dab/dab hand:

(plural: ‘dabs‘/’dab hands‘)

a person who is very clever or good at something;

an expert; an adept,

a dab hand in the kitchen

e.g.

Our aunt is a dab at cross puzzles.

Rob’s sister is a dab hand at knitting.

Matty, who loves to eat good food, is a dab hand in the kitchen, cooking something new and delicious with whatever is available in the fridge!

Some celebrities are dab hands at not only pulling the crowds to their shows but also making some of the tough fans calm down when things go wrong at the shows.

For an interesting article on the origin of this word/phrase, please click here, for a simple exercise on this phrase, please click here, and for an item of news that shows us how we find this word/phrase in our daily reading, please click here.
Note: ‘Dab’ is more commonly used in its verb form to mean ‘to apply something, such as paint, lightly on something; to touch lightly’, and as a noun, it is also used to mean ‘a small amount of something, usually something soft and moist like ink or paint’, e.g. ‘a dab of paint’, ‘a dab of ink’, ‘a dab of jelly’, ‘He dabbed some cream on her back and shoulders.’, etc.

About the Author:BC Kumar

BC Kumar, an English Language Teacher, taught in numerous countries including Ethiopia, Oman and India, shares his knowledge and passion for the English Language. Disclaimer: This is a free educational website and all content has been compiled by the author. All copyrights to images and videos belong to their respective owners.

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