dotty1

[dot-ee] /ˈdɒt i/
adjective, dottier, dottiest. Informal.
1.
crazy or eccentric.
2.
feeble or unsteady in gait.
3.
very enthusiastic or infatuated (usually followed by about or over).
Origin
1805-15; perhaps dott(ard) variant of dotard + -y1
Related forms
dottily, adverb
dottiness, noun

dotty2

[dot-ee] /ˈdɒt i/
adjective, dottier, dottiest.
1.
marked with dots; dotted.
Origin
1805-15; dot1 + -y1
Related forms
dottiness, noun
Examples from the web for dotty
  • But when the movie focuses on plot and character, it turns quite dotty in an amiable way.
  • While their meandering, dotty conversation is endearing and enlightening, following along is an exercise in stamina.
British Dictionary definitions for dotty

dotty

/ˈdɒtɪ/
adjective -tier, -tiest
1.
(slang, mainly Brit) feeble-minded; slightly crazy
2.
(Brit, slang) (foll by about) extremely fond (of)
3.
marked with dots
Derived Forms
dottily, adverb
dottiness, noun
Word Origin
C19: from dot1: sense development of 1 from meaning of "unsteady on one's feet"
Word Origin and History for dotty
adj.

1812, "full of dots," from dot (n.) + -y (2). Meaning "silly" is from c.1400, in dotypolle "dotty poll" (i.e. "dotty head"), in which case the first element is from dote (v.).

Slang definitions & phrases for dotty

dotty

adjective

Crazy; insane; feebleminded: a dotty old fellow

[1885+; origin uncertain; perhaps related to dotty, ''of unsteady, uneven, or feeble gait,'' and this is the dated sense above; perhaps related to dote and doat, attested in the 1200s as ''silly, crazy''; dote is also an early spelling of dot, so the matter seems quite complex]