Definition of "dab"

to dabbe him in the necke

1532-1533, Thomas More, The Confutation of Tyndale's Answer

Look, my brothas don't dab, we just vossi bop

2019, Stormzy, Vossi Bop

I promise you nothing,' said the dolls' dressmaker, dabbing two dabs at him with her needle, as if she put out both his eyes.

1865, Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend‎

Then the minute feet made feeble dabs, or stabs, at the atmosphere; the tiny fists doubled themselves and wandered to and fro as if in search of the enemy.

1917, Robert Hichens, In the Wilderness‎

She gave a few more dabs to his buttocks. “There. By the time you've made love to me those weals will have dried up.”

2006, Greta X, Angela Pearson, Whipsdom‎, page 75

The men gave each other dabs and another bear hug.

2010, Adrianne Byrd, Body Heat‎, page 177

page 197: I step closer to Profit and draw in a deep, steadying breath while the brothers exchange dabs. “What's up, fam? I see you finally made it.”

2010, De'nesha Diamond, Hustlin' Divas‎, page 220:Python snickers while he gives Rufus dabs. “Do you,nigga. Do you.” That shit just makes Rufus's lips stretch wider. “You see this, Peaches? This is like the Good Housekeeping seal of approval right here.”

One had Glash's dabs on it and a half-inch of Macallan at the bottom.

2022, Liam McIlvanney, The Heretic, page 132

One excels at a plan or the title page, another works away at the body of the book, and the third is a dab at an index.

c. 1759-1770?, Oliver Goldsmith, Essay

Indeed I had always heard what a dab he was at a Love-letter.

1791-92, Jane Austen, ‘A Collection of Letters’, Juvenilia

Business topics are discussed in a most peculiar style. One man takes the pipe from his mouth and says, "Bill made a doogheno hit this morning." "Jem," says another, to a man just entering, "you'll stand a top o' reeb?" "On," answers Jem, "I've had a trosseno tol, and have been doing dab."

1851, Henry Mayhew, “Habits and Amusements of Costermongers”, in London Labour and the London Poor‎, volume 1, page 11

One afternoon, arriving at his stall later than usual, I said, almost unknowingly, 'A doogheno or a dabheno?' Jo, who had often chaffed me for my awkward mimicking of coster language, didn't even look up from peeling his apple. 'Dab,' he said, with a little shake of his head.

2012, Anthony Quinn, The Streets, page 33