des

¹ American  

[dey] / deɪ /

preposition

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

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DES ² American  

abbreviation

1. diethylstilbestrol.

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-des ³ American  

1. a plural suffix appearing in loanwords from Greek.

   proboscides.

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DES British  

abbreviation

1. Department of Education and Science

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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.

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Etymology

Origin of -des

< Greek, nominative plural of d- stem nouns

Example Sentences

Coady and the three other reservists assigned to a Des Moines-based unit were killed in Kuwait comes about 11 weeks after two young Iowa National Guard members died in Syria, including one from Des Moines.

From The Wall Street Journal

The strikes in Iran had already dominated conversation in Des Moines.

From The Wall Street Journal

“It hit the university pretty hard,” said Delaney Brackin, a 22-year-old English major who attended the same West Des Moines high school as Coady.

From The Wall Street Journal

“I just talked to him, he’s ok,” Aidan told the rest of the family back in West Des Moines.

From The Wall Street Journal

In Des Moines, Iowa, Axios reporter Linh Ta used to attend three-hour city budget meetings.

From The Wall Street Journal