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Glite Dictionary
dabber

dabber

1 6.3
A small tool for marking cards and applying a little paint or glue
  • noun
  • /ˈdæbər/
translation icon : pincel
  • To make decorations, you can use a small dabber to add glue to the edges of the craft paper.

Examples

  • He's not only the star of the video, but he's the master dabber as well.

  • Then if you twist right here, you've got like this spring loaded dabber for brow powder.

  • I wouldn't want to get any fingerprints on this beauty; it just seems wrong to put my grubby fingers on this well-cared-for errl, so I just sliced off dabs with a warm dabber.

    Blog text (3)

  • She used a red dabber to apply paint to her art project.

  • For the bingo game, each player got a shiny dabber to mark their cards.

Synonyms

dauber
vsdabber
  • Offensive
1 8.6

A tool used to put paint or glue on a surface roughly

is a small precise tool for applying small amounts by dabbing

How Precise

stylus
  • Archaic
1 5.6
dabber
1 6.3
to stamp
40 2.2
brush
145 1.0
to sponge
4 2.1

Surface Forms

dabber singular
dabbers plural

Morphology

dabber = dab (transparent) = dab + er

The noun is a regular agent/instrument formation from the verb 'dab' with '-er', so learners can infer 'a tool or person that dabs'.

Etymology

Dabber comes from the simple verb dab, which means 'to touch lightly' or 'to put a small amount'. So a dabber is a small tool that makes little touches or drops, which is why it is used to mark bingo cards or to apply paint and glue precisely.