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des

1 American  
[dey] / deɪ /

preposition

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

DES 2 American  

abbreviation

  1. diethylstilbestrol.

-des 3 American  

  1. a plural suffix appearing in loanwords from Greek.

    proboscides.
DES British  

abbreviation

  1. 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
DES Scientific  
/ dē′ē-ĕs′ /

  1. 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.

Etymology

Origin of -des

< Greek, nominative plural of d- stem nouns

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.

The bomb was discovered on 10 April during construction work on Rue des Champarons.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

"That was our champions against their champions. Our champions were nowhere near," said former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, who was inside Parc des Princes for BBC Radio 5 Live.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

Christophe Leribault, who replaced Laurence des Cars, was appointed president of the iconic museum by the Council of Ministers on Wednesday.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

On Tuesday, des Cars sent her resignation to President Emmanuel Macron, which was accepted, following a string of scandals including the brazen theft of French crown jewels valued at $100 million in October.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

We turned off the Avenue up the Rue des Pyramides, through the traffic of the Rue de Rivoli, and through a dark gate into the Tuileries.

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway

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.