dabble
/ˈdæb.əl/ verb C1- To make slightly wet or soiled by spattering or sprinkling a liquid (such as water, mud, or paint) on it; to bedabble.
- To cause splashing by moving a body part like a bill or limb in soft mud, water, etc., often playfully; to play in shallow water; to paddle. · The children sat on the dock and dabbled their feet in the water.
- To feed without diving, by submerging the head and neck underwater to seek food, often also tipping up the tail straight upwards above the water.
- To participate or have an interest in an activity in a casual or superficial way. · She’s an actress by trade, but has been known to dabble in poetry.
He/she/it dabbles · Past dabbled · Past participle dabbled · -ing form dabbling
Verb forms
- Base form
- dabble
- He/she/it
- dabbles
- Past
- dabbled
- Past participle
- dabbled
- -ing form
- dabbling
From the library
“I have to be careful,” he continued, turning to me with a smile, “for I dabble with poisons a good deal.” He held out his hand as he spoke, and I noticed that it was all mottled over with similar pieces of plaster, and discoloured with strong acids.
From what I have heard from him this morning, I gather that he has lost heavily in dabbling with stocks, and that he is ready to do anything on earth to better his fortunes.
But soon their skins turned cold, for there came a sound of galloping across the moor, and the black mare, dabbled with white froth, went past with trailing bridle and empty saddle.
Rothschild; but as my motive in travelling to your capital would not have been for the pleasure of dabbling in stocks, I stayed away till some favorable chance should present itself of carrying my wish into execution.
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