doll

noun

ˈdäl How to pronounce doll (audio)
ˈdȯl
1
: a small-scale figure of a human being used especially as a child's plaything
2
a(1)
: a pretty but often empty-headed young woman
(2)
: woman
c
: an attractive person
dollish
ˈdä-lish How to pronounce doll (audio)
ˈdȯ-
adjective
dollishly adverb
dollishness noun

Examples of doll in a Sentence

My aunt collects porcelain dolls. there was a row of dolls along the shelf in the bedroom
Recent Examples on the Web Mexican director Lila Avilés, whose meteoric rise on the international stage, with just two feature films, both of which have represented Mexico at the Oscars, is among eight women storytellers selected by Mattel to be immortalized with Barbie dolls in their likeness. Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024 My favorite is his concept for Barbies: His version of the doll keeps her fingers crossed behind her back. Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2024 The American Girl line of premium large dolls, which feature multiple collections, generally are priced at more than $100. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 29 Feb. 2024 Bringing the iconic Mattel doll and her all-pink world to life, the film explores themes of girlhood, existentialism, feminism and toxic masculinity. Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024 While this look doesn't appear to be a reference to a specific Barbie doll, the color scheme is on point. Glamour, 25 Feb. 2024 But Perkins' doll, made more in the image of Black women, would bear the marquee Barbie name. Elise Preston, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2024 The set of dolls then began a trip around the world, from London to Copenhagen, eventually crossing the Atlantic to show in both New York and San Francisco. Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 Your little one will delight in this soft-sided doll that comes with a knit cap, diaper, and swaddle blanket. Sharon Brandwein, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'doll.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

probably from Doll, nickname for Dorothy

First Known Use

circa 1700, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of doll was circa 1700

Dictionary Entries Near doll

Cite this Entry

“Doll.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doll. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

doll

noun
ˈdäl How to pronounce doll (audio)
ˈdȯl
1
: a small figure of a human being used especially as a child's plaything
2
a
: a pretty young woman
b
: an attractive person

More from Merriam-Webster on doll

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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