Light touches (4)

I think it could be either:

dabs

pats

'light touches' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)

This is the entire clue.

(Other definitions for dabs that I've seen before include "Fingerprints (colloq.)" , "Applies light touches" , "Fish; fingerprints" , "fingerprint" , "Small quantities of liquid" .)

I've seen this clue in The Wall Street Journal, the King Feature Syndicate, the L.A. Times Daily, the Newsday, the USA Today, The Washington Post, The New York Times, the Newsday.com and the LA Times.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.