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des

1

[ dey ]

preposition

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


DES

2

abbreviation for

-des

3
  1. a plural suffix appearing in loanwords from Greek:

    proboscides.

DES

abbreviation for

  1. Department of Education and Science


DES

/ 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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Word History and Origins

Origin of des1

< Greek, nominative plural of d- stem nouns

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