des

¹ American  

[dey] / deɪ /

preposition

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

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DES ² American  

abbreviation

1. diethylstilbestrol.

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-des ³ American  

1. a plural suffix appearing in loanwords from Greek.

   proboscides.

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DES British  

abbreviation

1. Department of Education and Science

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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.

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Etymology

Origin of -des

< Greek, nominative plural of d- stem nouns

Example Sentences

At Anfield, Liverpool's xG was 1.94 compared with the 0.18 at the Parc des Princes last week.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 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

Laurence des Cars, the first woman to lead the Louvre, said she no longer felt able to fully carry out her responsibilities because of a lack of clarity over priorities and resources.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

When the director’s wife slips on ice in the Place des Vosges and breaks her wrist in two places, the museum’s gossip machine explodes.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr