# dote

> English word · Verb · IPA /dəʊt/ · frequency rank #72,252

## Definitions
1. To be weakly or foolishly fond of somebody.
2. To act in a foolish manner; to be senile.
3. To rot, decay.

## Etymology
The verb is derived from Middle English doten, from Middle Low German doten (“to be foolish”) or Middle Dutch doten (“to be silly”). Doublet of doit (Scottish English).
The noun in the sense of "imbecile" is derived from Middle English dote (“simpleton”), itself from doten (see above). The noun in the sense of "darling" and "decay" is derived from the modern verb.

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