# dingbat

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈdɪŋbæt/ · frequency rank #98,030

## Definitions
1. A silly, crazy or stupid person.
2. A special ornamental typographical symbol, such as a bullet, an arrow, a pointing hand etc.
3. An architectural style of apartment building, where the second storey overhangs an area for parking cars.
4. A kind of word puzzle involving pictures or typography that hint at the solution.
5. Anything that can be thrown or swung with force against something else.
6. A small device or gadget, the correct term for which is forgotten or unknown.

## Etymology
Unknown, US mid 19th century. The word-puzzle sense comes from the board game Dingbats, which is based on these puzzles.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/dingbat