dot

1 of 6

noun (1)

ˈdät 

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 6

verb

ˈdät 

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 6

noun (2)

ˈdȯt 

: dowry sense 1

DOT

4 of 6

abbreviation

Department of Transportation

dotter

5 of 6

intransitive verb

dot·​ter

ˈdätə(r)

dialectal, British

: to walk shakily : totter

dotter

6 of 6

noun (3)

dot·​ter

ˈdätə(r), 

-ätə-

plural -s

1

: one that makes dots

2

: a worker who by means of a centering machine locates the optical and focal centers, axis, and terminal points of ground lenses to guide workers who will cut, edge, trim, and mount the lenses

called also spotter

3

: a device for training gun pointers without using ammunition consisting of a vertically oscillating paper target close to the gun's muzzle that is dotted by an electrically operated pencil at the point at which the sights are directed when the pointer presses the firing key

Synonyms of dot

Noun (1)

• fleck
• blotch
• speck
• patch

Verb

• spray
• sprinkle
• pepper

Examples of dot in a Sentence

Noun (1)

there was just a dot on the tablecloth where the food had spattered

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

The bias cut drapes smoothly, and the mocha dot print (my favorite option) adds a subtle statement without feeling too loud. — Paris Wilson, Travel + Leisure, 21 June 2026

El Dorado, in this way, becomes more than a dot on the map. — Arkansas Online, 21 June 2026

Verb

Access was also easily obtained through the many taverns that dotted towns across the colonies, where the people gathered to read and hear the latest news, and, importantly, to participate in the political opposition to the crown that grew with each passing year. — Dr. Matthew Warshauer, Hartford Courant, 26 June 2026

The area in Mendocino County dotted with small, agricultural towns is 140 miles (225 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco. — ABC News, 24 June 2026

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

Intransitive verb

Middle English doteren, perhaps alteration of toteren to totter

and Noun (3)

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

• dot-com
• dot-commer
• dot matrix
• dot product
• on the dot
• polka dot
• quantum dot
• since (the) year dot

Rhymes for dot

• aught
• baht
• blot
• bott
• bought
• brought
• caught
• clot
• cot
• cott
• fought
• fraught

Kids Definition

dot

1 of 2 noun

ˈdät 

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

ˈdät 

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

Legal Definition

DOT

abbreviation

Department of Transportation