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

Such stories can be tricky to navigate for Fox News anchors who don’t dabble in opinion. —Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2024

One of her goals at The Times is to reach readers who are dabbling in fitness, but want a little extra guidance. —Josh Ocampo, New York Times, 26 May 2024

After giving up on a career in sportscasting and then dabbling in music management, Jassy—who took Amazon’s helm after Jeff Bezos stepped down in 2021—joined the tech giant in 1997 as a marketing manager. —Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 20 May 2024

The state’s attorney has already dabbled in endorsements this election cycle. —Lia Russell, Baltimore Sun, 8 Apr. 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