# Dorset

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /ˈdɔː.sɪt/ · frequency rank #15,806

## Definitions
1. A maritime county of England, bounded by Somerset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Devon and the English Channel.
2. A unitary authority of England, which includes all of the traditional county except Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, a separate unitary authority.
3. A place name elsewhere:
4. A place name elsewhere:
5. A place name elsewhere:
6. A place name elsewhere:
7. A place name elsewhere:

## Etymology
From the county town of Dorchester. The Old English name was Dornwaraceaster, composed of the British Latin name Durnovaria and the common suffix -ceaster; the word was eventually reduced to Dornsǣte, Dorsǣte, a reduction of the original name + the suffix -sǣte (“people, dwellers”), whence Middle English Dorsete.

## Easily confused with
- **dose** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dorset-vs-dose)
- **dost** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dorset-vs-dost)
- **durst** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dorset-vs-durst)
- **douse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dorset-vs-douse)
- **Dorsey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dorset-vs-dorsey)
- **Dore** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dore-vs-dorset)
- **dorsal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dorsal-vs-dorset)
- **docket** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/docket-vs-dorset)
- **Doreen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/doreen-vs-dorset)
- **dormer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dormer-vs-dorset)

## Common misspellings (9)
`ddorset`, `dorest`, `dorrset`, `dorsett`, `dorsset`, `dorste`, `dosret`, `droset`, `odrset`

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