don

verb \ ˈdän \

Updated on: 20 Apr 2018

Definition of don

donned; donning

transitive verb

1 : to put on (an article of clothing)

donned his hat and gloves

2 : to wrap oneself in : take on 3a

the donning of new and more tyrannous moralities
—Edward Sapir

See don defined for English-language learners

See don defined for kids

Examples of don in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of don from the Web

At the May protest, another participant insisted Ortiz don a black hat and sunglasses to conceal his face; another walked alongside him to guard against any attempt by border agents to seize him.

— gabriel thompson, Longreads, "Coachella, Underground," 12 Apr. 2018
The cartoon Orioles logo is a 1960s-’80s throwback, which the team revived in 2012 after more than two decades donning the ornithologically correct bird on their ballcaps.

— colin campbell, baltimoresun.com, "Orioles' cartoon logo transformed into other birds through Florida graphic designer's @SmilingBirdLogo," 9 Apr. 2018
Video: NJ Trooper, donned in latex gloves, searches man's crotch after allegedly smelling marijuana.

— jan hefler, Philly.com, "A roadside strip search in N.J. draws protest and legal action. How far can an officer go?," 6 Apr. 2018
Pass by Cipriani 42nd Street or Gotham Hall any night of the week and you are bound to see more than a few of Manhattan’s do-gooders donning their black-tie and clinking champagne flutes in the name of a charitable cause.

— todd plummer, Vogue, "Behind the Scenes of Tribeca Ball, One of New York’s Most Glamorous Galas," 3 Apr. 2018
A few feet away, Levy dons a purple cape over her T-shirt and leggings and picks up Elsa’s scepter.

— eliana dockterman, TIME.com, "Inside Disney’s Ambitious Plan to Bring," 8 Mar. 2018
England, donning a familiar red, started the better and took a deserved lead in the 31st minute, courtesy of Mullery's first international goal.

— SI.com, "World Cup Countdown: 12 Weeks to Go - West Germany Exact Revenge on England in 1970 World Cup," 1 Apr. 2018
Billed as Winter Park’s oldest community event, the hunt got its start in 1954, during times when folks wore hats and gloves to church on Easter and children donned their new spring clothes to search for Easter eggs.

— joy wallace dickinson, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Spring fashion changes, but Easter eggs still roll," 1 Apr. 2018
Well, this weekend will be a good time to raise those blinds — and don some shades.

— john r. ellement, BostonGlobe.com, "Friday’s weather less-than-desirable, but a warmer weekend will bring the sun," 30 Mar. 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.

Origin and Etymology of don

Middle English, contraction of do on

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

don Synonyms

don

noun \ ˈdän \

Definition of don

1 : a head (see ¹head 6a), tutor, or fellow (see fellow 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

[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

See don defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of don from the Web

Tiffany dons rubber gloves and fearlessly scoops chopped fish and vegetables from a container into a tank filled with fish and turtles native to Ohio's waterways.

— brenda cain, cleveland.com, "Aspiring marine biologist Tiffany Everhart gets VIP treatment at Cleveland Aquarium: A Greater Cleveland," 16 Apr. 2018
The existence of black holes was first posited in the 18th century (by a Cambridge don, Hawking notes smugly).

— jerry adler, Newsweek, "Stephen Hawking, Master of the Universe: Our 1988 Cover Story on the Legendary Physicist," 14 Mar. 2018
Instead, eat the thing that can only be had at Tsujiki: gyu-don.

— Bon Appetit, "Kitsune-ya," 19 Mar. 2018
Gotti, 24, is the son of Peter Gotti, one of five children of the famous mafia don, who died as a federal prisoner in 2002.

— Fox News, "Gotti's grandson sentenced to 5-year term for car arson," 14 Mar. 2018
Wojnarowski, or simply Woj, is the don of NBA news breakers.

— matthew glenesk, Indianapolis Star, "IndyStar 2018 NCAA tournament celebrity alumni bracket," 12 Mar. 2018
The models in the SS18 photos, including Slick Woods, don full orange tracksuits with peeking checkered and mesh elements as a dirt bike flies by overhead.

— natalie maher, Billboard, "Rihanna Announces Joint FentyxPuma Drop For The Spring," 1 Mar. 2018
Patron Saint Evan Spiegel—Snapchat don, billionaire.

— benjy hansen-bundy, GQ, "How To Be Better Than Everyone Else In 2018," 7 Feb. 2018
In Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps, his version of the French general dons camouflage, Timberland boots, a white T-shirt and a bandana.

— maya rhodan, Time, "'A Game Changer.' How a Painting of President Obama Broke the Rules," 14 Feb. 2018

Origin and Etymology of don

Spanish, from Latin dominus master — more at dame

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1523

in the meaning defined at sense 3

See Words from the same year

Other Education Terms

baccalaureate, colloquium, corequisite, dissertation, monograph, pedant, practicum, survey course, thesis

DON

abbreviation

Definition of DON

director of nursing

Other Medicine Terms

analgesia, angina, diabetes, hepatitis, homeopathy, logorrhea, palliate, pandemic

Don

geographical name \ ˈdän \

Definition of Don

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

DON Defined for English Language Learners

don

verb

Definition of don for English Language Learners

: to put on (a piece of clothing)

don

noun

Definition of don for English Language Learners

: a teacher in a college or university; especially : a teacher at Oxford or Cambridge University
: a powerful Mafia leader

DON Defined for Kids

don

verb \ ˈdän \

Definition of don for Students

donned; donning

: to put on

don a cap

Learn More about don

See words that rhyme with don Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for don Spanish Central: Translation of don Nglish: Translation of don for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of don for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about don

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don

Definition of don

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DON

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DON Defined for English Language Learners

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don

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