Dabber

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small instrument used to apply or spread a substance in limited amounts, especially in crafts or cosmetics ; a person who places bets on outcomes, usually in gambling contexts
2. An item designed for gently placing a minimal quantity of material onto a surface, commonly in painting or nail art ; someone who participates by staking money on uncertain events, like a gambler
3. A device utilized to lightly dab or transfer substances precisely, such as ink or paint ; an individual engaged in betting, often in informal or organized wagering environments

Etymology: The ending is the ordinary English suffix "-er," added to "dab" to name whatever performs the action. A dabber is the thing, or the person, that does the dabbing, so the same small ending serves both the painter's brush-like tool and the gambler placing bets. That suffix has a long route. It came into Middle English from Old French "-ier," which had come from Latin "-arius," a suffix that formed nouns for people or things connected with a particular activity. Its Latin form traces back through Proto-Italic and Proto-Indo-European, and English inherited the sound through Old English "-ere," so the same ending has been doing this job in the language for centuries.

Synonyms: applicator, sponge