dabble

verb

dab·​ble ˈda-bəl 

dabbled; dabbling ˈda-b(ə-)liŋ 

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

The Gunn brothers used to make monster movies as kids The brothers began dabbling in film at an early age. —Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 19 May 2024

Off the court, Averill enjoys writing short stories, dabbling in music, and hosting a weekly podcast with a Polish volleyball player. —David Driver, The Mercury News, 12 May 2024

The Yankees don’t have a true backup at first for Anthony Rizzo, though Oswaldo Cabrera has dabbled there with DJ LeMahieu on the injured list. —Gary Phillips, Hartford Courant, 29 Apr. 2024

Such stories can be tricky to navigate for Fox News anchors who don’t dabble in opinion. —Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

perhaps frequentative of dab entry 2

First Known Use

1557, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

dabble

verb

dab·​ble ˈdab-əl 

dabbled; dabbling -(ə-)liŋ 

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