doesn't

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See also: doesnt

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From does +‎ -n't.

Pronunciation

Verb

doesn't

  1. Does not (negative auxiliary)
    • 1693, François Rabelais, translated by Peter Anthony Motteux, The Works of Mr. Francis Rabelais..., volume 2, London: Navarre Society Limited, translation of original in French, page 321:
      The Furr'd Law-cats are most terrible and dreadful Monsters, they devour little Children, and trample over Marble-Stones. Pray tell me, Noble Topers, do they not deserve to have their Snouts slit ? The Hair of their Hides do's n't lie outward, but inwards; and every Mother's Son of 'em, for his Devise, wears a gaping Pouch, but not all in the same manner; for some wear it ty'd to their Neck Scarfwise, others upon the Breech, some on the Paunch, others on the Side, and all for a Cause, with Reason and Mystery: They have Claws so very strong, long, and sharp, that nothing can get from 'em, that is once fast between their Clutches: Sometimes they cover their Heads with Mortar-like Caps, at other times with mortify'd Caparisons.
    • 1694, Laurence Echard, Plautus's Comedies, Amphitryon, Epidicus, and Rudens: Made English: With Critical Remarks Upon Each Play., London, page 89:
      Well, I must borrow Epidicus's help, tho' I pay dearly for th' use of 't ; but I shall send him to Bridewel with his Skin stript o're his Ears, if he doesn't procure the hundred Pounds as soon as the last Word's pronounc'd.
    • July 18 2012, Scott Tobias, AV Club The Dark Knight Rises
      Though Bane’s sing-song voice gives his pronouncements a funny lilt, he doesn’t have any of the Joker’s deranged wit, and Nolan isn’t interested in undercutting his seriousness for the sake of a breezier entertainment.
    • 2015 November 30, Shane O'Mara, Why Torture Doesn’t Work: The Neuroscience of Interrogation, Harvard University Press, →ISBN, page 12:
      Santorum, in a comment regarding Senator John McCain's repudiation of torture, stated, "He doesn't understand how enhanced interrogation works. I mean, you break somebody, and after they've broken they become cooperative" (Summers 2011).
  2. (archaic or regional) Dost not
    • 1681, Roger L'Estrange, “The Observator. In Dialogue. Numb. 78. Wednesday, December 7. 1681.”, in The Observator in Dialogue, volume 1, published 1684, page 78:
      But Pre'thee tell me, that Woman had very Considerable Friends. Thou doesn't hear that she has Peacht any body, dost thou?

Synonyms

Translations

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References

  1. ^ Zwicky, Arnold M., Pullum, Geoffrey K. (1983) “Cliticization vs. Inflection: English n’t”, in Language, volume 59, number 3, pages 502-513

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