What's the difference between dabble and dibble?

Dabble


Definition:

  • (v. t.) To wet by little dips or strokes; to spatter; to sprinkle; to moisten; to wet.
  • (v. i.) To play in water, as with the hands; to paddle or splash in mud or water.
  • (v. i.) To work in slight or superficial manner; to do in a small way; to tamper; to meddle.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) Now she also dabbles in playwriting and rap, and is in the band Sound of Rum .
  • (2) Rebelling by dabbling in drink, fags, sex – the list goes on – is part of growing up.
  • (3) Asked by a troll how long he planned to “live off” his Olympic success, and if he would ever do anything of consequence again, Rutherford suggested he might become a porn star or dabble in pottery instead.
  • (4) With Jackie Collins announcing plans to self-publish a revised version of her novel The Bitch, even traditionally published authors are now dabbling in self-publishing, and the survey found this was to good effect: they earned 2.5 times more when self-publishing than did rejected authors or authors who went straight to self-publishing.
  • (5) Mean arterial blood pressure in dives was unchanged from pre-dive levels in both naive and trained dabbling ducks.
  • (6) The US dabbled ineffectually in helping the rebel cause, hobbled by uncertainty over the groups it was dealing with.
  • (7) His father was a doctor who dabbled in property and ran for local election on a far-right ticket in 1959.
  • (8) He seems to hanker after footholds – a dabble with Scientology has come to an end, and it seems fair to say that the experience has contributed to what he calls his "wounded position".
  • (9) He is a maverick, a teenager – and dabbles in enough off-beat skits to fill that token jazz category.
  • (10) Absolute Radio has already launched the digital services Absolute Radio Classic Rock, Absolute 80s, Absolute 90s and its user-controlled station, dabbl .
  • (11) That may be so - and both the Times and Telegraph dabble in the Mail market.
  • (12) He also dabbled in cleaning and fabric-dying businesses, thought of becoming a professional cameraman and was eager to market self-designed chess sets, optical machines and scientific toys.
  • (13) The cause of the yearly death of an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 migrating dabbling ducks (Anas spp.)
  • (14) Dickens said dabbl would initially be a London-based service on DAB but would soon expand its reach to parts of the south of England including Essex, Berkshire, Wiltshire and Bristol.
  • (15) Blessed – or cursed – with Africa's most famous name, many of the Mandelas have gone into business; a few have dabbled in politics and two are starring in a much-derided reality TV show, Being Mandela .
  • (16) It wasn't until 2005, in Untold Stories, that he discussed his sexuality and said he considered himself gay, despite his long-term dabbling with the other side.
  • (17) The Nevada state assemblywoman was – before her dabble as negotiator-in-chief – best known for the striking images she distributes of herself and her family armed with guns.
  • (18) Yet one of the rationales for QE is that it discourages investors from holding government bonds and encourages them to dabble in riskier assets.
  • (19) Donald Trump may have insulted Mexicans, Muslims and women but to woo Indian American voters he’s even dabbling in Hindi for Diwali.
  • (20) They charge visitors $20 for a tour, carry out routine maintenance to prevent it turning to dust, and hope that one day the old autocrat’s children, who continue to dabble in politics, will restore it for the nation.

Dibble


Definition:

  • (v. i.) A pointed implement used to make holes in the ground in which no set out plants or to plant seeds.
  • (v. i.) To dib or dip frequently, as in angling.
  • (v. t.) To plant with a dibble; to make holes in (soil) with a dibble, for planting.
  • (v. t.) To make holes or indentations in, as if with a dibble.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) Keith Dibble, the chair of the Labour First group, joined forces with supporters of Yvette Cooper to write a letter urging people intending to vote for Liz Kendall to assist with the effort to stop Corbyn.
  • (2) She'll tell the Dibble everything they need to know.
  • (3) When we meet at the trust's offices in the West End – where, thrillingly, you can also see a display of original figures from Trumpton , including Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grub – he finds it hard to stop talking about all the marvellous television he has been watching.
  • (4) "Your (non) mention of Euston took me back to last night," writes Matt Dibble.