des

[ dey ]

/ deɪ /

Save This Word!

preposition

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

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Words nearby des

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

Other definitions for des (2 of 3)

DES

abbreviation

diethylstilbestrol.

Other definitions 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

How to use des in a sentence

“Palmyra, Krac des Chevaliers, Afamia, the Umayyad Mosque—I took them everywhere,” he said, speaking to me in English.
Local Truces Are Syria’s Sad Little Pieces of Peace|Joshua Hersh|November 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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

As a result, Rue des Rosiers houses only a few kosher shops and kitschy delis, mostly dedicated to vistors rather than locals.
Paris's Nouveau Yiddish Culture|Laurent David Samama|September 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
L'Occision des chiens est accoste de la tabagie et de ce qui suyt la tabagie, du chant et des danses.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
L'adieu et le deuil se clost par l'occision des chiens ce que le mourant ait des avants-coureurs en l'autre monde.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Il prenoit des symptomes si mortels, que souvent nous n'attendions sinon qu'il nous demeurast entre les mains.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
By bad luck d'Amade was away, up in the front trenches, and I could not well deliver myself to des Coigns.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
Car les Angloys s'en veulent dire maistres, et sur ce ils produysoyent des lettres de leur Roy, mais ce que nous croyons fausses.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various

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′ ]

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

[ dē′ē-ĕs′ ]

Short for diethylstilbestrol. A synthetic nonsteroidal substance having estrogenic properties and prescribed between 1938 and 1971 to pregnant women with a history of miscarriage and other problems of pregnancy. It is no longer used due to the incidence of certain vaginal cancers and other disorders in the daughters of women so treated.