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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 operation was "carried out successfully" and the evacutation order was lifted by early on Sunday evening, the Préfet des Hauts-de-Seine confirmed in a statement.

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

Go to the Marché des Enfants Rouges in the 3rd arrondissement in Paris for fresh oysters and a cheese plate, or to the Marché des Carmes in Toulouse for some lamb chops and fried scallops.

From Barron's • Mar. 8, 2026

"The priority is getting those already there back home," said Alain Capestan, president of the French tour operator Comptoir des Voyages.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

That visitors often stop before they depart Le Cirque des Rêves to stare at the clockwork wonder that sits by the gates.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

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.