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dot
dotnouna small, roundish mark made with or as if with a pen.
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DOT
DOTabbreviationdamage over time: (in a video game) an attack that results in light or moderate damage when it is dealt, but that wounds or weakens the receiving character, who continues to lose health in small increments for a specified period of time, or until healed by a spell, potion, etc.
dot
1 Americannoun
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a small, roundish mark made with or as if with a pen.
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a minute or small spot on a surface; speck.
There were dots of soot on the windowsill.
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anything relatively small or specklike.
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a small specimen, section, amount, or portion.
a dot of butter.
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a period, especially as used when pronouncing an internet address.
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Music.
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a point placed after a note or rest, to indicate that the duration of the note or rest is to be increased one half. A double dot further increases the duration by one half the value of the single dot.
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a point placed under or over a note to indicate that it is to be played staccato.
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Telegraphy. a signal of shorter duration than a dash, used in groups along with groups of dashes and spaces to represent letters, as in Morse code.
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Printing. an individual element in a halftone reproduction.
verb (used with object)
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to mark with or as if with a dot or dots.
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to stud or diversify with or as if with dots.
Trees dot the landscape.
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to form or cover with dots.
He dotted a line across the page.
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Cooking. to sprinkle with dabs of butter, margarine, or the like.
Dot the filling with butter.
verb (used without object)
idioms
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on the dot, precisely; exactly at the time specified.
The guests arrived at eight o'clock on the dot.
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the year dot, very long ago.
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dot one's i's and cross one's t's, to be meticulous or precise, even to the smallest detail.
noun
noun
abbreviation
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damage over time: (in a video game) an attack that results in light or moderate damage when it is dealt, but that wounds or weakens the receiving character, who continues to lose health in small increments for a specified period of time, or until healed by a spell, potion, etc.
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Dictionary of Occupational Titles: reference book formerly published by the Department of Labor with job titles, descriptions, and official classifications, discontinued in 1999 and replaced by the online Occupational Informational Network.
noun
noun
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a small round mark made with or as with a pen, etc; spot; speck; point
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anything resembling a dot; a small amount
a dot of paint
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the mark (˙) that appears above the main stem of the letters i, j
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music
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the symbol (·) placed after a note or rest to increase its time value by half
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this symbol written above or below a note indicating that it must be played or sung staccato
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maths logic
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the symbol (.) indicating multiplication or logical conjunction
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a decimal point
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the symbol (·) used, in combination with the symbol for dash (–), in the written representation of Morse and other telegraphic codes Compare dit
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informal as long ago as can be remembered
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at exactly the arranged time
verb
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(tr) to mark or form with a dot
to dot a letter
a dotted crotchet
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(tr) to scatter or intersperse (with dots or something resembling dots)
bushes dotting the plain
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(intr) to make a dot or dots
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to pay meticulous attention to detail
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A symbol (·) indicating multiplication, as in 2 · 4 = 8. It is used to indicate the dot product of vectors, for example A · B.
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A period, as used as in URLs and e-mail addresses, to separate strings of words, as in www.hmco.com.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dot1
First recorded before 1000; perhaps to be identified with Old English dott “head of a boil,” though not attested in Middle English; cf. dottle, dit, derivative of Old English dyttan “to stop up” (probably derivative of dott ); cognate with Old High German tutta “nipple”
Origin of dot2
First recorded in 1820–25; from French, from Latin dōtem, accusative of dōs “dowry,” akin to dare “to give”
Explanation
A dot is a round speck or spot. A first grade teacher might remind his students to put dots on their is and js. A period, a little circle or point, is a dot. Another kind is a polka dot, which might decorate your favorite pair of shorts or the curtains in your room. In Morse code, a dot is a short signal, as opposed to the longer "dash." When you recite your website's URL, you might end with "dot com." As a verb, to dot is to mark something with a dot: "You forgot to dot your is!"
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.
A-Trak, me n ü, Big Boi and Cudi’s longtime producer, collaborator and friend, Dot Da Genius.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
Unified and the state as a whole — even if the absolute scores remain below state averages, according to data presented by Green Dot.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026
The broadcaster Amplify Dot and singer Terri Walker simply posted broken heart emojis.
From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026
Jamming a GPS signal is "not that complicated," said Katherine Dunn, the author of an upcoming book of the history of GPS, "Little Blue Dot."
From Barron's • Mar. 8, 2026
Little Jeffrey was shipped off to his nearest relatives, Aunt Dot and Uncle Dan.
From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli
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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.