polka dot

See also: polka-dot

English

Alternative forms

• polka-dot, polkadot

Etymology

First use appears in the US c. 1857 in the publication Godey's Lady's Book. Named after the polka dance, which was popular at the time (1840–1890). Numerous composites were formed posteriorly, but those names have not endured.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈpɒl.kə ˌdɒt/, /ˈpəʊ.kə ˌdɒt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈpoʊ.kə ˌdɑt/

Noun

polka dot (plural polka dots)

a dress with polka dots

1. Any of a number of uniform round dots, repeated to make a regular geometric pattern on a fabric.
   • 1871, Godey’s magazine‎^[1], volumes 86-87, page 389:

     …these have entirely disappeared, and we see them with the old time white polka dot, always pretty clean and neat looking.

Derived terms

• polka-dotted

Translations

uniform round dots forming a pattern on fabric — see also spot

• Bulgarian: десен на точки (desen na točki)
• Catalan: pic (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 波爾卡圓點 / 波尔卡圆点 (bō'ěrkǎ yuándiǎn), 波爾卡點 / 波尔卡点 (bō'ěrkǎ diǎn), 波點 / 波点 (bōdiǎn)

• French: pois (fr) m pl
• Galician: petadas pl
• German: Punktmuster n
• Irish: polcaphonc m
• Italian: pois m pl
• Japanese: 水玉模様 (ja) (みずたまもよう, mizutama moyō), ("droplet pattern") 水玉 (ja) (みずたま, mizutama) ("droplet")
• Polish: grochy (pl) m pl
• Russian: узо́р в горо́шек m (uzór v goróšek), горо́шек (ru) m (goróšek) ("little pea")
• Spanish: lunar (es) m, topo (es) m, mota (es) f, pinta (es) f
• Vietnamese: chấm bi polka
• Welsh: smotyn crwn m

Verb

polka dot (third-person singular simple present polka dots, present participle polka dotting, simple past and past participle polka dotted)

1. (transitive) To cover as with polka dots.

References

• “All the while doing the Postal Polka Two-Step.”, The Word Detective