dato
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dato
First recorded in 1610–20 as Datoe; partly from Malay datu, datto “ruler, chief,” and its variant datok, datuk “grandfather, elder,” partly from Indonesian datuk “head of the family, chieftain”; akin to datu ( def. )
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.
One morning when Nat went ashore, the dato spread his hands and sighed.
From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham
If the captain would pay now, the dato said, the men would begin taking the pepper to the ship.
From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham
At last the dato said he would have pepper for the Putnam tomorrow’.
From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham
Then the dato could urge his men to greater effort.
From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham
Not only were the great tribes separated by the differences of language, but, as we have already seen, each tiny community was practically independent, and the power of a dato very limited.
From A History of the Philippines by Barrows, David P.
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.
