dotted

American  

[dot-id] / ˈdɒt ɪd /

adjective

1. marked with a dot or dots.

2. consisting or constructed of dots.

3. having objects scattered or placed in a random manner.

   a landscape dotted with small houses.

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dotted British  

/ ˈdɒtɪd /

adjective

1. having dots, esp having a pattern of dots

2. music

   1. (of a note) increased to one and a half times its original time value See dot 1

   2. (of a musical rhythm) characterized by dotted notes Compare double-dotted See also notes inégales

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Other Word Forms

• undotted adjective

Etymology

Origin of dotted

First recorded in 1765–75; dot ¹ + -ed ³

Example Sentences

Tucked away in rural western Maryland, past a dead-end road cut off by railroad tracks, a stream runs cool and clear over a ledge dotted with snails.

From Slate • Apr. 27, 2026

Accompanying footage showed an aerial view of blackened earth dotted with trees.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026

Back then, the surface of Mars was thought to have been dotted with huge lakes and rivers full of liquid water, a key ingredient for life as we know it.

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

Refugees or illegal migrants crossing the river into Greece enter a heavily militarised restricted zone, dotted with watchtowers.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Several hours and one set of rapids later, they came upon an area dotted with araputanga trees.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple