- present participle of dab.
dabbing
Americannoun
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dabbings
plural
-
the consumption of cannabis by inhaling the vapor of heated cannabis extract oil.
Experts agree that dabbing is more addictive than smoking.
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Also called dabbin'. the act of performing 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 as a celebratory posture in sports or other competitions.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of dabbing
First recorded in 2000–05; dab 1 ( def. ) (in the sense “to consume cannabis” dabbing for def. 1; in the sense “a dance step” dabbing for def. 2 ) + -ing 1 ( def. )
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.
See Examples For:
We see through her eyes an assistant dabbing moisturizer on her hand, art installers asking where she wants a large sculpture, a man cleaning her pool who greets her.
From Salon ● Jul. 2, 2026
“He never told anyone what to say,” she said, occasionally dabbing her eyes with a tissue as she spoke.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2025
"You have given him the best birthday gift he could ever have," she said, dabbing away tears and occasionally pausing to collect herself.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2025
In the courtroom, Giles’ mother, wearing a “Christy’s Mom” shirt, and several other women who showed up in support of the victims could be seen hugging and dabbing their eyes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 4, 2025
Harry saw Fenrir, skulking, chewing his long nails; the great blond Rowle was dabbing at his bleeding lip.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
"It's very dreadful," Mrs. Hardy was saying, between dabbings of her perfumed handkerchief on eyes that bore witness to the genuineness of her distress.
From The Cow Puncher by Robert J. C. Stead
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.
