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• des
  des

  preposition

  used in French names as a contraction of de and the article les: François des Adrets.
• DES
  DES

  abbreviation

  diethylstilbestrol.
• -des
  -des

  a plural suffix appearing in loanwords from Greek.

des

¹ American  

[dey] / deɪ /

preposition

1. used in French names as a contraction of de and the article les: François des Adrets.

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DES ² American  

abbreviation

1. diethylstilbestrol.

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-des ³ American  

1. a plural suffix appearing in loanwords from Greek.

   proboscides.

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DES British  

abbreviation

1. Department of Education and Science

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DES Scientific  

/ dē′ē-ĕs′ /

1. Short for diethylstilbestrol. A synthetic nonsteroidal substance having estrogenic properties and prescribed between 1938 and 1971 to pregnant women with a history of miscarriage and other problems of pregnancy. It is no longer used due to the incidence of certain vaginal cancers and other disorders in the daughters of women so treated.

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Etymology

Origin of -des

< Greek, nominative plural of d- stem nouns

Example Sentences

Called Market Market: Message Market, the sale will feature past season Comme des Garçons collections and Dover Street Market favorites with discounts of up to 70% off.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

The bomb was discovered on 10 April during construction work on Rue des Champarons.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, who met families of the Rue des Rosiers victims last year, said he had promised them everything would be done to put the suspects on trial.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

On Tuesday, des Cars handed in her resignation to President Emmanuel Macron, which was accepted.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

As he walks up the rue Cuvier and turns into the Jardin des Plantes, the trees look misty and significant: parasols held up just for him.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr