dauphin

[ daw-fin; French doh-fan ]

noun

, plural dau·phins [daw, -finz, doh-, fan].

1. the eldest son of a king of France, used as a title from 1349 to 1830.

dauphin

/ dɔːˈfɪn; ˈdɔːfɪn; dofɛ̃ /

noun

1. (1349–1830) the title of the direct heir to the French throne; the eldest son of the king of France

Word History and Origins

Origin of dauphin¹

1475–85; < French; Middle French dalphin, after Dauphiné ( def ), from an agreement to thus honor the province after its cession to France

Word History and Origins

Origin of dauphin¹

C15: from Old French: originally a family name; adopted as a title by the Counts of Vienne and later by the French crown princes

Example Sentences

Dauphin Island is the southernmost point of Alabama.

From Salon

Less than an hour drive from where we lived in Mobile, Dauphin Island was another world — a far simpler one — with only one main road and very few things to do other than bicycle around and hang out on the beach.

From Salon

The Lancaster settlement extends into neighboring Chester County with smaller numbers in Berks and Dauphin counties in Pennsylvania and Cecil County, Maryland.

From Seattle Times

The attempted murder case was transferred from the Dauphin County district attorney’s office, which cited a conflict of interest, to a neighboring prosecutor, Cumberland County District Attorney Sean McCormack.

From Seattle Times

McKnight, an elected judge in Dauphin County since 2016, was suspended without pay in mid-November by the Court of Judicial Discipline, which handles misconduct allegations against judges.

From Seattle Times