Dots

How to spell dots

4 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce dots

What does dots mean?

1. nounSmall round marks or spots, such as printed points, specks, or punctuation points.

Dots in a sentence

• The designer arranged tiny dots across the fabric pattern.

• The chart used coloured dots to mark each data point.

Where does dots come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word descends from the Old English noun 'dott', which originally referred to the head of a boil or a small lump rather than a printed mark. It belongs to the Germanic family of languages, with related forms appearing in Dutch and Low German for a small clump or speck. The word almost disappeared from written record for centuries, resurfacing in the late 1500s with the more familiar meaning of a tiny round spot made with a pen. From there it broadened into modern uses such as the dots above the letters i and j, the dots in Morse code, and the dots in punctuation. The plural simply adds -s, and because the word ends in a hard 't' sound the spelling stays completely regular, with no doubling or silent letters to trip a writer.

How the word is built

• dot (a small round mark)
• -s (plural)