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
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
dollopsimple
-
dollopssimple
-
have dollopedperfect
-
has dollopedperfect
-
am dollopingprogressive
-
are dollopingprogressive
-
is dollopingprogressive
-
have been dollopingperfect progressive
-
has been dollopingperfect progressive
Past
-
dollopedsimple
-
had dollopedperfect
-
was dollopingprogressive
-
were dollopingprogressive
-
had been dollopingperfect progressive
Future
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.
And there is always a healthy dollop of nostalgia when reminiscing about kits - those hazy childhood memories relived through a golden filter.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
The finished product is indulgent and addictive, flavoring the humble chia seed with freshly brewed Thai tea, maple syrup and vanilla extract, alongside a dollop of homemade coconut whipped cream.
From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026
The main ingredients, she’ll tell you, requiring a dollop of growth, gratitude, of giving and not taking.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026
A dollop of tax reform, a big dose of deregulation and an AI investment boom are allowing the economy to cope with the tariff distortions and uncertainty.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026
The vegetables were overcooked, the cornmeal was too lumpy, the soup too watery, and the yam slices coarse from being boiled without a dollop of butter.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
