des-

1 of 2

prefix

: de- sense 6

—especially before vowels

desoxy

DES

2 of 2

noun

ˌdē-(ˌ)ē-ˈes

: diethylstilbestrol

Word History

Etymology

Prefix

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

First Known Use

Noun

1970, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of des- was in 1970

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Derzhavin

des-

DES

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Style

“Des-.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/des-. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

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Medical Definition

DES

noun

ˌdē-(ˌ)ē-ˈes

: diethylstilbestrol

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des-

prefix

noun

Word History

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Medical Definition

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