dab

/dæb/

/dæb/

Other forms: dabbed; dabs; dabbing

A dab is a quick, soft application of something, like paint or makeup. You might touch up a clown's makeup with several dabs on his cheeks and forehead.

A dab is the motion with which you pat or apply something to a surface, and it's also the tiny amount of material you're applying. An artist might work in dabs of paint, and a baker might lick a dab of cake batter off her finger. Dab is a verb too: "Dab this aloe on your sunburn — it'll feel much better." A dab is a "light, striking movement," from the earlier dabben, "to strike."

Definitions of dab

1. noun

   a light touch or stroke
   synonyms: pat, tap

   type of:

   touch, touching

   the act of putting two things together with no space between them
2. verb

   hit lightly
   synonyms: pat

   type of:

   strike, zonk

   deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon
3. noun

   a small quantity of something moist or liquid
   “a dab of paint”

   synonyms: splash, splatter

   type of:

   small indefinite amount, small indefinite quantity

   an indefinite quantity that is below average size or magnitude
4. verb

   apply (usually a liquid) to a surface
   “dab the wall with paint”

   synonyms: swab, swob

   type of:

   apply, put on

   apply to a surface