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  • des
    des
    preposition
    used in French names as a contraction of de and the article les: François des Adrets.
  • DES
    DES
    abbreviation
  • -des
    -des
    a plural suffix appearing in loanwords from Greek.

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.

See Examples For:

The collection was unveiled at an elaborate event at the Abbaye des Vaux de Cernay, just outside Paris.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 9, 2026

Also of note, Paramount recently added all five seasons of “The Bureau” — aka “Le Bureau des Légendes” — the original French series that “The Agency” was adapted from.

From MarketWatch Jun. 30, 2026

Yet unlike many operas that closely mirror their sources, Previn’s music adds serious depth and dimension to the characters and story in the tradition of Poulenc’s “Dialogues des Carmélites” or Debussy’s “Pelléas et Mélisande.”

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 15, 2026

Zverev then led Carlos Alcaraz by two sets to one in the 2024 French Open final but it was the Spaniard who ended up lifting his first Coupe des Mousquetaires.

From BBC Jun. 7, 2026

I have heard the expression “trick of the light” applied to sights within Le Cirque des Rêves so frequently that I sometimes suspect the entirety of the circus is itself a complex illusion of illumination.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Brett Bezio, a spokesperson for DES, said the agency is focusing on reducing the state’s error rate to ensure “the program remains a stable resource for vulnerable Arizonans.”

From Salon Apr. 9, 2026

Last summer, DES also laid off about 500 employees in response to the elimination of federal grants and in anticipation of additional federal cuts.

From Salon Apr. 9, 2026

However, interest in evolving dark energy was vigorously rekindled last year from the combination of supernovae, baryon acoustic oscillation, and cosmic microwave background data from the DES, DESI, and Planck experiments.

From Science Daily Nov. 4, 2025

DES MOINES, Iowa — For Democrats in Iowa, this year’s Super Tuesday is a break from five decades of tradition in how the state gets its say in helping determine the presidential nominee.

From Seattle Times Mar. 5, 2024

They never got an answer to that question, and thus they won the battle and DES is still the approved encryption methodology for banks.

From Terminal Compromise: computer terrorism: when privacy and freedom are the victims: a novel by Schwartau, Winn

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