English edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

Possibly from dote (to be senile) +‎ poll (head)

Noun edit

dodipole (plural dodipoles)

  1. (obsolete, derogatory) An old person with impaired intellect; a dotard, idiot or lunatic.
    • 1550 October 9, Hugh Latimer, “A Sermon preached at Stamford”, in John Watkins, editor, The Sermons and Life of Hugh Latimer[1], volume 1, London: Aylott & Son, published 1858, page 288:
      But some will say, our curate is naught, an asshead, a dodipole, a lack-latin, and can do nothing: Shall I pay him my tithes, that doth us no good or none will do? Yea, I say, thou must pay him his due; and if he be such a one, complain to the bishop.
    • 1593, Gabriel Harvey, Pierce's Supererogation; or, A New Praise of the Old Ass[2], published 1815, page 59:
      No remedy; you must be dieted, and let blood in the Cephalica vein of asses, fools, dolts, ideots, dunces, dodipolles, and so forth infinitely; and never trust me, if you be not as tame-tongued, and barren-witted, as other honest men of Lombardy and the Low Countries.

Synonyms edit

References edit

  • Richardson, Charles (1839) A New Dictionary of the English Language[3], page DOL-DOM