Jump To:

• des
  des

  preposition

  used in French names as a contraction of de and the article les: François des Adrets.
• DES
  DES

  abbreviation

  diethylstilbestrol.
• -des
  -des

  a plural suffix appearing in loanwords from Greek.

des

¹ American  

[dey] / deɪ /

preposition

1. used in French names as a contraction of de and the article les: François des Adrets.

---

DES ² American  

abbreviation

1. diethylstilbestrol.

---

-des ³ American  

1. a plural suffix appearing in loanwords from Greek.

   proboscides.

---

DES British  

abbreviation

1. Department of Education and Science

---

DES Scientific  

/ dē′ē-ĕs′ /

1. Short for diethylstilbestrol. A synthetic nonsteroidal substance having estrogenic properties and prescribed between 1938 and 1971 to pregnant women with a history of miscarriage and other problems of pregnancy. It is no longer used due to the incidence of certain vaginal cancers and other disorders in the daughters of women so treated.

---

Etymology

Origin of -des

< Greek, nominative plural of d- stem nouns

Example Sentences

In Hormuz, “Iran was able to create a crisis of market confidence. But disruption is not control,” said David Des Roches, a former director responsible for Persian Gulf policy at the Defense Department.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

“There is still a digital divide,” Stier said of his community, roughly 40 miles north of Des Moines.

From Salon • Apr. 26, 2026

When he set off for his first climb on 5 April, Daniel, from Merthyr Tydfil, was aiming to beat the previous record of 365 climbs in one calendar year, set by Des Lally in 2019.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

Dr Des Holden, acting chief executive of East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust, said the patient first presented on Wednesday evening.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

The first time I spoke about these issues was at Merrill Middle School in Des Moines, Iowa, during the first No Name-Calling Week in 2004.

From "The Misfits" by James Howe