polka dot
Americannoun
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polka dots
plural
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a dot or round spot (printed, woven, or embroidered) repeated to form a pattern on a textile fabric.
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a pattern of or a fabric with such dots.
noun
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one of a pattern of small circular regularly spaced spots on a fabric
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a fabric or pattern with such spots
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( as modifier )
a polka-dot dress
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of polka dot
An Americanism dating back to 1880–85
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.
Once a fixture of the 1960s pop and minimalist scenes in New York, Japan's "polka dot queen" found huge commercial success in her later decades.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
Without fail, the miniature version of me would blubber at Sully the polka dot monster reuniting with Boo, and Marlin the clownfish traversing the ocean to find his son.
From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026
She later went from a figure-hugging sheer lavender Gucci gown to a playful daytime polka dot ensemble from Jacquemus matched with retro white sun glasses, with Elle magazine praising her "old Hollywood" dash.
From Barron's ● May 22, 2026
Playing and dancing on the balcony in a blue polka dot dress, she looks much younger than her age, having suffered from malnutrition in the past.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2025
At first I thought my mom might say something about it, but she was like, “He could be polka dot, as long as he’s not a criminal and he’s treating you right.”
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
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.
