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
dotted; dotting
1
: to mark with a dot
2
: to intersperse with dots or objects scattered at random
boats dotting the lake
: to make a dot
dotter
noun
Department of Transportation
Synonyms
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
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
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
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
Phrases Containing dot
Articles Related to dot
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.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
dot
1 of 2 noun1
: 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
Nglish: Translation of dot for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of dot for Arabic Speakers
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