Polka dot

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Grammarist

Polka dot is a term that has its origins in the mid-1800s. We will examine the definition of the word polka dot, where it came from and some examples of its use in sentences.

A polka dot is one round, solid spot that is part of a pattern of spots spread across a fabric or other material in an equidistant pattern. The plural form is polka dots, note that there is no hyphen. The adjective form is properly rendered as polka-dotted, though the term polka dot is often seen used as an adjective. The word polka dot first appeared in the 1870s, named after the dance craze that swept Britain and the United States at this time, the polka. The polka is a Bohemian dance in double time. The polka was such a hot fad at the time, many things were named after it such as polka gauze and polka hats. The only remnant of this craze is the term polka dot. The word polka is derived from the Czech word půlka, which means half-step.

Examples

Looking sharp! Scarlett Johansson suits up in polka dot blouse to interview director John Favreau for Tribeca Talks series (The Daily Mail)

A polka dot bus featuring awareness facts about the deadliest form of skin cancer will be picked up in Egg Harbor, NJ on April 10, 2017 and stopping in Hoboken, NJ before heading home to Raleigh, NC. (The Riverview Observer)

No one had shown fluorescence in amphibians, or in any land vertebrate except parrots, until he and colleagues recently tested South American polka dot tree frogs. (Science News Magazine)

America’s love affair with the trend began in 1926, when Miss America was photographed in a polka-dotted swimsuit. (The Hindustan Times)