dabba

From Hindi डब्बा (ḍabbā, “box, container”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈdʌbə/

dabba (plural dabbas)

1. (India) A kind of lunchbox or food container.

   Synonym: tiffin

• dabbawalla

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

• IPA^(key): /ˈdæbə/

dabba (plural dabbas)

1. (mathematics) del, the partial difference symbol ∂

• yabba dabba doo (different etymology)

Borrowed from Kanuri dábbà (“animal”), from Arabic دَابَّة (dābba, “quadruped”).

• IPA^(key): /dáb.bàː/
  • (Standard Kano Hausa) IPA^(key): [dáb.bàː]

dabbā̀ f (plural dabbōbī, possessed form dabbàr̃)

1. animal

• Hausa vocabulary. In: Haspelmath, M. & Tadmor, U. (eds.) World Loanword Database. Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.

• dabbet

dabba

1. inflection of dabbe:
   1. simple past
   2. past participle

Probably from dialectal dab (“lump, bite”), perhaps ultimately of imitative/children's slang origin. Compare Norwegian dabb (“small, thick figure”), and dialectal dabbe (“clumsy or boorish person”), as well as German tappen (“to grope, fumble”). Also compare English dab (“to strike with a light blow”), itself probably borrowed from a Scandinavian word ultimately of imitative origin.

dabba (present dabbar, preterite dabbade, supine dabbat, imperative dabba)

1. (reflexive) goof up

   Synonym: tabba

   Jag hade fått full pott på matteprovet om jag inte dabbat mig på det enklaste talet

   I would've gotten full points on the math test if I hadn't goofed up on the easiest question

• dabba in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• dabba in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

dabba (plural dabbalar)

1. hernia