dibble

Definition

A pointed implement used to make holes in the ground in which to set out plants or to plant seeds.

Etymology

Possibly dib (“to dab lightly”) + -le (frequentative suffix indicating repetition or continuousness); however, the word dibble is attested earlier than dib.

Example Sentences

• "Pol[ixenes] Then make you[r] Garden rich in Gilly'vors, / And do not call them baſtards. / Per[dita] Ile not put / The Dible in earth, to ſet one ſlip of them: […]"
• "Earth'd up, here lies an imp o' hell, / Planted by Satan's dibble— / Poor silly wretch, he's damned himsel', / To save the Lord the trouble."
• "In sowing time ne'er would I dibble take, / Or drop a seed, till thou wast wide awake; […]"