See dab in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
Download JSON data for dab meaning in English (27.8kB)
{
"etymology_number": 1,
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "dabben",
"4": "",
"5": "to strike"
},
"expansion": "Middle English dabben (“to strike”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "gmq",
"3": "-"
},
"expansion": "North Germanic",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "is",
"2": "dabba",
"t": "to tap, slap"
},
"expansion": "Icelandic dabba (“to tap, slap”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"title": "imitative"
},
"expansion": "imitative",
"name": "onomatopoeic"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "dum",
"2": "dabben",
"3": "",
"4": "to pinch, knead, fumble, dabble"
},
"expansion": "Middle Dutch dabben (“to pinch, knead, fumble, dabble”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "nl",
"2": "dabben",
"3": "",
"4": "(of a horse) to stamp with the forelegs"
},
"expansion": "Dutch dabben (“(of a horse) to stamp with the forelegs”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "nl",
"2": "deppen",
"3": "",
"4": "to dab"
},
"expansion": "Dutch deppen (“to dab”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "de",
"2": "tappen",
"3": "",
"4": "to fumble, grope"
},
"expansion": "German tappen (“to fumble, grope”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "dabbe",
"4": "",
"5": "a strike, blow"
},
"expansion": "Middle English dabbe (“a strike, blow”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "tap"
},
"expansion": "tap",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "drub"
},
"expansion": "drub",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "dub"
},
"expansion": "dub",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "dap",
"3": "",
"4": "fistbump"
},
"expansion": "dap (“fistbump”)",
"name": "m"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Middle English dabben (“to strike”), probably of North Germanic origin, related to Old Icelandic dabba (“to tap, slap”), perhaps ultimately imitative. Compare also with Middle Dutch dabben (“to pinch, knead, fumble, dabble”) (Dutch dabben (“(of a horse) to stamp with the forelegs”)), Dutch deppen (“to dab”), possibly German tappen (“to fumble, grope”).\nThe noun is from Middle English dabbe (“a strike, blow”), from the verb. Related to tap. Compare also drub, dub.\nAfrican-American sense of “playful box” perhaps influenced by dap (“fistbump”).",
"forms": [
{
"form": "dabs",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "dabbing",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "dabbed",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "dabbed",
"tags": [
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "dab (third-person singular simple present dabs, present participle dabbing, simple past and past participle dabbed)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"text": "I dabbed my face with a towel.",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To press lightly in a repetitive motion with a soft object without rubbing."
],
"id": "en-dab-en-verb-r1SG6lIX",
"links": [
[
"press",
"press"
],
[
"repetitive",
"repetitive"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(transitive) To press lightly in a repetitive motion with a soft object without rubbing."
],
"tags": [
"transitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"text": "He dabbed moisturizing liquid on his face.",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To apply a substance in this way."
],
"id": "en-dab-en-verb-desd6CTb",
"links": [
[
"apply",
"apply"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(transitive) To apply a substance in this way."
],
"tags": [
"transitive"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "33 53 10 0 4",
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "potupvam",
"sense": "softly tap",
"word": "потупвам"
},
{
"_dis1": "33 53 10 0 4",
"code": "eo",
"lang": "Esperanto",
"sense": "softly tap",
"word": "tapeti"
},
{
"_dis1": "33 53 10 0 4",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "softly tap",
"word": "tapoter"
},
{
"_dis1": "33 53 10 0 4",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "softly tap",
"word": "tamponner"
},
{
"_dis1": "33 53 10 0 4",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "softly tap",
"word": "tupfen"
},
{
"_dis1": "33 53 10 0 4",
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Mandarin",
"sense": "softly tap",
"word": "輕觸"
},
{
"_dis1": "33 53 10 0 4",
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Mandarin",
"sense": "softly tap",
"word": "轻触"
}
]
},
{
"examples": [
{
"text": "1532-1533, Thomas More, The Confutation of Tyndale's Answer\nto dabbe him in the necke"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To strike by a thrust; to hit with a sudden blow or thrust."
],
"id": "en-dab-en-verb-ZLgPHySr"
},
{
"categories": [],
"glosses": [
"To apply hash oil to a heated surface for the purpose of efficient combustion."
],
"id": "en-dab-en-verb-qJiWb~O0",
"raw_glosses": [
"(slang) To apply hash oil to a heated surface for the purpose of efficient combustion."
],
"tags": [
"slang"
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "topical",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Dance",
"orig": "en:Dance",
"parents": [
"Art",
"Recreation",
"Culture",
"Human activity",
"Society",
"Human behaviour",
"All topics",
"Human",
"Fundamental"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "21 5 6 25 43",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "1 1 1 7 1 13 9 9 7 3 4 16 2 1 1 10 13",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
"parents": [
"Entries with topic categories using raw markup",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "3 4 7 3 11 19 12 9 6 3 3 7 15",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English onomatopoeias",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "1 0 0 5 0 8 4 7 7 3 21 24 2 1 1 6 11",
"kind": "lifeform",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Flatfish",
"orig": "en:Flatfish",
"parents": [
"Fish",
"Vertebrates",
"Chordates",
"Animals",
"Lifeforms",
"All topics",
"Life",
"Fundamental",
"Nature"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "2019, Stormzy, Vossi Bop",
"text": "Look, my brothas don't dab, we just vossi bop",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To perform the dab dance move, by moving both arms to one side of the body parallel with your head."
],
"id": "en-dab-en-verb-er7w4Dbl",
"links": [
[
"dance",
"dance#Noun"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(dance, intransitive) To perform the dab dance move, by moving both arms to one side of the body parallel with your head."
],
"tags": [
"intransitive"
],
"topics": [
"dance",
"dancing",
"hobbies",
"lifestyle",
"sports"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "2 2 1 15 80",
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "perform the dance move",
"word": "dabben"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 2 1 15 80",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "perform the dance move",
"word": "dabber"
}
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/dæb/"
},
{
"rhymes": "-æb"
},
{
"audio": "en-us-dab.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/89/En-us-dab.ogg/En-us-dab.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/En-us-dab.ogg",
"tags": [
"US"
],
"text": "Audio (US)"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "5 43 7 38 8",
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "capvam",
"sense": "apply softly tapping",
"word": "цапвам"
},
{
"_dis1": "5 43 7 38 8",
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "macvam",
"sense": "apply softly tapping",
"word": "мацвам"
},
{
"_dis1": "5 43 7 38 8",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "apply softly tapping",
"word": "auftupfen"
},
{
"_dis1": "5 43 7 38 8",
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Mandarin",
"roman": "fū",
"sense": "apply softly tapping",
"word": "敷"
},
{
"_dis1": "5 43 7 38 8",
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "prymóčuvaty",
"sense": "apply softly tapping",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "примо́чувати"
},
{
"_dis1": "5 43 7 38 8",
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "prymočýty",
"sense": "apply softly tapping",
"tags": [
"perfective"
],
"word": "примочи́ти"
}
],
"word": "dab"
}
{
"derived": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "dab pen"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "poor dab"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "smack-dab"
}
],
"descendants": [
{
"depth": 1,
"templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "ga",
"2": "daba"
},
"expansion": "Irish: daba",
"name": "desc"
}
],
"text": "Irish: daba"
}
],
"etymology_number": 1,
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "dabben",
"4": "",
"5": "to strike"
},
"expansion": "Middle English dabben (“to strike”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "gmq",
"3": "-"
},
"expansion": "North Germanic",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "is",
"2": "dabba",
"t": "to tap, slap"
},
"expansion": "Icelandic dabba (“to tap, slap”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"title": "imitative"
},
"expansion": "imitative",
"name": "onomatopoeic"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "dum",
"2": "dabben",
"3": "",
"4": "to pinch, knead, fumble, dabble"
},
"expansion": "Middle Dutch dabben (“to pinch, knead, fumble, dabble”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "nl",
"2": "dabben",
"3": "",
"4": "(of a horse) to stamp with the forelegs"
},
"expansion": "Dutch dabben (“(of a horse) to stamp with the forelegs”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "nl",
"2": "deppen",
"3": "",
"4": "to dab"
},
"expansion": "Dutch deppen (“to dab”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "de",
"2": "tappen",
"3": "",
"4": "to fumble, grope"
},
"expansion": "German tappen (“to fumble, grope”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "dabbe",
"4": "",
"5": "a strike, blow"
},
"expansion": "Middle English dabbe (“a strike, blow”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "tap"
},
"expansion": "tap",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "drub"
},
"expansion": "drub",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "dub"
},
"expansion": "dub",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "dap",
"3": "",
"4": "fistbump"
},
"expansion": "dap (“fistbump”)",
"name": "m"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Middle English dabben (“to strike”), probably of North Germanic origin, related to Old Icelandic dabba (“to tap, slap”), perhaps ultimately imitative. Compare also with Middle Dutch dabben (“to pinch, knead, fumble, dabble”) (Dutch dabben (“(of a horse) to stamp with the forelegs”)), Dutch deppen (“to dab”), possibly German tappen (“to fumble, grope”).\nThe noun is from Middle English dabbe (“a strike, blow”), from the verb. Related to tap. Compare also drub, dub.\nAfrican-American sense of “playful box” perhaps influenced by dap (“fistbump”).",
"forms": [
{
"form": "dabs",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "dab (plural dabs)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"related": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "dap"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "dob"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "tap"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1865, Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend",
"text": "I promise you nothing,' said the dolls' dressmaker, dabbing two dabs at him with her needle, as if she put out both his eyes.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1917, Robert Hichens, In the Wilderness",
"text": "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.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A soft tap or blow; a blow or peck from a bird's beak; an aimed blow."
],
"id": "en-dab-en-noun-Yy~bfz8X",
"links": [
[
"tap",
"tap"
],
[
"blow",
"blow"
],
[
"peck",
"peck"
]
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "66 18 8 8 0 0 0",
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "potupvane",
"sense": "soft tap",
"tags": [
"neuter"
],
"word": "потупване"
},
{
"_dis1": "66 18 8 8 0 0 0",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "soft tap",
"word": "nokare"
},
{
"_dis1": "66 18 8 8 0 0 0",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "soft tap",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "Taps"
},
{
"_dis1": "66 18 8 8 0 0 0",
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "ángigma",
"sense": "soft tap",
"word": "άγγιγμα"
},
{
"_dis1": "66 18 8 8 0 0 0",
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "soft tap",
"word": "dutta"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "African-American Vernacular English",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "2006, Greta X, Angela Pearson, Whipsdom, page 75",
"text": "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.”",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2010, Adrianne Byrd, Body Heat, page 177",
"text": "The men gave each other dabs and another bear hug.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2010, De'nesha Diamond, Hustlin' Divas, page 197",
"text": "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.”",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A soft, playful box given in greeting or approval."
],
"id": "en-dab-en-noun-AgAgFlz7",
"links": [
[
"playful",
"playful"
],
[
"box",
"box#Etymology 3"
]
],
"qualifier": "African-American Vernacular",
"raw_glosses": [
"(African-American Vernacular) A soft, playful box given in greeting or approval."
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"text": "a dab of glue",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A small amount, a blob of some soft or wet substance."
],
"id": "en-dab-en-noun-uMDDSR3J",
"links": [
[
"blob",
"blob"
]
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "blob"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "1 1 1 7 1 13 9 9 7 3 4 16 2 1 1 10 13",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
"parents": [
"Entries with topic categories using raw markup",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "3 4 7 3 11 19 12 9 6 3 3 7 15",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English onomatopoeias",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A small amount, a blob of some soft or wet substance.",
"A small amount of hash oil."
],
"id": "en-dab-en-noun-AWDobYiV",
"links": [
[
"blob",
"blob"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"A small amount, a blob of some soft or wet substance.",
"(slang) A small amount of hash oil."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "blob"
}
],
"tags": [
"slang"
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "British English",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "3 4 7 3 11 19 12 9 6 3 3 7 15",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English onomatopoeias",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "2022, Liam McIlvanney, The Heretic, page 132",
"text": "One had Glash's dabs on it and a half-inch of Macallan at the bottom.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Fingerprint."
],
"id": "en-dab-en-noun-eaHED046",
"links": [
[
"Fingerprint",
"fingerprint"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(chiefly in the plural, dated, Britain) Fingerprint."
],
"tags": [
"Britain",
"dated",
"in-plural"
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "topical",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Dance",
"orig": "en:Dance",
"parents": [
"Art",
"Recreation",
"Culture",
"Human activity",
"Society",
"Human behaviour",
"All topics",
"Human",
"Fundamental"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "3 4 7 3 11 19 12 9 6 3 3 7 15",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English onomatopoeias",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A 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."
],
"id": "en-dab-en-noun-QcC8EXZA",
"links": [
[
"dance",
"dance#Noun"
],
[
"hip hop",
"hip hop"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(dance) A 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."
],
"topics": [
"dance",
"dancing",
"hobbies",
"lifestyle",
"sports"
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"glosses": [
"A dabbler."
],
"id": "en-dab-en-noun-snS-XSdJ",
"links": [
[
"dabbler",
"dabbler"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(obsolete) A dabbler."
],
"tags": [
"obsolete"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/dæb/"
},
{
"rhymes": "-æb"
},
{
"audio": "en-us-dab.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/89/En-us-dab.ogg/En-us-dab.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/En-us-dab.ogg",
"tags": [
"US"
],
"text": "Audio (US)"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "2 3 41 41 9 3 0",
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "mazka",
"sense": "small amount, blob",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "мазка"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 3 41 41 9 3 0",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "small amount, blob",
"word": "tippa"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 3 41 41 9 3 0",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "small amount, blob",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "Klacks"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 3 41 41 9 3 0",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "small amount, blob",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "Klecks"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 3 41 41 9 3 0",
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "mikroposótita",
"sense": "small amount, blob",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "μικροποσότητα"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 3 41 41 9 3 0",
"code": "ga",
"lang": "Irish",
"sense": "small amount, blob",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "daba"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 3 41 41 9 3 0",
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "small amount, blob",
"tags": [
"common-gender"
],
"word": "klick"
}
],
"word": "dab"
}
{
"etymology_number": 1,
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "dabben",
"4": "",
"5": "to strike"
},
"expansion": "Middle English dabben (“to strike”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "gmq",
"3": "-"
},
"expansion": "North Germanic",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "is",
"2": "dabba",
"t": "to tap, slap"
},
"expansion": "Icelandic dabba (“to tap, slap”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"title": "imitative"
},
"expansion": "imitative",
"name": "onomatopoeic"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "dum",
"2": "dabben",
"3": "",
"4": "to pinch, knead, fumble, dabble"
},
"expansion": "Middle Dutch dabben (“to pinch, knead, fumble, dabble”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "nl",
"2": "dabben",
"3": "",
"4": "(of a horse) to stamp with the forelegs"
},
"expansion": "Dutch dabben (“(of a horse) to stamp with the forelegs”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "nl",
"2": "deppen",
"3": "",
"4": "to dab"
},
"expansion": "Dutch deppen (“to dab”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "de",
"2": "tappen",
"3": "",
"4": "to fumble, grope"
},
"expansion": "German tappen (“to fumble, grope”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "dabbe",
"4": "",
"5": "a strike, blow"
},
"expansion": "Middle English dabbe (“a strike, blow”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "tap"
},
"expansion": "tap",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "drub"
},
"expansion": "drub",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "dub"
},
"expansion": "dub",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "dap",
"3": "",
"4": "fistbump"
},
"expansion": "dap (“fistbump”)",
"name": "m"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Middle English dabben (“to strike”), probably of North Germanic origin, related to Old Icelandic dabba (“to tap, slap”), perhaps ultimately imitative. Compare also with Middle Dutch dabben (“to pinch, knead, fumble, dabble”) (Dutch dabben (“(of a horse) to stamp with the forelegs”)), Dutch deppen (“to dab”), possibly German tappen (“to fumble, grope”).\nThe noun is from Middle English dabbe (“a strike, blow”), from the verb. Related to tap. Compare also drub, dub.\nAfrican-American sense of “playful box” perhaps influenced by dap (“fistbump”).",
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "-"
},
"expansion": "dab (not comparable)",
"name": "en-adv"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "adv",
"senses": [
{
"glosses": [
"With a dab, or sudden contact."
],
"id": "en-dab-en-adv-URLCT8WT",
"links": [
[
"sudden",
"sudden"
],
[
"contact",
"contact"
]
],
"related": [
{
"word": "daub"
}
],
"tags": [
"not-comparable"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/dæb/"
},
{
"rhymes": "-æb"
},
{
"audio": "en-us-dab.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/89/En-us-dab.ogg/En-us-dab.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/En-us-dab.ogg",
"tags": [
"US"
],
"text": "Audio (US)"
}
],
"word": "dab"
}
{
"etymology_number": 2,
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "adept"
},
"expansion": "adept",
"name": "m"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Perhaps corrupted from adept.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "dabs",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "dab (plural dabs)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"derived": [
{
"word": "dab hand"
},
{
"word": "dab-handed"
},
{
"word": "dabster"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "c. 1759-1770?, Oliver Goldsmith, Essay\nOne 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."
},
{
"ref": "1791-92, Jane Austen, ‘A Collection of Letters’, Juvenilia",
"text": "Indeed I had always heard what a dab he was at a Love-letter."
}
],
"glosses": [
"One skilful or proficient; an expert; an adept."
],
"id": "en-dab-en-noun-JFCZvrmc",
"links": [
[
"skilful",
"skilful"
],
[
"proficient",
"proficient"
],
[
"adept",
"adept"
]
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "skilled person"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "majstor",
"sense": "one skilful or proficient, an expert, an adept",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "майстор"
},
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "specialist",
"sense": "one skilful or proficient, an expert, an adept",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "специалист"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "mástoras",
"sense": "one skilful or proficient, an expert, an adept",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "μάστορας"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Mandarin",
"roman": "gāoshǒu",
"sense": "one skilful or proficient, an expert, an adept",
"word": "高手"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "one skilful or proficient, an expert, an adept",
"tags": [
"common-gender"
],
"word": "baddare"
}
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/dæb/"
},
{
"rhymes": "-æb"
},
{
"audio": "en-us-dab.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/89/En-us-dab.ogg/En-us-dab.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/En-us-dab.ogg",
"tags": [
"US"
],
"text": "Audio (US)"
}
],
"word": "dab"
}
{
"descendants": [
{
"depth": 1,
"templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "ga",
"2": "daba",
"bor": "1"
},
"expansion": "→ Irish: daba",
"name": "desc"
}
],
"text": "→ Irish: daba"
}
],
"etymology_number": 3,
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "dabbe"
},
"expansion": "Middle English dabbe",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"nocap": "1"
},
"expansion": "unknown",
"name": "unk"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "dab#Etymology 1",
"3": "sense 1",
"t": "to press against lightly"
},
"expansion": "sense 1 (“to press against lightly”)",
"name": "m"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Late Middle English dabbe, of unknown origin; perhaps related to sense 1 (“to press against lightly”) as in \"a soft mass dabbed down.\"",
"forms": [
{
"form": "dabs",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "dab (plural dabs)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "1 0 0 5 0 8 4 7 7 3 21 24 2 1 1 6 11",
"kind": "lifeform",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Flatfish",
"orig": "en:Flatfish",
"parents": [
"Fish",
"Vertebrates",
"Chordates",
"Animals",
"Lifeforms",
"All topics",
"Life",
"Fundamental",
"Nature"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A small flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae, especially Limanda limanda; a flounder."
],
"id": "en-dab-en-noun-en:fish",
"links": [
[
"flatfish",
"flatfish"
],
[
"Pleuronectidae",
"Pleuronectidae#Translingual"
]
],
"senseid": [
"en:fish"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "82 18",
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "pisija",
"sense": "flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "писия"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 18",
"code": "ca",
"lang": "Catalan",
"sense": "flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "limanda"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 18",
"code": "fo",
"lang": "Faroese",
"sense": "flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "áarskrubba"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 18",
"code": "gl",
"lang": "Galician",
"sense": "flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "mendo"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 18",
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "limándi i koiní",
"sense": "flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "λιμάνδη η κοινή"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 18",
"code": "ga",
"lang": "Irish",
"sense": "flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "daba"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 18",
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Mandarin",
"sense": "flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae",
"word": "比目魚"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 18",
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Mandarin",
"roman": "bǐmùyú",
"sense": "flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae",
"word": "比目鱼"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 18",
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Mandarin",
"sense": "flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae",
"word": "黃蓋鰈"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 18",
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Mandarin",
"sense": "flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae",
"word": "黄盖鲽"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 18",
"code": "nrf",
"lang": "Norman",
"sense": "flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "cat"
},
{
"_dis1": "82 18",
"code": "sco",
"lang": "Scots",
"sense": "flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae",
"word": "sautie"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "American English",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "1 1 1 7 1 13 9 9 7 3 4 16 2 1 1 10 13",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
"parents": [
"Entries with topic categories using raw markup",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "24 76",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English links with manual fragments",
"parents": [
"Links with manual fragments",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "1 0 0 5 0 8 4 7 7 3 21 24 2 1 1 6 11",
"kind": "lifeform",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Flatfish",
"orig": "en:Flatfish",
"parents": [
"Fish",
"Vertebrates",
"Chordates",
"Animals",
"Lifeforms",
"All topics",
"Life",
"Fundamental",
"Nature"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A sand dab, a small flatfish of genus Citharichthys."
],
"id": "en-dab-en-noun-f2bvAnTs",
"links": [
[
"sand dab",
"sand dab"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(US) A sand dab, a small flatfish of genus Citharichthys."
],
"tags": [
"US"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/dæb/"
},
{
"rhymes": "-æb"
},
{
"audio": "en-us-dab.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/89/En-us-dab.ogg/En-us-dab.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/En-us-dab.ogg",
"tags": [
"US"
],
"text": "Audio (US)"
}
],
"word": "dab"
}
{
"etymology_number": 4,
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "backslang",
"2": "Back slang"
},
"expansion": "Back slang",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "bad"
},
"expansion": "bad",
"name": "m"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Back slang for bad.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "more dab",
"tags": [
"comparative"
]
},
{
"form": "most dab",
"tags": [
"superlative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "dab (comparative more dab, superlative most dab)",
"name": "en-adj"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "adj",
"senses": [
{
"antonyms": [
{
"word": "doog"
},
{
"word": "doogheno"
}
],
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1851, Henry Mayhew, “Habits and Amusements of Costermongers”, in London Labour and the London Poor, volume 1, page 11",
"text": "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.\"",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2012, Anthony Quinn, The Streets, page 33",
"text": "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.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Bad."
],
"id": "en-dab-en-adj-j2aEtW3E",
"links": [
[
"Bad",
"bad"
]
],
"qualifier": "costermongers",
"raw_glosses": [
"(obsolete, costermongers) Bad."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "trosseno"
}
],
"tags": [
"obsolete"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/dæb/"
},
{
"rhymes": "-æb"
},
{
"audio": "en-us-dab.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/89/En-us-dab.ogg/En-us-dab.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/En-us-dab.ogg",
"tags": [
"US"
],
"text": "Audio (US)"
}
],
"word": "dab"
}
{
"categories": [
"English 1-syllable words",
"English adjectives",
"English adverbs",
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
"English lemmas",
"English nouns",
"English onomatopoeias",
"English terms derived from Middle English",
"English terms derived from North Germanic languages",
"English terms inherited from Middle English",
"English terms with IPA pronunciation",
"English terms with audio links",
"English uncomparable adverbs",
"English verbs",
"Rhymes:English/æb",
"Rhymes:English/æb/1 syllable",
"en:Flatfish"
],
"etymology_number": 1,
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "dabben",
"4": "",
"5": "to strike"
},
"expansion": "Middle English dabben (“to strike”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "gmq",
"3": "-"
},
"expansion": "North Germanic",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "is",
"2": "dabba",
"t": "to tap, slap"
},
"expansion": "Icelandic dabba (“to tap, slap”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"title": "imitative"
},
"expansion": "imitative",
"name": "onomatopoeic"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "dum",
"2": "dabben",
"3": "",
"4": "to pinch, knead, fumble, dabble"
},
"expansion": "Middle Dutch dabben (“to pinch, knead, fumble, dabble”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "nl",
"2": "dabben",
"3": "",
"4": "(of a horse) to stamp with the forelegs"
},
"expansion": "Dutch dabben (“(of a horse) to stamp with the forelegs”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "nl",
"2": "deppen",
"3": "",
"4": "to dab"
},
"expansion": "Dutch deppen (“to dab”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "de",
"2": "tappen",
"3": "",
"4": "to fumble, grope"
},
"expansion": "German tappen (“to fumble, grope”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "dabbe",
"4": "",
"5": "a strike, blow"
},
"expansion": "Middle English dabbe (“a strike, blow”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "tap"
},
"expansion": "tap",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "drub"
},
"expansion": "drub",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "dub"
},
"expansion": "dub",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "dap",
"3": "",
"4": "fistbump"
},
"expansion": "dap (“fistbump”)",
"name": "m"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Middle English dabben (“to strike”), probably of North Germanic origin, related to Old Icelandic dabba (“to tap, slap”), perhaps ultimately imitative. Compare also with Middle Dutch dabben (“to pinch, knead, fumble, dabble”) (Dutch dabben (“(of a horse) to stamp with the forelegs”)), Dutch deppen (“to dab”), possibly German tappen (“to fumble, grope”).\nThe noun is from Middle English dabbe (“a strike, blow”), from the verb. Related to tap. Compare also drub, dub.\nAfrican-American sense of “playful box” perhaps influenced by dap (“fistbump”).",
"forms": [
{
"form": "dabs",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "dabbing",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "dabbed",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "dabbed",
"tags": [
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "dab (third-person singular simple present dabs, present participle dabbing, simple past and past participle dabbed)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English terms with usage examples",
"English transitive verbs"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "I dabbed my face with a towel.",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To press lightly in a repetitive motion with a soft object without rubbing."
],
"links": [
[
"press",
"press"
],
[
"repetitive",
"repetitive"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(transitive) To press lightly in a repetitive motion with a soft object without rubbing."
],
"tags": [
"transitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English terms with usage examples",
"English transitive verbs"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "He dabbed moisturizing liquid on his face.",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To apply a substance in this way."
],
"links": [
[
"apply",
"apply"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(transitive) To apply a substance in this way."
],
"tags": [
"transitive"
]
},
{
"examples": [
{
"text": "1532-1533, Thomas More, The Confutation of Tyndale's Answer\nto dabbe him in the necke"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To strike by a thrust; to hit with a sudden blow or thrust."
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English slang"
],
"glosses": [
"To apply hash oil to a heated surface for the purpose of efficient combustion."
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(slang) To apply hash oil to a heated surface for the purpose of efficient combustion."
],
"tags": [
"slang"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English intransitive verbs",
"English terms with quotations",
"Quotation templates to be cleaned",
"en:Dance"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "2019, Stormzy, Vossi Bop",
"text": "Look, my brothas don't dab, we just vossi bop",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To perform the dab dance move, by moving both arms to one side of the body parallel with your head."
],
"links": [
[
"dance",
"dance#Noun"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(dance, intransitive) To perform the dab dance move, by moving both arms to one side of the body parallel with your head."
],
"tags": [
"intransitive"
],
"topics": [
"dance",
"dancing",
"hobbies",
"lifestyle",
"sports"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/dæb/"
},
{
"rhymes": "-æb"
},
{
"audio": "en-us-dab.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/89/En-us-dab.ogg/En-us-dab.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/En-us-dab.ogg",
"tags": [
"US"
],
"text": "Audio (US)"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "potupvam",
"sense": "softly tap",
"word": "потупвам"
},
{
"code": "eo",
"lang": "Esperanto",
"sense": "softly tap",
"word": "tapeti"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "softly tap",
"word": "tapoter"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "softly tap",
"word": "tamponner"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "softly tap",
"word": "tupfen"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Mandarin",
"sense": "softly tap",
"word": "輕觸"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Mandarin",
"sense": "softly tap",
"word": "轻触"
},
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "capvam",
"sense": "apply softly tapping",
"word": "цапвам"
},
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "macvam",
"sense": "apply softly tapping",
"word": "мацвам"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "apply softly tapping",
"word": "auftupfen"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Mandarin",
"roman": "fū",
"sense": "apply softly tapping",
"word": "敷"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "prymóčuvaty",
"sense": "apply softly tapping",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "примо́чувати"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "prymočýty",
"sense": "apply softly tapping",
"tags": [
"perfective"
],
"word": "примочи́ти"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "perform the dance move",
"word": "dabben"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "perform the dance move",
"word": "dabber"
}
],
"word": "dab"
}
{
"categories": [
"English 1-syllable words",
"English adjectives",
"English adverbs",
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
"English lemmas",
"English nouns",
"English onomatopoeias",
"English terms derived from Middle English",
"English terms derived from North Germanic languages",
"English terms inherited from Middle English",
"English terms with IPA pronunciation",
"English terms with audio links",
"English uncomparable adverbs",
"English verbs",
"Rhymes:English/æb",
"Rhymes:English/æb/1 syllable",
"en:Flatfish"
],
"derived": [
{
"word": "dab pen"
},
{
"word": "poor dab"
},
{
"word": "smack-dab"
}
],
"descendants": [
{
"depth": 1,
"templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "ga",
"2": "daba"
},
"expansion": "Irish: daba",
"name": "desc"
}
],
"text": "Irish: daba"
}
],
"etymology_number": 1,
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "dabben",
"4": "",
"5": "to strike"
},
"expansion": "Middle English dabben (“to strike”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "gmq",
"3": "-"
},
"expansion": "North Germanic",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "is",
"2": "dabba",
"t": "to tap, slap"
},
"expansion": "Icelandic dabba (“to tap, slap”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"title": "imitative"
},
"expansion": "imitative",
"name": "onomatopoeic"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "dum",
"2": "dabben",
"3": "",
"4": "to pinch, knead, fumble, dabble"
},
"expansion": "Middle Dutch dabben (“to pinch, knead, fumble, dabble”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "nl",
"2": "dabben",
"3": "",
"4": "(of a horse) to stamp with the forelegs"
},
"expansion": "Dutch dabben (“(of a horse) to stamp with the forelegs”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "nl",
"2": "deppen",
"3": "",
"4": "to dab"
},
"expansion": "Dutch deppen (“to dab”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "de",
"2": "tappen",
"3": "",
"4": "to fumble, grope"
},
"expansion": "German tappen (“to fumble, grope”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "dabbe",
"4": "",
"5": "a strike, blow"
},
"expansion": "Middle English dabbe (“a strike, blow”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "tap"
},
"expansion": "tap",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "drub"
},
"expansion": "drub",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "dub"
},
"expansion": "dub",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "dap",
"3": "",
"4": "fistbump"
},
"expansion": "dap (“fistbump”)",
"name": "m"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Middle English dabben (“to strike”), probably of North Germanic origin, related to Old Icelandic dabba (“to tap, slap”), perhaps ultimately imitative. Compare also with Middle Dutch dabben (“to pinch, knead, fumble, dabble”) (Dutch dabben (“(of a horse) to stamp with the forelegs”)), Dutch deppen (“to dab”), possibly German tappen (“to fumble, grope”).\nThe noun is from Middle English dabbe (“a strike, blow”), from the verb. Related to tap. Compare also drub, dub.\nAfrican-American sense of “playful box” perhaps influenced by dap (“fistbump”).",
"forms": [
{
"form": "dabs",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "dab (plural dabs)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"related": [
{
"word": "dap"
},
{
"word": "dob"
},
{
"word": "tap"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1865, Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend",
"text": "I promise you nothing,' said the dolls' dressmaker, dabbing two dabs at him with her needle, as if she put out both his eyes.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1917, Robert Hichens, In the Wilderness",
"text": "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.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A soft tap or blow; a blow or peck from a bird's beak; an aimed blow."
],
"links": [
[
"tap",
"tap"
],
[
"blow",
"blow"
],
[
"peck",
"peck"
]
]
},
{
"categories": [
"African-American Vernacular English",
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "2006, Greta X, Angela Pearson, Whipsdom, page 75",
"text": "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.”",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2010, Adrianne Byrd, Body Heat, page 177",
"text": "The men gave each other dabs and another bear hug.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2010, De'nesha Diamond, Hustlin' Divas, page 197",
"text": "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.”",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A soft, playful box given in greeting or approval."
],
"links": [
[
"playful",
"playful"
],
[
"box",
"box#Etymology 3"
]
],
"qualifier": "African-American Vernacular",
"raw_glosses": [
"(African-American Vernacular) A soft, playful box given in greeting or approval."
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English terms with usage examples"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "a dab of glue",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A small amount, a blob of some soft or wet substance."
],
"links": [
[
"blob",
"blob"
]
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "blob"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English slang",
"English terms with usage examples"
],
"glosses": [
"A small amount, a blob of some soft or wet substance.",
"A small amount of hash oil."
],
"links": [
[
"blob",
"blob"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"A small amount, a blob of some soft or wet substance.",
"(slang) A small amount of hash oil."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "blob"
}
],
"tags": [
"slang"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"British English",
"English dated terms",
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "2022, Liam McIlvanney, The Heretic, page 132",
"text": "One had Glash's dabs on it and a half-inch of Macallan at the bottom.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Fingerprint."
],
"links": [
[
"Fingerprint",
"fingerprint"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(chiefly in the plural, dated, Britain) Fingerprint."
],
"tags": [
"Britain",
"dated",
"in-plural"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"en:Dance"
],
"glosses": [
"A 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."
],
"links": [
[
"dance",
"dance#Noun"
],
[
"hip hop",
"hip hop"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(dance) A 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."
],
"topics": [
"dance",
"dancing",
"hobbies",
"lifestyle",
"sports"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English terms with obsolete senses"
],
"glosses": [
"A dabbler."
],
"links": [
[
"dabbler",
"dabbler"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(obsolete) A dabbler."
],
"tags": [
"obsolete"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/dæb/"
},
{
"rhymes": "-æb"
},
{
"audio": "en-us-dab.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/89/En-us-dab.ogg/En-us-dab.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/En-us-dab.ogg",
"tags": [
"US"
],
"text": "Audio (US)"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "potupvane",
"sense": "soft tap",
"tags": [
"neuter"
],
"word": "потупване"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "soft tap",
"word": "nokare"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "soft tap",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "Taps"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "ángigma",
"sense": "soft tap",
"word": "άγγιγμα"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "soft tap",
"word": "dutta"
},
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "mazka",
"sense": "small amount, blob",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "мазка"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "small amount, blob",
"word": "tippa"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "small amount, blob",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "Klacks"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "small amount, blob",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "Klecks"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "mikroposótita",
"sense": "small amount, blob",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "μικροποσότητα"
},
{
"code": "ga",
"lang": "Irish",
"sense": "small amount, blob",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "daba"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "small amount, blob",
"tags": [
"common-gender"
],
"word": "klick"
}
],
"word": "dab"
}
{
"categories": [
"English 1-syllable words",
"English adjectives",
"English adverbs",
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
"English lemmas",
"English nouns",
"English onomatopoeias",
"English terms derived from Middle English",
"English terms derived from North Germanic languages",
"English terms inherited from Middle English",
"English terms with IPA pronunciation",
"English terms with audio links",
"English uncomparable adverbs",
"English verbs",
"Rhymes:English/æb",
"Rhymes:English/æb/1 syllable",
"en:Flatfish"
],
"etymology_number": 1,
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "dabben",
"4": "",
"5": "to strike"
},
"expansion": "Middle English dabben (“to strike”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "gmq",
"3": "-"
},
"expansion": "North Germanic",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "is",
"2": "dabba",
"t": "to tap, slap"
},
"expansion": "Icelandic dabba (“to tap, slap”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"title": "imitative"
},
"expansion": "imitative",
"name": "onomatopoeic"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "dum",
"2": "dabben",
"3": "",
"4": "to pinch, knead, fumble, dabble"
},
"expansion": "Middle Dutch dabben (“to pinch, knead, fumble, dabble”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "nl",
"2": "dabben",
"3": "",
"4": "(of a horse) to stamp with the forelegs"
},
"expansion": "Dutch dabben (“(of a horse) to stamp with the forelegs”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "nl",
"2": "deppen",
"3": "",
"4": "to dab"
},
"expansion": "Dutch deppen (“to dab”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "de",
"2": "tappen",
"3": "",
"4": "to fumble, grope"
},
"expansion": "German tappen (“to fumble, grope”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "dabbe",
"4": "",
"5": "a strike, blow"
},
"expansion": "Middle English dabbe (“a strike, blow”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "tap"
},
"expansion": "tap",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "drub"
},
"expansion": "drub",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "dub"
},
"expansion": "dub",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "dap",
"3": "",
"4": "fistbump"
},
"expansion": "dap (“fistbump”)",
"name": "m"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Middle English dabben (“to strike”), probably of North Germanic origin, related to Old Icelandic dabba (“to tap, slap”), perhaps ultimately imitative. Compare also with Middle Dutch dabben (“to pinch, knead, fumble, dabble”) (Dutch dabben (“(of a horse) to stamp with the forelegs”)), Dutch deppen (“to dab”), possibly German tappen (“to fumble, grope”).\nThe noun is from Middle English dabbe (“a strike, blow”), from the verb. Related to tap. Compare also drub, dub.\nAfrican-American sense of “playful box” perhaps influenced by dap (“fistbump”).",
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "-"
},
"expansion": "dab (not comparable)",
"name": "en-adv"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "adv",
"related": [
{
"word": "daub"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"glosses": [
"With a dab, or sudden contact."
],
"links": [
[
"sudden",
"sudden"
],
[
"contact",
"contact"
]
],
"tags": [
"not-comparable"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/dæb/"
},
{
"rhymes": "-æb"
},
{
"audio": "en-us-dab.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/89/En-us-dab.ogg/En-us-dab.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/En-us-dab.ogg",
"tags": [
"US"
],
"text": "Audio (US)"
}
],
"word": "dab"
}
{
"categories": [
"English 1-syllable words",
"English adjectives",
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
"English lemmas",
"English nouns",
"English terms with IPA pronunciation",
"English terms with audio links",
"Rhymes:English/æb",
"Rhymes:English/æb/1 syllable",
"en:Flatfish"
],
"derived": [
{
"word": "dab hand"
},
{
"word": "dab-handed"
},
{
"word": "dabster"
}
],
"etymology_number": 2,
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "adept"
},
"expansion": "adept",
"name": "m"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Perhaps corrupted from adept.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "dabs",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "dab (plural dabs)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"examples": [
{
"text": "c. 1759-1770?, Oliver Goldsmith, Essay\nOne 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."
},
{
"ref": "1791-92, Jane Austen, ‘A Collection of Letters’, Juvenilia",
"text": "Indeed I had always heard what a dab he was at a Love-letter."
}
],
"glosses": [
"One skilful or proficient; an expert; an adept."
],
"links": [
[
"skilful",
"skilful"
],
[
"proficient",
"proficient"
],
[
"adept",
"adept"
]
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "skilled person"
}
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/dæb/"
},
{
"rhymes": "-æb"
},
{
"audio": "en-us-dab.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/89/En-us-dab.ogg/En-us-dab.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/En-us-dab.ogg",
"tags": [
"US"
],
"text": "Audio (US)"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "majstor",
"sense": "one skilful or proficient, an expert, an adept",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "майстор"
},
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "specialist",
"sense": "one skilful or proficient, an expert, an adept",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "специалист"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "mástoras",
"sense": "one skilful or proficient, an expert, an adept",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "μάστορας"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Mandarin",
"roman": "gāoshǒu",
"sense": "one skilful or proficient, an expert, an adept",
"word": "高手"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "one skilful or proficient, an expert, an adept",
"tags": [
"common-gender"
],
"word": "baddare"
}
],
"word": "dab"
}
{
"categories": [
"English 1-syllable words",
"English adjectives",
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
"English lemmas",
"English links with manual fragments",
"English nouns",
"English terms derived from Middle English",
"English terms inherited from Middle English",
"English terms with IPA pronunciation",
"English terms with audio links",
"English terms with unknown etymologies",
"Rhymes:English/æb",
"Rhymes:English/æb/1 syllable",
"en:Flatfish"
],
"descendants": [
{
"depth": 1,
"templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "ga",
"2": "daba",
"bor": "1"
},
"expansion": "→ Irish: daba",
"name": "desc"
}
],
"text": "→ Irish: daba"
}
],
"etymology_number": 3,
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "dabbe"
},
"expansion": "Middle English dabbe",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"nocap": "1"
},
"expansion": "unknown",
"name": "unk"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "dab#Etymology 1",
"3": "sense 1",
"t": "to press against lightly"
},
"expansion": "sense 1 (“to press against lightly”)",
"name": "m"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Late Middle English dabbe, of unknown origin; perhaps related to sense 1 (“to press against lightly”) as in \"a soft mass dabbed down.\"",
"forms": [
{
"form": "dabs",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "dab (plural dabs)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"Entries using missing taxonomic name (species)"
],
"glosses": [
"A small flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae, especially Limanda limanda; a flounder."
],
"links": [
[
"flatfish",
"flatfish"
],
[
"Pleuronectidae",
"Pleuronectidae#Translingual"
]
],
"senseid": [
"en:fish"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"American English",
"Entries using missing taxonomic name (genus)"
],
"glosses": [
"A sand dab, a small flatfish of genus Citharichthys."
],
"links": [
[
"sand dab",
"sand dab"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(US) A sand dab, a small flatfish of genus Citharichthys."
],
"tags": [
"US"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/dæb/"
},
{
"rhymes": "-æb"
},
{
"audio": "en-us-dab.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/89/En-us-dab.ogg/En-us-dab.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/En-us-dab.ogg",
"tags": [
"US"
],
"text": "Audio (US)"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "pisija",
"sense": "flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "писия"
},
{
"code": "ca",
"lang": "Catalan",
"sense": "flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "limanda"
},
{
"code": "fo",
"lang": "Faroese",
"sense": "flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "áarskrubba"
},
{
"code": "gl",
"lang": "Galician",
"sense": "flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "mendo"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "limándi i koiní",
"sense": "flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "λιμάνδη η κοινή"
},
{
"code": "ga",
"lang": "Irish",
"sense": "flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "daba"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Mandarin",
"sense": "flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae",
"word": "比目魚"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Mandarin",
"roman": "bǐmùyú",
"sense": "flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae",
"word": "比目鱼"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Mandarin",
"sense": "flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae",
"word": "黃蓋鰈"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Mandarin",
"sense": "flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae",
"word": "黄盖鲽"
},
{
"code": "nrf",
"lang": "Norman",
"sense": "flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "cat"
},
{
"code": "sco",
"lang": "Scots",
"sense": "flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae",
"word": "sautie"
}
],
"word": "dab"
}
{
"categories": [
"English 1-syllable words",
"English adjectives",
"English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
"English lemmas",
"English terms with IPA pronunciation",
"English terms with audio links",
"Rhymes:English/æb",
"Rhymes:English/æb/1 syllable",
"en:Flatfish"
],
"etymology_number": 4,
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "backslang",
"2": "Back slang"
},
"expansion": "Back slang",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "bad"
},
"expansion": "bad",
"name": "m"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Back slang for bad.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "more dab",
"tags": [
"comparative"
]
},
{
"form": "most dab",
"tags": [
"superlative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "dab (comparative more dab, superlative most dab)",
"name": "en-adj"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "adj",
"senses": [
{
"antonyms": [
{
"word": "doog"
},
{
"word": "doogheno"
}
],
"categories": [
"Costermongers' back slang",
"English terms with obsolete senses",
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1851, Henry Mayhew, “Habits and Amusements of Costermongers”, in London Labour and the London Poor, volume 1, page 11",
"text": "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.\"",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2012, Anthony Quinn, The Streets, page 33",
"text": "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.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Bad."
],
"links": [
[
"Bad",
"bad"
]
],
"qualifier": "costermongers",
"raw_glosses": [
"(obsolete, costermongers) Bad."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "trosseno"
}
],
"tags": [
"obsolete"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/dæb/"
},
{
"rhymes": "-æb"
},
{
"audio": "en-us-dab.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/89/En-us-dab.ogg/En-us-dab.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/En-us-dab.ogg",
"tags": [
"US"
],
"text": "Audio (US)"
}
],
"word": "dab"
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-17 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-01 using wiktextract (0b52755 and 5cb0836). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.