dot
1 (dŏt)
[Middle English* dot, from Old English dott, head of a boil.]
noun
- A tiny round mark made by or as if by a pointed instrument; a spot.
- Such a mark used in orthography, as above an i.
- The basic unit of composition for an image produced by a device that prints text or graphics on paper: a resolution of 900 dots per inch.
- A tiny amount.
- In Morse and similar codes, the short sound or signal used in combination with the dash and silent intervals to represent letters, numbers, or punctuation.
- Mathematics
- A decimal point.
- A symbol (·) indicating multiplication, as in 2 · 4 = 8.
- Music A mark after a note indicating an increase in time value by half.
- Computer Science A period, as used as in URLs and e-mail addresses, to separate strings of words, as in www.hmco.com .
verb: dot·ted, dot·ting, dots.
transitive verb
- To mark with a dot.
- To form or make with dots.
- To cover with or as if with dots: “Campfires, like red, peculiar blossoms, dotted the night” (Stephen Crane)
intransitive verb
- To make a dot.
idioms
- on the dot
- Exactly at the appointed time; punctual or punctually: arrived at nine o'clock on the dot.
derivatives
- dot́ter
- noun
dot
2 (dŏt, dō)
[French, from Latin dōs, dōt-, dowry.]
noun
- A woman's marriage portion; a dowry.
derivatives
- dótal
- adjective
DOT
abbreviation
- Department of Transportation
