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dais

American  
[dey-is, dahy-, deys] / ˈdeɪ ɪs, ˈdaɪ-, deɪs /

noun

  1. a raised platform, as at the front of a room, for a lectern, throne, seats of honor, etc.

dais British  
/ ˈdeɪɪs, deɪs /

noun

  1. a raised platform, usually at one end of a hall, used by speakers, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of dais

1225–75; Middle English deis < Anglo-French ( Old French dois ) < Latin discus quoit; discus

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When Mullin walked to the dais, he shook only one hand: O'Brien's.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

The party would have been better off in the end if he had just fallen asleep on the dais.

From Slate • Feb. 24, 2026

Trump addressed the executives from a lectern on a makeshift dais a few feet away from them.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

More than a dozen Metro and Los Angeles Police Department officers stood guard, positioning themselves between the public and the empty dais.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2025

The woman hastened to the king’s side, taking his arm, and with faltering steps the old man came down from the dais and paced softly through the hall.

From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.