The meaning of DOTE is to exhibit mental decline of or like that of old age : be in one's dotage. How to use dote in a sentence.

DOTE definition: to bestow or express excessive love or fondness habitually (usually followed by on orupon ). See examples of dote used in a sentence.

dote (dəʊt) or now rarely doat vb (intr) 1. (foll by: on or upon) to love to an excessive or foolish degree 2. to be foolish or weak-minded, esp as a result of old age

to bestow or express excessive love or fondness habitually (usually fol. by on or upon): They dote on their youngest daughter. to show a decline of mental faculties, esp. associated with old age.

TWO doting penguin parents form a perfect heart shape as they bend their necks to shield their chick from biting Antarctic winds. If you say that someone dotes on a person or a thing, you mean that they …

Definition of dote verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Dote definition: To show excessive fondness or love.

No wonder dote is related to a German word that means "to be foolish." That connection might also explain the use of dote to mean acting senile in one's later years.

There are six meanings listed in OED's entry for the verb dote, three of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

From Old English doten; compare to Germanic dotten, "to be foolish". dote: To show excessive fondness or love.