dabble

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to take part in an activity casually or without serious commitment

   She likes to dabble in photography on weekends.

2. 2
   verb

   to move the hands, feet, or bill about playfully in shallow water

   The children sat on the bank and dabbled their feet in the stream.

3. 3
   verb

   literary: to wet, splash, or stain something with liquid

   His silver hair was dabbled with blood after the attack.

From earlier dable, probably a frequentative formation related to dab and perhaps influenced by Middle Dutch dabbelen, meaning to fumble, knead, or splash. The literal water sense preceded the figurative idea of engaging only superficially.

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images