des

[ dey ]

/ deɪ /

preposition

used in French names as a contraction of de and the article les: François des Adrets.

QUIZZES

DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?

Question 1 of 11

Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?

owl

crow

piranha

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Words nearby des

derv, dervish, Derwent, Derwentwater, Derzhavin, des, desacralize, Desai, Desaix de Veygoux, desalinate, desalination

Definition for des (2 of 3)

DES

abbreviation

diethylstilbestrol.

Definition for des (3 of 3)

-des

a plural suffix appearing in loanwords from Greek: proboscides.

Origin of -des

<Greek, nominative plural of d-stem nouns

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for des

That candidate, Joni Ernst, did herself no favors yesterday by blowing off the editorial board of The Des Moines Register.
How This Election Could Go to January|Michael Tomasky|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The stories are told through the eyes of two fishing guides, Crunch and Des, with a spare grace and humor that stand strong.
Book Bag: Overlooked Classic Books From the Sunshine State|Randy Wayne White|September 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Des Moines women called their Senate contest “ugly,” the kind of race where you vote for the lesser of two evils.
Voters Don't Care About DC's Obsessions|Eleanor Clift|September 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The venue is favored by houses like Comme des Garçons and Cerruti 1881, which housed its mensweek show there last month.
Paris’s Secret Fashion Week Haunts|Liza Foreman|July 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The ex-girlfriend had rallied to his side and written a letter to the editor of The Des Moines Register in his defense.
The Bizarro World Of Iowa’s GOP Convention|Ben Jacobs|June 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
According to the Journal des Débats, the greatest part of these papers have never been printed.
The International Monthly, Volume 3, No. 4, July, 1851|Various
Mais comme il a des parties, ce n'est pas une chose qui puisse convenir Dieu.
Fundamental Philosophy, Vol. I (of 2)|Jaime Luciano Balmes
Its des er rope you ties roun de horns er beastes an de uther een you ties ter er stob in de groun!
Bypaths in Dixie|Sarah Johnson Cocke
One day erbout three mont's ergo, dis yer lady come en she des wheedled me ter let her in.
The Crossing|Winston Churchill
Now, den, we'll des wuk our way back en start fa'r en squar'.
Nights With Uncle Remus|Joel Chandler Harris

British Dictionary definitions for des

DES

abbreviation for (in Britain)

Department of Education and Science

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

Medical definitions for des

DES

[ dē′ē-ĕs′ ]

n.

Diethylstilbestrol; a synthetic nonsteroidal substance having estrogenic properties and once used to treat menstrual disorders. It is no longer used due to the incidence of certain vaginal cancers in the daughters of women so treated.

Scientific definitions for des

DES