dos a dos

/ˌdəʊsəˈdəʊ//ˌdəʊsiˈdəʊ/

noun

A move in square dancing in which two dancers face each other, then step forward and left until they have right shoulders adjacent, then move to a position where they are back to back, then move to have left shoulders adjacent, then return to facing each other.

“to sit dos a dos on a camel”

Meanings

noun

alternative do-sa-do · alternative dosado · alternative dos-à-dos · alternative do-se-do · alternative do-si-do · alternative dosido · alternative dos-a-dos · alternative dosey doe

  1. A move in square dancing in which two dancers face each other, then step forward and left until they have right shoulders adjacent, then move to a position where they are back to back, then move to have left shoulders adjacent, then return to facing each other.
  2. historicalA sofa, open carriage, etc. constructed so that the occupants sit back to back.
adverbdos a dos (not comparable)

alternative do-sa-do · alternative dosado · alternative dos-à-dos · alternative do-se-do · alternative do-si-do · alternative dosido · alternative dos-a-dos · alternative dosey doe

  1. not comparableBack to back.

    to sit dos a dos on a camel

    1 more example

    to dance dos a dos, so that two dancers move forward and pass back to back

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see

Origin

  1. Latinad“to”
  2. Latindorsum“back”
  3. Frenchdos à dos“back to back”
  4. Englishdos a dos

From French dos à dos (“back to back”), from dos (“back”) (from Latin dorsum (“back”)) and à (from Latin ad (“to”).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

dos a dos. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dos%20a%20dos

MLA

“dos a dos.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dos%20a%20dos. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dos a dos,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dos%20a%20dos.

Source: dos a dos on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.