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

Don’t forget to don your most proper double breasted dress, long white gloves, and add a tiara for good measure. — Diana Nguyen, Harper's BAZAAR, "Why Don’t You...Wear Head-to-Toe Gucci All Day, Every Day," 2 Apr. 2019 Another plaintiff, Nick Venner, seventeen, dons headphones and begins solving differential equations on his laptop. — Julia Felsenthal, Vogue, "Do Americans Have a Constitutional Right to a Livable Planet? Meet the 21 Young People Who Say They Do," 21 Mar. 2019 The couple donned all black and signed a book of condolences for the victims during an unexpected appearance at New Zealand House in London. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Took a Surprise Outing Yesterday That We All Almost Missed," 20 Mar. 2019 The evil villainess looks up with her piercing green eyes, dons a pair of creepy horns on her head, and wears a killer pair of massive wings on her back. — Nicole Saunders, Harper's BAZAAR, "Angelina Jolie Looks Both Terrifying and Beautiful in the New Maleficent Poster and I'm Shook," 7 Mar. 2019 Rag and Bone designer Marcus Wainwright explained that choosing those 50 guests to don the newest collection was not a difficult task. — Ella Riley-adams, Vogue, "A No-Show: Rag & Bone Unveils its New Collection With a Futuristic Dinner," 9 Feb. 2019 The outlet also reported that the actor, who is also somewhat slimmer than Williams, had to don a fat suit and an afro-style wig in addition to his darker makeup to match William's full look. — Fox News, "Seth Rogen apologizes for use of blackface on 'Good Boys' film set," 2 Oct. 2018 In a bathroom scene, a trans woman inspires Patty to be confident enough to don her bikini in public. — Claire Dodson, Teen Vogue, "Netflix's "Insatiable" Isn't Actually About Fat People," 19 Aug. 2018 Billy Dee Williams is set to once again don Lando Calrissian’s cape. — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE.com, "Billy Dee Williams, 81, to Reprise Role as Lando Calrissian in Next Star Wars Movie," 10 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

This Boba Fett dons sculpted Mandalorian armor, a rangefinder, flight suit and vest with body plate armor, knee pads, and wrist gauntlets. — Maude Campbell, Popular Mechanics, "The Best Star Wars Toys for Any Aspiring Jedi," 27 Mar. 2019 Insiders will recognize real-world touches: the bookish spectacles one defendant dons for court, the feral dogs that roam gang neighborhoods, the civilian police employee who passes tips to her gang-member nephew. — Jill Leovy, New York Times, "The Killers of the ‘Sex Money Murder’ Gang and the Cops Who Went After Them," 1 June 2018 Cuadrado is more interested in Ronaldo's abilities than what shirt number dons either player's back. — Afp, chicagotribune.com, "Cuadrado: 'no problem' giving up number 7 jersey to Ronaldo," 12 July 2018 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

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.