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
From the M-W Editors
Examples of don in a Sentence
He donned his gloves and hat.
she donned her best gown for the ball
Origin and Etymology of don
Middle English, contraction of do on
First Known Use: 14th century
Definition of don
1 : a Spanish nobleman or gentleman —used as a title prefixed to the Christian name
2 archaic : a person of consequence : grandee the great dons of wit — John Dryden
3 : 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
4 [Italian, title of respect, from donno, literally, lord, from Latin dominus] : a powerful Mafia leader
Origin and Etymology of don
Spanish, from Latin dominus master — more at dame
First Known Use: 1523
Other Education Terms
DON
Definition of DON
director of nursing
Don
playDefinition 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
Definition of don for English Language Learners
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: to put on (a piece of clothing)
Definition of don for English Language Learners
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: a teacher in a college or university; especially : a teacher at Oxford or Cambridge University
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: a powerful Mafia leader
DON Defined for Kids
Learn More about don
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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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