daub
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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
daub¹
- /dɔːb/ UK
- /dɔb/ US
- /dɑb/ US, cot caught merger
Rhymes with -ɔːb
Where it comes from
From Middle English daub (noun), from Middle English dauben (“to plaster or whitewash; cover with clay; bespatter”, verb), from Old Northern French dauber (“to whitewash; plaster”), of uncertain origin. Probably from Latin dealbāre (“to whiten thoroughly”), which would make it a doublet of dealbate.
noun daubs
- Excrement or clay used as a bonding material in construction.
- A soft coating of mud, plaster, etc.
- A crude or amateurish painting. But such pictures are rare indeed in this artist's gallery. Landscapes he hardly attempted, and his portraits are daubs, lacking all the individuality, life, and colour. In that of Moses, in which he laboured most, the great leader is little more than a lay-figure rigged out to distribute ecclesiast
verb daubs · daubing · daubed
- To apply (something) to a surface in hasty or crude strokes. The artist just seemed to daub on paint at random and suddenly there was a painting.
- To paint (a picture, etc.) in a coarse or unskilful manner. […] a lame, imperfect Piece, rudely daub’d over with too little Reflection and too much haste.
- To cover with a specious or deceitful exterior; to disguise; to conceal. So smooth he daub’d his vice with show of virtue,
- To flatter excessively or grossly. I can safely say, however, that without any daubing at all, I am, very sincerely, Your very affectionate, humble servant,
- To put on without taste; to deck gaudily. 1697, John Dryden, “On the Three Dukes killing the Beadle on Sunday Morning, Febr. the 26th, 1670/1” in John Denham et al., Poems on affairs of state from the time of Oliver Cromwell, to the abdication of K. James the Second, London, p. 148, Yet shall Whitehall the Innocent, the Good, See these men
- To mark spots on a bingo card, using a dauber.
Daub²
Where it comes from
* As a German and Jewish surname, variant of Taube, occupational surname from the noun meaning "pigeon, dove."
* As a south German surname, from the adjective taub (“deaf”).
proper noun Daubs
- A surname.
Translations
Every language
noun soft coating of mud, plaster etc
| Français | torchis |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Lehmbewurf, Lehmverstrich, Strohlehm |
| Русский | штукату́рка štukatúrka, обма́зка obmázka |
noun crude or amateurish painting
| Español | pintarrajo |
|---|---|
| Français | croûte |
| Deutsch | Kleckserei, Schmiererei |
| Italiano | crosta |
| Русский | мазня́ maznjá |
verb to apply something in hasty or crude strokes
| Español | manchar, untar, embadurnar, pintarrajear |
|---|---|
| Português | borrar |
| Français | barbouiller |
| Deutsch | klecksen, schmieren, bemalen, bestreichen |
| Italiano | imbrattare |
| Русский | ма́зать mázatʹ, малева́ть malevátʹ |
verb to cover with a specious or deceitful exterior
| Deutsch | kaschieren |
|---|
Talk about this word "daub." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/daub. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. daub. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/daub "daub." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/daub.Cite this
@misc{daub_2026,
title = {daub},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/daub},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
