don

verb

\ˈdän

donned; donning

Definition of don

(Entry 1 of 4)

transitive verb

1 : to put on (an article of clothing) donned his hat and gloves

2 : to wrap oneself in : take on sense 3a the donning of new and more tyrannous moralities— Edward Sapir

don

noun

\ˈdän

Definition of don (Entry 2 of 4)

1 : a head (see head entry 1 sense 6a), tutor, or fellow (see fellow sense 5) in a college of Oxford or Cambridge University she didn't want to be a don's wife and live in Oxford forever— Virginia Woolf broadly : a college or university professor

2 [ Italian, title of respect, from donno, literally, lord, from Latin dominus ] : a powerful Mafia leader

3 : a Spanish nobleman or gentleman —used as a title prefixed to the Christian name

4 archaic : a person of consequence : grandee the great dons of wit— John Dryden

DON

abbreviation

Definition of DON (Entry 3 of 4)

director of nursing

Don

geographical name

\ˈdän

Definition of Don (Entry 4 of 4)

river 1224 miles (1969 kilometers) long in Russia in Europe flowing southeast and then southwest into the Sea of Azov

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about don

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Synonyms & Antonyms for don

Synonyms: Verb

put on, slip (on or into), throw (on)

Antonyms: Verb

doff, remove, take off

Examples of don in a Sentence

Verb

He donned his gloves and hat. she donned her best gown for the ball

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Festive attire is donned, family feasts are had, and fireworks and sparkler games carry on well into the early morning hours of the following day. — Noor Brara, Vogue, "Celebrating Diwali, in Light of the Midterms," 10 Nov. 2018 To go even further, GentleCritter believes Charles has been living in the bell tower of the church the Ghoulies use as a hideout, donning a mask to hide the scars from Chic's attack, leading the Ghoulies to call him the Gargoyle Knight. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "These "Riverdale" Season 3 Fan Theories Are So Crazy They Might Actually Be True," 24 Sep. 2018 In this shot, the HGTV host, who is getting her own show called Christina on the Coast, dons a black two piece and aviator sunnies. — Megan Stein, Country Living, "Christina El Moussa Looks Stunning on Beach Vacation with Ant Anstead and Her Kids," 21 Aug. 2018 Politicians there have already donned the team’s jerseys. — The Christian Science Monitor, "Why this World Cup final is like no other," 13 July 2018 And Himmler, who had fled — shaving his mustache, assuming an alias and donning a black eye patch — was captured by the Allies on May 20 in Bremervörde, Germany. — Richard Sandomir, New York Times, "Gudrun Burwitz, Ever-Loyal Daughter of Himmler, Is Dead at 88," 6 July 2018 Children ages 8 to 12 can don period costumes or wear their everyday summer clothes and participate in the activities that took place at the Phelps-Hatheway House & Garden. — Courant Community, "Community News For The Windsor Locks Edition," 2 July 2018 That’ll leave you more than enough time to stick in your earplugs, don your flame-retardant suit and head for the cul-de-sac. — James P. Dewan, chicagotribune.com, "5 flavor-packed sauces to pair with Fourth of July grilled steaks," 26 June 2018 Prospects who visited with the Pistons donned a headset that measures reaction time and decision making. — Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Pistons' VR exploration a game-changer for prospects," 9 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

In the outside world, kids their age don caps and gowns, celebrate sweet 16s and quinceañeras. — Joy Resmovits, latimes.com, "What prom looks like in juvenile detention: contraband hairpins have to be returned at the end of the night," 21 June 2018 RealBooksYouCanHoldAndSmell Written by don Miguel Ruiz, the tome describes self-limiting beliefs, and how readers can use the Four Agreements—each based on Toltec Wisdom—to eliminate suffering and self-doubt and experience true happiness. — Megan Stein, Country Living, "Kelly Clarkson Can't Stop Reading This Book and We Can See Why," 7 Aug. 2018 The same theory could be applied to plenty of future items that Markle dons, or even past items that have since sold out. — Rachel King, Fortune, "Meghan Markle Is Being Credited With Boosting Aritzia's Earnings. But Is the 'Meghan Effect' Real?," 13 July 2018 Light appetites find a mini don here with tuna and/or salmon on rice. — Liz Biro, Indianapolis Star, "Here's where to get a poké bowl in Indianapolis, including 5 new restaurants," 31 May 2018 The trial of the octogenarian Mafia don is a reminder of how much Boston and its criminal underworld have changed. — Shelley Murphy, BostonGlobe.com, "Mafia murder trial occurring now in Boston highlights how much city’s underworld has changed," 29 May 2018 Like the iconic arctic fox, the snowshoe hare dons white fur for the winter—a good camouflage in the snow. — Elizabeth Pennisi, Science | AAAS, "How the snowshoe hare is losing its white winter coat," 21 June 2018 Nefarious politicians, crime dons, illicit arms dealers and femmes fatales with dresses cut up to here populate scene after scene, set amid the Gulf’s glittering nightclubs, luxury hotels and wide-open desert highways. — Lisa Tsering, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Race 3': Film Review," 18 June 2018 Choose your entree — options may include the oyako don (chicken and egg over rice), chicken katsu or a perfect bowl of local fish, chopped and served raw over rice. — Chronicle Staff, SFChronicle.com, "A guide to navigating a hassle-free Mission," 17 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'don.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.