Home / Dictionary / Des

Des Very Common

Des has 8 different meanings across 3 categories:

Noun · Proper Noun · Phrase

Definitions
Noun
1

a potent estrogen used in medicine and in feed for livestock and poultry

"The veterinarian explained that adding des to the chicken feed would significantly increase their egg production during the winter months."

2

synthetic nonsteroid with the properties of estrogen; formerly used to treat menstrual problems but was found to be associated with vaginal cancers in the daughters of women so treated during pregnancy

"The doctor explained that des is a synthetic estrogen once prescribed for menstrual issues, which later faced bans after studies linked it to increased cancer risks in mothers' unborn children."

3

Desflurane.

"The package arrived with two des attached to the side for easy access."

4

Abbreviation of diethylstilbestrol.

5

plural of dE

In plain English: Des is an old-fashioned word for a small amount of something, like a few drops or crumbs.

"The hikers carefully stepped over the des scattered across the forest floor."

Usage: Avoid using "des" as a standalone noun in everyday writing because it is an obscure medical abbreviation for diethylstilbestrol that most readers will not recognize. Instead, spell out the full term or use descriptive language like "the drug DES" only when discussing specific historical medical contexts.

Proper Noun
1

Short form of the male given name Desmond.

"The network administrator updated the security protocols to comply with the latest DES encryption standards."

2

Initialism of Data Encryption Standard.

Phrase
1

Initialism of Delivered Ex Ship.

"The seller insisted on shipping goods des, ensuring that title and risk transferred only when the cargo arrived at the designated port rather than upon leaving the factory."

Example Sentences
"The hikers carefully stepped over the des scattered across the forest floor." noun
"The police found des in the suspect's pocket and arrested him." noun
"The des was humming quietly in the corner of her apartment." noun
"He plugged his portable des into the wall outlet before leaving work." noun
"Their new des kept their clothes dry during the rainy season." noun
See Also
scale desflurane discrete drug eutectic de deep diethylstilbestrol
Related Terms
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
estrogen nonsteroid

Origin

Des is an English interjection derived from French dés, originally meaning dice, used to express frustration or dismissal in American slang since the 1920s. It entered popular usage through African American Vernacular English and later spread globally via hip-hop culture.

Rhyming Words
ades odes ides bdes fides aides nudes judes aedes ludes podes rides cedes andes wades hodes codes dudes medes sides
Compare
Des vs