dabster

[ dab-ster ]

/ ˈdæb stər /

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noun

Slang. an expert.

Informal. a person who works in a superficial or clumsy manner; dabbler.

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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.

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Origin of dabster

First recorded in 1700–10; dab³ + -ster

Words nearby dabster

dabble, dabbling duck, dabchick, dab hand, Dąbrowa Górnicza, dabster, DACA, da capo, dacarbazine, Dacca, dace

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

How to use dabster in a sentence

An' there was Doctor Dabster, that could pit a bottle or twa under his belt, an' was neither up nor down.
Scotch Wit and Humor|W. H. (Walter Henry) Howe
He became a dabster at tucking paper napkins into his neat little waistcoat without tearing them.
The Innocents|Sinclair Lewis
Minnie Bellows is the best one in school with her needle and is a dabster at patching.
Village Life in America 1852-1872|Caroline Cowles Richards
"Mr. Dabster's going to take me on top of the building to observe the view," said Daisy, after she had introduced her admirers.
Strictly Business|O. Henry

Dabster wore a silk hat, and—well, Daisy was a woman, and that hat had no chance to get back in its box until Joe had seen it.
Strictly Business|O. Henry

British Dictionary definitions for dabster

dabster

/ (ˈdæbstə) /

noun

British a dialect word for dab hand

US informal an incompetent or amateurish worker; bungler

Word Origin for dabster

C18: from dab 1 + -ster

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