I. verb
also doat ˈdōt, usu -ōd.+V
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English doten; akin to Middle Low German dotten, dutten to be foolish, Middle Dutch dutten to be enraged, be mad, Icelandic dotta to nod from fatigue, Norwegian dudra to tremble — more at dodder
intransitive verb
1.
a. archaic : to be or become foolish or imbecilic or deranged
a sword is upon the liars and they shall dote — Jer 50:36 (Authorized Version)
b. : to be weak-minded or mentally deficient by reason of old age
2. : to show strong, excessive, or fatuous fondness or affection — used with on or upon
those who hate him seem to agree in certain respects with those who dote on him
I dote on the serene pleasures of marvelous landscapes — Vance Locke
here are two peoples both of whom love palaver and dote on uproar — Elizabeth Monroe
3. of a tree or lumber : to begin to decay or to become partly decayed
an old doting oak — O.W.Holmes †1894
transitive verb
obsolete : to cause to dote
Synonyms: see like
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from doten, v.
1. now dialect : imbecile , dotard
2. : decay in timber : rot
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle French or Latin; Middle French dot dowry, from Latin dot-, dos dowry, gift — more at dower
1. obsolete : dot III
2. dotes plural
[Latin dot-, dos ]
: natural endowments