1.  dab(n = noun.act) pat, tap - a light touch or stroke;
is a kind of touch, touching
Derived forms verb dab₂, verb dab₁

2.  dab(n = noun.quantity) splash, splatter - a small quantity of something moist or liquid; "a dab of paint"; "a splatter of mud"; "just a splash of whiskey"
is a kind of small indefinite amount, small indefinite quantity
Derived form verb dab₁

1.  dab(v = verb.contact) swab, swob - apply (usually a liquid) to a surface; "dab the wall with paint"
is one way to apply, put on
Derived forms noun dab₁, noun dab₂
Sample sentences: They dab the bread with melted butter

2.  dab(v = verb.contact) pat - hit lightly; "pat him on the shoulder"
is one way to strike
Derived form noun dab₁
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s something; Somebody ----s something PP

dab, v. & n.
--v. (dabbed, dabbing)
1 tr. press (a surface) briefly with a cloth, sponge, etc., without rubbing, esp. in cleaning or to apply a substance.
2 tr. press (a sponge etc.) lightly on a surface.
3 tr. (foll. by on) apply (a substance) by dabbing a surface.
4 intr. (usu. foll. by at) aim a feeble blow; tap.
5 tr. strike lightly; tap.
--n.
1 a brief application of a cloth, sponge, etc., to a surface without rubbing.
2 a small amount of something applied in this way (a dab of paint).
3 a light blow or tap.
4 (in pl.) Brit. sl. fingerprints.

Derivative:
dabber n.

dab, n. any flat-fish of the genus Limanda.

dab, adj. esp. Brit. colloq.

Idiom:
dab hand (usu. foll. by at) a person especially skilled (in) (a dab hand at cooking).

Etymology:
17th c.: orig. unkn.

N  smallness, littleness, tenuity, paucity, fewness, meanness, insignificance (unimportance), mediocrity, moderation, small quantity, modicum, trace, hint, minimum, vanishing point, material point, atom, particle, molecule, corpuscle, point, speck, dot, mote, jot, iota, ace, minutiae, details, look, thought, idea, soupcon, dab, dight, whit, tittle, shade, shadow, spark, scintilla, gleam, touch, cast, grain, scruple, granule, globule, minim, sup, sip, sop, spice, drop, droplet, sprinkling, dash, morceau, screed, smack, tinge, tincture, inch, patch, scantling, tatter, cantlet, flitter, gobbet, mite, bit, morsel, crumb, seed, fritter, shive, snip, snippet, snick, snack, snatch, slip, scrag, chip, chipping, shiver, sliver, driblet, clipping, paring, shaving, hair, nutshell, thimbleful, spoonful, handful, capful, mouthful, fragment, fraction, drop in the ocean, animalcule, trifle, mere nothing, next to nothing, hardly anything, just enough to swear by, the shadow of a shade, finiteness, finite quantity, small, little, diminutive, minute, fine, inconsiderable, paltry, faint, slender, light, slight, scanty, scant, limited, meager, sparing, few, low, so-so, middling, tolerable, no great shakes, below par, under par, below the mark, at a low ebb, halfway, moderate, modest, tender, subtle, inappreciable, evanescent, infinitesimal, homeopathic, very small, atomic, corpuscular, microscopic, molecular, subatomic, mere, simple, sheer, stark, bare, near run, dull, petty, shallow, stolid, ungifted, unintelligent, to a small extent, on a small scale, a little bit, a wee bit, slightly, imperceptibly, miserably, wretchedly, insufficiently, imperfectly, faintly, passably, pretty well, well enough, partially, in part, in a certain degree, to a certain degree, to a certain extent, comparatively, some, rather in some degree, in some measure, something, somewhat, simply, only, purely, merely, at least, at the least, at most, at the most, ever so little, as little as may be, tant soit peu, in ever so small a degree, thus far, pro tanto, within bounds, in a manner, after a fashion, so to speak, almost, nearly, well-nigh, short of, not quite, all but, near upon, close upon, peu s'en faut, near the mark, within an ace of, within an inch of, on the brink of, scarcely, hardly, barely, only just, no more than, about, thereabouts, somewhere about, nearly, say, be the same, be little more or less, no ways, no way, no wise, not at all, not in the least, not a bit, not a bit of it, not a whit, not a jot, not a shadow, in no wise, in no respect, by no means, by no manner of means, on no account, at no hand, dare pondus idonea fumo, magno conatu magnas nugas, small sands the mountain, moments make the year.

N  proficient, expert, adept, dab, dabster, crackerjack, connoisseur, master, master hand, prima donna, first fiddle, top gun, chef de cuisine, top sawyer, protagonist, past master, mahatma, picked man, medallist, prizeman, veteran, old stager, old campaigner, old soldier, old file, old hand, man of business, man of the world, nice hand, good hand, clean hand, practiced hand, experienced eye, experienced hand, marksman, good shot, dead shot, crack shot, ropedancer, funambulist, acrobat, cunning man, conjuror, wizard, genius, mastermind, master head, master spirit, cunning blade, sharp blade, sharp fellow, jobber, cracksman, politician, tactician, strategist, pantologist, admirable Crichton, Jack of all trades, prodigy of learning.

VB  cover, superpose, superimpose, overlay, overspread, wrap, encase, incase, face, case, veneer, pave, paper, tip, cap, bind, bulkhead, bulkhead in, clapboard, coat, paint, varnish, pay, incrust, stucco, dab, plaster, tar, wash, besmear, bedaub, anoint, do over, gild, plate, japan, lacquer, lacker, enamel, whitewash, parget, lay it on thick, overlie, overarch, endome, conceal, anodize, galvanize.

N  impulse, sudden thought, impromptu, improvisation, inspiration, flash, spurt, improvisatore, creature of impulse, extemporaneous, impulsive, indeliberate, snap, improvised, improvisate, improvisatory, unpremeditated, unmeditated, improvise, unprompted, unguided, natural, unguarded, spontaneous, instinctive, extempore, extemporaneously, offhand, impromptu, a limproviste, improviso, on the spur of the moment, on the spur of the occasion, impulse, impulsion, impetus, momentum, push, pulsion, thrust, shove, jog, jolt, brunt, booming, boost, throw, explosion, propulsion, percussion, concussion, collision, occursion, clash, encounter, cannon, carambole, appulse, shock, crash, bump, impact, elan, charge, beating, blow, dint, stroke, knock, tap, rap, slap, smack, pat, dab, fillip, slam, bang, hit, whack, thwack, cuff, squash, dowse, swap, whap, punch, thump, pelt, kick, punce, calcitration, ruade, arietation, cut, thrust, lunge, yerk, carom, carrom, clip, jab, plug, sidewinder, sidewipe, sideswipe, hammer, sledge hammer, mall, maul, mallet, flail, ram, rammer, battering ram, monkey, pile-driving engine, punch, bat, cant hook, cudgel, ax, dynamics, seismometer, accelerometer, earthquake detector, impelling, impulsive, impellent, booming, dynamic, dynamical, impelled, a hit, a very palpable hit.

VB  flash on the mind, say what comes uppermost, improvise, extemporize, give an impetus, impel, push, start, give a start to, set going, drive, urge, boom, thrust, prod, foin, cant, elbow, shoulder, jostle, justle, hustle, hurtle, shove, jog, jolt, encounter, run against, bump against, butt against, knock one's head against, run one's head against, impinge, boost, bunt, carom, clip y, fan, fan out, jab, plug, strike, knock, hit, tap, rap, slap, flap, dab, pat, thump, beat, blow, bang, slam, dash, punch, thwack, whack, hit hard, strike hard, swap, batter, dowse, baste, pelt, patter, buffet, belabor, fetch one a blow, poke at, pink, lunge, yerk, kick, calcitrate, butt, strike at, whip, come into a collision, enter into collision, collide, sideswipe, foul, fall foul of, run foul of, telescope, throw.

corn dab, sand dab, smear dab