doll

¹

[ dol ]

noun

1. a small figure representing a baby or other human being, especially for use as a child's toy.
2. a small figure representing a nonhuman character, for use as a toy:

   cartoon character dolls.

3. Slang.
   1. a pretty but expressionless or unintelligent woman.
   2. a girl or woman, especially one who is considered attractive.
   3. a boy or man who is considered attractive.
   4. (sometimes initial capital letter) an affectionate or familiar term of address, as to a child or romantic partner (sometimes offensive when used to strangers, casual acquaintances, subordinates, etc., especially by a male to a female).
4. Informal. a generous or helpful person:

   You're a doll for lending me your car.

5. Slang. a barbiturate in pill form.

verb phrase

1. Informal.
   1. to dress, groom, or style oneself in an elegant or ostentatiously fashionable manner:

      She got all dolled up for an evening at the opera.

   2. to make more attractive, as by decorating or embellishing:

      The street was dolled up with showy flowers and colorful banners.

Doll

²

[ dol ]

noun

1. a female given name, form of Dorothy.

doll

/ dɒl /

noun

1. a small model or dummy of a human being, used as a toy
2. slang.
   a pretty girl or woman of little intelligence: sometimes used as a term of address

Derived Forms

• ˈdollishness, noun
• ˈdollishly, adverb
• ˈdollish, adjective

Other Words From

• doll·ish doll-like adjective
• doll·ish·ly adverb
• doll·ish·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of doll¹

First recorded in 1550–60; generic use of Doll

Word History and Origins

Origin of doll¹

C16: probably from Doll, pet name for Dorothy

Example Sentences

She was disappointed because, instead of playing with the doll, I cut it open to see why it talked.

From Quanta Magazine

The doll also holds a replica of the writer’s memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

From Essence.com

Another couple on Twitter asked her to create an Amazon Wishlist and then bought her kids a doll, cars and other toys for Christmas.

From Fortune

In the United Kingdom, Ildiko Duretz has been selling handmade dolls for children for the last 16 years.

From Time

No, no, the doll’s dress was blue, they will tell you, and they are right, but they can’t feel what you feel, that little echo of your mother’s dress, that little echo of your love for your mother, attached to your doll.

From MIT Technology Review

Then Ziegler tosses the buff LaBeouf around like a rag doll.

From The Daily Beast

Families stuff a life-size male doll with memories of the outgoing year and dress him in their clothing.

From The Daily Beast

To test out a doll he designed to have realistic human proportions, Nickolay Lamm went to a group of second-graders in Pittsburgh.

From The Daily Beast

The auction house reached out to the Levine estate to procur the doll.

From The Daily Beast

Wilson later landed in hot water with some by pushing for the creation of the first Barbie for President doll.

From The Daily Beast

The heavy man unconsciously shook him in his powerful grasp, as a child might shake a doll.

From Project Gutenberg

If you can get a small skin, fit it to a doll the way you think the Cave-men fitted skins to their bodies.

From Project Gutenberg

And there was Louis the Goon—his little clay pigeon—in one of the booths with a doll.

From Project Gutenberg

Her whole soul hangs upon the lips of a beautiful baby doll that seems to be calling her his mummy.

From Project Gutenberg

But once when Hepzebiah fell in the pond after her doll, Rover swam in and caught her dress in his mouth and brought her to shore.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• figurine
• model
• puppet