DON (donned, donning)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: donned    , donning   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Don mean? 

• DON (noun)
  The noun DON has 6 senses:

1. a Spanish gentleman or nobleman

2. teacher at a university or college (especially at Cambridge or Oxford)

3. the head of an organized crime family

4. Celtic goddess; mother of Gwydion and Arianrhod; corresponds to Irish Danu

5. a European river in southwestern Russia; flows into the Sea of Azov

6. a Spanish courtesy title or form of address for men that is prefixed to the forename

  Familiarity information: DON used as a noun is common.

• DON (verb)
  The verb DON has 1 sense:

1. put clothing on one's body

  Familiarity information: DON used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DON (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A Spanish gentleman or nobleman

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("Don" is a kind of...):

gentleman (a man of refinement)

Domain category:

Spanish (the Romance language spoken in most of Spain and the countries colonized by Spain)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Teacher at a university or college (especially at Cambridge or Oxford)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

don; preceptor

Hypernyms ("don" is a kind of...):

instructor; teacher (a person whose occupation is teaching)

Domain region:

Britain; Great Britain; U.K.; UK; United Kingdom; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; 'Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The head of an organized crime family

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

don; father

Hypernyms ("don" is a kind of...):

chief; head; top dog (a person who is in charge)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Celtic goddess; mother of Gwydion and Arianrhod; corresponds to Irish Danu

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Instance hypernyms:

Celtic deity (a deity worshipped by the Celts)

Domain region:

Cambria; Cymru; Wales (one of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; during Roman times the region was known as Cambria)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A European river in southwestern Russia; flows into the Sea of Azov

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Synonyms:

Don; Don River

Instance hypernyms:

river (a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek))

Holonyms ("Don" is a part of...):

Russia; Russian Federation (a federation in northeastern Europe and northern Asia; formerly Soviet Russia; since 1991 an independent state)

Sense 6

Meaning:

A Spanish courtesy title or form of address for men that is prefixed to the forename

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Context example:

Don Roberto

Hypernyms ("Don" is a kind of...):

form of address; title; title of respect (an identifying appellation signifying status or function: e.g. 'Mr.' or 'General')

Domain category:

Spanish (the Romance language spoken in most of Spain and the countries colonized by Spain)

• DON (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they don    ... he / she / it dons   
Past simple: donned   
Past participle: donned   
-ing form: donning   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Put clothing on one's body

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

assume; don; get into; put on; wear

Context example:

He got into his jeans

Hypernyms (to "don" is one way to...):

dress; get dressed (put on clothes)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "don"):

hat (put on or wear a hat)

try; try on (put on a garment in order to see whether it fits and looks nice)

scarf (wrap in or adorn with a scarf)

slip on (put on with ease or speed)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

Most people who have mitral valve prolapse (MVP) don't need treatment because they don't have symptoms and complications.

(Mitral Valve Prolapse, NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

No, I don’t think you would guess.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

If they fit, these devices give you support, but if they don't fit, they can be uncomfortable and unsafe.

(Mobility Aids, NIH)

If the label says don't give to children under a certain age or weight, don't do it.

(Medicines and Children, Food and Drug Administration)

Scientists don't yet know the cause.

(Meniere's Disease, NIH: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders)

A listing of occupations that don't fall under another major heading.

(Miscellaneous Occupation, NCI Thesaurus)

"I don't know how to thank you," Madge quavered.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

A nursing home is a place for people who don't need to be in a hospital but can't be cared for at home.

(Nursing Homes, NIH: National Institute on Aging)

Normally, you hear these sounds at safe levels that don't affect hearing.

(Noise, NIH: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders)

They aren't "typical" because they don't cause tuberculosis.

(Mycobacterial Infections, NIH)