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Dorset

1 American  
[dawr-sit] / ˈdɔr sɪt /

noun

  1. 1st Earl of. Thomas Sackville.

  2. Dorsetshire.


Dorset 2 American  
[dawr-sit] / ˈdɔr sɪt /

noun

  1. an Indigenous culture that flourished from a.d. 100–1000 in the central and eastern regions of Arctic North America, preceding the Inuit culture.


Dorset British  
/ ˈdɔːsɪt /

noun

  1. a county in SW England, on the English Channel: mainly hilly but low-lying in the east: the geographical and ceremonial county includes Bournemouth and Poole, which became independent unitary authorities in 1997. Administrative centre: Dorchester. Pop (excluding unitary authorities): 398 200 (2003 est). Area (excluding unitary authorities): 2544 sq km (982 sq miles)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Dorset

After Cape Dorset in northern Canada

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

James Cossins who runs a dairy, beef and arable farm in Tarrant Rawston, near Blandford, Dorset, said prices had doubled for the 200-300 litres of diesel he needed each day to run his tractors.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

We call the deep, folded valleys of West Dorset “coombes,” a topography often too steep for tractors; too awkward to be given over to large-scale arable farming.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

Here’s a local’s guide to the village gardens, private estates and rolling fields of West Dorset.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

The same conditions that make for ideal private gardens in West Dorset also enrich a farm-to-table food culture.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

Others went to the White Mansion in the Welsh hills, or to Poplar Farm in Dorset.

From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro