dribble

American  

[drib-uhl] / ˈdrɪb əl /

verb (used without object)

dribbles, present (3rd person singular) dribbled, past participle, past dribbling present participle

1. to fall or flow in drops or small quantities; trickle.

2. to drivel; slaver.

3. Sports. to advance a ball or puck by bouncing it or giving it a series of short kicks or pushes.

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verb (used with object)

dribbles, present (3rd person singular) dribbled, past participle, past dribbling present participle

1. to let fall in drops.

2. Sports.

   1. Basketball. to bounce (the ball) as in advancing or keeping control of it.

   2. (especially in ice hockey and soccer) to move (the ball or puck) along by a rapid succession of short kicks or pushes.

noun

dribbles plural

1. a small trickling stream or a drop.

2. a small quantity of anything.

   a dribble of revenue.

3. Sports. an act or instance of dribbling a ball or puck.

4. Scot. a drizzle; a light rain.

dribble British  

/ ˈdrɪbəl /

verb

1. (usually intr) to flow or allow to flow in a thin stream or drops; trickle

2. (intr) to allow saliva to trickle from the mouth

3. (in soccer, basketball, hockey, etc) to propel (the ball) by repeatedly tapping it with the hand, foot, or stick

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noun

1. a small quantity of liquid falling in drops or flowing in a thin stream

2. a small quantity or supply

3. an act or instance of dribbling

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• dribbler
  noun
• dribbly
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• dribbles
  plural

Participles

• dribbling
  present
• dribbled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• dribble
  simple
• dribbles
  simple
• have dribbled
  perfect
• has dribbled
  perfect
• am dribbling
  progressive
• are dribbling
  progressive
• is dribbling
  progressive
• have been dribbling
  perfect progressive
• has been dribbling
  perfect progressive

Past

• dribbled
  simple
• had dribbled
  perfect
• was dribbling
  progressive
• were dribbling
  progressive
• had been dribbling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will dribble
  simple
• will have dribbled
  perfect
• will be dribbling
  progressive
• will have been dribbling
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of dribble

1555–65; frequentative of obsolete drib (v.), probably variant of drip

Explanation

A dribble is a slow, steady flow of water. Or, if you are a basketball player, you dribble the ball to make your way towards the basket. Dribbling consists of tiny drops of water (or another liquid) dripping. If you've ever had a leaky faucet going drip-drip-drip-drip, then you know exactly what dribbling is like, and how annoying it can be. Dribbling in basketball isn't annoying at all; in fact, it's an essential skill. If you think about it, the repeated tap-tap-tap of the ball sounds a bit like the drip-drip-drip of the water dribbling.

Example Sentences

Everything they owned was with them in their cars: paperwork, clothes, and their dogs, Dreamer and Dribble.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 25, 2025

"Dribble, dance and be you! Happy just the way you are. Go for it my boy, next goal we dance," Neymar wrote.

From BBC • Sep. 17, 2022

A version of this article appears in print on March 15, 2014, on page C2 of the with the headline: A Double Dribble: 2 Long Looks At the Hoop.

From New York Times • Mar. 14, 2014

Details: 206-420-4625 or visit seattlechamps.org Dribble into the New Year Tournament — for boys and girls grades 4-12 is Dec. 31 to Jan. 2.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 20, 2010

She hegan with an exaggerated hall-bouncing motion: Dribble, Dribble!

From "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli

Related Words

• drizzle
• ooze
• squirt