Also d.o.e. depends on experience; depending on experience: used in stating a salary range in help-wanted ads.
(in Canada and, formerly, in Britain) Department of the Environment
(in the US) Department of Energy
law (formerly) the plaintiff in a fictitious action, Doe versus Roe, to test a point of law See also Roe
an unknown or unidentified male or female person
First recorded before 1000; Middle English do, Old English dā; cognate with Danish daa; akin to Old English dēon “to suck”
A doe is a deer, a female deer. Doe can also refer to the female of other animals, but it’s usually a deer. You might spot a doe in the spring, walking through the woods with her babies. There are several four-legged mammals whose females are called does, including goats, antelopes, and even rabbits. The males are called bucks. The words doe and buck are like woman and man for the furry set. Oddly, you can also refer to female guinea pigs, mice, and weasels as does, although doe usually means a deer. The word comes from the Old English da, or "female deer," which probably stems from a Celtic root.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Such images urge an ironic interpretation of the show’s title, “Precious Moments,” which refers to a line of collectible, often Christian-themed figurines that depict cute, mostly white children with doe eyes and oversized heads.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 16, 2026
The “Christmas magic” that allows the doe to fly does not work on other creatures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025
Mary Slater, 84, said, while her dog doe not mind fireworks going off, her son's dog was "absolutely terrified".
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2024
She was, of course, extraordinarily beautiful, with big doe eyes and the kind of bone structure no surgery can replicate.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2023
The smell excited the dogs and they began to run faster, although continuing down the trail; I turned to look back from the sled and saw why the doe was frightened.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
That 70 million barrels might be the minimum operation levels based on technical considerations, but the DOE seems to “assume optimal operations,” said Michael Lynch, president of Strategic Energy & Economic Research.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
The DOE has completed some major maintenance through a $1.4 billion project, but the effort has been plagued by delays and cost overruns.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
The research was supported by the DOE Basic Energy Sciences program along with additional contributing partners.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
After a lawsuit alleged that the DOE failed to follow required Federal Advisory Committee procedures, the team that authored the report was dissolved in early September.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 2, 2026
So DOE takes security seriously, as in `threat to national security' seriously.
From Underground by Dreyfus, Suelette
Doe External link, upheld the administration’s authority to end deportation protection for Haitians and Syrians.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
The lawsuit argues both platforms were defectively designed and engaged in false marketing about safety for young users and so should be held liable for the harm young John Doe came to.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
Doe, a Supreme Court case challenging the Trump administration’s efforts to remove lawful temporary protected status from Syrian and Haitian immigrants.
From Slate ● May 7, 2026
Last week, Rana’s lawyers filed a lawsuit in New York state court using the pseudonym John Doe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 6, 2026
Doe was a member of the Krahn tribe, a tiny ethnic group that composed just 4 percent of the population, far less than the larger tribes in Liberia, the Gio and the Mano.
From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John
One theme park insider, however, stressed that when Hollywood Drift does open, it will likely be a considered a “top-5, or top-10 coaster, in the world.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Where does this outbreak seem to be coming from?
From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026
"The cost to the employers - it's a bit of a stealth tax on businesses, what does that mean long term? Does that mean they'll move out of Cardiff, it could be counterproductive," he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
This more-is-more approach also means that Ms. Poswa can come off as too literal-minded in several sections, repeating as she does the same idea over and over.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
She holds me extra tight today, and I’m really glad she does.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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.
