What does "dory" mean?
A small flat-bottomed boat with pointed or somewhat pointed ends, used for fishing both offshore and on rivers.
Dory
/ˈdɔːɹi/ adj, name, noun
adj, name, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A small flat-bottomed boat with pointed or somewhat pointed ends, used for fishing both offshore and on rivers.
- Grammar: dory is listed as adj, name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: rowboat, dinghy, jack salmon, john dory.
- Useful contrasts: land vehicle.
- Usage evidence: From every schooner, dories were being dropped into the shining, clear water. The sound of voices and the splashes of oars carried across the sea.
How to use "dory"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "dory" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- 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 "dory" 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 "dory" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "dory" 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 "dory" is acting as adj, name, noun 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 "rowboat" 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 "dory", 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 A small flat-bottomed boat with pointed or somewhat pointed ends, used for fishing both offshore and on rivers.
"From every schooner, dories were being dropped into the shining, clear water. The sound of voices and the splashes of oars carried across the sea."
- 2 Any of several different families of large-eyed, silvery, deep-bodied, laterally compressed, and roughly discoid marine fish.
"A DIATREE FOR DINNER. […] The ſeconde Courſe. […] Dorye"
- 3 A wooden pike or spear about three metres (ten feet) in length with a flat, leaf-shaped iron spearhead and a bronze butt-spike (called a sauroter), which was the main weapon of hoplites in Ancient Greece. It was usually not thrown but rather thrust at opponents with one hand.
"The basic weapon of the hoplite was the dory, a wooden-shaft spear six to nine feet long with a metal point at each end."
- 4 marine fishes widely distributed in mid-waters and deep slope waters wordnet
- 5 pike-like freshwater perches wordnet
Show 1 more definition
- 6 a small boat of shallow draft with cross thwarts for seats and rowlocks for oars with which it is propelled wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Of a bright yellow or golden color. obsolete
Proper Noun
- 1 A diminutive of the female given names Dorothy or Doris. countable, uncountable
- 2 A surname. countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
land vehicle
Example
"From every schooner, dories were being dropped into the shining, clear water. The sound of voices and the splashes of oars carried across the sea."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "dory"?
Common synonyms include: rowboat, dinghy, jack salmon, john dory, small boat, stizostedion vitreum.
How do you use "dory" in a sentence?
From every schooner, dories were being dropped into the shining, clear water. The sound of voices and the splashes of oars carried across the sea.
How do you pronounce "dory"?
Pronounced /ˈdɔːɹi/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Attested in American English from 1709 C.E.; possibly derived from an indigenous language of the West Indies or Central America, perhaps Miskito.
Etymology 2
From Middle English dorry, from Old French doree, past participle of dorer (“to gild”), from Latin deauratus.
Etymology 3
PIE word *dóru Borrowed from Ancient Greek δόρυ (dóru).