dad

[ dad ]

/ dæd /

Informal.

noun

a person’s father or one’s father.

a person who is corny or embarrassing in the way that a father figure might be: He was being such a dad when he told that story.

a term of endearment used to refer to a man or boy who is admired: A bunch of teens commented “HI DAD!” on the rapper’s post.

adjective

corny or embarrassing in the way that a father figure might be: a dad joke;the most dad story ever.

handsome or stylish; amazing; to be admired: Those shoes are totally dad.

verb (used with object)

to act as a father toward; act paternally toward: Stop dadding me about my grades!

to refer to (an admired man or boy) as “dad”: My friends dad me whenever I look good.

verb (used without object)

to perform the tasks or duties of a male parent; act paternally: He dads like a champ.

to refer to an admired man or boy as “dad”: They dad whenever a new photo pops up on their feeds.

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Question 1 of 7

What does “vacillate” mean?

to waver in mind or opinion; be indecisive or irresolute.

to cause to be empty or unoccupied.

to assent tacitly; agree; consent.

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Origin of dad

First recorded in 1490–1500; probably originally a nursery word

Words nearby dad

dactylomegaly, dactyloscopy, -dactylous, dactylus, -dactyly, dad, dada, dadah, Dad and Dave, dad-blamed, dad-blasted

Definition for dad (2 of 4)

dad²

[ dad ]

/ dæd /

interjection Informal.

God (used in combination in mild oaths): dad-blamed; dad-gummed.

Origin of dad

First recorded in 1670–80; euphemism for God

Definition for dad (3 of 4)

dad³

[ dad ]

/ dæd /

noun Scot. and North England.

a solid blow or knock.

a large slice, lump, or portion.

Origin of dad

First recorded in 1710–20; probably variant of dab¹

Definition for dad (4 of 4)

ḍad

[ dahd ]

/ dɑd /

noun

the 15th letter of the Arabic alphabet.

Origin of ḍad

From Arabic

Example sentences from the Web for dad

My dad was a sailor, and all through my childhood he was away half of the time at sea, and to an extent I have a similar job.
Belle & Sebastian Aren’t So Shy Anymore|James Joiner|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
His wife passed away and they had kids, and he wanted to focus on being a dad so he just stopped to raise his kids.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The fear of…Dad, of the war…yes, that…but something else…the fear that life is nor being lived right here now.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
My dad had worked for a while as a ranch hand, and his “Open Road” was a remnant of those days.
My Love Letter to the Stetson|Mark McKinnon|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The kids are out of school, Mom is out of get-up-and-go, Dad is out of work.
Congress’ Gift That Keeps on Giving|P. J. O’Rourke|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Wait until I get my degree, and the law cases come pouring in on me, with big fees—say, maybe I could give your dad some points!
For the Honor of Randall|Lester Chadwick
It's going to turn out a bad piece of work, and they'll hear from my dad, you can wager.
Boy Scouts: Tenderfoot Squad|Alan Douglas
Got to go on an errand for dad, and its too far to walk away around by the bridge.
Tom Fairfield's Schooldays|Allen Chapman
Well, just for your own benefit, Dad told me a little while ago that our mothers have given their consent.
The Forest of Mystery|James H. Foster
"Dad and I are miscreants, and you are a ruffian and a desperate character," she told him gayly.
A Texas Ranger|William MacLeod Raine

British Dictionary definitions for dad

dad

/ (dæd) /

noun

an informal word for father

Word Origin for dad

C16: childish word; compare Greek tata, Sanskrit tatas

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

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dad