Dat

/dæt/ adv, conj, det, noun, pron

adv, conj, det, noun, pron ·Rare ·Advanced level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: Digital Audio Tape, a digital data storage tape format using a dual-spooled cartridge and magnetic tape, used for digital audio and data storage.
  • Grammar: dat is listed as adv, conj, det, noun, pron.
  • Nearest alternatives: digital audiotape, that, that one, that thing.
  • Useful contrasts: deze, dit, these.
  • Usage evidence: "Man, the professor really ripped into you today." "True dat."

How to use "dat"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "dat" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "dat" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "dat" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "dat" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "dat" is acting as adv, conj, det, noun, pron in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "digital audiotape" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "dat", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Digital Audio Tape, a digital data storage tape format using a dual-spooled cartridge and magnetic tape, used for digital audio and data storage.
  2. 2
    a digital tape recording of sound wordnet
  3. 3
    Acronym of Dental Admission Test. Canada, US, abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
  4. 4
    Initialism of dolphin-assisted therapy abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
Adverb
  1. 1
    Pronunciation spelling of that. Ireland, Multicultural-London-English, alt-of, dialectal, humorous, nonstandard, not-comparable, pronunciation-spelling
Determiner
  1. 1
    Pronunciation spelling of that. Ireland, Multicultural-London-English, alt-of, dialectal, humorous, nonstandard, pronunciation-spelling

    "Pidgin is a combination of expressions and phrases that are recognizable to those who speak it. To non-Pidgin speakers, it may sound like slang. For example, “dat” means that and “fadda” means father or dad."

Conjunction
  1. 1
    Pronunciation spelling of that. Ireland, Multicultural-London-English, alt-of, dialectal, humorous, nonstandard, pronunciation-spelling

    "Dey vanished...but it wasn't too long ago dat dey did. Dey oughta still be nearby."

Pronoun
  1. 1
    Pronunciation spelling of that. Ireland, Multicultural-London-English, alt-of, dialectal, humorous, nonstandard, pronunciation-spelling

Synonyms

All synonyms
digital audiotapethatthat onethat thingthe aforementioned

Antonyms

Example

""Man, the professor really ripped into you today." "True dat.""

Common questions

What does "dat" mean?

Digital Audio Tape, a digital data storage tape format using a dual-spooled cartridge and magnetic tape, used for digital audio and data storage.

What is a synonym for "dat"?

Common synonyms include: digital audiotape, that, that one, that thing, the aforementioned.

How do you use "dat" in a sentence?

"Man, the professor really ripped into you today." "True dat."

How do you pronounce "dat"?

Pronounced /dæt/.

Etymology

Pronuctiation spelling of that, representing dialects with th-stopping. Compare Dutch dat, Low German dat, and German das.

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