I. dot 1 S2 /dɒt $ dɑːt/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: dott 'top of a spot on the skin' ]
1 . a small round mark or spot:
a pattern of dots
2 . on the dot informal exactly on time or at a particular time:
I’ll be there on the dot.
at three o'clock/seven thirty etc on the dot (=at exactly 3:00/7:30 etc)
Mr Green arrived at six on the dot.
3 . something that looks like a small spot because it is so far away:
The plane was just a dot on the horizon.
4 . a short sound or flash of light used when sending messages by ↑ Morse code ⇨ dash
⇨ the year dot at ↑ year (13)
II. dot 2 BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle dotted , present participle dotting ) [transitive]
1 . to mark something by putting a dot on it or above it:
She never dots her i’s.
2 . [usually passive] if an area is dotted with things, there are a lot of them there but they are spread far apart
be dotted with something
The lake was dotted with sailboats.
be dotted about/around etc something
The company has over 20 stores dotted around the country.
Poppies dotted the field.
3 . to put a very small amount of something on a surface, especially in several places
dot something with something
Dot the apples with butter.
4 . dot the i’s and cross the t’s informal to pay careful attention to all the details when you are finishing something