to pat or tap gently, as with something soft or moist.
The child dabbed his eyes with the handkerchief.
to apply (a substance) by light strokes.
He dabbed the ointment on the rash.
to strike, especially lightly, as with the hand.
to consume (cannabis) by inhaling the vapor of heated cannabis extract oil.
Masonry. to dress (stonework) with a pointed tool.
Western U.S. to throw (a rope or line) in an effort to lasso or catch something.
Joe dabbed his rope on the steer.
to strike lightly; make a dab; pat.
She dabbed at the stain on her dress.
to consume cannabis by inhaling the vapor of heated cannabis extract oil.
She dabs for a more intense high.
a quick or light blow; a pat, as with the hand or something soft.
a small moist lump or mass.
a dab of butter.
a small quantity.
a dab of powder.
a dose of cannabis extract oil.
a dance move that involves posing with one’s nose in the crook of a bent elbow at chest level while extending the other arm to the side at or above shoulder level, often performed as a celebratory posture in sports or other competitions.
Also called dab hand. a person skilled in something; an expert.
an excellent or extraordinary person or thing.
to touch lightly and quickly
(tr) to daub with short tapping strokes
to dab the wall with paint
(tr) to apply (paint, cream, etc) with short tapping strokes
a small amount, esp of something soft or moist
a dab of ink
a small light stroke or tap, as with the hand
(often plural) a slang word for fingerprint
a small common European brown flatfish, Limanda limanda, covered with rough toothed scales: family Pleuronectidae: a food fish
(often plural) any of various other small flatfish, esp flounders Compare sand dab
Also called: patiki. a sand flounder, Rhombosolea plebia , common around New Zealand's South Island
What else does dab mean? In slang, dab can be a highly concentrated marijuana extract, a type of hip-hop dance, or touching the ground with your foot while you ride a bicycle. Doing any of these actions is called dabbing, and yes, you could feasibly do all three at once—not that we recommend it.
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English verb dabben “to strike, hit,” of uncertain origin; compare Old Icelandic dabba “to strike, tap,” Norwegian dabbe “to shuffle along, walk slowly,” Middle Dutch dabben “to pinch, knead,” German tappen “to feel along, grope”
First recorded in 1570–80; perhaps special use of dab 1
First recorded in 1685–95; of uncertain origin
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."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Horizon Radio tried to get the stream turned off multiple times and provided Ofcom with a recording of an apology broadcast in the following hour once it had resumed control of its DAB output.
From BBC • Dec. 16, 2025
In its report, the regulator said Horizon Radio's web stream and DAB transmission were provided by third parties.
From BBC • Dec. 16, 2025
Ambassador to Switzerland Scott Miller, Anwar Ahady, a former Afghan central bank chief and former finance minister, and Shah Mehrabi, a U.S. academic who remains on the DAB Supreme Council.
From Reuters • Nov. 21, 2022
However, a full-scale transfer back to Afghanistan's central bank, known as DAB, is seen as all but impossible with a top official who is under both U.S. and U.N. sanctions.
From Reuters • Nov. 21, 2022
To DAB, DAUB, v. a. to peck, as birds do with their bills.
From Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume XXIV. by Leighton, Alexander
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.
