doll

noun

ˈdäl How to pronounce doll (audio)
ˈdȯl
1
: a small-scale figure of a human being used especially as a child's plaything
2
a(1)
: a pretty but often empty-headed young woman
(2)
: woman
c
: an attractive person
dollish
ˈdä-lish How to pronounce doll (audio)
ˈdȯ-
adjective
dollishly adverb
dollishness noun

Examples of doll in a Sentence

My aunt collects porcelain dolls. there was a row of dolls along the shelf in the bedroom
Recent Examples on the Web Someone else has painted their small motorhome in Mondrian squares, while another person has a collection of sculptures made from old tires and decapitated baby doll heads staged in some surreal play. Jonah Gercke, SPIN, 15 Mar. 2024 Rodriguez then produced two special Barbie dolls — with heads that unscrewed to reveal hidden flasks full of a celebratory beverage. Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024 Ahead of the Big Spring Sale, Amazon has markdowns on some of the most popular toys, from the viral dancing cactus to the Barbie Dreamhouse and dolls. Phoebe Sklansky, Parents, 14 Mar. 2024 The little girl is surrounded by Caucasian-looking dolls — not one is Asian. Kim Gordon, Variety, 13 Mar. 2024 Hough then came up with an outline for Bubble (2005), which employed nonprofessional and local actors in a crime drama about workers in an Ohio factory that makes parts for dolls. Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 Visit favorites include the tea ceremony, hina doll display, ikebana flower arrangements, and koto (Japanese zither) performances, along with storytelling and hands-on workshops. Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 1 Mar. 2024 Mexican director Lila Avilés, whose meteoric rise on the international stage, with just two feature films, both of which have represented Mexico at the Oscars, is among eight women storytellers selected by Mattel to be immortalized with Barbie dolls in their likeness. Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024 My favorite is his concept for Barbies: His version of the doll keeps her fingers crossed behind her back. Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'doll.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

probably from Doll, nickname for Dorothy

First Known Use

circa 1700, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of doll was circa 1700

Dictionary Entries Near doll

Cite this Entry

“Doll.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doll. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

doll

noun
ˈdäl How to pronounce doll (audio)
ˈdȯl
1
: a small figure of a human being used especially as a child's plaything
2
a
: a pretty young woman
b
: an attractive person

More from Merriam-Webster on doll

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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