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Meanings of dab in English

Russian
dab
Spanish
dab
Catalan
dab
Wikidata

Originally a synonym for swag, it has since evolved to describe a dance move popular online.

dab
Portuguese
baterdeleve
Catalan
copet
Spanish
toque

A light touch or stroke.

baterdeleve
Catalan
esquitx
Spanish
toque

A small quantity of something moist or liquid.

esquitx

Apply (usually a liquid) to a surface.

Usage of dab in English
1
The new king flicked a dab of green foam off the throne.
Jitterbug Perfume
2
He went outside to Potato Park to show people how to dab.
The Irish Times
3
Paul Pogba the leader deserves to dab and dance all he wants
The Irish Times
4
A hasty dab or two of the library paste completed his work.
Gold of the Gods
5
Perhaps secrete a microfibre cloth in one, to dab away layer-induced perspiration.
The Guardian
6
Landed a half-destroyed leviathan smack dab in the middle of the invasion.
Stars rain down
7
A dab of mortar more or less is not a serious business.
The Mason-Bees
8
He'd hoped Finn would dab the wound, then dispose of the tissue.
Damaged
9
Mrs. Hastings wiped a dab of steak juice off Mr. Pennythistle's cheek.
Twisted
10
You don't know what a dab I am at rondeaux and barcarolles.
Children of the Ghetto: A Study of a Peculiar People
11
Yes, I occasionally use them to dab at my nose or eyes.
Wired
12
Somehow a dab of the whipped cream ended up on my nose.
The Demon Lover
13
But smack dab in the middle was the blackest sort of black.
Ebony
14
A little dab of water, a dirty gray bag, a little clean-up.
Hull zero three
15
I dab myself with a filched white handkerchief, which comes away bloody.
Waiting for the Barbarians
16
A dab of lipstick cost a Navan woman £100 at Dunshaughlin Court yesterday.
The Irish Times
About this term
More collocations
Translations for dab
Russian
dab
Portuguese
baterdeleve
Dab through the time
Dab across language varieties
Ireland
Common
United States of America
Common
United Kingdom
Common