daub Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun material used to daub walls
  2. noun a blemish made by dirt
    smirch; blot; slur; smear; spot; smudge.
    • he had a smudge on his cheek
  3. noun an unskillful painting
  4. verb coat with plaster
    plaster.
    • daub the wall
  5. verb apply to a surface
    • daub paint onto the wall
  6. verb cover (a surface) by smearing (a substance) over it
    smear.
    • smear the wall with paint
    • daub the ceiling with plaster

WordNet

Daub transitive verb
Etymology
OE. dauben to smear, OF. dauber to plaster, fr. L. dealbare to whitewash, plaster; de- + albare to whiten, fr. albus white, perh. also confused with W. dwb plaster, dwbio to plaster, Ir. & OGael. dob plaster. See Alb, and cf. Dealbate.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Daubed ; present participle & verbal noun Daubing
Definitions
  1. To smear with soft, adhesive matter, as pitch, slime, mud, etc.; to plaster; to bedaub; to besmear.
    She took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch. Ex. ii. 3.
  2. To paint in a coarse or unskillful manner.
    If a picture is daubed with many bright and glaring colors, the vulgar admire it is an excellent piece. I. Watts.
    A lame, imperfect piece, rudely daubed over. Dryden.
  3. To cover with a specious or deceitful exterior; to disguise; to conceal.
    So smooth he daubed his vice with show of virtue. Shak.
  4. To flatter excessively or glossy. R.
    I can safely say, however, that, without any daubing at all, I am very sincerely your very affectionate, humble servant. Smollett.
  5. To put on without taste; to deck gaudily. R.
    Let him be daubed with lace. Dryden.
Daub intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To smear; to play the flatterer.
    His conscience . . . will not daub nor flatter. South.
Daub noun
Definitions
  1. A viscous, sticky application; a spot smeared or dabed; a smear.
  2. (Paint.) A picture coarsely executed.
    Did you . . . take a look at the grand picture? . . . 'T is a melancholy daub, my lord. Sterne.

Webster 1913