C14: from Low German drabbelen to paddle in mud; related to drab2
Drabble in British English
(ˈdræbəl)
noun
Dame Margaret. born 1939, British novelist and editor. Her novels include The Needle's Eye (1972), The Radiant Way (1987), and The Seven Sisters (2002). She edited the 1985 and 2000 editions of the Oxford Companion to English Literature
drabble in American English
(ˈdræbəl)
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈdrabbled or ˈdrabbling
1.
to make wet and dirty by dragging in mud and water; draggle
verb intransitive
2.
to become drabbled
Word origin
ME drabelen, akin to (or < ?) LowG drabbeln, to walk in mud or water