To make small holes in soil with a pointed tool, usually to plant seeds or bulbs.
From Middle Dutch 'dibbelen,' related to 'dab' and 'dip.' The word likely comes from the repetitive action of poking small holes, with origins in Low German and Dutch fishing and gardening terminology.
Gardeners have been using this exact word for over 400 years, and the tool itself—the dibble—is often just a sharpened stick, showing how efficient simple technology can be for precision planting.
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