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

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

Guests donned protective bee suits and joined Program Leader Marna Coleman on a trip to the center’s apiary located several hundred feet behind the nature center. — Denys Bucksten, chicagotribune.com, "Residents see firsthand Heller Nature Center’s bees at work as honey harvest approaches," 26 June 2019 From her boots and dress, the singer donned wood grain, and didn’t stop there. — Shalwah Evans, Essence, "Lizzo Opted For Wood Grain And Natural Hair For Her BET Awards Look," 24 June 2019 To suit the theme of the evening, which is traditionally Indian, guests donned colorful saris and lehengas and dined on Indian cuisine. — Carrie Goldberg, Harper's BAZAAR, "The Love Story Behind Singer-Songwriter Yuna & Filmmaker Adam Sinclair's Wedding in the Malaysian Jungle," 19 June 2019 Officers then donned protective riot gear and used a chemical agent that resembles tear gas to disperse the crowd. — Fox News, "The Latest: 25 officers injured at scene of Memphis shooting," 13 June 2019 Participants donned big wigs and kissed their partners. — Michael Waters, Smithsonian, "The First Pride Marches, in Photos," 7 June 2019 Last Thursday, 3,000 law professionals and students donned black suits and marched in silence from the Court of Final Appeal to the Legislative Council building to protest the bill. — Eamon Barrett, Fortune, "'We Fear Confidence Will Suffer:' Hong Kong's Extradition Law Is Denounced as Bad for Business," 3 Jan. 2019 On one stop of the press tour, Tessa donned a powerful pompadour to match her power suit. — Jennifer Ford, Essence, "Tessa Thompson's Hairstyles Are Out Of This World," 20 June 2019 Jane was flawless in a floral top with pink pants, while Tim donned a black suit with a red button-up and glasses. — Megan Stein, Country Living, "Tim Allen's Wife and Kids Joined Him for a Rare Red Carpet Appearance," 14 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Humans signal subordination by bowing, groveling, laughing at the boss’s jokes, kissing the don’s ring, saluting and so on. — Frans De Waal, Discover Magazine, "Cheerful Chimps: Are Animals Really Happy When They Smile?," 31 May 2019 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

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.