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dabbled

dab·ble
D d

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [dab-uh l]
    • /ˈdæb əl/
    • /ˈdæb.l̩/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [dab-uh l]
    • /ˈdæb əl/

Definitions of dabbled word

  • verb without object dabbled to play and splash in or as if in water, especially with the hands. 1
  • verb without object dabbled to work at anything in an irregular or superficial manner: to dabble in literature. 1
  • verb without object dabbled (of a duck) to feed on shallow-water vegetation with rapid, splashing movements of the bill. 1
  • verb with object dabbled to wet slightly in or with a liquid; splash; spatter. 1
  • verb with object dabbled Chiefly South Midland U.S. to wash or rinse off lightly. 1
  • noun dabbled Simple past tense and past participle of dabble. 1

Information block about the term

Origin of dabbled

First appearance:

before 1550
One of the 31% oldest English words
1550-60; probably dab1 + -le; compare Dutch dabbelen, dabben

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Dabbled

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

dabbled popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 78% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
According to our data about 57% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.

dabbled usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for dabbled

verb dabbled

  • puttered — to busy or occupy oneself in a leisurely, casual, or ineffective manner: to putter in the garden.
  • fiddled — a musical instrument of the viol family.
  • dallied — to waste time; loiter; delay.
  • idled — not working or active; unemployed; doing nothing: idle workers.
  • dipped — to plunge (something, as a cloth or sponge) temporarily into a liquid, so as to moisten it, dye it, or cause it to take up some of the liquid: He dipped the brush into the paint bucket.

See also

Matching words

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