dollop

1 of 2

noun

dol·​lop ˈdä-ləp 

1

chiefly British : an indefinite often large quantity especially of something liquid

2

: a lump or glob of something soft or mushy

top it with a dollop of jam

3

: an amount given, spooned, or ladled out : portion

hold out their mess tins for a dollop of gruel

—Robert Craft

4

: a small lump, portion, or amount

want just a dollop of ketchup

5

: something added or served as if in dollops

a delicious dollop of gossip

—Leon Harris

dollop

2 of 2

verb

dolloped; dolloping; dollops

transitive verb

: to serve or dispense in dollops

Synonyms

Noun

• blob
• chunk
• clod
• clot
• clump
• glob
• gob
• gobbet
• hunk
• knob
• lump
• nub
• nubble
• nugget
• wad

Examples of dollop in a Sentence

Noun

My piece of pie was served with a dollop of whipped cream.

A dollop of milk was left in the container.

large dollops of wit and humor

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Then use a paper towel to rub a dime-size dollop of beeswax across the surface — this helps lock in the moisture and keep the wood in tip-top condition. —David Leonhardt, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025

Roach Restaurant with Four-Course Prix-Fixe Menu Roaches will be delighted by the first course—a dollop of peanut butter on a bed of crumbs. —Charlie Dektar, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025

Verb

Make sure to dollop a large spoonful of unapologetically sour whole-milk yogurt on top of each portion before serving. —David Tanis, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025

Spread about a quarter of the frosting over the cake and then dollop a tablespoon or two of jam over the buttercream in small spoonfuls. —Kelly Brant, arkansasonline.com, 7 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1860, in the meaning defined above