dabble


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dabble at (something)

To do something without much effort or enthusiasm. I know you're just dabbling at cleaning your room because every pile of clothes is still on the floor. We didn't get much done because we just dabbled at the project all afternoon.
See also: dabble

dabble in (something)

To do something sporadically or as a hobby. Oh, I only dabbled in painting when I was younger—it's not like I went to art school or anything.
See also: dabble

dabble at something

to play at doing something; to do something halfheartedly. Don't just dabble at your history paper. Settle down and do it right. She dabbles at painting.
See also: dabble

dabble in something

to be involved in something in a casual manner. She dabbled in local politics for a while. I want to dabble in something new for a while.
See also: dabble

dabble in

v.
To do some activity occasionally, superficially, or without ambition: I've dabbled in painting, but I'm not very good.
See also: dabble
References in periodicals archive ?
They were the stars of EastEnders, who both had a dabble with Hollywood.
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To anyone who might want to dabble I recommend the following.
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Under the tutelage of Father Drake (Ron Perlman), who thinks they're essentially a good bunch needing help, and blonde bitchy headmistress (Amy Ciupak Lalonde), who dons sexy black lingerie for a bit of a dabble in demon-rousing and thinks firm discipline in the shape of a ruler on the backside is the answer, the gang slowly come together to take on the evil force that's wandering the premises of St Mark's.
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Together they battle evil forces from the past, dabble in magic, and try to survive.
Booth, Martin. Soul Stealer
One sensible way of boosting the payout might be to have a dabble on the half-time/full-time market.
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Western institutions generally decline to dabble, partly because of title and registration issues.
Gerard de Geer
Unlike Dr Milson I am really unemployed with two young children and wonder whether I am alone among the one and a quarter million unemployed who view his dabble into unemployment as definitely not being enlightened or rewarding on any level.
LETTER FROM THE PAST; The hardship of unemployment
In fact, Kidd does dabble as a writer: He's currently working on the screenplay for his first novel, The Cheese Monkeys, a coming-of-age tale about (what else?
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The message is simple and stark: You dabble with heroin and you dice with death.
Don't dice with drugs
Suddenly she starts to dabble in a relationship with him and falls head over heels in lust, but then insists on keeping the relationship unconsummated.
Doing It
Teenagers are aware that pop stars, TV celebrities and even royalty all dabble.
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Two young women, both from respectable homes, both thinking they could dabble with drugs - and both destroying their lives.
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She uses this account to dabble in technology and speculative stocks--within boundaries.
New endeavor
But when Pipe tries something, it can rarely be described as "a dabble.
Far Cry looks smokey for Pipe
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