dot
dot — abbreviation
1. an abbreviation for the United States Department of Transportation, the governme
an abbreviation for the United States Department of Transportation, the government department that looks after the country's roads, railways, air travel, and other transport systems
The DOT issued a new rule about seatbelt requirements for all school buses.
abbreviation used as a proper noun for a government agency
According to the DOT, road construction along Highway 101 will begin next month.
Eve checked the DOT website for updates on flight safety regulations.
A DOT study found that seat belts reduce the risk of injury in car crashes.
用法筆記
Always capitalised and usually used without 'the' when written in full caps, but commonly preceded by 'the' in speech.
常見錯誤
dot — noun
- dotsingular
- dotsplural
1. a tiny circular spot of ink, paint, or other material that sits on a surface, of
a tiny circular spot of ink, paint, or other material that sits on a surface, often made deliberately with a pointed tool
Amira drew a small dot on the map to mark where her house was.
marking a location with a dot
The letter 'i' must have a dot above it, or the word looks incomplete.
From the top of the mountain, the village below looked like a tiny dot.
The artist used thousands of coloured dots to create a picture of the ocean.
Elena noticed a tiny black dot on her white shirt after lunch.
用法筆記
A dot is usually smaller and neater than a spot or a stain. It is often deliberately made rather than accidental.
2. the written symbol (.) that divides the different sections of an email address,
the written symbol (.) that divides the different sections of an email address, website URL, or computer file name; it also serves as a decimal point or multiplication sign in mathematics
When giving your email, say 'dot' instead of 'point' for the period.
saying 'dot' for periods in email addresses
The file name needs a dot before the extension, like 'budget dot pdf'.
In maths class, the teacher wrote a dot between two numbers to mean times.
Tara typed the website address carefully, remembering to put a dot after 'www'.
用法筆記
When saying a website or email address aloud, English speakers say 'dot' for the period. In mathematical writing, a centred dot (·) sometimes replaces the multiplication sign (×).
常見錯誤
3. a short sound or brief flash of light that is used together with longer dashes t
a short sound or brief flash of light that is used together with longer dashes to form letters and numbers in Morse code
The old radio operator sent a series of dots and dashes across the airwaves.
dot and dash in Morse code transmission
In Morse code, the letter S is three short dots with no pauses in between.
Stefan learned to send dots and dashes using a flashlight during his scout training.
The prisoner tapped a pattern of dots on the wall to signal to the next room.
- dit
the spoken name for the dot sound in Morse code, used when reciting code aloud
- dash
the longer signal in Morse code, about three times the length of a dot
用法筆記
A dot is the shorter of the two signals in Morse code. A dash is about three times longer. The timing between dots and dashes within a letter is very short.
4. in written music, a dot placed after a pitch or silence symbol that lengthens it
in written music, a dot placed after a pitch or silence symbol that lengthens it by half its value, or a dot positioned above or below a pitch symbol that tells the player to play it in short, separated bursts
When a dot follows a half note, the note should be held for three beats instead of two.
lengthening note value with a dot
The music teacher told Salma to look for the dot above the note and play it short.
Ari struggled to count the rhythm because of all the dotted notes in the piece.
The dot after the minim adds half its length, so the note lasts for three counts total.
用法筆記
A dot after a note (augmentation dot) adds half the note's value. A dot above or below a note (staccato dot) shortens the playing time. These two uses are different and should not be confused.
常見錯誤
5. an exact point in time that is not early and not late, used almost always in the
an exact point in time that is not early and not late, used almost always in the phrase 'on the dot' to mean precisely at the stated time
The train arrived at nine o'clock on the dot, not even a minute late.
idiom 'on the dot' for exact time
Our meeting starts at two on the dot, so please arrive a few minutes early.
Elena promised to call at noon, and the phone rang right on the dot.
The exam finished at half past three on the dot, and everyone put down their pens.
用法筆記
This sense only occurs in the fixed phrase 'on the dot'. It cannot be used freely in other grammatical patterns. You cannot say 'the dot of the meeting' or 'at this dot'.
常見錯誤
dot — verb
- dotpresent simple I / you / we / they
- dots3rd person singular
- dotting-ing form
- dottedpast simple
1. to write a tiny circular spot onto a letter, word, or printed character, especia
to write a tiny circular spot onto a letter, word, or printed character, especially during handwriting or proofreading
The teacher reminded the class to dot their i's and cross their t's carefully.
common expression: dot your i's and cross your t's
Eitan's teacher showed him how to dot each lowercase 'i' in his handwriting exercise.
dotting a specific letter during handwriting practice
The proofreader dotted every missing period and circled each spelling mistake in red.
Make sure you dot the lowercase letter j too, or it might look like a different letter.
文法句型
dot + noun phrase
用法筆記
Often used in the fixed expression 'dot your i's and cross your t's', which means to be very careful about small details.
常見錯誤
2. in musical notation, to add a dot after a note or rest that lengthens its durati
in musical notation, to add a dot after a note or rest that lengthens its duration by one half of its written value
The composer dotted the crotchet so that it lasted for three beats instead of two.
dotting a note to increase its duration
When you dot a minim in four-four time, the note should be held for three full counts.
The arranger dotted the rest at the end of the bar to fill out the remaining silence.
The choir director showed the singers how to dot the quarter note in the final bar.
文法句型
dot + noun phrase
用法筆記
This is a technical musical sense. Do not confuse it with a staccato mark, which is a dot placed above or below a note, not after it.
3. to place many similar items at different spots over a surface or region, so that
to place many similar items at different spots over a surface or region, so that they appear spread out yet visible across the whole space
The countryside was dotted with small farms and stone cottages.
passive: be dotted with [objects]
Tiny white flowers dotted the grassy field after the heavy spring rain.
Modern apartment blocks dot the skyline of the fast-growing city.
The night sky was dotted with bright stars that guided the travellers home.
文法句型
be dotted with [something]
dot + noun phrase + across/over [area]
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive form 'be dotted with', where the subject is a landscape or surface and the object is the items scattered across it. The active form ('flowers dotted the field') is also common in literary descriptions.
常見錯誤
4. to drop or arrange tiny portions of something across a surface at different poin
to drop or arrange tiny portions of something across a surface at different points, often done when cooking or decorating
Jenna dotted small spoonfuls of butter across the top of the cake before baking.
dotting butter on a cake in cooking
The chef dotted the pizza with tiny pieces of fresh mozzarella and basil leaves.
Min dotted the canvas with flecks of blue and green paint using a small brush.
Isabela dotted pieces of chocolate across the surface of the freshly baked cookies.
文法句型
dot + noun phrase + across/over/around [surface]
用法筆記
This sense is common in recipe instructions. It describes placing small amounts by hand or with a spoon, not spraying or pouring. The substance is typically butter, cheese, sauce, or a decorating material.