dabstern.
/ˈdabstə/, U.S. /ˈdæbstər/ 1. One skilled at anything; an expert or dab. Chiefly dialect.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > ability > skill or skilfulness > [noun] > skilful person > expert
grand master1590
adept1674
dab1691
dabster1708
dab hand1828
dead-hand1848
ringer1848
expert1853
skull1880
1708 Brit. Apollo 29–31 Dec. Ye Dabsters at Rhime.
1770–86 P. Skelton Wks. V. 203 The right dabsters at a sly, or a dry joke.
1824 Hist. Gaming Houses 29 Her..luck at play (for she was a dabster).
1842 J. Y. Akerman Gloss. Provinc. Words Wilts. Dabster, a proficient.
1888 B. Lowsley Gloss. Berks. Words & Phrases Dabster, one who excels greatly. [So in many dialect Glossaries.]
2. Applied depreciatively: cf. daubster n., dabbler n.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > superficial knowledge > [noun] > person of superficial knowledge > dilettante
dabbler1611
ubiquitary1615
dilettante1826
dabster1871
dilettant1875
1871 R. Browning Prince Hohenstiel-Schwangau 27 Lines Which every dabster felt in duty bound To signalize his power of pen and ink By adding to a plan once plain enough.
1892 Idler Sept. 203 I am a very indifferent amateur, a slouchy dabster, a mere artistic sarcasm.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1894; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1708