noun

DNS

DEE-en-ESS

DNS (noun) means the system that translates the web addresses people type, such as example.com, into the numeric addresses computers use to find each other on the internet. Example: “The site was fine, but DNS had not updated yet, so half our visitors still hit the old server.”

noun

technical The system that translates the web addresses people type, such as example.com, into the numeric addresses computers use to find each other on the internet.

"The site was fine, but DNS had not updated yet, so half our visitors still hit the old server."

"He changed the DNS records to point the domain at the new host."

How to Use DNS

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishDNS is what turns a website's name into the number a computer needs to reach it.

When to use it

Used uncountably, and attributively in "DNS record", "DNS server", "DNS lookup". Take "a" before it in speech.

Memory tip

Registering a domain, hosting a site and configuring DNS are three separate things. DNS is only the directory that connects the name to the machine.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

domain → IP address → registrar → hosting →

Common pairings

DNS record DNS lookup DNS server update DNS DNS propagation

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The site was fine, but _____ had not updated yet, so half our visitors still hit the old server.

Etymology

An initialism of domain name system.

Origin: English

Synonyms

View more →

domain name system name resolution name system

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a domain name and DNS?

A domain name is the address itself, such as example.com. DNS is the system that looks that name up and returns the numeric address of the server it points to. You buy a domain from a registrar; DNS then decides where the domain leads.

Why do DNS changes take time to appear?

Answers to DNS lookups are cached along the way — by internet providers, networks and devices — so older answers keep being served until the cache expires. That expiry period is set by the record's TTL, or time to live.

What is an A record?

An A record is a type of DNS record that maps a name directly to an IPv4 address. Other common types include CNAME, which points one name at another name, and MX, which says where email for the domain should be delivered.