dabbin

Th 'neuin been raised, teuk off his clais, then at it thae went dabbin;

The Row Between the Cages 2000

"She's cryin 'in her room now," said the housemaid, "dabbin 'her eyes with her handkerchief and wishin' he'd come up and rage over anything."

Purple Springs 1921

Bang comes 'is fist again' my jaw, an 'there's my gentleman a-dabbin' at 'is broken knuckles wi' 'is' ankercher.

The Broad Highway Jeffery Farnol 1915

The way 'e went at that theer bull, a-dabbin' at 'im' ere, an 'a-dabbin' at 'im theer till' e come to 'is tail --' e done 'is tail last of all, Peter.

The Broad Highway Jeffery Farnol 1915

He was down on his knees beside me in a second, dabbin with his little handkercher.

The Gentleman A Romance of the Sea Alfred Ollivant 1900

The latest two lovers to jump on the dooky-dabbin 'band wagon are the Beckhams, a couple famous for constantly getting their hair trimmed or something.

Hecklerspray 2008

"'Neither do I,' she says, laughin ',' n 'dabbin' at her face with a dinky little hankerchiff.

Blister Jones John Taintor Foote 1915