/ ˈdrɪbl; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
1.
[ v , vn ] to let saliva or another liquid come out of your mouth and run down your chin
SYN drool
2.
[ v + adv. / prep. ] to fall in small drops or in a thin stream :
Melted wax dribbled down the side of the candle.
3.
[ vn + adv. / prep. ] dribble sth (into / over / onto sth) to pour sth slowly, in drops or a thin stream
SYN drizzle , trickle :
Dribble a little olive oil over the salad.
4.
( in football ( soccer ) and some other sports ) to move the ball along with several short kicks, hits or bounces :
[ vn ]
She dribbled the ball the length of the field.
[ v ]
He dribbled past two defenders and scored a magnificent goal.
■ noun
1.
[ C ] a very small amount of liquid, in a thin stream :
a dribble of blood
Add just a dribble of oil.
2.
[ U ] ( especially BrE ) saliva (= liquid) from a person's mouth :
There was dribble all down the baby's front.
3.
[ C ] the act of dribbling the ball in a sport
••
WORD ORIGIN
mid 16th cent.: frequentative of obsolete drib , variant of drip . The original sense was shoot an arrow short or wide of its target , which was also a sense of drib .