What does dribbling mean?
Dribbling refers primarily to the technique of keeping control of a ball while moving, using repeated small touches rather than long strikes or passes. It is central to sports such as soccer, basketball, and field hockey, where players who excel at it can evade opponents and create scoring opportunities. The word also has an older, unrelated sense describing the uncontrolled flow of saliva from the mouth, as with infants or sleeping people. Etymologically it derives from the verb 'dribble', which appeared in English in the early sixteenth century, likely as a frequentative form suggesting repeated light actions. Today 'dribbling' carries largely positive connotations in sporting contexts, implying skill, agility, and flair; commentators frequently praise a player's 'dazzling' or 'mesmerizing' dribbling. Because the word spans both athletic technique and bodily function, context almost always makes its intended meaning clear.
The action of advancing with a ball using repeated small kicks, bounces, or pushes so as to retain possession.
"His quick dribbling through midfield opened up the defence."
The uncontrolled flowing of saliva from the mouth.
"Constant dribbling is normal in teething infants."
Present participle of dribble: to move a ball with repeated small touches, or to let saliva flow from the mouth.
"She spent hours practising dribbling between cones."
Rarely used in the plural; the word normally functions as an uncountable mass noun denoting the activity itself.
"His early dribblings in youth matches hinted at the player he would become."
In basketball you can't run with the ball — but keep it bouncing and the rules let you go anywhere: that single concession created an entire art form called dribbling.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dribbling
Dribbling derives from the verb 'dribble', first recorded in English in the early sixteenth century, originally meaning to fall in drops or to trickle. The verb is thought to be a frequentative alteration of 'drip' or related to 'drivel', formed to suggest repeated small movements. The sporting sense developed by the mid-nineteenth century, first in association football, and was adopted into basketball when that game was invented in 1891. Related words sharing this Germanic root include 'drivel' and 'drool'.
Related word forms
How dribbling is actually used
In everyday speech 'dribbling' almost always refers to sport; the saliva sense is common in childcare contexts but less so elsewhere. In American English the sports sense applies chiefly to basketball, while British usage strongly associates the word with football (soccer). The verb 'to dribble' is standard in all registers; the gerund form is neutral.
Easily confused with dribbling
Driveling means speaking or writing nonsense at length, while dribbling refers to moving a ball in sport or letting saliva flow.