des-

1 of 2

prefix

: de- sense 6

—especially before vowels

desoxy

DES

2 of 2

noun

ˌdē-(ˌ)ē-ˈes 

: diethylstilbestrol

Examples of des- in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Now, to tackle the challenge, UNIST scientists turned to a special type of solvent called a deep eutectic solvent (DES). — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 10 Nov. 2025

To learn more about Descriptive Experience Sampling and watch interviews with DES participants, visit his website. — Emily Kwong, NPR, 19 Nov. 2025

From 1945 to 1971, pregnant mothers who wanted to prevent miscarriages were prescribed the synthetic estrogen diethylstilbestrol (DES). — Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 27 Apr. 2026

Astronomers combine these measurements with other dark energy and matter distribution studies, including the Dark Energy Survey (DES) measurements of distant supernovae and maps of the cosmic microwave background light left over from the dawn of the universe. — Rebecca Boyle, Scientific American, 4 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Prefix

French dés-, from Old French des- — more at de-

First Known Use

Noun

1970, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

DES

noun

ˌdē-(ˌ)ē-ˈes 

: diethylstilbestrol