noun
Uncommon
dada
DAH-dah
Dada (noun) means an early childhood word for father. Example: “The baby pointed at the door and said "dada!" when he heard the car pull in.”
noun
1
An early childhood word for father.
"The baby pointed at the door and said "dada!" when he heard the car pull in."
2
An early 20th-century art and literary movement that rejected logic and tradition in favor of absurdity and provocation, born partly out of disgust at the First World War.
"Dada artists pasted together everyday objects to mock what they saw as a senseless, self-destructive society."
"The exhibition traced how Dada influenced later surrealist art."
How to use dada
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither a toddler's word for "dad," or the anti-art art movement from around World War I.
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Word forms
- Plural
- dadas
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The baby pointed at the door and said "_____!" when he heard the car pull in.
Etymology
The art-movement sense is often said to come from the French word for "hobby-horse," reportedly picked at random from a dictionary in 1916 precisely because it was silly and meant nothing serious; the baby-talk sense simply imitates an infant's first babbled sounds.
Class of 1916
dada joined the language around 1916.
See the full Class of 1916 →
Related words
Rhymes for dada
See all rhymes for dada →Frequently asked questions
What does “dada” mean?
The word “dada” means an early childhood word for father. In plain terms, either a toddler's word for "dad," or the anti-art art movement from around World War I.
How do you pronounce “dada”?
“Dada” is pronounced DAH-dah (/ˈdɑːdɑː/ in IPA).
How do you use “dada” in a sentence?
Here is “dada” used in a sentence: “The baby pointed at the door and said "dada!" when he heard the car pull in.”
What part of speech is “dada”?
“Dada” is a noun.
Where does the word “dada” come from?
The word “dada” dates back to around 1916 and comes from French.
Is “dada” a common word?
“Dada” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “dada” have?
“Dada” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: an early childhood word for father.
