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# dabble

verb (dabble, dabbles, dabbled, dabbling); noun dabbler

«dabble» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. To try an activity a little, as a hobby, without being very serious about it, as in «dabble in painting». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dabble/#m1)
2. To move your hands or feet gently in water, splashing a bit. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dabble/#m2)
3. (of ducks) To feed by tipping forward to reach food in shallow water. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dabble/#m3)

### In the lessons

In everyday life «dabble in» means having a go at a hobby. In nature lessons, «dabbling ducks» like mallards tip up to eat. In stories, a character dabbling their toes in a stream shows a calm, lazy moment. Phrases: «dabble in», «dabble with», «dabble your feet».

### Examples

- My dad dabbles in photography at weekends. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dabble/#x1)
- We dabbled our toes in the cool stream. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dabble/#x2)
- Mallards are dabbling ducks that tip upside down to feed. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dabble/#x3)
- She dabbled with the guitar before choosing the drums. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dabble/#x4)
- The wizard had dabbled in magic he did not understand. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dabble/#x5)
- I only dabble in cooking, but I can make pancakes. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dabble/#x6)
- Then, going a little farther, Ceres would, perhaps, come to a fountain, gushing out of a pebbly hollow in the earth, and would dabble with her hand in the water. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dabble/#x7)

### Note

Regular verb, double b: dabbled, dabbling. «A dabbler» is someone who tries many things lightly. Not the same as «dribble» or «babble».

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «dabble» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dabble/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«dabble» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/dabble.html) on Mova free.