Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

polka dot

American  
[poh-kuh] / ˈpoʊ kə /

noun

Textiles.
  • polka dots
    plural
  1. a dot or round spot (printed, woven, or embroidered) repeated to form a pattern on a textile fabric.

  2. a pattern of or a fabric with such dots.


polka dot British  

noun

  1. one of a pattern of small circular regularly spaced spots on a fabric

    1. a fabric or pattern with such spots

    2. ( as modifier )

      a polka-dot dress

"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

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.

See Examples For:

The "polka dot queen" channelled hallucinations and battles with mental health into vibrant art featuring her trademark dots, nets and infinity motifs over a career spanning decades and continents.

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

Seconds later, a man in his late 20s climbed out of the darkness, carrying with him a pink polka dot roller suitcase.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 25, 2026

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

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training