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

Trump on the inauguration dais, that sort of thing. —Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 9 Jan. 2026

For the first time in roughly 20 years, there were two Democratics seated on the PSC’s dais. —Drew Kann, AJC.com, 6 Jan. 2026

While Bartelt and a few others on the dais wanted to have more time with the ordinance, the majority of council members were ready to move forward. —Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 6 Jan. 2026

The king of the tribe, barely glimpsed under a hooded headdress, observes the appalling spectacle from a dais, as the ladies of his court—identically dressed in white skirts and ceremonial belts—are gathered at his side. —James Meyer, Artforum, 1 Jan. 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)