dollop
Americannoun
-
a lump or blob of some substance.
dollops of mud.
-
a small quantity.
Add a dollop of soda water to the mixture.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
a semisolid lump
-
a large serving, esp of food
verb
Etymology
Origin of dollop
1565–75; compare Icelandic dōlpur fat man, Norwegian (dial.) dolp lump
Explanation
A dollop is a small, indefinite amount of something. You might ask for a dollop of sour cream on your taco. English has many words for amounts of something that aren't exact. For example, a load is a lot of something, but a dollop is a little. If you're watching your weight, you may only want a dollop of dressing on your salad. Most people use a dollop of shampoo when washing their hair. You can't measure a dollop, but it should be a fairly small amount. If you use a whole bottle of ketchup, that's far more than a dollop.
Vocabulary lists containing dollop
Hamilton
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The Hate U Give
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The BFG
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Dollop the swirl mixture over the batter in 3 rows of 3, for total of 9 dollops.
From Washington Post • Dec. 7, 2022
Dollop your peanut butter over the top in small spoonfuls.
From Salon • Jan. 13, 2022
Dollop the sour cream in 4-5 parts of the nachos and serve right away.
From Fox News • Aug. 13, 2021
Dollop them over roasted vegetables or roasted chicken thighs, or spread on sandwiches.
From Washington Times • Feb. 5, 2020
I'll warrant him," said Mrs. Dollop; "and a far personabler man, by what I can hear.
From Middlemarch by Eliot, George
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
