dots
dots — noun
- dotssingular
- dotsesplural
1. a tiny circular mark found on a surface — for instance, one made by pressing a p
a tiny circular mark found on a surface — for instance, one made by pressing a pen tip onto paper.
Nora painted tiny blue dots along the edge of the birthday card.
countable noun — a tiny blue dots
The children drew dots and lines on the paper with colored markers.
plural form: dots
Rachid noticed a small dot of ink on his shirt sleeve after the meeting.
From the top of the hill, the houses below looked like tiny white dots.
Putri used a ruler to make a row of evenly spaced dots across the page.
文法句型
dot + of + [substance/liquid]
用法筆記
A dot is always round and very small. Use 'spot' for larger or less regular marks, and 'point' for an exact location rather than a visible mark.
常見錯誤
2. the spoken word for a full stop when saying an internet address, email address,
the spoken word for a full stop when saying an internet address, email address, or computer file name out loud, with each dot separating different parts of the address.
Our company website is www dot starling dot com.
spoken form in website address: dot com
Stephanie gave her email as s dot khan at mail dot com.
spoken form: dot used in email addresses
The file is named report underscore 2024 dot pdf.
Ingrid told the customer to type www dot bluewave dot org into the browser.
文法句型
dot + [domain name extension]
用法筆記
Only used when speaking an address out loud. In writing, the actual character '.' is used instead. Common in telephone conversations, recordings, and classroom dictation exercises.
3. in Morse code, a brief tone or quick blink of light that forms the shorter eleme
in Morse code, a brief tone or quick blink of light that forms the shorter element of the two-signal system, paired with the longer dash to encode letters and numbers.
The old radio operator sent three short dots followed by three dashes.
dot used in Morse code pattern
Tanvi learned that S means three dots and O means three dashes in Morse.
Survival training teaches you how to signal SOS — three dots, three dashes, three dots.
Hana blinked a flashlight in short dots to get her friend's attention across the field.
- dit
formal term used by radio operators for a Morse code dot
- short signal
descriptive rather than technical
- dash
the longer signal in Morse code, lasting three times as long as a dot
文法句型
dot and dash
用法筆記
In Morse code, the dot (also called a 'dit') is the basic time unit. A dash lasts three times as long as a dot. This sense is mainly encountered in historical contexts, amateur radio, and survival training.
4. a small dot placed to the right of a musical note or rest, which increases the l
a small dot placed to the right of a musical note or rest, which increases the length of time the note or rest should last by one half of its original value.
Mizuki circled the tiny dot after each quarter note to remind her choir to hold it longer.
dot after a note — augmentation marker
Takeshi carefully added a dot after the minim to make it last three full beats.
The music teacher explained that a dot after a rest increases its silence by half.
Sheet music with many dotted notes can be tricky for beginner pianists to count.
- augmentation dot
formal name in music theory
文法句型
dotted + [note name]
用法筆記
A double dot (two dots) adds three-quarters of the original value instead of half. This sense is used mainly in music education and formal music notation contexts.
dots — verb
- dotspresent simple I / you / we / they
- dotses3rd person singular
- dotsing-ing form
- dotsedpast simple
1. to place a tiny round mark onto or beside a letter, word, or symbol — often done
to place a tiny round mark onto or beside a letter, word, or symbol — often done in handwriting to complete a letter (like the letter i) or to indicate a choice on a form.
Lucía dotted her i's carefully so her handwriting looked neat and clear.
idiomatic: dot one's i's and cross one's t's
The teacher asked everyone to dot the correct answer on the multiple-choice sheet.
Eitan dotted each sentence he finished reading so he could track his progress.
The completed form must be dotted in the boxes with a black pen.
Inês used a red pen to dot payment dates on the kitchen calendar.
文法句型
dot + [noun]
be dotted with [noun]
用法筆記
This sense overlaps with 'dotting the i' (the letter i requires a dot above it in English). The phrase 'dot your i's and cross your t's' is a common idiom meaning 'be very careful and thorough'.
常見錯誤
2. to place a small dot to the right of a musical note in written notation, which i
to place a small dot to the right of a musical note in written notation, which increases the note's length by half of its original duration.
The composer dotted the final note so the melody would linger a little longer.
dot the note — extends duration
Rafael dotted the quaver in the sheet music to slow down the folk tune's ending.
Defne dotted the half notes in her composition to give the music a slower, flowing feel.
The arranger dotted several notes in the violin part to create a gentle rhythm.
- augment
formal term in music theory; 'dot' is more specific to notation
文法句型
dotted + [note value]
用法筆記
This sense is restricted to formal music notation. Dotted notes are very common in sheet music across all genres, but the verb 'to dot' in this sense is mainly used by composers, arrangers, and music teachers.
3. to be spread or placed in many different positions across an area, like small ma
to be spread or placed in many different positions across an area, like small marks scattered over a surface — for example, houses dotted over a hillside, or lakes dotted across a map.
Small white cottages are dotted along the coastline from the port to the lighthouse.
passive: are dotted along [location]
Stalls selling fresh fruit dot the main square of the old town every Saturday.
The field was dotted with yellow daisies that had bloomed after the spring rain.
Art galleries dot the narrow streets of the neighbourhood near the university.
Constanza's design dotted tiny stars across the dark blue fabric of the curtain.
- concentrate
to gather in one place rather than spread out
文法句型
be dotted with [things]
dot + [area] + with + [things]
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive ('be dotted with') to describe what covers an area. The subject is usually a landscape or surface, and the object of 'with' is the scattered items. Active use ('stalls dot the square') is more literary.
常見錯誤
4. to place tiny separate portions of something like butter, cream, or seeds here a
to place tiny separate portions of something like butter, cream, or seeds here and there across a surface, without covering it evenly.
The recipe says to dot the pastry with small pieces of butter before baking.
dot + [surface] + with + [substance]
Amihan dotted spoonfuls of cream cheese over the warm apple pie.
Gardeners often dot fertilizer pellets around the base of tomato plants.
Nora dotted drops of blue food coloring across the white icing for a marble effect.
- spread
to cover the surface evenly rather than in separate spots
文法句型
dot + [substance] + over/across + [surface]
dot + [surface] + with + [substance]
用法筆記
Common in cooking instructions ('dot with butter') and gardening ('dot with seeds'). The substance is placed in separate small piles or drops, not spread smoothly. Distinct from sense 3 (SCATTER ACROSS), which describes things already in place — this sense is about an intentional action.