Phrase guide

polka dot

noun · verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈpɒl.kə ˌdɒt/
  • UK: /ˈpəʊ.kə ˌdɒt/
  • US: /ˈpoʊ.kə ˌdɑt/

1

noun

Meaning 1

Any of a number of uniform round dots, repeated to make a regular geometric pattern on a fabric.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To cover as with polka dots.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

design consisting of a pattern of regularly spaced circular spots

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: design, pattern, figure

History

Etymology

First use appears in the US c. 1857 in the publication Godey's Lady's Book. Named after the polka dance, which was popular at the time (1840–1890). Numerous composites were formed posteriorly, but those names have not endured.

Across languages

Translations

21 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: десен на точки (desen na točki) — uniform round dots forming a pattern on fabric
  • Catalan: pic — uniform round dots forming a pattern on fabric
  • Chinese Mandarin: 波爾卡圓點 /波尔卡圆点 (bō'ěrkǎ yuándiǎn) — uniform round dots forming a pattern on fabric
  • Chinese Mandarin: 波爾卡點 /波尔卡点 (bō'ěrkǎ diǎn) — uniform round dots forming a pattern on fabric
  • Chinese Mandarin: 波點 /波点 (bōdiǎn) — uniform round dots forming a pattern on fabric
  • French: pois — uniform round dots forming a pattern on fabric
  • Galician: petadas — uniform round dots forming a pattern on fabric
  • German: Punktmuster — uniform round dots forming a pattern on fabric
  • Irish: polcaphonc — uniform round dots forming a pattern on fabric
  • Italian: pois — uniform round dots forming a pattern on fabric
  • Japanese: 水玉模様 (mizutama moyō) — uniform round dots forming a pattern on fabric
  • Japanese: 水玉 (mizutama) — uniform round dots forming a pattern on fabric
  • Polish: grochy — uniform round dots forming a pattern on fabric
  • Russian: узо́р в горо́шек (uzór v goróšek) — uniform round dots forming a pattern on fabric
  • Russian: горо́шек (goróšek) — uniform round dots forming a pattern on fabric
  • Spanish: lunar — uniform round dots forming a pattern on fabric
  • Spanish: topo — uniform round dots forming a pattern on fabric
  • Spanish: mota — uniform round dots forming a pattern on fabric
  • Spanish: pinta — uniform round dots forming a pattern on fabric
  • Vietnamese: chấm bi polka — uniform round dots forming a pattern on fabric
  • Welsh: smotyn crwn — uniform round dots forming a pattern on fabric