polka dot

See also: polka-dot

English

Alternative forms

• polka-dot
• polkadot

Etymology

1871, US; named after the polka dance, which was popular at the time (1840–1890). Numerous other things were also named for the dance, but these 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)

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

• 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)

• French: pois (fr) m pl
• German: Punktmuster n
• Irish: polcaphonc m
• Italian: pois m pl
• Japanese: 水玉模様 (みずたまもよう, mizutama moyō), ("droplet pattern") 水玉 (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: lunares (es) pl
• 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. To cover as with polka dots.

References

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