Arabic

Verb

دَبَّ • ‎(dabba) I, non-past يَدِبُّ‎ (yadibbu)

1. to creep, to crawl
2. to proceed, to advance, to move slowly
3. to go on all fours
4. to enter
5. to steal, to creep
6. to spread, to fill, to pervade, to invade
7. to gain ground

Conjugation

Related terms

• دَابَّة ‎(dābba, “beast of burden”)
• دَبَّاب ‎(dabbāb, “crawling”)
• دَبَّابَة ‎(dabbāba, “tank”)
• دَبِيب ‎(dabīb, “crawling, influx, reptile”)
• دُوَيْبَة ‎(duwayba, “tiny animal, insect”)
• مَدَبّ ‎(madabb)
• مُدَبَّب ‎(mudabbab, “pointed”)

Etymology 2

From Proto-Semitic *dubb- ‎(“bear”), from Proto-Afro-Asiatic *dab- ‎(“big animal”). Compare Aramaic דבא ‎(debā, debo), Hebrew דוב ‎(dov).

Pronunciation

Noun

دُبّ • ‎(dubb) m ‎(plural أَدْبَاب ‎(ʾadbāb) or دِبَبَة ‎(dibaba), feminine دُبَّة ‎(dubba))

1. (zoology) bear

   (astronomy) الدُّبّ الْأَصْغَر ‎(ad-dubb al-ʾaṣḡar, “Ursa Minor”)

   (astronomy) الدُّبّ الْأَكْبَر ‎(ad-dubb al-ʾakbar, “Ursa Major”)

Declension

Related terms

• دُبِّيّ ‎(dubbiyy, “ursine”)

Descendants

• Maltese: debb

Etymology 3

Noun

دَبّ • ‎(dabb) m

1. verbal noun of دَبَّ ‎(dabba) (form I)
2. walking along slowly
3. creeping, crawling

Declension

References

• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1884), “دب”, in The Student's Arabic–English Dictionary, London: W.H. Allen

Etymology 4

Noun

دِبّ • ‎(dibb) m

1. slow walk
2. creeping, crawling

Declension

References

• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1884), “دب”, in The Student's Arabic–English Dictionary, London: W.H. Allen