drib·ble (drĭb'əl)

v., -bled, -bling, -bles.

v.intr.

1. To flow or fall in drops or an unsteady stream; trickle: Water dribbled from the leaky faucet.
2. To let saliva drip from the mouth; drool.
3. Sports.
   1. To dribble a ball or puck.
   2. To advance by dribbling: dribbled down the court.

v.tr.

1. To let flow or fall in drops or an unsteady stream.
2. Sports.
   1. To move (a ball or puck) by repeated light bounces or kicks, as in basketball or soccer.
   2. To hit (a baseball, for example) so that it bounces slowly.

n.

1. A weak, unsteady stream; a trickle.
2. A small quantity; a bit.
3. Sports. The act of dribbling a ball.

[Frequentative of obsolete drib, alteration of DRIP.]

dribbler drib'bler n.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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