dabble

verb

dab·​ble ˈda-bəl How to pronounce dabble (audio)
dabbled; dabbling ˈda-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce dabble (audio)

intransitive verb

1
: to work or involve oneself superficially or intermittently especially in a secondary activity or interest
dabbles in art
2
a
: to paddle, splash, or play in or as if in water
b
: to reach with the bill to the bottom of shallow water in order to obtain food

transitive verb

: to wet by splashing or by little dips or strokes : spatter

Examples of dabble in a Sentence

The ducks dabbled in the stream. She sat by the pool, dabbling her feet in the cool water.
Recent Examples on the Web Labels such as Maison Margiela, Burberry, The Row, and Victoria Beckham have all dabbled in surrealism, turning clothes back-to-front. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2024 Just like Beyond and Impossible before it, the brand is hoping to appeal to those generally curious omnivores who dabble in a little bit of everything, both meat and non-meat. Dennis Lee / The Takeout, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024 Others dabbling in doppelbocks, Leguizamon said, include AleSmith and Stone-Liberty Station. Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2024 Grant has also dabbled in voice acting, most notably playing Latts Razzi in the TV series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Kaitlin Stevens, Peoplemag, 11 Feb. 2024 This isn’t the first time the Swedish retailer has dabbled in AI technology—last summer, IKEA launched an AI assistant on its website that's designed to help customers plan the layout of their furniture. Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Feb. 2024 Taite wanted to know if Marley had dabbled in rock or soul before settling on reggae. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Feb. 2024 The performer has dabbled in fashion and writing, too, releasing her fitness clothing line CALIA by Carrie in 2015 and her New York Times best-selling book Find Your Path five years later. Ilana Frost, Peoplemag, 26 Feb. 2024 Mazzarri, who also coached the Azzurri between 2009-2013, then dabbled with a change in formation to stem the bleeding, a tactic which worked brilliantly against Fiorentina and Inter during the Italian Super Cup tournament in January. David Ferrini, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dabble.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

perhaps frequentative of dab entry 2

First Known Use

1557, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of dabble was in 1557

Dictionary Entries Near dabble

Cite this Entry

“Dabble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dabble. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dabble

verb
dab·​ble ˈdab-əl How to pronounce dabble (audio)
dabbled; dabbling -(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce dabble (audio)
1
: to wet by splashing : spatter
2
a
: to paddle or play in or as if in water
b
: to reach with the bill to the bottom of shallow water to obtain food
ducks dabbled in the pond
3
: to work or concern oneself lightly or without deep involvement
they dabble in poetry
dabbler
-(ə-)lər
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on dabble

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