What does daub mean?
Daub is both a verb and a noun describing the act of smearing a soft, sticky substance onto a surface, usually thickly or without much finesse. You might daub ointment on a wound, daub paint onto a canvas, or watch children daub mud on themselves during play. The verb frequently suggests haste, messiness, or amateurishness: an unskilled painting may be dismissed as mere daubs of colour. As a noun, daub can refer either to such a crude smear or to the building material itself, best known from 'wattle and daub' — the traditional construction method in which woven wooden strips are coated with wet earth, straw, and dung to form walls. This technique was common in Europe from ancient times through the medieval period. The word derives from Latin 'dealbare', meaning 'to whitewash'. Daub is standard English in both Britain and America, informal to neutral in register.
To smear or coat something thickly or carelessly with a soft or sticky substance.
"He daubed grease on the squeaky hinge."
Often implies clumsiness or excessive quantity; commonly followed by 'with'.
A smear of soft or sticky substance; also a crude or amateurish painting, or the material used to coat walls in traditional construction.
"The wall was finished with a fresh layer of daub."
Standard plural for the countable noun senses.
"The artist wiped the stray daubs from the table."
Before bricks took over, most medieval houses were literally held together by 'wattle and daub' — woven sticks smeared with wet mud, dung, and straw.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of daub
Daub comes from Middle English 'dauben', borrowed from Old French 'dauber', which itself descends from the Latin verb 'dealbare', meaning 'to whitewash' (from 'de-' + 'albus', white). The original association with whitewashing shifted toward the broader sense of smearing with any soft substance as the word passed into English. It has been used since the medieval period, particularly in connection with wall construction, where 'daub' names the clay-and-straw mixture applied to wattle frameworks.
Related word forms
How daub is actually used
As a verb, daub often carries a connotation of clumsiness or excess — applying too much of something too hastily. In the phrase 'wattle and daub', it is a technical term in historical building construction and carries no negative sense.
Easily confused with daub
A daube is a French beef stew braised in wine, whereas daub is a verb meaning to smear or a noun for a smeared substance.