dollop
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Pronunciation
- IPA: /ˈdɒləp/ (UK); /ˈdɑləp/ (US)[1]
Etymology
It comes from earlier dallop “a patch, tuft or clump of grass”,[2][3][4] an East Anglian dialect word of uncertain origin.[3][2] The American Heritage Dictionary and Random House compare Norwegian dialect dolp “lump”.[5][6]
Earliest recorded meaning
In farming, a patch or clump of grass or weeds in a field (1573).[4][2]
Semantic evolution
The field sense is obsolete.[4] From 1812 dollop meant a lump or blob,[4][2][3] or a portion of food served out.[2][7] The verb, to serve out in large lumps, is from 1825.[3][4]
Timeline
- 1573 – a clump of grass or weeds.[4][2]
- 1812 – a lump, a portion of food.[4][2][3][7]
- 1825 – verb, to serve out in large lumps.[3][4]
Modern meaning
Noun
- A lump or blob of something soft, such as food.
- A small amount or splash of a liquid.
- A portion served out; a bit.
Verb
- To serve out or apply in dollops.
References
- ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e f g Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
- ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b c d e f g h Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
- ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
- ^ Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
- ^ a b Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster