Da Definition & Meaning

American

British

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms da 1 American [duh, dah, duh, dah] / də, dɑ, də, dɑ / Or Da

preposition

1. from; of (used in Italian and Portuguese personal names, originally to indicate place of origin).

   Lorenzo da Ponte; Vasco da Gama.

DA 2 American [dee-ey] / ˈdiˈeɪ /

noun

plural

DAs, DA's

1. a male hairstyle, especially of the 1950s, in which the hair is slicked back on both sides to overlap at the back of the head.

da 3 American [dah] / dɑ /

adverb

Russian.

1. yes.

DA 4 American

1. Department of Agriculture.

2. Dictionary of Americanisms.

da. 5 American

abbreviation

1. daughter.

2. day; days.

DA. 6 American

abbreviation

1. (in Algeria) dinar; dinars.

D/A 7 American

1. (sometimes lowercase) days after acceptance.

2. deposit account.

3. documents against acceptance.

4. documents for acceptance.

D.A. 8 American

abbreviation

1. delayed action.

2. direct action.

3. District Attorney.

4. documents against acceptance.

5. documents for acceptance.

6. doesn't answer; don't answer.

DA 1 British

abbreviation

1. (in the US) District Attorney

2. Diploma of Art

3. duck's arse (hairstyle)

"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 D/A 2 British

abbreviation

1. deposit account

2. commerce documents against acceptance

"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 da1

< Italian da ≪ Latin dē about, concerning + ab, ā from; < Portuguese da, contraction of de of, from (< Latin dē ) + a feminine singular definite article (≪ Latin illa that)

Origin of DA2

A euphemistic abbreviation of duck's ass

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.

“It’s okay, Da!” said Ma, but her grin said she liked her father sticking up for her.

From Literature

“Mtch, these old men! Turning down a good offer like that! Go on, Da, hand it over!”

From Literature

“I know how you feel, Da, but due rites will be performed to appease the spirit of the river. That is what the government people have promised.”

From Literature

“But we’re helpless, Da! We can only pray we live to enjoy the electricity they’ve promised.”

From Literature

The pro-business DA -- credited with boosting confidence in South Africa when it joined the 10-party coalition in 2024 -- has been rocked by a series of internal controversies over the leadership of John Steenhuisen.

From Barron's

Related Words

• government
• prosecutor

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.