dais
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of dais
1225–75; Middle English deis < Anglo-French ( Old French dois ) < Latin discus quoit; see discus
Explanation
A speaker stands on a dais, or a platform, when giving a presentation. If you were speaking at the Coffee Lovers of America's conference, you'd step onto the dais so the audience could see you over their enormous cups o' joe. Dais comes to us from the Old French word deis, which was originally pronounced with only one syllable — more like days than the current day-us. If you take a course in a lecture hall, your professor will need to stand on the dais so everyone can see her better.
Vocabulary lists containing dais
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Lightning Thief
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Leo Kelly—a devout Christian Iowan who was seen ascending the Senate dais, leafing through sensitive documents, and praying in the chamber—described it as “a blessing.”
From Slate ● May 28, 2026
When Mullin walked to the dais, he shook only one hand: O'Brien's.
From BBC ● Mar. 18, 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
Westminster Vice Mayor Carlos Manzo, the lone Democrat on the dais and the sole vote against designating the street in Kirk’s honor, at times appeared at a loss for words over Nguyen’s proposal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2025
“And when we stepped on the dais, two copies of the king appeared, one for each of us to play.”
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
It's a pretty neat trick for a plant, but also pretty baffling to botanists, who have been intrigued by beetle daises for centuries.
From Salon ● Mar. 26, 2023
But the truth has a way of seeping out, sometimes in unlikely places, like the daises of presidential libraries.
From New York Times ● Jun. 8, 2022
Walker and the senators in the room were spread out on multiple daises.
From Fox News ● May 6, 2020
After the first break, most of the senators who had already asked questions elected not to return, and the entire bottom row of daises was entirely empty for much of the remaining time.
From Slate ● Apr. 10, 2018
He would stride the daises and the stages with his voice strong and clear, unafraid to speak the language like a Puritan and like a Chinaman and like every boat person in between.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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.
