Dribble
'drɪbəl
Definitions
4 meaningsTo move (a ball) by bouncing or tapping it repeatedly, or to allow a liquid to flow slowly in drops.
'drɪbəl
To move a ball repeatedly with slight taps or pushes.
The basketball player dribbled the ball down the court.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're playing basketball and tapping the ball on the ground to move it, like when you're dodging other players. Or, when you spill something and it slowly drips down, that's a dribble too!
👶 For kids: When you bounce a ball a little bit over and over when you are playing a game.
More Examples
Water dribbled from the leaky faucet.
He dribbled ketchup on his fries.
How It's Used
"He dribbled the ball down the court, avoiding the defenders."
"The child dribbled milk down his chin."
To let saliva or other liquid flow from the mouth or nose.
'drɪbəl
To let saliva or liquid run from the mouth or nose.
The baby dribbled saliva while he was teething.
💡 Simply: When liquid slowly comes out of your mouth, like when you're a baby and milk comes out while you're eating. Or when you're sleeping and a little bit of spit comes out!
👶 For kids: When your spit or milk comes out of your mouth a little bit at a time.
More Examples
A small amount of blood dribbled from the wound.
How It's Used
"The baby dribbled milk while feeding."
"He was dribbling saliva while he slept."
The act or instance of dribbling a ball.
'drɪbəl
The act of dribbling a ball in a sport.
His dribble through the defense was impressive.
💡 Simply: The action of bouncing a ball repeatedly while you move around, like in basketball.
👶 For kids: The bouncing of the ball when you play basketball.
More Examples
He lost control of the ball during the dribble.
How It's Used
"His skillful dribble allowed him to get past the defender."
A small amount of liquid that falls in drops.
'drɪbəl
A small amount of liquid falling in drops.
A dribble of water leaked from the pipe.
💡 Simply: Just a few drops of something, like a tiny bit of water or paint.
👶 For kids: A tiny bit of a liquid that comes out drop by drop.
More Examples
There was a dribble of blood on his shirt.
How It's Used
"There was a dribble of paint on the floor."
From Middle English *driblen, probably from Middle Dutch or Low German *drībelen ('to drip, trickle'). The sport usage arose in the late 19th century.
The word's usage in sports, specifically in the context of basketball and soccer, solidified in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Memory tip
Imagine a basketball bouncing repeatedly as a player moves it.