daubn.
/dɔːb/, U.S. /dɔb/, /dɑb/ 1.
a. Material for daubing walls, etc.; plaster, rough mortar; clay or mud mixed with stubble or chaff, used with laths or wattle to form the walls of cottages, huts, etc. Hence wattle and daub (also dab).
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > plaster > [noun] > plaster mixed with stubble
daub1446
dab1833
1446 in E. Hobhouse Church-wardens' Accts. (1890) 82 Item for ryses for the dawbes..ij d.
1481–90 Howard Househ. Bks. (Roxb.) 514 Payd..for bryngyng of dawbe and cley in to the said castell.
1587 in Court Leet Rec. Manch. (1885) II. 18 For ye cariage of any mucke, dunge, dawbe, clay.
1622 R. Hawkins Observ. Voiage South Sea xxx. 74 The soyle..which, with water..they make into Clay, or a certaine dawbe.
1857 D. Livingstone Missionary Trav. S. Afr. xix. 369 Traders' houses..built of wattle and daub.
1876 R. F. Burton Two Trips Gorilla Land II. 22 Heaps of filthy hovels, wattle and daub and dingy thatch.
1884 R. Holland Gloss. Words County of Chester (1886) 279 A raddle and dobe house.
b. Anything that is daubed or smeared on.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > condition of being external > covering > coating or covering with a layer > [noun] > smearing or spreading with a substance > that which is smeared or spread
beplastering1598
smear1611
daub1693
schmear1958
1693 J. Dryden tr. Juvenal in J. Dryden et al. tr. Juvenal Satires vi. 112 She duely, once a Month, renews her Face; Mean time, it lies in Dawb, and hid in Grease.
c. figurative. Insincere compliments, flattery. dialect.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > approval or sanction > commendation or praise > flattery or flattering > [noun]
fickling?c1225
flattering?c1225
oluhningc1225
glozec1290
glozing1297
losengery1303
blandishingc1305
blandingc1315
flatteryc1320
glotheringc1325
soothinga1400
honey word?1406
faginga1425
flatrisec1440
smekingc1440
blandishc1475
blandiment?1510
glavering1545
coggingc1555
good1563
milksop1577
court holy water1583
glavery1583
blandishment1591
lipsalve1591
court holy bread1592
flatter1593
colloguing1596
sooth1597
daub?1602
blandation1605
lullaby1611
court-water1616
butter1618
blandiloquy1623
oil1645
court-element1649
courtshipment1649
courtship1655
blandiloquence1656
court-creama1657
daubing1656
fleecha1700
Spanish money1699
cajole1719
whiting1721
palaver1733
butter boat1747
flummery1749
treacle1771
Spanish coin1785
blancmange1790
blarney1796
soft corn1814
whillywha1816
carney1818
buttering up1819
soft soap1821
flam1825
slaver1825
soft solder1836
soothing syrup1839
soft-soaping1840
plámás1853
sawder1854
soap1854
salve1859
taffy1878
plámásing1897
flannel1927
smarm1937
flannelling1945
sweet talk1945
schmear1950
smarming1950
?1602 Narcissus (MS Bodl. Rawl. poet. 212) (1893) Though with the dawbe of prayse I am loath to lome her.
1877 F. Ross et al. Gloss. Words Holderness Daub, hypocritical affection.
2. An act or instance of daubing.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > condition of being external > covering > coating or covering with a layer > [noun] > smearing or spreading with a substance > act or instance of
daub1669
1669 A. Browne Ars Pictoria (1675) 82 And with two or three dawbes of your great Pencil, lay it on in an instant.
1721 J. Kelly Compl. Coll. Scotish Prov. 256 (Jam.) Many a time have I gotten a wipe with a towel; but never a daub with a dishclout before.
1876 F. K. Robinson Gloss. Words Whitby Daub o' t' hand, a bribe; compensation. ‘They got a daub o' t' hand for 't.’
3. A patch or smear of some moist substance, grease, colouring, etc.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > cleanness and dirtiness > dirtiness > dirt > soiled condition > [noun] > smeared condition > smear
blur1601
smear1611
daub1731
smudgea1774
clart1808
slake1818
smooch1825
1731 J. Swift Beautiful Young Nymph in Poems [She] must, before she goes to Bed, Rub off the Dawbs of White and Red.
1881 E. B. Tylor Anthropol. 418 Their bodies painted with black daubs.
4. A coarsely executed, inartistic painting.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > painting and drawing > painting > qualities or styles of painting > [noun] > painting badly or carelessly > work
daubery1546
daubing1713
daub1761
scrabble1842
blotch1860
1761 L. Sterne Life Tristram Shandy III. xii. 59 And did you step in, to take a look at the grand picture... 'Tis a melancholy daub! my Lord.
1785 W. Cowper Task vi. 285 That he discerns The difference of a Guido from a daub.
1839 F. Marryat Diary in Amer. I. 292 A large collection of daubs, called portraits of eminent personages.
1880 A. H. Huth Life & Writings H. T. Buckle I. i. 15 A coarse daub of a picture.
Compounds
attributive and in other combinations, as daub-hole.
ΚΠ
1848 S. Bamford Early Days (1859) i. 13 An old timber and daub house.
1875 Lanc. Gloss. Daub-hoil, daub-hole, a clay or marl pit.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1894; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
daubv.
/dɔːb/, U.S. /dɔb/, /dɑb/ 1. transitive. In building, etc.: To coat or cover (a wall or building) with a layer of plaster, mortar, clay, or the like; to cover (laths or wattle) with a composition of clay or mud, and straw or hay, so as to form walls. (Cf. dab v.1 8.)
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > industry > building or constructing > surfacing or cladding > clad or cover [verb (transitive)] > plaster > with specific material
daub1382
cloamc1460
rowcast1500
clay?1523
dab1577
roughcast1584
cloom1609
chunam1687
sparkle1805
harl1806
slub1823
1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) Lev. xiv. 42 With other cley the hows to be dawbid.
c1400 (?c1380) Cleanness l. 313 Cleme hit [the ark] with clay comly with-inne, & alle þe endentur dryuen daube withouten.
1483 Cath. Angl. 102 Dobe, linere, illinere.
1489 W. Caxton tr. C. de Pisan Bk. Fayttes of Armes ii. xxxiv. 145 Thys bastylle muste be aduironned with hirdels aboute and dawbed thykke with erthe and clay thereupon.
?1521 A. Barclay Bk. Codrus & Mynalcas sig. Aivv Of his shepe cote, daube the walles rounde about.
1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 507/2 Daube up this wall a pace with plaster..I daube with lome that is tempered with heare or strawe.
1608 W. Shakespeare King Lear vii. 64 I will tread this vnboulted villaine into morter, and daube the walles of a iaques with him. View more context for this quotation
c1710 C. Fiennes Diary (1888) 169 Little hutts and hovels the poor Live in Like Barnes..daub'd with mud-wall.
1877 E. Peacock Gloss. Words Manley & Corringham, Lincs. 243 Stud and mud walling, building without bricks or stones, with posts and wattles, or laths daubed over with road-mud.
2. figurative.1785 W. Cowper Task v. 360 I would not be a king to be..daubed with undiscerning praise.
a. To plaster, close up, cover over, coat with some sticky or greasy substance, smear.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > condition of being external > covering > coating or covering with a layer > coat or cover with a layer [verb (transitive)] > smear or spread with a substance
smear971
dechea1000
cleamc1000
besmearc1050
clamc1380
glue1382
pargeta1398
overslame?1440
plaster?1440
beslab1481
strike1525
bestrike1527
streak1540
bedaub1558
spread1574
daub1598
paste1609
beplaster1611
circumlite1657
oblite1657
fata1661
gaum?1825
treacle1839
butter1882
slap1902
slather1941
nap1961
1598 Bp. J. Hall Virgidemiarum: 3 Last Bks. vi. i. 95 Whose wrinckled furrows..Are dawbed full of Venice chalke.
1606 Bp. J. Hall Arte Diuine Medit. xxxii. 167 Take away this clay from mine eyes, wherewith alas they are so dawbed vp that they cannot see heauen.
1658 W. Johnson tr. F. Würtz Surgeons Guid ii. xxviii. 190 She had been plaistered and dawbed with Salves a long time.
1719 D. Defoe Farther Adventures Robinson Crusoe 337 We daub'd him all over..with Tar.
1832 R. Lander & J. Lander Jrnl. Exped. Niger II. viii. 26 The women daub their hair with red clay.
b. To smear or lay on (a moist or sticky substance). Also figurative.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > condition of being external > covering > coating or covering with a layer > coat or cover with a layer [verb (transitive)] > smear or spread with a substance > smear (a substance)
cleamc1000
smeara1400
spread?a1425
strike1525
splet1530
dab1592
stroke1594
sponge1607
daub1647
wipe1738
plaster1799
teerc1850
slather1866
cake1944
1647 T. Fuller Cause Wounded Conscience vi. 37 For comfort dawbed on..will not stick long upon it.
1728 E. Smith Compl. Housewife (ed. 2) 265 With a fine Rag daub it often on the Face and Hands.
c. To bribe, ‘grease’. slang (Cf. quot. 1876 at daub n. 2.)
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > fees and taxes > illegal payment or exaction > [verb (transitive)] > bribe
meedOE
underorna1325
corrump1387
forbuy1393
hirec1400
wage1461
fee1487
under-arearc1503
bribe1528
grease1528
money1528
corrupt1548
budc1565
to feed with money1567
to put out a person's eyes with (a gift, bribe, etc.)1580
sweeten1594
to grease the fist or (one) in the fist1598
over-bribe1619
to buy off1629
palter1641
to take off1646
buy1652
overmoneya1661
bub1684
to speak to ——1687
to tickle in the palm1694
daub1699
overbuy1710
touch1752
palm1767
to get at ——1780
fix1790
subsidize1793
sop1837
to buy over1848
backsheesh1850
nobble1856
square1859
hippodrome1866
see1867
boodleize1883
boodle1886
to get to ——1901
reach1906
straighten1923
lubricate1928
to keep (someone) sweet1939
sling1939
to pay off1942
bung1950
1699 B. E. New Dict. Canting Crew Dawbing, bribing.
1785 F. Grose Classical Dict. Vulgar Tongue at Dawb The cull was scragged [hanged] because he could not dawb.
3. To coat or cover with adhering dirt; to soil, bedaub. Also figurative.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > cleanness and dirtiness > dirtiness > dirt > soiled condition > soil [verb (transitive)]
sulec897
smitOE
soil1297
besoila1300
bysulpc1400
smudgec1430
dauba1450
smirch1495
smotter1513
suddle1513
smada1525
coinquinatea1529
puddle1535
moil1575
smut1587
sud1593
sully1601
coninquinate1609
smirch1615
smutcha1616
beslurry1627
besullya1645
smoot1683
besmircha1700
be-smutch1832
guggle1866
dirten1906
a1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 31 Her heles, the whiche is doubed with filthe.
1535 G. Joye Apol. Tindale 50 Dawbing eche other with dirte and myer.
1651 C. Cartwright Certamen Religiosum i. 5 Such..verities, as would have adorned, and not dawb'd the Gospel.
1661 S. Pepys Diary 30 Sept. (1970) II. 189 Having been very much dawbed with dirt, I got a coach and home.
1720 D. Defoe Mem. Cavalier 209 The Fall plunged me into a Puddle..and daubed me.
a1774 A. Tucker Light of Nature Pursued (1777) III. iv. 257 Filthy metal that one could not touch without daubing one's fingers.
1841 C. Dickens Old Curiosity Shop i. iii. 90 To daub himself with ink up to the very roots of his hair.
1881 W. Besant & J. Rice Chaplain of Fleet I. xi. 243 My name is too deeply daubed with the Fleet mud; it cannot be cleansed.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > writing > handwriting or style of > write in specific style [verb (transitive)] > illegibly or untidily > cover with
blota1513
scribble1540
daub1589
bescrawl1641
scrawl1647
bescribble1807
overscrawl1871
1589 ‘M. Marprelate’ Epitome (1843) 6 When men have a gift in writing, howe easie it is for them to daube paper.
a1618 W. Bradshaw Unreasonableness Separation (1640) 81 In the proofe of the Assumption he daubs sixe pages.
1803 R. Southey Select. from Lett. (1856) I. 7 The latter loss, to one who daubs so much, is nothing.
5. In painting: To lay on (colours) in a crude or clumsy fashion; to paint coarsely and inartistically. Also absol.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > painting and drawing > painting > qualities or styles of painting > [verb (transitive)] > paint badly or carelessly
glair1563
daub1630
society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > painting and drawing > painting > art of colouring > colour [verb (transitive)] > lay on a colour > apply crudely
daub1630
smudge1901
society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > painting and drawing > painting > qualities or styles of painting > [verb (intransitive)] > paint badly or carelessly
blot1844
daub1867
1630 [implied in: S. D'Ewes Jrnl. Parl. (1783) 67 This daubed piece..the face hath no similitude. (at daubed adj.)].
1642 T. Fuller Holy State v. x. 394 A trovell will serve as well as a pencill to daub on such thick course colours.
1695 J. Dryden tr. C. A. Dufresnoy Art of Painting 201 A lame, imperfect Piece, rudely daub'd over with too little Reflection & too much haste.
1796 E. Burke Two Lett. Peace Regicide Directory France i. 78 The falsehood of the colours which..[Walpole] suffered to be daubed over that measure.
1840 T. Hood Up Rhine (ed. 2) Pref. p. vi It had been so often painted, not to say daubed, already.
1867 A. Trollope Last Chron. Barset II. li. 77 He leaned upon his stick, and daubed away briskly at the background.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > beautification > types of ornamentation > ornament [verb (transitive)] > adorn cheaply or gaudily
bedaub1581
plaster1585
daub1594
begaudy1640
betawder1682
tawder1716
bedizen1786
1594 T. Lodge & R. Greene Looking Glasse sig. C3v My wiues best gowne..how hansomly it was dawbed with statute lace.
1639 N. N. tr. J. Du Bosc Compl. Woman ii. 32 They dawb their habits with gold lace.
1760 J. Wesley Wks. (1872) III. 13 A person hugely daubed with gold.
1876 F. K. Robinson Gloss. Words Whitby Daub'd out, fantastically dressed.
a. figurative. To cover with a specious exterior; to whitewash, cloak, gloss. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
society > morality > duty or obligation > moral or legal constraint > immunity or exemption from liability > excuse > excuse (a person or fault) [verb (transitive)] > extenuate
whiteOE
gloze1390
colourc1400
emplasterc1405
littlec1450
polish?c1450
daub1543
plaster1546
blanch1548
flatter1552
extenuate1570
alleviate1577
soothe1587
mincea1591
soothe1592
palliate1604
sweeten1635
rarefy1637
mitigate1651
glossa1656
whitewash1703
qualify1749
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > dissimulation, pretence > semblance, outward show > present speciously [verb (transitive)] > improve appearance
paintc1390
set1540
daub1543
plaster1546
varnish1571
to gild over1574
adorn1589
parget1592
glaze1605
apparel1615
pranka1616
lustre1627
candidate1628
varnish1641
lacquer1688
whitewash1703
tinsel1748
duff1750
fineer1765
veneer1847
superficialize1851
gloss1879
window dress1913
beglamour1926
sportswash2012
1543 T. Becon Invect. against Swearing in Early Wks. (1843) 375 Perjury cannot escape unpunished, be it never so secretly handled and craftily daubed.
1597 W. Shakespeare Richard III iii. v. 28 So smoothe he daubd his vice with shew of vertue. View more context for this quotation
1679 E. Young Serm. White-Hall 29 Dec. 1678 31 To dawb and palliate our faults, is but like keeping our selves in the dark.
1683 W. Kennett tr. Erasmus Witt against Wisdom 114 They dawb over their oppression with a submissive flattering carriage.
1760 S. Fielding Ophelia I. xxv. 207 The painted Canvas is most innocent; but the daubed Hypocrite most criminal.]
ΚΠ
a1616 W. Shakespeare King Lear (1623) iv. i. 52 Poore Tom's a cold. I cannot daub it further.
1619 W. Whately Gods Husb. (1622) ii. 52 What auailed it Ananias and Saphira, to dawbe and counterfeit?
1619 W. Sclater Expos. 1 Thess. (1630) 288 With such idle distinctions doe they dawbe with conscience.
1650 R. Baxter Saints Everlasting Rest (1662) iii. xiii. 508 Do not daub with men, and hide from them their misery or danger.
1694 R. South 12 Serm. II. 632 Let every one therefore attend the Sentence of his Conscience: For he may be sure, it will not dawb, nor flatter.
c. To pay court with flattery. dialect.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > dissimulation, pretence > semblance, outward show > have an appearance of, dissemble [verb (intransitive)]
to make semblant1470
to make semblancea1500
face1566
daub1876
1876 F. K. Robinson Gloss. Words Whitby Daubing..paying court for the sake of advantage.
1877 F. Ross et al. Gloss. Words Holderness Daub, to flatter, or besmear with false compliment, with the object of gaining some advantage.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1894; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1446v.1382