darb

English

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)b

Noun

darb (plural darbs)

"He Resolves Not to Smoke" (USA, 1915)

1. (slang) Something beautiful, a charm, a peach.
   • 1915, He Resolves Not to Smoke:

     Ain't it a darb?

   • 1931, Courtney Ryley Cooper, Circus Day, page 263:

     “Boss,” he exclaimed, “it's a darb.”
     “It's more than that,” I cut in, “it′s a wonder. It′s a masterpiece. […] ”

   • 1934, Story, volume 4, page 35:

     ‘My new bird is a darb,’ he says, ‘only four months old and he′s got a roll and a chop the size of your arm. Never heard a young bird sing like that.’

   • 1941, Amazing Stories, Ziff-Davis, Volume 15, Issues 1-6, page 21,

     You can figure for yourself what a darb of a setup that was for us seven hundred professional killers!

2. (Australia, slang) A cigarette.

Synonyms

• (cigarette): death stick, durrie

Anagrams

• Bard, Brad, bard, brad, drab

Irish

Alternative forms

• dar b’ (superseded)

Particle

darb (present/future copular form used before a vowel, form used before a consonant dar)

1. to/for which/whom is

   an fear darb aithnid mé ― the man who knows me

2. from which/whom is

Derived terms

• darb ainm (“(who is) called, named”)

Related terms

Irish copular forms

Simple copular forms Present/future Affirmative Negative Interrogative Neg. inter. Main clauses is ní an nach Direct relative clauses nach Indirect relative clauses ar, arbv Other subordinate clauses gur, gurbv an nach Past/conditional Affirmative Negative Interrogative Neg. inter. Main clauses ba, b’v níor, níorbhv ar, arbhv nár, nárbhv Direct relative clauses ba, abv nár, nárbhv Indirect relative clauses ar, arbhv Other subordinate clauses gur, gurbhv ar, arbhv nár, nárbhv Present subjunctive Affirmative Negative gura, gurabv nára, nárabv		Compound copular forms Base word Present/future Past/conditional cá cár, cárbv cár, cárbhv cé cér, cérbv cér, cérbhv dá dá mba, dá mb’v de/do dar, darbv dar, darbhv faoi faoinar, faoinarbv faoinar, faoinarbhv i inar, inarbv inar, inarbhv le lenar, lenarbv lenar, lenarbhv má más má ba, má b’v mura mura, murabv murar, murarbhv ó (prep.) ónar, ónarbv ónar, ónarbhv ó (conj.) ós ó ba, ó b’v trí trínar, trínarbv trínar, trínarbhv
v Used before vowel sounds

Irish preposition contractions

Basic form	Contracted with							Copular forms
	an (“the sg”)	na (“the pl”)	mo (“my”)	do (“your”)	a (“his, her, their; which (present)”)	ár (“our”)	ar (“which (past)”)	(before consonant)	(present/future before vowel)	(past/conditional before vowel)
de (“from”)	den	de na desna*	de mo dem*	de do ded*, det*	dá	dár		dar	darb	darbh
do (“to, for”)	don	do na dosna*	do mo dom*	do do dod*, dot*	dá	dár		dar	darb	darbh
faoi (“under, about”)	faoin	faoi na	faoi mo	faoi do	faoina	faoinár	faoinar		faoinarb	faoinarbh
i (“in”)	sa, san	sna	i mo im*	i do id*, it*	ina	inár	inar		inarb	inarbh
le (“with”)	leis an	leis na	le mo lem*	le do led*, let*	lena	lenár	lenar		lenarb	lenarbh
ó (“from, since”)	ón	ó na ósna*	ó mo óm*	ó do ód*, ót*	óna	ónár	ónar		ónarb	ónarbh
trí (“through”)	tríd an	trí na	trí mo	trí do	trína	trínár	trínar		trínarb	trínarbh
*Dialectal.