dabber

American  

[dab-er] / ˈdæb ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that dabs.

2. a cushionlike article used for applying ink, as by printers and engravers.

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dabber British  

/ ˈdæbə /

noun

1. a pad used by printers for applying ink by hand

2. a felt-tip pen with a very broad writing point, used especially by bingo players to cancel numbers on their cards

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Etymology

Origin of dabber

First recorded in 1780–90; dab ¹ + -er ¹

Example Sentences

She keeps a second pink ink dabber standing by just in case the one she is using to mark the spaces on her bingo sheet runs out.

From Washington Times • Jan. 11, 2015

To equalize the ground a dabber was used, which was made of cotton-wool under horsehair, the whole inclosed in silk.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 7 "Equation" to "Ethics" by Various

In a coloring process in use there Forster, or Foster, noticed a peculiar composition that covered the surface of the potter's "dabber."

From The Building of a Book A Series of Practical Articles Written by Experts in the Various Departments of Book Making and Distributing by Hitchcock, Frederick H.

This is allowed to harden and the background colour applied with a soft dabber.

From Pottery, for Artists Craftsmen & Teachers by Cox, George J.

After the dabber has been used for some time, and the ink has hardened in it, cut off another slice so as to get a fresh surface.

From A Treatise on Etching by Lalanne, Maxime