dot

1 of 4

noun (1)

1
: a small spot : speck entry 1
2
: a small round mark: such as
a(1)
: a small point made with a pointed instrument
a dot on the chart marked the ship's position
(2)
: a small round mark used in orthography or punctuation
put a dot over the i
b
: a centered point used as a multiplication sign (as in 6 · 5 = 30)
c(1)
: a point after a note or rest in music indicating augmentation of the time value by one half
(2)
: a point over or under a note indicating that it is to be played staccato
3
: a precise point especially in time
arrived at six on the dot
4
: a short click or buzz forming a letter or part of a letter (as in the Morse code)
5
: a point used to separate components of an address on the Internet

dot

2 of 4

verb

dotted; dotting

transitive verb

1
: to mark with a dot
2
: to intersperse with dots or objects scattered at random
boats dotting the lake

intransitive verb

: to make a dot
dotter noun

dot

3 of 4

noun (2)

DOT

4 of 4

abbreviation

Department of Transportation

Examples of dot in a Sentence

Verb Don't forget to dot the i. Quaint cottages dot the countryside. The fields were dotted with wildflowers. Dot the cream all over your face.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
So while it’s not considered harmful, there are a couple of ways to prevent these black dots from popping up if their appearance bothers you. Audrey Noble, Vogue, 19 Nov. 2023 At the top right, tap the 3 vertical dots Select Move to Locked Folder Tap Move More directions here 9. Kurt Knutsson, Fox News, 19 Nov. 2023 Most families did not connect the dots to C.T.E., with symptoms that can include impulsivity, moodiness and memory loss. Kassie Bracken, New York Times, 17 Nov. 2023 Not a dot of light to be seen in the celeb section. Nancy Kruh, Peoplemag, 10 Nov. 2023 The screen used a colorful dot to attract the newborn’s attention, and then images of faces with direct or indirect gazes appeared on the screen. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 9 Nov. 2023 The circular dots emulate both the Maasai beads found in the brand’s Kenya LOVE bracelet and the rice that is so prominent in Balinese culture where this particular piece is made. Sarah Grossbart, wsj.com, 9 Nov. 2023 The good, bad, and ugly that dot all of our paths, whether paved with dirt or not, is filled with all sort of detours. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2023 On an Android phone, press and hold on a message on the list, then tap the three dots (top right) and hit Block. David Nield, Popular Science, 1 Nov. 2023
Verb
Spoon filling into prepared pie plate, smoothing to form an even surface; dot with butter. Marian Cooper Cairns, Southern Living, 17 Nov. 2023 Inky blue seating lines the room, giving way to an indigo ceiling dotted with twinkling spotlights to replicate the night sky. Sophie Prideaux, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Nov. 2023 Thatched-roof huts known as hales, with no TVs and no air-conditioning, dotted the beach. Hugh Garvey, Sunset Magazine, 6 Nov. 2023 The property sits on 50 acres dotted with Joshua trees. Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 4 Nov. 2023 The morning drizzle had just let up, and yellow wildflowers dotted the roadside. Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 9 Nov. 2023 Traditional onsen culture continues to thrive and therapeutic hot springs dot the landscape. Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 6 Nov. 2023 Many have incomplete records of older wells, including some that pump large volumes of water, and many states don’t register the millions of household wells that dot the country. Dionne Searcey, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2023 Some people dot their words with them, like an overzealous cook with a heavy hand on the salt shaker. John Kelly, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English *dot, from Old English dott head of a boil; akin to Old High German tutta nipple

Noun (2)

French, from Latin dot-, dos dowry

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1740, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1822, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dot was in 1596

Dictionary Entries Near dot

Cite this Entry

“Dot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dot. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

dot

1 of 2 noun
1
: a small spot : speck
2
: a small round mark made with or as if with a pen: as
a
: a point after a note or rest in music indicating increase of the time value by one half
b
: a centered dot · used as a sign of multiplication
3
: an exact point in time or space
arrived at six on the dot
4
: a short click or buzz forming a letter or part of a letter (as in the Morse code)

dot

2 of 2 verb
dotted; dotting
1
: to mark with a dot
dot an "i"
2
: to cover with or as if with dots
green buds dotted the branches
dotter noun

Medical Definition

dot

noun
: a small spot or speck see maurer's dots, schuffner's dots

Legal Definition

DOT

abbreviation

More from Merriam-Webster on dot

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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