dab
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to pat or tap gently, as with something soft or moist.
The child dabbed his eyes with the handkerchief.
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to apply (a substance) by light strokes.
He dabbed the ointment on the rash.
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to strike, especially lightly, as with the hand.
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to consume (cannabis) by inhaling the vapor of heated cannabis extract oil.
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Masonry. to dress (stonework) with a pointed tool.
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Western U.S. to throw (a rope or line) in an effort to lasso or catch something.
Joe dabbed his rope on the steer.
verb (used without object)
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to strike lightly; make a dab; pat.
She dabbed at the stain on her dress.
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to consume cannabis by inhaling the vapor of heated cannabis extract oil.
She dabs for a more intense high.
noun
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a quick or light blow; a pat, as with the hand or something soft.
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a small moist lump or mass.
a dab of butter.
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a small quantity.
a dab of powder.
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a dose of cannabis extract oil.
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a dance move that involves posing with one’s nose in the crook of a bent elbow at chest level while extending the other arm to the side at or above shoulder level, often performed as a celebratory posture in sports or other competitions.
noun
noun
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Also called dab hand. a person skilled in something; an expert.
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an excellent or extraordinary person or thing.
adjective
verb
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to touch lightly and quickly
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(tr) to daub with short tapping strokes
to dab the wall with paint
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(tr) to apply (paint, cream, etc) with short tapping strokes
noun
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a small amount, esp of something soft or moist
a dab of ink
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a small light stroke or tap, as with the hand
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(often plural) a slang word for fingerprint
noun
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a small common European brown flatfish, Limanda limanda, covered with rough toothed scales: family Pleuronectidae: a food fish
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(often plural) any of various other small flatfish, esp flounders Compare sand dab
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Also called: patiki. a sand flounder, Rhombosolea plebia , common around New Zealand's South Island
abbreviation
noun
Usage
What else does dab mean? In slang, dab can be a highly concentrated marijuana extract, a type of hip-hop dance, or touching the ground with your foot while you ride a bicycle.Doing any of these actions is called dabbing, and yes, you could feasibly do all three at once—not that we recommend it.
Etymology
Origin of dab1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English verb dabben “to strike, hit,” of uncertain origin; compare Old Icelandic dabba “to strike, tap,” Norwegian dabbe “to shuffle along, walk slowly,” Middle Dutch dabben “to pinch, knead,” German tappen “to feel along, grope”
Origin of dab2
First recorded in 1570–80; perhaps special use of dab 1
Origin of dab3
First recorded in 1685–95; of uncertain origin
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Already in her still relatively short career, Elle Fanning has managed to position herself smack dab in the center of these two polarities, the perfect combination of classic Hollywood and new age celebrity.
From Salon • Jan. 24, 2026
Learning from England mistakes in Perth and his own previous troubles in Australia, Root barely scored through the covers and largely put away any intention to dab the ball behind square on the off side.
From BBC • Dec. 4, 2025
“We don’t want to live in fear, so we make ourselves useful working for organizations that move the scale away from fear and put us smack dab in the middle of love.”
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 14, 2025
A dab into the off side completed a sixth Test hundred and continued a remarkable record that has seen the left-hander make tons in his first matches in the West Indies, Australia and now England.
From BBC • Jun. 20, 2025
People who lived there liked to say the town was 150 miles west of Phoenix, 250 miles east of Los Angeles, and smack dab in the middle of nowhere.
From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
