Dab vs. Pat — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Dab and Pat
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Compare with Definitions
Dab
Press against (something) lightly several times with a piece of absorbent material in order to clean or dry it or to apply a substance
He dabbed his mouth with his napkin
She dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief
Pat
To tap gently with the open hand or with something flat.
Dab
Strike with a light blow.
Pat
To stroke lightly as a gesture of affection.
Dab
Perform a dance move or gesture in which one arm is bent at an angle across the chest while the other is fully extended parallel to the first arm, with the face turned towards the bent elbow
The player who dabs after touchdowns
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Pat
To mold by tapping gently with the hands or a flat implement.
Dab
A small amount of something
She licked a dab of chocolate from her finger
Pat
To run or walk with a tapping sound.
Dab
Fingerprints
The catalogue is being dusted for your dabs
Pat
To hit something or against something gently or lightly.
Dab
A small, commercially important flatfish found chiefly in the North Atlantic.
Pat
A light gentle stroke or tap.
Dab
A dance move or gesture, originating in hip hop and often performed as part of a celebration, in which one arm is bent at an angle across the upper chest while the other is fully extended parallel to the first arm, with the face turned towards the bent elbow
He celebrated on the court by doing the dab
His signature dab
Pat
The sound made by a light stroke or tap or by light footsteps.
Dab
To apply with short poking strokes
Dabbed some paint on the worn spots.
Pat
A small mass shaped by or as if by patting
A pat of butter.
Dab
To cover lightly with a moist substance
Dabbed the back of the fabric with glue.
Pat
Suitable; fitting
"Suggestions about her reasons for going are made indirectly, lightly and ambiguously.
No pat explanation is offered" (Janna Malamud Smith).
Dab
To rub or pat (something) lightly
Dabbed his eye with the corner of his sleeve.
Pat
Fitting or satisfactory in a superficial or contrived way, especially in being trite or glib
"The dialogue is sometimes stilted and the ending too pat" (Leonard Malkin).
Dab
To press (something) lightly against an object or surface
Dabbed a napkin to her lips.
Pat
(Games) Being a poker hand that is strong enough to make drawing cards unlikely to improve it.
Dab
To remove or brush away with light strokes
Dabbed the tears from the child's eyes.
Pat
Readily or perfectly as a result of memorization or familiarization
They've got the system down pat. He has the lesson pat.
Dab
To make light patting or stroking motions
Dabbed at the wound with a piece of gauze.
Pat
The sound of a light slap or tap with a soft flat object, especially of a footstep
We heard a pat on the door.
Dab
A small amount
A dab of jelly.
Pat
A light tap or slap, especially with the hands
Give Mary a pat on the shoulder to get her attention.
Dab
A quick light pat.
Pat
A flattish lump of soft matter, especially butter or dung.
Dab
Any of various flatfishes, especially the edible Limanda limanda of northeast Atlantic waters.
Pat
To (gently) tap the flat of one's hand on a person or thing.
To show affection, he decided he would pat the boy on the head.
Dab
A dab hand.
Pat
To hit lightly and repeatedly with the flat of the hand to make smooth or flat
I patted the cookie dough into shape.
Dab
(transitive) To press lightly in a repetitive motion with a soft object without rubbing.
I dabbed my face with a towel.
Pat
To stroke or fondle (an animal).
Do you want to pat the cat?
Dab
(transitive) To apply a substance in this way.
He dabbed moisturizing liquid on his face.
Pat
To gently rain.
Dab
To strike by a thrust; to hit with a sudden blow or thrust.
Pat
Exactly suitable, fitting, apt; timely, convenient, opportune, ready for the occasion; especially of things spoken.
A pat expression
Dab
(slang) To apply hash oil to a heated surface for the purpose of efficient combustion.
Pat
Trite, being superficially complete, lacking originality.
Dab
To perform the dab dance move, by moving both arms to one side of the body parallel with your head.
Pat
Opportunely, in a timely or suitable way.
Dab
A soft tap or blow; a blow or peck from a bird's beak; an aimed blow.
Pat
Perfectly.
He has the routine down pat.
Dab
(AAVE) A soft, playful box given in greeting or approval.
Pat
To strike gently with the fingers or hand; to stroke lightly; to tap; as, to pat a dog.
Gay pats my shoulder, and you vanish quite.
Dab
A small amount, a blob of some soft or wet substance.
A dab of glue
Pat
A light, quik blow or stroke with the fingers or hand; a tap.
Dab
(slang) A small amount of hash oil.
Pat
A small mass, as of butter, shaped by pats.
It looked like a tessellated work of pats of butter.
Dab
Fingerprint.
Pat
Exactly suitable; fit; convenient; timely.
Dab
(dance) A hip hop dance move in which the dancer simultaneously drops the head while raising an arm, briefly resting their face in the elbow, as if sneezing into their elbow.
Pat
In a pat manner.
I foresaw then 't would come in pat hereafter.
Dab
(obsolete) A dabbler.
Pat
The sound made by a gentle blow
Dab
One skilful or proficient; an expert; an adept.
Pat
A light touch or stroke
Dab
A small flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae, especially Limanda limanda; a flounder.
Pat
Pat or squeeze fondly or playfully, especially under the chin
Dab
(US) A sand dab, a small flatfish of genus Citharichthys.
Pat
Hit lightly;
Pat him on the shoulder
Dab
With a dab, or sudden contact.
Pat
Having only superficial plausibility;
Glib promises
A slick commercial
Dab
Bad.
Pat
Exactly suited to the occasion;
A pat reply
Dab
A skillful hand; a dabster; an expert.
One excels at a plan or the titlepage, another works away at the body of the book, and the third is a dab at an index.
Pat
Completely or perfectly;
He has the lesson pat
Had the system down pat
Dab
A name given to several species of flounders, esp. to the European species, Pleuronectes limanda. The American rough dab is Hippoglossoides platessoides.
Dab
A gentle blow with the hand or some soft substance; a sudden blow or hit; a peck.
A scratch of her claw, a dab of her beak.
Dab
A small mass of anything soft or moist.
Dab
To strike or touch gently, as with a soft or moist substance; to tap; hence, to besmear with a dabber.
A sore should . . . be wiped . . . only by dabbing it over with fine lint.
Dab
To strike by a thrust; to hit with a sudden blow or thrust.
Dab
A light touch or stroke
Dab
A small quantity of something moist or soft;
A dab of paint
A splatter of mud
Dab
Apply (usually a liquid) to a surface;
Dab the wall with paint
Dab
Hit lightly;
Pat him on the shoulder
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