Showing results for "dub"

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Slang dictionary results for dub.

dub

¹ American  

[duhb] / dʌb /

verb (used with object)

dubbed, dubbing

1. to invest with any name, character, dignity, or title; style; name; call.

   He was dubbed a hero.

2. to strike lightly with a sword in the ceremony of conferring knighthood; make, or designate as, a knight.

   The king dubbed him a knight.

3. to strike, cut, rub, or make smooth, as leather or timber.

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idioms

1. dub bright, to shave off the outer surface of the planking of (a ship).

dub ² American  

[duhb] / dʌb /

noun

Slang.

1. an awkward, unskillful person.

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dub ³ American  

[duhb] / dʌb /

verb (used with object)

dubbed, dubbing

1. to thrust; poke.

2. Golf. to hit (a ball) poorly; misplay (a shot).

3. to execute poorly.

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verb (used without object)

dubbed, dubbing

1. to thrust; poke.

noun

1. a thrust; poke.

2. a drumbeat.

dub ⁴ American  

[duhb] / dʌb /

verb (used with object)

dubbed, dubbing

1. to furnish (a film or tape) with a new soundtrack, especially one recorded in a different language.

2. to add (music, speech, etc.) to a film or tape recording (often followed byin ).

3. to copy (a tape or disc recording).

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verb (used without object)

dubbed, dubbing

1. to copy program material from one tape recording onto another.

noun

1. the new sounds added to a film or tape.

2. a style of popular music based on reggae and produced by remixing previously recorded music to which audio samples and sound effects are added.

verb phrase

1. dub out to omit or erase (unwanted sound) on a tape or soundtrack.

   to dub out background noise.

dub ⁵ American  

[duhb] / dʌb /

noun

Chiefly Scot.

1. a pool of water; puddle.

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dub ¹ British  

/ dʌb /

verb

1. to alter the soundtrack of (an old recording, film, etc)

2. (tr) to substitute for the soundtrack of (a film) a new soundtrack, esp in a different language

3. (tr) to provide (a film or tape) with a soundtrack

4. (tr) to alter (a taped soundtrack) by removing some parts and exaggerating others

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noun

1. films the new sounds added

2. 1. music a style of record production associated with reggae, involving the removal or exaggeration of instrumental parts, extensive use of echo, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a dub mix

dub ² British  

/ dʌb /

verb

1. (tr) to invest (a person) with knighthood by the ritual of tapping on the shoulder with a sword

2. (tr) to invest with a title, name, or nickname

3. (tr) to dress (leather) by rubbing

4. angling to dress (a fly)

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noun

1. the sound of a drum

dub ³ British  

/ dʌb /

noun

1. a clumsy or awkward person or player

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verb

1. to bungle (a shot), as in golf

dub ⁴ British  

/ dʌb /

verb

1. informal short for double-bank

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dub ⁵ British  

/ dʌb /

noun

1. dialect a pool of water; puddle

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dub ⁶ British  

/ dʌb /

verb

1. slang (intr; foll by in, up, or out) to contribute to the cost of (something); pay

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Usage

What else does dub mean? Dub has many meanings in English. It can variously mean "to nickname" and "to voice a film in a different language." It can be short for double and the letter W. It can be slang for a marijuana "joint", or $20 worth of drugs. Dub also refers to a popular genre of music derived from reggae.

Other Word Forms

• dubber
  noun

Etymology

Origin of dub¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English dubben, late Old English (assumed) dubbian (in phrase dubbade tō ridere “dubbed to knight(hood)”), from Anglo-French dubber, dobber, douber, shortened form of ad(o)uber, equivalent to prefix a- (from Latin ad- “to”) + do(u)ber, from Old Low Franconian (assumed) dubban “to strike, beat,” cognate with Low German dubben; see origin at a- ⁵ ( def. ), dub ³, daube

Origin of dub²

First recorded in 1885–90; of expressive origin, cf. flub, flubdub, dub ³

Origin of dub³

First recorded in 1505–15; apparently same word (with older sense) as dub ¹

Origin of dub⁴

First recorded in 1925–30; short for double

Origin of dub⁵

First recorded in 1490–1500; of obscure origin; perhaps akin to Middle Low German dobbe “pond, puddle”

Explanation

If your brother is obsessive about doing the laundry, then you might dub him the "Scion of the Spin Cycle" or the "Dean of Detergent," meaning you’ve given him a funny nickname that’s inspired by his personal quirks. The verb dub traces back to the French word adober, meaning “equip with armor,” and originally referred to making someone a knight. Dub still carries that meaning, although now it's more likely to describe the giving out of titles of a different kind. Use this word when you give someone a playful nickname or an unofficial title based on some notable characteristic the person has, like dubbing your sister the "Queen of Shoes."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dub dubbed dubbing

Financial advisers dub that “sequence of return risk.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

The same year as “Donnie Darko,” Chase lent her voice to the American dub of Hayao Miyazaki’s tender “Spirited Away,” voicing its brave and stubborn protagonist Chihiro.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026

It’s partly what led the New York Times in 2011 to dub him “one of the most gifted singer-songwriters of his generation.”

From Salon ● May 15, 2026

The "Nerd Prom" as attendees dub it brings together hundreds of Washington journalists and media executives to raise funds for scholarships and awards.

From Barron's ● Apr. 26, 2026

Though the Arabs took the notation from India, the rest of the world would dub the new system Arabic numerals.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Since history's most powerful telescope went online in 2022, it has been spotting many extremely bright cosmic objects dubbed "little red dots" in the early universe that have baffled scientists.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

Was Dudamel’s dynamism the product of a Leonard-Bernstein-level-gift, or was “The Dude,” as some in the press dubbed him, all flash?

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

Sanchez also revealed to the outlet that Bezos has a space-themed bar dubbed the Kármán Line Bar located on the West Texas ranch.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026

Late last month, the company launched its huge Starship rocket in another test flight which demonstrated its ability to deploy a larger version of its Starlink satellites, dubbed as “V3” by the company.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Back on the Berkeley campus, the news about Joe-1, as the blast was dubbed in the US, electrified Luis Alvarez.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

The Metro covers the hunt for eclipse glasses, dubbing it Black Wednesday as the demand for specs to watch the solar eclipse has resulted in a "money-making bonanza" for shops.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

Noticing a need for affordable meals, Palacios and fellow USC student Josiah Herfurth spent this past semester hosting $10-per-person lunches at their college apartments, dubbing the offering Cafe 10:31.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026

Raman, too, has sought to discredit Pratt, dubbing him an anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist.

From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026

He repaid the governor’s disdain by dubbing him “Mr. Hair Gel” in his memoir, “The Guy You Loved to Hate: Confessions from a Reality TV Villain.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

Baba burst out in gales of his deep- throated laughter—a sound not unlike a truck engine revving up—and, when he could talk again, explained to us the concept of voice dubbing.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

Related Words

• designate
• nickname