dabble
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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.
[Possibly from Dutch dabbelen, frequentative of dabben, to strike, tap.]
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.
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
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Verb | 1. | dabble - dip a foot or hand briefly into a liquid |
| 2. | dabble - play in or as if in water, as of small children 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" | |
| 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
beleártja magát vmibe
káka , föndrasulla, busla
mėgėjiškai užsiiminėtipliuškentipliuškentis
neprofesionāli nodarbotiesplunčātiesšļakstīties
fušovať
amatörce uğraşmaksuda oynatmak
dabble
[ˈdæbl]A. VT → salpicar, mojar
to dabble one's hands/feet in water → chapotear con las manos/los pies en el agua
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
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
[ˈdæbəl] 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.
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.
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
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 qchHe 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
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]2. vi (fig) to dabble in sth → occuparsi di qc a tempo perso, dilettarsi di qc
to dabble in politics → dilettarsi di politica
to dabble in politics → dilettarsi di politica
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
dabble
(ˈdӕbl) verb1. to play, or trail, in water. He dabbled his feet in the river.
2. to do anything in a half-serious way or as a hobby. He dabbles in chemistry.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.