dribble

American  

[drib-uhl] / ˈdrɪb əl /

verb (used without object)

dribbles, present (3rd person singular) dribbled, past participle, past dribbling present participle

1. to fall or flow in drops or small quantities; trickle.

2. to drivel; slaver.

3. Sports. to advance a ball or puck by bouncing it or giving it a series of short kicks or pushes.

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verb (used with object)

dribbles, present (3rd person singular) dribbled, past participle, past dribbling present participle

1. to let fall in drops.

2. Sports.

   1. Basketball. to bounce (the ball) as in advancing or keeping control of it.

   2. (especially in ice hockey and soccer) to move (the ball or puck) along by a rapid succession of short kicks or pushes.

noun

dribbles plural

1. a small trickling stream or a drop.

2. a small quantity of anything.

   a dribble of revenue.

3. Sports. an act or instance of dribbling a ball or puck.

4. Scot. a drizzle; a light rain.

dribble British  

/ ˈdrɪbəl /

verb

1. (usually intr) to flow or allow to flow in a thin stream or drops; trickle

2. (intr) to allow saliva to trickle from the mouth

3. (in soccer, basketball, hockey, etc) to propel (the ball) by repeatedly tapping it with the hand, foot, or stick

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noun

1. a small quantity of liquid falling in drops or flowing in a thin stream

2. a small quantity or supply

3. an act or instance of dribbling

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• dribbler
  noun
• dribbly
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• dribbles
  plural

Participles

• dribbling
  present
• dribbled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• dribble
  simple
• dribbles
  simple
• have dribbled
  perfect
• has dribbled
  perfect
• am dribbling
  progressive
• are dribbling
  progressive
• is dribbling
  progressive
• have been dribbling
  perfect progressive
• has been dribbling
  perfect progressive

Past

• dribbled
  simple
• had dribbled
  perfect
• was dribbling
  progressive
• were dribbling
  progressive
• had been dribbling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will dribble
  simple
• will have dribbled
  perfect
• will be dribbling
  progressive
• will have been dribbling
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of dribble

1555–65; frequentative of obsolete drib (v.), probably variant of drip

Explanation

A dribble is a slow, steady flow of water. Or, if you are a basketball player, you dribble the ball to make your way towards the basket. Dribbling consists of tiny drops of water (or another liquid) dripping. If you've ever had a leaky faucet going drip-drip-drip-drip, then you know exactly what dribbling is like, and how annoying it can be. Dribbling in basketball isn't annoying at all; in fact, it's an essential skill. If you think about it, the repeated tap-tap-tap of the ball sounds a bit like the drip-drip-drip of the water dribbling.

Example Sentences

He is a left-footed right-winger who has excellent close control and loves to dribble.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

"All anyone needs to play basketball is a ball and a hoop, a surface that you can dribble on, and New York City has an awful lot of that kind of space," she said.

From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026

Overall the Lakers committed 21 more turnovers, giving up 26 points off the mistakes while paying dearly for every errant dribble or misfired pass against the swarming Thunder defenders.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

They believed James would knock away a dribble on the next possession, run to beyond the three-point line, take a pass from Kennard and sink a game-tying trey.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026

He felt a dribble of sweat slide down the crown of his shaven head.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

Related Words

• drizzle
• ooze
• squirt