1
: a small spot : speck entry 1
2
: a small round mark: such as
a(1)
: a small point made with a pointed instrument
a dot on the chart marked the ship's position
(2)
: a small round mark used in orthography or punctuation
put a dot over the i
b
: a centered point used as a multiplication sign (as in 6 · 5 = 30)
c(1)
: a point after a note or rest in music indicating augmentation of the time value by one half
(2)
: a point over or under a note indicating that it is to be played staccato
3
: a precise point especially in time
arrived at six on the dot
4
: a short click or buzz forming a letter or part of a letter (as in the Morse code)
5
: a point used to separate components of an address on the Internet
dotted; dotting
1
: to mark with a dot
2
: to intersperse with dots or objects scattered at random
boats dotting the lake
: to make a dot
dotter
noun
Department of Transportation
Synonyms
Examples of dot in a Sentence
Noun (1)
there was just a dot on the tablecloth where the food had spattered
Verb
Don't forget to dot the i.
Quaint cottages dot the countryside.
The fields were dotted with wildflowers.
Dot the cream all over your face.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jonathan M. Pitts, Baltimore Sun, 24 May 2024
But for now, Ghoneim and her team are enjoying their results in connecting the dots between the pyramids and the Nile’s tributary.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 16 May 2024
Bring home this chic serving cart in one of four colorways: black and white, blue and white, gray and white dot, and white.
—Maria Conti, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 May 2024
Gone will be the pre-World War II row houses awash in faded yellow, light blue, pink and green that dot portions of the block along NW 62nd Street in Miami.
—C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 12 May 2024
That’s your brain’s way of connecting the dots and coming up with a solution.
—Jennifer Robinson, Discover Magazine, 10 May 2024
Even a jerkbait with a buoyant balsa wood body that will rise incredibly fast on the pause can be made to hover with the addition of a few dots.
—Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 9 May 2024
On a computer screen, the codas appeared as a series of dots along a horizontal line, each dot representing a click.
—Carl Zimmer, New York Times, 7 May 2024
Our integrated digital marketing solutions help businesses connect the dots.
—Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 3 May 2024
Constant Méheut, New York Times, 23 May 2024
Surrounded by mountains, Lake Como’s foothills are dotted with dreamy villas that also boast stunning water views.
—Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 17 May 2024
The hotel’s walls are dotted with black and white images of the stars gracing the Cannes Film Festival, presently taking place, which the hotel has supported since hosting the event’s inception in 1946.
—Martie Bowser, Essence, 16 May 2024
Resting beyond a remote cul-de-sac street and double wood gates, the private residence is sequestered amid park-like grounds dotted with mature oaks and a seasonal creek.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 7 May 2024
The fields below, dotted with sheep, looked like a postcard from another time.
—Plum Sykes, Vogue, 2 May 2024
Barns, churches, cemeteries, and homes, some dating back to the 18th century, still dot our landscape, unlike what is happening in some neighboring counties where developers’ bulldozers have wiped many of them away and substituted suburban sprawl.
—Mary Ann Ashcraft, Baltimore Sun, 27 Apr. 2024
Seven Mile Beach is dotted with affordable and delicious local beach shacks.
—Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 12 May 2024
Today, those sweeping vistas are dotted with industrial development that is transforming Arizona’s economy.
—Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2024
Noun
But, while the need to issue calls to prayer from the towers dwindled, minarets took on a profound symbolism akin to that of towering cathedrals and church steeples that dot landscapes in the Western world.
—Jonathan M. Pitts, Baltimore Sun, 24 May 2024
But for now, Ghoneim and her team are enjoying their results in connecting the dots between the pyramids and the Nile’s tributary.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 16 May 2024
Bring home this chic serving cart in one of four colorways: black and white, blue and white, gray and white dot, and white.
—Maria Conti, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 May 2024
Gone will be the pre-World War II row houses awash in faded yellow, light blue, pink and green that dot portions of the block along NW 62nd Street in Miami.
—C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 12 May 2024
That’s your brain’s way of connecting the dots and coming up with a solution.
—Jennifer Robinson, Discover Magazine, 10 May 2024
Even a jerkbait with a buoyant balsa wood body that will rise incredibly fast on the pause can be made to hover with the addition of a few dots.
—Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 9 May 2024
On a computer screen, the codas appeared as a series of dots along a horizontal line, each dot representing a click.
—Carl Zimmer, New York Times, 7 May 2024
Our integrated digital marketing solutions help businesses connect the dots.
—Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 3 May 2024
Verb
All around, green fields are dotted with craters, some several yards wide.
—Constant Méheut, New York Times, 23 May 2024
Surrounded by mountains, Lake Como’s foothills are dotted with dreamy villas that also boast stunning water views.
—Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 17 May 2024
The hotel’s walls are dotted with black and white images of the stars gracing the Cannes Film Festival, presently taking place, which the hotel has supported since hosting the event’s inception in 1946.
—Martie Bowser, Essence, 16 May 2024
Resting beyond a remote cul-de-sac street and double wood gates, the private residence is sequestered amid park-like grounds dotted with mature oaks and a seasonal creek.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 7 May 2024
The fields below, dotted with sheep, looked like a postcard from another time.
—Plum Sykes, Vogue, 2 May 2024
Barns, churches, cemeteries, and homes, some dating back to the 18th century, still dot our landscape, unlike what is happening in some neighboring counties where developers’ bulldozers have wiped many of them away and substituted suburban sprawl.
—Mary Ann Ashcraft, Baltimore Sun, 27 Apr. 2024
Seven Mile Beach is dotted with affordable and delicious local beach shacks.
—Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 12 May 2024
Today, those sweeping vistas are dotted with industrial development that is transforming Arizona’s economy.
—Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to dot
Dictionary Entries Near dot
Cite this Entry
“Dot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dot. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dot
1 of 2 noun1
: a small spot : speck
2
: a small round mark made with or as if with a pen: as
a
: a point after a note or rest in music indicating increase of the time value by one half
b
: a centered dot · used as a sign of multiplication
3
: an exact point in time or space
arrived at six on the dot
4
: a short click or buzz forming a letter or part of a letter (as in the Morse code)
dot
2 of 2 verb
dotted; dotting
1
: to mark with a dot
dot an "i"
2
: to cover with or as if with dots
green buds dotted the branches
dotter
noun
Medical Definition
dot
noun
: a small spot or speck see maurer's dots, schuffner's dots
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