dotty

¹ American  

[dot-ee] / ˈdɒt i /

adjective

Informal.

dottier, dottiest

1. crazy or eccentric.

2. feeble or unsteady in gait.

3. very enthusiastic or infatuated (usually followed by about orover ).

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dotty ² American  

[dot-ee] / ˈdɒt i /

adjective

dottier, dottiest

1. marked with dots; dotted.

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dotty British  

/ ˈdɒtɪ /

adjective

1. slang feeble-minded; slightly crazy

2. slang (foll by about) extremely fond (of)

3. marked with dots

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Other Word Forms

• dottiness
  noun
• dottily
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of dotty¹

1805–15; perhaps dott(ard) variant of dotard + -y ¹

Origin of dotty²

First recorded in 1805–15; dot ¹ + -y ¹

Example Sentences

“We want proper sanitation as much as anybody wants it. We don’t want our children swimming in an ocean of bacteria,” said Dotty Kelly-Paddock, president of the Hauula Community Association.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 5, 2023

Dotty, a general manager at a stainless-steel treatment factory in the city of Foshan, has automated product packaging and work surface cleaning, but says a similar fix for other functions would be too costly.

From Reuters • Nov. 21, 2022

Others, such as the Green sisters — Bloomie, Dotty and Minnie, who never lived more than 10 minutes away from one another — were not.

From Washington Post • Mar. 4, 2022

Alice's announcement comes not long after Maya Jama revealed that she was leaving the station, and a week after 1Xtra Breakfast Show presenter Dotty announced she was leaving Radio 1's sister station.

From BBC • Jul. 15, 2020

We expect Dotty to lash at Brendan the way all the masters do when you ask them a question but he looks at Brendan with a little smile.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt