dabchick

[ dab-chik ]

/ ˈdæbˌtʃɪk /

Save This Word!

noun

any of various small grebes, especially the little grebe.

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 dabchick

1565–75; earlier dapchick (see dap, chick); compare doppened moorhen (literally, dipping duck)

Words nearby dabchick

dabba, dabber, dabbing, dabble, dabbling duck, dabchick, dab hand, Dąbrowa Górnicza, dabster, DACA, da capo

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

How to use dabchick in a sentence

The little grebe or dabchick (Podiceps albipennis) is another species that lays in July or August.
A Bird Calendar for Northern India|Douglas Dewar
The larger birds are the wood-pigeon, moorhen, dabchick, and to these the carrion crow may now be added as a breeding species.
Birds in London|W. H. Hudson
The Dabchick lays five or six long-shaped eggs, pointed at either end, of a chalky white colour.
British Birds in their Haunts|Rev. C. A. Johns
I have never myself seen a Dabchick fly through the air or walk on land, neither have I ever heard its note.
British Birds in their Haunts|Rev. C. A. Johns

The Dabchick is a very timid bird, and when alarmed instantly dives, after which it is useless to look after the bird.
Child's Book of Water Birds|Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for dabchick

dabchick

/ (ˈdæbˌtʃɪk) /

noun

any of several small grebes of the genera Podiceps and Podilymbus, such as Podiceps ruficollis of the Old World

Word Origin for dabchick

C16: probably from Old English dop to dive + chick; see deep, dip

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