To flow or fall in small drops or thin streams; in sports, to move a ball by bouncing it.
From Middle English 'driblen,' possibly a variant of 'dribbel,' related to 'drip.' The word mimics the sound and appearance of liquid falling in small amounts.
Basketball's 'dribble' is actually a newer meaning—in the 1800s 'dribble' mostly meant spit or drool! Sports adapted the word for its onomatopoetic quality to describe the bouncing-ball rhythm.
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