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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

Otis trudged over to the dais, stopping occasionally to do a plie.

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan

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.