dubbin

[ duhb-in ]

/ ˈdʌb ɪn /

noun

a mixture of tallow and oil used in dressing leather.

Nearby words

Also dubbing.

Origin of dubbin

1815–25; variant of gerund of dub¹ (in the sense “rubbing or smoothing leather or wood”)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for dubbin

I only 'ad a little wound in me 'and, an' I used ter plug it wi' dubbin' an' boot-polish ter keep it raw.
Combed Out|Fritz August Voigt
“Had it along with the dubbin just before breakfast,” said Isaac.
Mad|George Manville Fenn
We are almost out of dubbin, which is in great demand for light.
The Secrets of a Kuttite|Edward O. Mousley
After slicking well out they are hand-stuffed on the grain with dubbin and water, or merely oiled, and hung up to samm.
Animal Proteins|Hugh Garner Bennett

We also fry our meat in cocoa-nut oil, in dubbin, and in salad oil—if we can "find" any.
The Siege of Mafeking (1900)|J. Angus Hamilton.

British Dictionary definitions for dubbin

dubbin

dubbing

/ (ˈdʌbɪn) /

noun

British a greasy mixture of tallow and oil applied to leather to soften it and make it waterproof

Word Origin for dubbin

C18: from dub to dress leather; see dub 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012