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

Chelsea need to overcome a 5-2 deficit on Tuesday night after a late collapse away at PSG in the first-leg at Parc des Princes.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

PSG led 3-2 from last week's first leg but Maghnes Akliouche gave Monaco the advantage on the night at the Parc des Princes to level the scores on aggregate.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

Laurence des Carrs submitted her resignation to President Emmanel Macron, who said it was "an act of responsibility", French media say.

From BBC • Feb. 24, 2026

Viollet-le-Duc did not study at the state-run École des Beaux Arts, but came to architecture by means of drawing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026

I saw her face in the lights from the open shops, then it was dark, then I saw her face clearly as we came out on the Avenue des Gobelins.

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway