dong

Meanings

Noun

• The currency of Vietnam, 100 xus. Symbol: ₫
• A penis.
• A dildo, specifically a synthetic anatomical replica of the penis.
• Onomatopoeia for the ringing sound made by a bell with a low pitch.
• A submunicipal administrative unit of a city in North or South Korea.

Verb

• Of a bell: to make a low-pitched ringing sound.

Origin

• Borrowed from Vietnamese đồng, from Middle Chinese 銅 (compare Mandarin 铜), from Old Chinese 銅.
• Origin unknown. Perhaps from The Dong with a Luminous Nose, an 1894 poem by Edward Lear about a mythical creature. Attested since the 1930s.
• Korean 동(洞)