dab (n.)
- ace
- adept
- atom
- authority
- beak
- bit
- bloodstain
- blot
- blotch
- blur
- brand
- brush
- bunt
- butter
- calcimine
- chuck
- coat
- color
- complexion
- cover
- dash
- daub
- dip
- distemper
- dole
- dollop
- dot
- drag
- dram
- dress
- dribble
- driblet
- drop
- dub
- dwarf
- dye
- enamel
- even
- eyesore
- face
- farthing
- fillip
- fleck
- flick
- flip
- flirt
- flyspeck
- fragment
- fresco
- gild
- glaze
- gloss
- gobbet
- grade
- grain
- granule
- graze
- grease
- groat
- hair
- handful
- harrow
- hint
- hue
- iota
- japan
- jot
- lacquer
- lay
- level
- little
- macula
- maculation
- macule
- mark
- master
- minim
- minimum
- mite
- modicum
- molecule
- mote
- mow
- nutshell
- oil
- ounce
- paint
- parget
- particle
- pat
- patch
- pebble
- peck
- pick
- pigment
- pinch
- pittance
- plane
- plaster
- point
- poke
- prime
- professional
- rap
- scruple
- shade
- shadow
- shave
- shellac
- smarm
- smear
- smidgen
- smidgin
- smirch
- smooth
- smudge
- smut
- snap
- spatter
- speck
- speckle
- splash
- splatter
- splotch
- spoonful
- spot
- stain
- stigma
- suggestion
- taint
- tamp
- tap
- tar
- tarnish
- thimbleful
- tickle
- tinct
- tincture
- tinge
- tint
- tip
- tittle
- tone
- touch
- trace
- trivia
- undercoat
- varnish
- wash
- whisk
- whit
- whitewash
- whiz
- wizard
dab (v.)
- ace
- beak
- bedaub
- bedizen
- begild
- besmear
- bit
- blot
- blotch
- blur
- brand
- brush
- bunt
- butter
- calcimine
- chuck
- coat
- color
- complexion
- cover
- dash
- daub
- deep-dye
- dip
- distemper
- dole
- dot
- drag
- dress
- dribble
- drop
- dub
- dwarf
- dye
- emblazon
- enamel
- engild
- equalize
- even
- face
- flatten
- fleck
- flick
- flip
- flirt
- fragment
- fresco
- gild
- glaze
- gloss
- grade
- grain
- graze
- grease
- hair
- harrow
- hint
- hue
- illuminate
- imbue
- ingrain
- japan
- jot
- lacquer
- lay
- level
- little
- lubricate
- mark
- master
- mite
- mote
- mow
- oil
- ounce
- paint
- parget
- pat
- patch
- peck
- pick
- pigment
- pinch
- plane
- plaster
- point
- poke
- prime
- rap
- scruple
- shade
- shadow
- shave
- shellac
- slather
- smear
- smirch
- smooth
- smudge
- smut
- smutch
- snap
- spatter
- speck
- speckle
- splash
- splatter
- splotch
- spot
- stain
- stipple
- taint
- tamp
- tap
- tar
- tarnish
- tickle
- tinct
- tincture
- tinge
- tint
- tip
- tone
- touch
- trace
- undercoat
- varnish
- wash
- whisk
- whitewash
- whiz
One writer, for instance, excels at a plan or a title-page, another works away the body of the book, and a third is a dab at an index.