Revised 2012 More entries for "design"
designnoun
Factsheet
What does the noun design mean?
There are 11 meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun design, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
design has developed meanings and uses in subjects including
How common is the noun design?
About 100occurrences per million words in modern written English
| 1750 | 160 |
| 1760 | 160 |
| 1770 | 150 |
| 1780 | 140 |
| 1790 | 120 |
| 1800 | 120 |
| 1810 | 120 |
| 1820 | 110 |
| 1830 | 91 |
| 1840 | 84 |
| 1850 | 75 |
| 1860 | 60 |
| 1870 | 55 |
| 1880 | 50 |
| 1890 | 45 |
| 1900 | 53 |
| 1910 | 50 |
| 1920 | 57 |
| 1930 | 58 |
| 1940 | 69 |
| 1950 | 75 |
| 1960 | 79 |
| 1970 | 96 |
| 1980 | 120 |
| 1990 | 120 |
| 2000 | 120 |
| 2010 | 120 |
How is the noun design pronounced?
British English
/dᵻˈzʌɪn/
duh-ZIGHN
U.S. English
/dəˈzaɪn/
duh-ZIGHN
/diˈzaɪn/
dee-ZIGHN
Where does the noun design come from?
Earliest known use
mid 1500s
The earliest known use of the noun design is in the mid 1500s.
OED's earliest evidence for design is from 1565.
It is also recorded as a verb from the Middle English period (1150—1500).
design is a borrowing from French.
Etymons: French desain, dessein.
Nearby entries
- desideration, n.?c1525–
- desiderative, adj. & n.1552–
- desideratum, n.a1651–
- desiderium, n.1715–
- desidery, n.c1450–1513
- desidiose, adj.1727–1822
- desidious, adj.a1540–1656
- desidiousness, n.a1540–1651
- desight, n.1828–
- desightment, n.1828–55
- design, n.1565–
- design, v.a1398–
- designable, adj.¹1629–
- designable, adj.²1879–
- design argument, n.1843–
- designate, adj.?a1475–
- designate, v.1596–
- designated, adj.1755–
- designated driver, n.1982–
- designated hitter1961–
- designated pinch-hitter1967–
Meaning & use
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for design, n.
design, n. was revised in March 2012
design, n. was last modified in September 2023
oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:
- further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into design, n. in September 2023.
Earlier versions of design, n. were published in:
OED First Edition (1895)
OED Second Edition (1989)
Cite
Chicago
Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “”, . <>
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MLA9
“”. Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, , <>
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