dab

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

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	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
Verb	1.	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

abtupfenKlecksKliescheScharbeTupfer

coup légerlimandetamponnerun petit peu

megérintés

bera lauslega álétt snertingsmáklípa, klína

colpettopicchiettare

gniužulasgumulasšvelniai nuspaudytišvelnus prisilietimas

piciņapiesitienspieskārienspikucītisviegli pieskarties

berøre lettlett berøringlite dask

kúštikľahko sa dotýkaťľahký dotyk

azıcıkbir parçahafif hafif bastırmakhafifçe dokunuş

湿而软的小块轻拍轻擦轻敷

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. tik, aanraak, dep يَمْسَحُ، يُرَبِّتُ докосвам tocar de leve lehce poklepávat/poťukávat abtupfen duppe αγγίζω ελαφρά tocar ligeramente tupsutama مالیدن؛ آهسته لمس کردن kostuttaa tamponner לִטפוֹח चुपड़ना, थपकी dirnuti, kuckati megérint mencolek bera lauslega á sfregare lievemente 軽く押しあてる 가볍게 두드리다 švelniai nuspaudyti viegli pieskarties mengelap betten delikatnie dotknąć, musnąć په پاسته او لا نده شى په نرمۍ وهل، ټاپه كول، ورو ملهم ايښوول (پر)، ټكورول: كوچنۍ نمنا كه كوټه، ماهر tocar de leve слегка прикасаться ľahko sa dotýkať, poklepkávať lahno obrisati, popivnati taknuti badda ป้าย hafif hafif bastırmak 輕敷，輕拍 торкатися; прикладати کسی گیلے کپڑے یا اسفنج وغیرہ سے ہلکے ہلکے پونچھنا vỗ nhẹ 轻敷，轻拍

noun

1. a small lump of anything soft or moist. a dab of butter. tikkie, titseltjie شَيْء قَليل مِن бучка pouco ždibeček, kapka der Klecks en lille smule; klat μικρή ποσότητα, μια ιδέα toque tiba تکه بسیار کوچک nokare un petit peu טִפיחָה थपकी grudica maslaca darabka secolekan smáklípa, klína un poco ひとつまみの～ 작은 덩어리 gumulas, gniužulas piciņa; pikucītis sedikit likje klatt, klumpbryłka, pacynka كوچنۍ نمنا كه كوټه bocadinho un strat (de) мазок štipka, kúštik košček komadić klump, klick จำนวนเล็กน้อย bir parça, azıcık 濕而軟的小塊 грудка کسی نرم یا نم چیز کا چھوٹا سا ٹکڑا miếng 湿而软的小块

2. a gentle touch. a dab with a wet cloth. tikkie لَمْسَه، تَرْبيتَه докосване toque jemný dotek der Tupfer dup ελαφρό άγγιγμα, σκούπισμαgolpecito tupsutus لمس آهسته sipaisu coup léger נְגִיעָה קָלָה थपकाना otirati dodirivanjem megérintés colekan létt snerting tocco lieve 軽く押しあてること 가벼운 터치 švelnus prisilietimas (viegls) pieskāriens; piesitiens lap veegje lett berøring, lite dask tknięcie, muśnięcie په نرمی وهل toque tam­ponare uşoară прикосновение ľahký dotyk dotik lak dodir lätt tryckning (beröring), dutt ป้าย hafifçe dokunuş 輕擦 дотик ہلکا سا لمس sự thấm 轻擦

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.