don

¹

[don, dawn]

noun

1. (initial capital letter),  Mr.; Sir: a Spanish title prefixed to a man's given name.

2. (in Spanish-speaking countries) a lord or gentleman.

3. (initial capital letter),  an Italian title of address, especially for a priest.

4. a person of great importance.

5. (in the English universities) a head, fellow, or tutor of a college.

6. (in the Mafia) a head of a family or syndicate.

Don

²

[don, dawn]

noun

1. a river flowing generally S from Tula in the Russian Federation in Europe, to the Sea of Azov. About 1,200 miles (1,930 km) long.

2. a river in NE Scotland, flowing E from Aberdeen county to the North Sea. 62 miles (100 km) long.

3. a river in central England, flowing NE from S Yorkshire to the Humber estuary. 60 miles (97 km) long.

4. a male given name, form of Donald.

don

³

[don]

verb (used with object)

donned, donning 

1. to put on, as clothing or equipment.

   He donned his best shirt and tie for the interview.

   Donning goggles and fins, they dived off the raft one by one.

2. to assume or adopt, as a particular attitude, responsibility, etc..

   The actress is all set to don a new role as first-time director of her own film.

Don

⁴

[dawn]

noun

Welsh Mythology.

1. a goddess, the mother of Gwydion and Arianrod: corresponds to the Irish Danu.

don

⁵

[dohn]

conjunction

1. (in prescriptions) donec.

don

¹

/ dɒn /

noun

1. a member of the teaching staff at a university or college, esp at Oxford or Cambridge

2. the head of a student dormitory at certain Canadian universities and colleges

3. a Spanish gentleman or nobleman

4. (in the Mafia) the head of a family

Don

²

/ dɒn /

noun

1. a river rising in W Russia, southeast of Tula and flowing generally south, to the Sea of Azov: linked by canal to the River Volga. Length: 1870 km (1162 miles)

2. a river in NE Scotland, rising in the Cairngorm Mountains and flowing east to the North Sea. Length: 100 km (62 miles)

3. a river in N central England, rising in S Yorkshire and flowing northeast to the Humber. Length: about 96 km (60 miles)

Don

³

/ don, dɒn /

noun

1. a Spanish title equivalent to Mr : placed before a name to indicate respect

don

⁴

/ dɒn /

verb

1. (tr) to put on (clothing)

Word History and Origins

Origin of don¹

First recorded in 1515–25; from Italian, Spanish, from Latin dominus “lord, master”

Origin of don²

First recorded in 1560–70; contraction of do ¹ + on; doff

Origin of don³

By shortening of Latin donec ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of don¹

C17: ultimately from Latin dominus lord

Origin of don²

C16: via Spanish, from Latin dominus lord; see _don ²

Origin of don³

C14: from _do ¹ + _on ; compare _doff

Example Sentences

On Tuesday, she met with the Epstein survivors and was so overcome that she had a “panic attack,” according to reporter Don Lemon, who ran into her immediately after the meeting.

From Salon

Don Daves-Rougeaux, a senior advisor for the community college system, acknowledged the potential contradiction but said it’s part of a broader effort to keep up with the rapid pace of changes in AI.

From Los Angeles Times

Dons get tested with season opener at Carson on Thursday night to decide Open Division playoff berth.

From Los Angeles Times

Not only did Patterson rob him of growing old with his wife, and his children of their mother, Mr Wilkinson said, but she also took his two best friends, Don and Gail Patterson.

From BBC

But again, Don, in his diminished mental state, is happy.

From Salon

Related Words

• dress 
• put on 
• wear 

When To Use

What is a basic definition of don?

Don means to put on or dress in clothing. The word Don is a title for men in Spanish and don is a term for the head of a mafia family. Don has a few other senses as a noun.When used as a verb, don means to put on clothing. When you don a fancy hat, you place it on your head. Sometimes don is used to indicate that you’re putting on fancy clothes.

• Real-life examples: People don formal clothes to attend weddings. The media is often obsessed with the designer clothing that celebrities have donned for an awards show. It is a good idea to don a helmet when riding a bike.



• Used in a sentence: I don my long winter coat whenever it snows.

In Spanish, the title Don is used like Mr. in English to show respect to a man. Don is used before a man’s first name.

• Real-life example: The fictional Don Juan was a legendary womanizer. The fictional Don Quixote is remembered for battling with windmills.



• Used in a sentence: While in Spain, I met with my good friends Don Emilio and Don Diego.

The word don is also used to refer to the head of a mafia family or syndicate. This sense of don is also sometimes used as a title.

• Real-life examples: Actor Marlon Brando played Vito Corleone, the don of the fictional Corleone family, in the film The Godfather. Carlo Gambino was the don of New York City’s Gambino crime family.



• Used in a sentence: The police arrested several low-ranking members of the crime family but could never get evidence against the don.