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definitions

dote

[ doht ]
/ doʊt /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR dote ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), dot·ed, dot·ing. Also doat.

to bestow or express excessive love or fondness habitually (usually followed by on or upon): They dote on their youngest daughter.
to show a decline of mental faculties, especially associated with old age.

noun

decay of wood.

RELATED WORDS

adulator, lackey, minion, groupie, fan, flatterer, flunky, hanger-on, doormat, bootlicker, backscratcher, ass-kisser, apple-polisher, kiss-ass, yes-man

Nearby words

  1. dotard,
  2. dotardly,
  3. dotation,
  4. dotcom,
  5. dotcommer,
  6. doth,
  7. dothan,
  8. doting,
  9. dotingly,
  10. dotted

Origin of dote

1175–1225; Middle English doten to behave foolishly, become feeble-minded; cognate with Middle Dutch doten.
Related formsdot·er, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for doter

  • There are five varieties of them, the largest of which is the hood seal and the smallest the doter or harbour seal.

    Ungava Bob|Dillon Wallace
British Dictionary definitions for doter

dote

now rarely doat

/ (dəʊt) /

verb (intr)

(foll by on or upon) to love to an excessive or foolish degree
to be foolish or weak-minded, esp as a result of old age
Derived Formsdoter or now rarely doater, noun

Word Origin for dote

C13: related to Middle Dutch doten to be silly, Norwegian dudra to shake
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
Word Origin and History for doter

dote

v.

c.1200, "to be feeble-minded from age," from Middle Low German doten "be foolish," of unknown origin. Meaning "to be infatuated" is from late 15c. Related: Doted; dotes; doting.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper