I. ˈdät, usu -äd.+V noun
( -s )
Etymology: from (assumed) Middle English, from Old English dott head of a boil; akin to Old High German tutta nipple, Dutch dot knot, tuft, Norwegian dot lump, small knot, Old English dyttan to stop up
1. : a minute particle of a substance or liquid or a spot of color visible on a surface
sori appear as dots on a fertile fern frond
the telltale dots of measles
watching the wagon as it grew smaller and smaller until it was only a dot on the horizon — O.E.Rölvaag
islands show as mere dots on the ocean
2. : a small round mark made on a surface with or as if with a pointed instrument
the dot on the chart represents the ship's position
put a dot before the name of each as he pays
a. : such a mark written or printed as a sign or part of a sign of orthography or punctuation: as
(1) : period
a colon consists of one dot on the base line with another directly above
a row of printed dots denoting the omission of words
W.A.C. written with dots or without
(2) : the topmost element of a lower-case letter i or j
(3) : a centered period as a divider of syllables
b. : such a mark as an integral part of certain letters (as ṁ in Sanskrit) in various forms of the Roman alphabet or in phonetics used above, below, or after a symbol with any of various values
c.
(1) : decimal point
(2) : a sign of multiplication
d. : one of the points used in braille or other raised-point system of writing for the blind
e. in music notation
(1) : a point placed immediately after a note or rest indicating augmentation of its time value by one half
(2) : a point placed over a note indicating a moderate staccato — compare dash 3d
f. : one of the spots constituting the printing surface of a halftone
g. logic
(1) : a sign for “and” — compare conjunction
(2) : a sign used to indicate the beginning or end of a group of statements belonging together
3. : something very small ; especially : a very small portion or specimen
a dot of a child
4. : a precise point in time or space ; especially : a moment exactly appointed
arriving and departing on the dot
correct to a dot
5.
a. : a striking of a pointed object or the sound of its striking on a hard surface
we knew him far off by the dot of his crutch
b. : a short click on a telegraph sounder forming a letter or part of a letter (as in the Morse code) — compare dash 8a
c. : a flash of a beam from a momentary opening of the shutter of a signal light representing a letter or part of a letter in a communication system (as the Morse code) — compare dash 8c
d. : a wave of a flag through an arc of 90 degrees to the right from vertical as an element of a code alphabet in flag signaling — compare wigwag
6. : a small circle of solid color used as a design motif
a broadcloth print with big coin dots
— compare polka dot
•
- in the year dot
- off one's dot
II. verb
( dotted ; dotted ; dotting ; dots )
transitive verb
1.
a. : to mark with a dot
a dotted 32d note
b. : to put a dot over (a letter i or j )
c. : jot — used with down
dot down these notes
2.
a. : to mark or diversify with numerous dots or objects scattered at random : intersperse
one of those enigmas that dot the literary landscape in every period — J.G.Keller
a curious type of formal English dotted with sudden colloquialisms — J.J.Espey
dotted across the country are pressure groups which complain loudly that education has gotten away from the fundamentals — E.O.Melby
pictures of animals which are dotted about in the text of the bestiaries — O.Elfrida Saunders
b.
(1) : to cause a scattering of marks resembling dots to appear on
a rising southeast wind that dotted the lake with whitecaps — Joseph Millard
(2) : to make a dot or dots upon
dotted the canvas with infinitely small specks of paint
3. cookery : to dab here and there with small bits of a soft substance (as butter) : scatter small bits of an ingredient over
4. slang Britain : hit
intransitive verb
: to make a dot
a pen point that dots without blotting
•
- dot and carry one
- dot and go one
- dot the i
III. ˈdä]t, ˈdȯ], usu ]d.+V\ noun
( -s )
Etymology: French, from Latin dot-, dos dowry — more at dower
: a woman's marriage portion