dot1 noundot2 verb
dotdot1 /dɒt $ dɑːt/ ●●● S2 noun [countable] 
WORD ORIGINdot1
Origin:
Old English dott ‘top of a spot on the skin’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- His fabric prints include lots of roses, hearts, and dots.
- The plane was just a dot in the sky.
- A dot is placed in the appropriate column opposite each criterion and the dots are joined up by a line.
- Each dot is made of many tiny tubes - much too small to see without a microscope.
- So basically Angela just connects the dots.
- The children were dots on the sand, well ahead of him now, getting smaller all the time.
- The O. J. Simpson civil trial resumes Monday, and with it, the defense strategy of connect the dots.
- The reverse occurred on restoration of the dot key and depression of the dash key.
- This is the city connected by dots.
Longman Language Activatoran exact number/amount/time
an exact number, amount, or time is completely correct and is no more and no less than it should be: · "Can you tell me the exact time?" "It's 6.37."· The exact weight of the baby at birth was 3.2 kg.· I don't suppose you have the exact amount of money, do you?· You need to give me the exact measurements of the room.to be exact (=used after a number to give an exact answer, statement etc): · It took her about an hour - 58 minutes to be exact.
precise information is based on clear and exact figures or measurements, especially when it is important that no mistakes are made: · We need to know your precise location.· Each plane has to follow a precise route.to be precise (=to give precise information or figures): · It's difficult to be precise about the number of deaths caused by smoking.
use this to emphasize that a number, amount, or time is no more or less than a particular time or figure: · It's exactly 5 o'clock.· The bill came to exactly $1000.
informal at an exact time, no earlier and no later: · She always leaves the office at 5.30 p.m. on the dot.
: at nine o'clock/six/ten-thirty sharp at exactly nine o'clock etc - used especially to emphasize that something will not be delayed or that someone should not be late: · The performance starts at 8 o'clock sharp.
at exactly seven o'clock, nine o'clock etc: · On the stroke of midnight, the British flag was lowered for the last time over Delhi.· The judge entered the courtroom at the stroke of nine.
British informal use this to emphasize that it is exactly a particular time or at exactly the right time: · 'What time is it?' 'Bang on midnight.'· We finished dead on eight, and we were back home for nine.· Luckily, he arrived dead on time.
happening or arriving at the arranged time · The trains don't always arrive on time.· The company will lose money if the work isn't completed on time.· Did Philip pay up on time?on time for · I hate not being on time for class.
exactly on time: · Gary turned up right on time, holding a big bouquet of flowers.· Ah, Mrs Shields, you're right on time!
British informal exactly on time: · The baby arrived on the 16th -- bang on time!· He looked at his watch. He was dead on time.
if you do something punctually or promptly , you do it at the time that you arranged to do it: · Linda always pays her rent promptly on the 1st of the month.· Loretta arrived punctually at her office the next day at ten o'clock.
if you do something on cue , you do it exactly at the moment when other people expect you to do it: · Jim told one of his terrible jokes and everyone laughed on cue.as if on cue: · "Ashley should be here soon", said Jo, and as if on cue, there was a knock at the door.right/bang on cue: · We were looking out over the sea when, right on cue, the dolphins appeared.
: at 6.30/ten o'clock/ seven etc on the dot at 6.30, ten o'clock etc exactly: · He gets annoyed if his lunch isn't ready at one o'clock on the dot.· I expect you to arrive at 7:30 on the dot.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
The plane was just a dot on the horizon.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Sign your name on the dotted line (=line made up of a series of dots).COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
(=at exactly 3:00/7:30 etc) Mr Green arrived at six on the dot.
Mr Green arrived at six on the dot. The plane was just a dot on the horizon. Sign your name on the dotted line (=line made up of a series of dots).· Usually it was over something tiny: a little dot on his finger or an imaginary bug upon the floor.· That means its print head can squirt 1, 440, 000 little dots of ink on each square inch of paper.
· Light areas have small dots and darker areas or shadows have larger dots.· Very small dots are combined in various patterns to give combinations of these colours.· On removing the paper from the board, an outline is produced as a series of small dots.· I smile easily as they go as small as photographic dots.· He had a strip of bandage tied around his head, a small dot of blood showing romantically above the right eye.· Shows up as small white dots on areas of solid colour.
· The characters are formed from tiny dots of ink poked on to the paper.· Earth and its satellites were dead ahead, a tiny shining dot almost indistinguishable from all the other shining dots.· The male is usually a marigold-orange, whilst the female is usually a lively yellow overlaid with tiny orange dots.· It was made up of tiny dots.
VERB· Still, something deep inside prevented me from connecting all the dots.· The O. J. Simpson civil trial resumes Monday, and with it, the defense strategy of connect the dots.· This is the city connected by dots.· It will be up to jurors in the deliberation room to decide just how to connect the dots.· So it would take more years of dogged detective work by a handful of investigators to connect the dots.· No problem, she thought. Connect the dots.· So basically Angela just connects the dots.· Still others were in their small groups connecting the dots on a picture to show a boy riding on a tractor.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1a small round mark or spot: - He gets annoyed if his lunch isn't ready at one o'clock on the dot.
- I'm leaving work at twelve-thirty on the dot.
- I expect you to arrive at 7:30 on the dot.
- She always leaves the office at 5.30 p.m. on the dot.
- At four-thirty on the dot Benny put on his coat and cap and bade William goodnight.
- At nine o'clock, on the dot, I went down to the station cafe to face whatever was going to happen.
- Eleven fifteen on the dot, wait for it to pick the phone up.
- He stood in it for fifteen minutes, until it rang on the dot of nine.
- However, before signing on the dotted line, you should think carefully about the risks and the costs.
- I was to be at the harbour at 8 a.m. on the dot.
- Jasper was always on the dot.
- The lucky 10, 000 have signed on the dotted line.
- But how many of these companies forget about you once you've signed on the dotted line.
- However, before signing on the dotted line, you should think carefully about the risks and the costs.
- It all seemed easy - they sign on the dotted line and Balbinder would be virtually taken out of their hands.
- The lucky 10, 000 have signed on the dotted line.
- You may want another approach to get people to sign on the dotted line.
- The two bungalows in question, though, had been standing from the year dot.
- Traditionally, scientists have been involved in war since the year dot.
a pattern of dots2on the dot informal exactly on time or at a particular time: I’ll be there on the dot.at three o'clock/seven thirty etc on the dot (=at exactly 3:00/7:30 etc) Mr Green arrived at six on the dot.3something that looks like a small spot because it is so far away: The plane was just a dot on the horizon.4a short sound or flash of light used when sending messages by Morse code → the year dot at year(14)dot1 noundot2 verb
dotdot2 ●○○ verb (past tense and past participle dotted, present participle dotting) [transitive] VERB TABLE
dot
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | dot |
| he, she, it | dots | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | dotted |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have dotted |
| he, she, it | has dotted | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had dotted |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will dot |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have dotted |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am dotting |
| he, she, it | is dotting | |
| you, we, they | are dotting | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was dotting |
| you, we, they | were dotting | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been dotting |
| he, she, it | has been dotting | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been dotting |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be dotting |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been dotting |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Dot the apples with butter cut into small pieces.
- Chalet-style homes dot the forested hillside.
- Along the roadsides, spring wildflowers dot the shoulders like stars in sparse constellations.
- Computer screens displaying bulletin boards dot the college.
- From my door stretched blue-green fields dotted with trees and the colored saris of women going to work.
- It was dotted with old stone-built houses and cottages.
- Moose and bear prints dotted the sand bars and bald eagles glared down at us from river-side perches.
- The ganja farms increased in rapid frequency, with hastily erected tents dotting the hillsides.
- There was, however, the matter of the gold brooch dotted with gemstones.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Sign your name on the dotted line (=line made up of a series of dots).COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
Sign your name on the dotted line (=line made up of a series of dots).· Here and there in the grounds I could see people dotted about.· I was dotting about behind the wicket.
· Some 200 restaurants and retail concessions will be dotted around the Expo site.· Low couches and upholstered cushions were dotted around the floor.· In reality it's just verglas with fist sized lumps of ice dotted around on the wall.· Route finding in the forest is made easier if you follow a series of numbered posts dotted around.
NOUN· Impermanence reigns in Atlanta, where white tents dot the landscape like so many mushrooms on the forest floor.· In the distance, live oaks dotted the landscape, as shaggy and dark and hunched as buffalo.· On the horizon, several dozen long greenhouses dot the landscape.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1to mark something by putting a dot on it or above it: - Well, we haven't dotted the i's and crossed the t's, but the contract's nearly ready.
- But how many of these companies forget about you once you've signed on the dotted line.
- However, before signing on the dotted line, you should think carefully about the risks and the costs.
- It all seemed easy - they sign on the dotted line and Balbinder would be virtually taken out of their hands.
- The lucky 10, 000 have signed on the dotted line.
- You may want another approach to get people to sign on the dotted line.
- The two bungalows in question, though, had been standing from the year dot.
- Traditionally, scientists have been involved in war since the year dot.
She never dots her i’s.2[usually passive] if an area is dotted with things, there are a lot of them there but they are spread far apartbe dotted with something The lake was dotted with sailboats.be dotted about/around etc something The company has over 20 stores dotted around the country. Poppies dotted the field.GRAMMAR Dot is often passive in this meaning.3to put a very small amount of something on a surface, especially in several placesdot something with something Dot the apples with butter.4dot the i’s and cross the t’s informal to pay careful attention to all the details when you are finishing something