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Soak vs Dabble - What's the difference?

soak | dabble |

As verbs the difference between soak and dabble

is that soak is (label) to be saturated with liquid by being immersed in it while dabble is to partially wet (something) by splashing or dipping; connotes playfulness.

As a noun soak

is an immersion in water etc.

soak

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • (label) To be saturated with liquid by being immersed in it.
  • * Bible, (w) xxiv. 7
  • Their land shall be soaked with blood.
  • (label) To immerse in liquid to the point of saturation or thorough permeation.
  • (label) To penetrate or permeate by saturation.
  • * Sir (Walter Scott) (1771-1832)
  • The rivulet beneath soaked its way obscurely through wreaths of snow.
  • (label) To allow (especially a liquid) to be absorbed; to take in, receive. (usually + up )
  • * {{quote-book, year=1927, author= F. E. Penny
  • , chapter=4, title= Pulling the Strings , passage=The case was that of a murder. It had an element of mystery about it, however, which was puzzling the authorities. A turban and loincloth soaked in blood had been found; also a staff.}}
  • To drink intemperately or gluttonously.
  • (label) To heat a metal before shaping it.
  • To hold a kiln at a particular temperature for a given period of time.
  • (label) To absorb; to drain.
  • Noun

    (en noun)
  • An immersion in water etc.
  • * "After the climb, I had a nice long soak in a bath."
  • (slang, British) A drunkard.
  • (Australia) A low-lying depression that fills with water after rain.
  • * 1985 , (Peter Carey), Illywhacker , Faber & Faber 2003, p. 38:
  • I set off early to walk along the Melbourne Road where, one of the punters had told me, there was a soak with plenty of frogs in it.

    Anagrams

    * * * English ergative verbs

    dabble

    English

    Verb

    (en-verb)
  • To partially wet (something) by splashing or dipping; connotes playfulness.
  • The children sat on the dock and dabbled their feet in the water.
  • To participate or have an interest in an activity, but in a casual or superficial way.
  • She's an actress by trade, but has been known to dabble in poetry.

    Derived terms

    * dabble in * dabbler

    See also

    * dribble