dabble

verb

dab·​ble ˈda-bəl 

dabbled; dabbling ˈda-b(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to work or involve oneself superficially or intermittently especially in a secondary activity or interest

dabbles in art

2

a

: to paddle, splash, or play in or as if in water

b

: to reach with the bill to the bottom of shallow water in order to obtain food

transitive verb

: to wet by splashing or by little dips or strokes : spatter

Examples of dabble in a Sentence

The ducks dabbled in the stream.

She sat by the pool, dabbling her feet in the cool water.

Recent Examples on the Web

The body briefly dabbled in cinema in the 2000s, under the direction of Marco Muller, but now operates mainly as residency focused on fostering exchange between young creatives. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 13 Jan. 2025

Sharpe got into the business nearly a decade ago through her father-in-law, who had dabbled in classic car transportation. —Melissa Lockard, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025

Fleeing fraud charges, Samuele Landi evaded extradition treaties, dabbled in crypto, procured diplomatic credentials and took advantage of all the offshore world has to offer. —Atossa Araxia Abrahamian Atossa Araxia Abrahamian, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025

At the time, Swift and Kelce also appeared to dabble with subtle coordination, with Swift playing off of Kelce's horse-print camp shirt by Jacquemus with an iconic Dior saddle bag. —Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 28 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

perhaps frequentative of dab entry 2

First Known Use

1557, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

dabble

verb

dab·​ble ˈdab-əl 

dabbled; dabbling -(ə-)liŋ 

1

: to wet by splashing : spatter

2

a

: to paddle or play in or as if in water

b

: to reach with the bill to the bottom of shallow water to obtain food

ducks dabbled in the pond

3

: to work or concern oneself lightly or without deep involvement

they dabble in poetry

dabbler

-(ə-)lər

noun