I. ˈdät noun
Etymology: Middle English * dot, from Old English dott head of a boil; akin to Old High German tutta nipple
Date: 1674
1. : a small spot : speck
2. : a small round mark: as
a.
(1) : a small point made with a pointed instrument
a dot on the chart marked the ship's position
(2) : a small round mark used in orthography or punctuation
put a dot over the i
b. : a centered point used as a multiplication sign (as in 6 · 5 = 30)
c.
(1) : a point after a note or rest in music indicating augmentation of the time value by one half
(2) : a point over or under a note indicating that it is to be played staccato
3. : a precise point especially in time
arrived at six on the dot
4. : a short click or buzz forming a letter or part of a letter (as in the Morse code)
II. verb
( dot·ted ; dot·ting )
Date: circa 1740
transitive verb
1. : to mark with a dot
2. : to intersperse with dots or objects scattered at random
boats dotting the lake
intransitive verb
: to make a dot
• dot·ter noun
III. ˈdȯt noun
Etymology: French, from Latin dot-, dos dowry
Date: 1855
: dowry 2