dais

noun

da·​is ˈdā-əs 

nonstandard

ˈdī- 

: a raised platform (as in a hall or large room)

Mounting the dais which had been set up for his use, he swirled the sinister cloak about him and sat down in the Abbot's chair.

—Brian Jacques

Synonyms of dais

• podium

Examples of dais in a Sentence

the speaker took his place at the front of the dais

Recent Examples on the Web

Trustees displayed the transgender flag on the dais as Chanise Hendrix, the district’s LGBTQ support services coordinator, gave a presentation about the past and future of SCUSD’s efforts to protect trans and non-gender conforming students and staff. —Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 6 Apr. 2026

Two other council members listed by acting town clerk Armando Trelles, another Graham employee, aren’t on the dais anymore, Graham said. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2026

Nakawatase grew up in the city, played under the council dais as a child while her mother served in local government, and now sits on the council herself. —Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026

Public commenters’ voices would still be heard, but now, viewers would see a general view of the council chambers, speakers’ backs and council members sitting on the dais at the front of the room. —Nathan Pilling march 13, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English deis, des "high table, elevated platform occupied by a court or council," borrowed from Anglo-French deis, dais (continental Old French deis "table of honor set up on a platform"), going back to Medieval Latin discus "raised table, platform," going back to Latin, "discus, kind of plate, gong," borrowed from Greek dískos "discus," in Late Greek also "dish, round mirror, the sun's disk, gong" — more at discus

Note: See note at dish entry 1. The predominant form in Middle French is dois, which should have resulted in Modern French [dwa]; the reason for the outcome dais [dɛ], with the presumed shift [dwɛ] to [dɛ], is in this, as in a number of parallel cases, unclear. As pointed out by the Oxford English Dictionary, first edition, the English word was, excepting Scots, out of use by 1600; the current word is an antiquarian revival, with the spelling presumably copying modern French.

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for dais

• ablaze
• airways
• allays
• always
• amaze
• anglaise
• appraise
• archways
• arrays
• ashtrays
• assays
• ballets

Kids Definition

dais

noun

da·​is ˈdā-əs 

: a raised platform (as in a large room)