In the 18th century, the Swedish government made coffee and its paraphernalia (including cups and dishes) illegal for its supposed ties to rebellious sentiment.
DABBLE
dabble
(verb) bob forward and under so as to feed off the bottom of a body of water; “dabbling ducks”
dabble
(verb) dip a foot or hand briefly into a liquid
dabble, smatter, play around
(verb) work with in an amateurish manner; “She dabbles in astronomy”; “He plays around with investments but he never makes any money”
dabble, paddle, splash around
(verb) play in or as if in water, as of small children
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Verb
dabble (third-person singular simple present dabbles, present participle dabbling, simple past and past participle dabbled)
(transitive) To make slightly wet or soiled by spattering or sprinkling a liquid (such as water, mud, or paint) on it; to bedabble. [from late 16th c.]
(transitive) To cause splashing by moving a body part like a bill or limb in soft mud, water, etc, often playfully; to play in shallow water; to paddle.
(intransitive, figuratively) To participate or have an interest in an activity in a casual or superficial way.
(intransitive, obsolete) To interfere or meddle in; to tamper with.
Synonyms
• (to make slightly wet or soiled): bespatter, besprinkle, spatter
Noun
dabble (plural dabbles)
A spattering or sprinkling of a liquid.
An act of splashing in soft mud, water, etc.
An act of participation in an activity in a casual or superficial way.
Source: Wiktionary
Dab"ble, v. t. [imp.&p.p Dabbled; p.pr.&vb.n. Dabbling.] Etym: [Freq. of dab: cf. OD. dabbelen.]
Definition: To wet by little dips or strokes; to spatter; to sprinkle; to moisten; to wet. "Bright hair dabbled in blood." Shak.
Dab"ble, v. i.
1. To play in water, as with the hands; to paddle or splash in mud or water. Wher the duck dabbles Wordsworth.
2. To work in slight or superficial manner; to do in a small way; to tamper; to meddle. "Dabbling here and there with the text." Atterbury. During the ferst year at Dumfries, Burns for the ferst time began to dabble in politics. J. C. Shairp.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
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Word of the Day
27 January 2025
FISSILE
(adjective) capable of being split or cleft or divided in the direction of the grain; “fissile crystals”; “fissile wood”
Coffee Trivia
