dabber

[ dab-er ]

/ ˈdæb ər /

Save This Word!

noun

a person or thing that dabs.

a cushionlike article used for applying ink, as by printers and engravers.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of dabber

First recorded in 1780–90; dab¹ + -er¹

Words nearby dabber

Częstochowa, 'd, da, dab, dabba, dabber, dabbing, dabble, dabbling duck, dabchick, dab hand

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use dabber in a sentence

To equalize the ground a dabber was used, which was made of cotton-wool under horsehair, the whole inclosed in silk.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 7|Various
Then try it by bringing down the dabber upon a clean sheet of paper with a smart blow.
Three Hundred Things a Bright Boy Can Do|Anonymous
Some engravers prefer the dabber to the roller even for regrounding entire plates.
A Treatise on Etching|Maxime Lalanne
But if you desire to do your own proving, you will have to use a dabber, the manner of making which is described in the next note.
A Treatise on Etching|Maxime Lalanne

The chafing-dish and the ball (or dabber) are now replaced by the gas flame and the inking-roller in most printing establishments.
A Treatise on Etching|Maxime Lalanne

British Dictionary definitions for dabber

dabber

/ (ˈdæbə) /

noun

a pad used by printers for applying ink by hand

a felt-tip pen with a very broad writing point, used especially by bingo players to cancel numbers on their cards

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012