake something superficially or without serious intent: "The restaurant business entails more than ... dabbling in interior design" (Andy Birsh).

3. To feed by moving the bill back and forth just below the surface or on the bottom in shallow water. Used of ducks.

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[Possibly from Dutch dabbelen, frequentative of dabben, to strike, tap.]

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dab′bler n.

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.

dabble

(ˈdæbəl)

vb

1. to dip, move, or splash (the fingers, feet, etc) in a liquid

2. (intr; usually foll by in, with, or at) to deal (with) or work (at) frivolously or superficially; play (at)

3. (tr) to daub, mottle, splash, or smear: his face was dabbled with paint.

[C16: probably from Dutch dabbelen; see dab¹]

ˈdabbler n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

dab•ble

(ˈdæb əl)

v. -bled, -bling. v.i.

1. to play and splash in or as if in water, esp. with the hands.

2. to work at anything in an irregular or superficial manner: to dabble in literature.

3. (of a duck) to feed on shallow-water vegetation with rapid, splashing movements of the bill.

v.t.

4. to wet slightly in or with a liquid; splash; spatter.

[1550–60; probably dab¹ + -le]

dab′bler, n.

dab′bling•ly, adv.

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

dabble

Past participle: dabbled
Gerund: dabbling

Imperative

dabble

dabble

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	dabble - dip a foot or hand briefly into a liquid dip, dunk, souse, douse, plunge - immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or saturate; "dip the garment into the cleaning solution"; "dip the brush into the paint"
	2.	dabble - play in or as if in water, as of small children splash around, paddle play - be at play; be engaged in playful activity; amuse oneself in a way characteristic of children; "The kids were playing outside all day"; "I used to play with trucks as a little girl"
	3.	dabble - work with in an amateurish manner; "She dabbles in astronomy"; "He plays around with investments but he never makes any money" smatter, play around busy, occupy - keep busy with; "She busies herself with her butterfly collection"
	4.	dabble - bob forward and under so as to feed off the bottom of a body of water; "dabbling ducks" bob - move up and down repeatedly; "her rucksack bobbed gently on her back"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

dabble

verb (usually with in or with) play at or with, toy (with), potter, tinker (with), trifle (with), flirt with, dip into, fiddle with, dally (with), scratch the surface of, have a smattering of, potter about or around or round with She dabbled with drugs at University.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

يَشْتَغِل على سَبيلِ الهِوايَهيَلْعَبُ بِقَدَمَيْهِ بالماء، يُبَلِّل

fušovatmáchat

dyppefuskeplaske

plätschernsich oberflächlich mit etwas befassenpanschen

barboterfaire un peu de

beleártja magát vmibe

káka , föndrasulla, busla

dilettarsisguazzare

mėgėjiškai užsiiminėtipliuškentipliuškentis

neprofesionāli nodarbotiesplunčātiesšļakstīties

dompelenliefhebberenspetteren

drive sporadiskdyppefuske

fušovať

amatörce uğraşmaksuda oynatmak

弄湿把...作为兴趣爱好尝试一下溅湿

dabble

[ˈdæbl]

A. VT → salpicar, mojar
to dabble one's hands/feet in water → chapotear con las manos/los pies en el agua

B. VI (fig) to dabble in sth → hacer algo/interesarse por algo superficialmente
to dabble in politics → ser politiquero, politiquear
to dabble in shares → jugar a la bolsa
I only dabble in it → para mí es un pasatiempo nada más

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

dabble

[ˈdæb^əl] vi

[amateur]
Are they composers? - Not really, although they dabble → Ce sont des compositeurs? - Pas vraiment, mais ils composent en dilettante.
Is she an artist? - Not really, she dabbles → C'est une artiste? - Pas vraiment, elle peint en dilettante.

[drug-user] → tâter de la drogue
She dabbled with drugs → Elle tâtait de la drogue.

dabble in

vt [+ politics, antiques] → tâter dedab hand n (British) (= expert) to be a dab hand at sth → être doué(e) en qch
He wasn't such a dab hand in the kitchen → Il n'était pas aussi doué à la cuisine.
to be a dab hand at doing sth → être doué(e) pour faire qch

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

dabble

vt to dabble one’s hands/feet in the water → mit den Händen/Füßen im Wasser plan(t)schen

vi

(with hands, feet) → plan(t)schen

(fig) to dabble in/at something → sich (nebenbei) mit etw beschäftigen; are you a serious photographer? — no, I only dabble (in it) → beschäftigen Sie sich ernsthaft mit der Fotografie? — nein, nur so nebenbei; he dabbles in stocks and shares/antiques → er versucht sich an der Börse/in Antiquitäten

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

dabble

[ˈdæbl]

1. vt to dabble one's hands/feet in the water → sguazzare con le mani/i piedi nell'acqua

2. vi (fig) to dabble in sth → occuparsi di qc a tempo perso, dilettarsi di qc
to dabble in politics → dilettarsi di politica

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

dabble

(ˈdӕbl) verb

1. to play, or trail, in water. He dabbled his feet in the river. spat, plas يَلْعَبُ بِقَدَمَيْهِ بالماء، يُبَلِّل мокря chapinhar máchat (si) plätschern plaske; dyppe τσαλαβουτώchapotear solistama آب بازی کردن؛ شلپ شلوپ کردن polskia barboter לְשַׁכשֵך בְּמָיִם पानी में खेलना prskati, pljuskati megnedvesít mencelupkan sulla, busla bagnare 水をぱちゃぱちゃする (발 등으로) 물장난을 치다 pliuškenti(s) šļakstīties; plunčāties celup poedelenplaske, dyppe moczyć دساتيرى په ډول په كار لګيا كېدل: په او بو لاس يا پښې ننه ايستل او بېرته را ايستل (اوبه چړپول chapinhar a (se) bălăci барахтать(ся) plačkať sa, močiť sa čofotati praćkati se doppa, plaska med เล่นน้ำ suda oynatmak 弄濕，濺濕 плескати(ся), хлюпати(ся) تھوڑے سے پانی وغیرہ میں ہاتھ یا پاؤں ڈال کر ہلانا nhúng 弄湿，溅湿

2. to do anything in a half-serious way or as a hobby. He dabbles in chemistry. iets as ʼn liefhebbery beoefen, jou so ʼn bietjie met iets besig hou يَشْتَغِل على سَبيلِ الهِوايَه занимавам се с entreter-se fušovat (do) sich oberflächlich mit etwas befassen fuske; rode lidt (med) ασχολούμαι ερασιτεχνικά aficionarse ajaviiteks tegelema سرسری کار کردن harrastella faire un peu de לְהִתעָסֵק מֵעָט ऊपरी ढंग से करना baviti se nečim amaterski, miješati se u nešto beleártja magát vmibe berbuat sesuatu secara iseng káka (við), föndra (við) dilettarsi di 道楽半分にやる 장난 삼아 하다 mėgėjiškai užsiiminėti neprofesionāli nodarboties menceburkan diri liefhebberenfuske, drive sporadiskbawić się دساتيرى په ډول په كار لګيا كېدل: په او بو لاس يا پښې ننه ايستل او بېرته را ايستل (اوبه چړپول entreter-se a cocheta (cu) увлекаться fušovať šušmariti, ukvarjati se (s čim) petljati se syssla lite med, fuska med ทำเล่น ๆ ไม่จริงจัง amatörce uğraşmak 把...作為興趣愛好嘗試一下 займатися чимсь поверхово کسی کام یا مضمون میں شوقیہ یا سطحی دلچسپی لینا học đòi 把...作为兴趣爱好尝试一下

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