English → Latin
“dab” in Latin
pūnctulumsmall prick, point or spotpūnctilluma little point, a dot, spotmaculaa spot, speck, small mark or stain; a blemish, temporary or permanent (for example, a bruise, freckle, mole, birthmark, alapaslap, smack (with the flat of the hand)aspersiōsprinklingsciōto be able to, to know (how to do), understand, to have practical knowledge; to have had sex with, have ever slept withbonusgood, honest, brave, noble, kind, pleasant; right; usefulīnstruōto build in or into, insert; erect, construct; to arrange, organise or organize, plan; devise; to prepare (for), provide
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
dab
To strike gently, leviter attingere aliquem or aliquid: to dab a sore with lint, vulneri linamenta applicare.
dab
A spot, punctum, punctulum, or punctillum (if very small; late): macula (if larger).
A gentle blow, alapa (with the flat hand): aspersio (with something).
An adept, rerum intelligens; sciens; perltus, in anything, alicujus rei: to be a dab at anything, bene or probe versatum esse in re; instructum or eruditum aliqua re.
A small flat fish, *pleuronectes rhombus (Linn.).
A dab-chick, fulica: *fulica chloropus (Linn.).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for dab?
- The usual Latin words for “dab” are pūnctulum, pūnctillum, macula; also alapa, aspersiō, sciō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.