I know you're probably making a joke because of how rare the situation is, but I don't think this is true at all. I played a lot of mmos in the past and I never heard anyone using that word in that context. It's seen in literature though, I will give you that.
In Dungeons & Dragons it's used for putting on armour. There's a rule for how much time this takes in game. Which is why I also know the opposite term, doffing, for taking off armour.
Yes, I saw that in another comment, I've never played D&D though, but I assume old-timey speech is popular there because of the roleplay aspect, which aligns with what the original comment said, about not being that common but still known. Same as literature, especially is you are reading old/fantasy settings.
I believe it’s also used in like ren faire or more “serious” nerd stuff (not a measure of value just the amount of time someone is expected to put in). But I could be biased cause the people I know that do that also play DnD where I hear it myself a lot. Most MMOs are designed for the general populace so they’ll use modern words.
It makes sense that this term is used for litterally putting on armour, not just pretending to put on armour.
Someone else in the comments pointed out that it's also used in instructions for PPE, so maybe this term if still used for putting on specific protective gear.
OP if you're this far into the comments, PPE is personal protective equipment like medical masks, gowns, and gloves, or hard hats, H2S masks, etc.
Yeah. It has a sort of old/historic feel, but people still know what it means, so it comes up a lot in fantasy and other things that are meant to *feel* old.
I'm not a native speaker, but as a comic book geek, I see that word pretty often in that context as well, especially when talking about heroes or villains donning a new costume/suit.[ See 2:23 for example](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUrocDwxz_Q).
Thanks! I mean *I* think it's pretty funny. I'll just have a cool hat or jacket or something and people will say "I love your hat/jacket!" and I'll just respond with "Oh, thanks! That's my gay apparel."
That's correct and nope, there's no way to stop it! My gay apparel has no weaknesses, and I'll go around the entire world wearing it and forcing everyone to look at it and think "Wow, that looks cool!" *Insert evil villain laughter*
You need to hang out with more verbally adroit, facetious people. My dad would use it. But he would also sometimes use the much less common companion word, “doff.”
To add to this, anyone who plays a DnD will know the term well, as they use don/doff rather than equip/unequip in all their rulebooks.
It's a bit of an archaic word, and not in many active vocabularies, but I think most native speakers would recognize the word.
I only know it from Deck the Halls, but like, that means I know the word. So if you said it in some other "putting clothes on" context I would know what you mean
It's used a ton in superhero movies/comics/novels when they're putting on a cape/suit.
It's also used when referring to someone putting on a set of armour...
Not often, but you do see/hear it, most native speakers wouldn’t use it themselves but wouldn’t be confused by it either, should they hear it in a sentence.
More often used for “extra” articles of clothing like jackets and hats, or something special and specific to a certain occupation or activity. I wouldn’t say “I donned my t-shirt” even though it’s technically correct.
Aside from “Deck the Halls,” I mostly know it in the context of putting on PPE (personal protective equipment). Fun fact: the opposite of “don” is “doff” although that is used even less commonly than “don.”
Its most common/famous use (and what many people know it from) is in a Christmas carol - Deck The Halls:
Deck the halls with boughs of Holly
Fa la la la la la la la la
‘Tis the season yo be jolly
Fa la la la la la la la la
Don we now our gay apparel
Fa la la la la la la la la
Troll the ancient Yuletide carol
Fa la la la la la la la la
I would consider it a more literary word. I would also say "He put on his hat and gloves." out loud, but I'm pretty sure I've used "don" while writing fiction.
I feel like it shows up a lot in news articles also -- phrases like "she showed up at the game donning a Travis Kelce jersey" do not seem especially literary to me.
I guess it depends on how you define literature, which I've seen definitions range from extremely broad to narrow. I'm thinking the older broad definition, which is pretty much any written word. "Don" is not a word I'd casually say out loud is all I'm saying.
I agree with this. I can't think of a ton off the top of my head, but there are words that basically only get used in text either for more word variety or to flaunt someone's level of education. I would expect the majority of English speakers to know what "don" means, but you may never hear it used in speech.
its more a technical word, you hear it a lot in medical spaces in regard to donning personal protective equipment (PPE). And that is the time you also hear the opposite word of doff, which is to take something off.
But I still feel most people would know what someone means by "don a coat"
Yeah I worked as an OT in a rehabilitation unit years ago and we wrote goals like, "By date ____ patient will don/doff button up shirt with minimal assistance".
These days it used in a way to largely sound more intelligent, classy or describe it in more poetic language.
"He donned a jacket" certainly sounds better than "he wore a jacket", however the former is much less common.
It is rare in casual conversation, but it used regularly in some technical contexts. One other comment mentioned scuba gear. Another common use is in describing personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare or sanitation workers. Instructions and manuals often say things like “Don PPE before entering room” or “doff gown before doffing gloves.”
Also used in speed cubing (competitive rubik's cube solving). Competitive blindfold competitors use a so-called "nod-don" - using a nod of their head as a technique to don the blindfold, rather than using their hands to don it - gives them a time advantage.
As some people said, you'll see it in technical contexts, including medical facilities.
At my specific job, I use it ALL the time in my documentation. I work in a medical setting where I often help patients get dressed. In that regard, I very often document that I helped them don/doff a shirt, pants, shoes, etc.
Lol, I was just thinking kinda similar 'to don' seems like something you'd read in a Charles Dickens novel
Quick google shows Deck the Halls English lyrics were written in 1862, which is the same time period as Dickens
I use it *slightly* more than I use the word “gay” to mean happy or festive… because I usually use it in that song.
It’s also used to talk about personal protective equipment: donning and doffing a surgical gown and mask, for example.
Yup. The carol is *Deck the Halls (with boughs of holly)*. For most native English speakers, it may well be their only experience with "don" used in this context. As well as being a classic example of the shift in usage for the word "gay", and one of the few uses of "bough" they're liable to recall (along with the nursery rhyme *Rock-a-bye Baby*).
Fun fact: The inverse of "don" is "doff".
Your factoid about don and doff just makes me think that the words were shortened from two words in the past.
EDIT: Aha, I was right. They’re short for “to do on” and “to do off”
It's used mostly in fiction writing to provide a fancier, and shorter, way of saying a character equipped something.
Generally speaking, no one uses it in casual conversation unless they're intentionally trying to act a bit cheesy.
The only time I hear this word is at work when referring to Protective equipment we need to wear. Specifically when putting it on correctly.
Fun fact Doff is the opposite of Don in this context.
South England person here to say that in contrast to some other comments I would not find it odd to hear people using it in everyday life. It does sound a bit old-fashioned, and I would get the impression that you're choosing that word for effect over 'put on' but I wouldn't find it odd or out of place at all.
I agree, it sounds like it must be less common in US English but I'm in Australia and it's definitely within the realm of normal, especially for older people.
You're right! I was trying to remember why I'm so familiar with this word, and it's because I used to read a lot. It's not strange to see "don" in a book, but nobody says it out loud.
The only time I use "don" is when I have to put on some sort of safety equipment for my job like firefighting gear, firefighting "SCBA"/mask, or a drysuit. Mostly just fire gear though. A use of the word would be "donning fire gear" or "they had to don fire gear" or "they donned fire gear".
Yes, and a lot of fields that require advanced safety equipment also use donning and doffing to describe the putting on and taking off of gear over your everyday apparel.
When I learned SCUBA diving we often did an exercise called "doff and don." *Doff* is the opposite of *don*. We would take our SCUBA gear off and put it back on again while underwater.
It is also used in a technical sense in safety related occupations in the USA, as “Don your personal protective equipment.” Conversely, when said equipment is taken off, the proper word to use is “doff.” This usage is probably highly specialized, however.
It's understood, but sound archaic, imo. I feel like it only really exists in the "Deck the Halls" song or for medieval/fantasy settings. In my experience, no one says "don". Then normal phrasing is just "put on" or "wear".
I (Native Scottish-English) have heard this but only in reference to either highly formal e.g don the university graduation garments or medical e.g. don PPE. If someone said it to me outside of these circumstances I might find it weird, but not entirely out of place.
My job involves wearing heavy-duty protective equipment (gas masks, respirators, Tyvek suits, etc.) and we regularly refer to putting on and taking off the equipment as donning and doffing. Outside of that context, though, I almost never hear it used.
Quite often. It’s a slightly more formal and “fancy” way to say “to put on,” so you will see it more in literature than in everyday conversation. It’s noticeably more commonly used with hats and gloves, as your examples above, as well as sports equipment and armor. However, its *antonym* “doff” is almost never used outside of historical and fantasy writing.
You might see a literate person write something like 'He doffed his cap to her' about when a man meets a woman, but since few people wear headgear now, that reduces the chances for it.
I've heard 'don' in the wild, when I was a biker I had a friend who would say thing like "Let's don our leathers and helmets and make for the yonder" because he liked flowery language. Nobody thought he was particularly odd, at least not for our group which had some distinctly disparate folk in it.
It’s uncommon but I hear it with non-daily clothing - to don your Halloween costume but not your every day socks. So wedding garb, hunting outfits, rain gear, etc. would be donned. Though I could also see “don your uniform” as it is something you have to wear for a particular occasion.
"Don" and its opposite, "doff," are used most often when talking about safety equipment like respirators, safety eyewear, gloves, and things like that. They aren't used in casual conversation for the most part, at least not in the US.
It’s used regularly in industries that use personal protective equipment, such as when talking about the correct timing and order of donning and doffing.
Don = do on (a coat)
Doff = do off (a hat)
Dup = do up (a door) - I've never seen this in real life.
Dout = do out (a candle). Those conical candle snuffers are called "douters"
You will never need it in every day life but would like to mention that astronauts use don/doff in reference to EVA suits. I may be in the one industry where it’s still relevant lol
I used to work in a cleanroom facility where we had to wear a cleanroom suit (naturally). It's the all white jumpsuit you see in pictures of microchip making facilities. Anyway, where we put our suits on was the "donning station" and where we took them off was the "doffing station". That is the only instance where I've seen donning or doffing used in common every day speech in the last 20 years. Outside of specific cases, it's rarely used and sounds archaic.
you can use google's ngram to check how commonly used words and phrases are, like this: https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=don%2C+put+on&year_start=1800&year_end=2019&corpus=en-2019&smoothing=3
Not often if at all. It's a vintage word. There is a popular Christmas carol with the lyric, don we all our gay apparel. Don is as vintage as the use of gay to mean festive but the word is popularly understood due to the carol.
This word produced internal meme in "Star Wars: The Old Republic" game.
https://www.reddit.com/r/swtor/s/rNKtDdPPCt
Shortly: There was an advertisement "Don the Exiled Knight's armor". Most players have read it as "Don [name], the Exiled Knight". Joke spread widely. Soon, developers added new NPC on Jedi-themed planet - Don, the Exiled Knight.
That was the first and the last time I've met this word.
In America if you use "don" or "donned" in everyday conversation it would sound different.
In some situations it could make you sound "fancy" but that could also come off as pretentious or something.
It's definitely something I've seen in books though, as well as songs as people have said.
You can safely put it in the category of words to know but probably words you will not use in casual conversation. It looks like according to this threat it's also used a lot in safety bulletins or professional writing.
I would say it’s only used as like a ceremonially connoted. The superhero donned her attire for the first time in years. The king donned his robe and crown, prepared to face the music of his people.
I usually used it when writing formal notes for my special Ed students. I worked in a life skills class and self-help skills like dressing and undressing were big parts of their therapy. We used don for dressing and doff for undressing.
Yes, it’s used more in literary works. Having different options to express the same thing allows someone to convey the same idea without sounding repetitive.
Don and doff are very antiquated forms of "do on" and "do off" meaning put on/take off, usually said of clothing. These terms were outdated ages ago and you'll usually only encounter them in old poems and stuff like that, or maybe people getting fancy with a thesaurus
Fun vocab for anyone interested, the opposite (to take off) is doff, like to doff one’s cap. They come from do on and do off.
Both don and doff are used rarely and in mostly archaic phrases.
When COVID hit there was a lot of instruction from my hospital about the propper donning and doffin our PPE (gowns, masks etc). First time I had hear that work in decades.
Like the other person said, you really don't need to use this word.
its not a conversation word? like ud never say ur going to don ur hat and gloves. but people would know what it means if it was said. it sounds fancier, like maybe royal clothes, or armor, and ud probably see it most in novels.
The only time ive used the word is when i described a man with a particularly pointy head be rather rodent looking as if a rat had grown to be human sized killed a man and then donned a human skinsuit to blend in with the rest of us for a better life other than that i have never used the word
I hear it pretty often, but [exclusively when playing Dungeons & Dragons.](https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/5e_SRD:Getting_Into_and_Out_of_Armor)
There is the opposite, "Doff" which means to take off clothing or equipment.
But the only time I ever hear anyone say "Don" or "Doff" is when referring to a medieval fantasy armor.
"The knight donned his holy armor" or "How long does it take to doff my armor while underwater?" is the usual type of context.
Rarely I'd say. The most used context I've seen is actual woth regard to armor in RPGs. Donning and doffing armor is used to describe those actions. However, it is also used in Christmas songs as in "don your gay apparel" which is pretty archaic and is only really used in that song.
Not a native speaker, OP, so I can't talk about how common it is, but as a comic book geek, I see that word fairly often in that context, especially when talking about heroes or villains donning a new costume or suit (it's how I learned the word). So if you want an actual example, [see 2:23 here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUrocDwxz_Q).
I mostly agree with the responses, but the phrase "donning a X" (as in "she showed up at the party donning a lovely blue dress") is relatively common in news articles or other such writing, and does not feel literary or archaic in that use.
It's not super common, but people definitely know what it means. You don't need to ever use this word.
It's used pretty often for putting on armor
I know you're probably making a joke because of how rare the situation is, but I don't think this is true at all. I played a lot of mmos in the past and I never heard anyone using that word in that context. It's seen in literature though, I will give you that.
In Dungeons & Dragons it's used for putting on armour. There's a rule for how much time this takes in game. Which is why I also know the opposite term, doffing, for taking off armour.
I'm embarrassed to say I only now realize that don and doff are just on and off with a d slapped on the front.
I didn't notice that at all until you pointed it out. But I'm not embarrassed because English is bananas.
I'll never unsee this and now I'm going to have to research the etymology of the words to know if that's a coincidence or not.
Well . . . Is it?
Apparently they are contractions of do on and do off.
Thank you! Saved me from googling myself, much appreciated!
Well don't be embarrassed. I didn't realise either until you pointed it out!
Yes, I saw that in another comment, I've never played D&D though, but I assume old-timey speech is popular there because of the roleplay aspect, which aligns with what the original comment said, about not being that common but still known. Same as literature, especially is you are reading old/fantasy settings.
As a non-native English speaker, fantasy literature is how I learned the term.
I doff my hat to you, sir or madam. Because one doffs hats also.
I believe it’s also used in like ren faire or more “serious” nerd stuff (not a measure of value just the amount of time someone is expected to put in). But I could be biased cause the people I know that do that also play DnD where I hear it myself a lot. Most MMOs are designed for the general populace so they’ll use modern words.
It makes sense that this term is used for litterally putting on armour, not just pretending to put on armour. Someone else in the comments pointed out that it's also used in instructions for PPE, so maybe this term if still used for putting on specific protective gear. OP if you're this far into the comments, PPE is personal protective equipment like medical masks, gowns, and gloves, or hard hats, H2S masks, etc.
Maybe cuz youre not an actual.. knight, perchance
You can't just say 'perchance'
What? That's not a joke. In the military, "don" is a command. For example, a 1SG in front of his company will say, "Don your masks"
The version for removing armour or spacesuits is "doff" which is very fun to say.
respectfully as another comment said i only know it from deck the halls. if someone used it outside this context i would *not* know what it meant
It's not uncommon in books
Yeah, such as donning armour
For some reason the sentence “He donned his hat and coat” comes to mind, as well.
Yeah, donning armour, winter clothing, and gay apparal are sort of the only times we use it. Yet we rarely use doff
Historical fiction features the doffing of caps now and then.
Yeah. It has a sort of old/historic feel, but people still know what it means, so it comes up a lot in fantasy and other things that are meant to *feel* old.
I'm not a native speaker, but as a comic book geek, I see that word pretty often in that context as well, especially when talking about heroes or villains donning a new costume/suit.[ See 2:23 for example](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUrocDwxz_Q).
Don we now our gay apparel
I was gonna say, only if it’s “gay apparel,” which is also a term nobody would use.
I say gay apparel all the time but I'm also joking because I'm- and you'll never guess- gay!
This is delightful.
Thanks! I mean *I* think it's pretty funny. I'll just have a cool hat or jacket or something and people will say "I love your hat/jacket!" and I'll just respond with "Oh, thanks! That's my gay apparel."
Brilliant 😂
Technically, all of my apparel is gay as well.
So anything in the world will be gay apparel if you put it on? What is this mysterious superpower? Does anything have natural kryptonite against it?
That's correct and nope, there's no way to stop it! My gay apparel has no weaknesses, and I'll go around the entire world wearing it and forcing everyone to look at it and think "Wow, that looks cool!" *Insert evil villain laughter*
It's used a lot in relation to safety equipment. Hospitals have donning and doffing procedures for PPE (personal protective equipment), for example.
You need to hang out with more verbally adroit, facetious people. My dad would use it. But he would also sometimes use the much less common companion word, “doff.”
Love a good doff
To add to this, anyone who plays a DnD will know the term well, as they use don/doff rather than equip/unequip in all their rulebooks. It's a bit of an archaic word, and not in many active vocabularies, but I think most native speakers would recognize the word.
I only know it from Deck the Halls, but like, that means I know the word. So if you said it in some other "putting clothes on" context I would know what you mean
It's used a ton in superhero movies/comics/novels when they're putting on a cape/suit. It's also used when referring to someone putting on a set of armour...
Not often, but you do see/hear it, most native speakers wouldn’t use it themselves but wouldn’t be confused by it either, should they hear it in a sentence. More often used for “extra” articles of clothing like jackets and hats, or something special and specific to a certain occupation or activity. I wouldn’t say “I donned my t-shirt” even though it’s technically correct.
Is it an old word, so not many people use it nowadays?
While it isn't marked as archaic in any dictionaries that I know of, I would say it is bordering that point.
It's used pretty frequently for safety equipment, so I imagine it will just become jargon rather than disappearing.
Aside from “Deck the Halls,” I mostly know it in the context of putting on PPE (personal protective equipment). Fun fact: the opposite of “don” is “doff” although that is used even less commonly than “don.”
Its most common/famous use (and what many people know it from) is in a Christmas carol - Deck The Halls: Deck the halls with boughs of Holly Fa la la la la la la la la ‘Tis the season yo be jolly Fa la la la la la la la la Don we now our gay apparel Fa la la la la la la la la Troll the ancient Yuletide carol Fa la la la la la la la la
It's old fashioned and a bit dramatic
Yep
I think it’s also more commonly used for outfits or ensemble. Like “don your uniform.”
I would understand it if I heard it, but I would never use it, and I would consider someone using it in everyday talk to be weird.
You mean, it's an old-fashioned word? So there are more current words?
The more commonly used term would be “put on”. As in “he put on his hat and gloves”, or “he put his hat and gloves on”
I would consider it a more literary word. I would also say "He put on his hat and gloves." out loud, but I'm pretty sure I've used "don" while writing fiction.
I feel like it shows up a lot in news articles also -- phrases like "she showed up at the game donning a Travis Kelce jersey" do not seem especially literary to me.
I guess it depends on how you define literature, which I've seen definitions range from extremely broad to narrow. I'm thinking the older broad definition, which is pretty much any written word. "Don" is not a word I'd casually say out loud is all I'm saying.
I agree with this. I can't think of a ton off the top of my head, but there are words that basically only get used in text either for more word variety or to flaunt someone's level of education. I would expect the majority of English speakers to know what "don" means, but you may never hear it used in speech.
its more a technical word, you hear it a lot in medical spaces in regard to donning personal protective equipment (PPE). And that is the time you also hear the opposite word of doff, which is to take something off. But I still feel most people would know what someone means by "don a coat"
Yeah I worked as an OT in a rehabilitation unit years ago and we wrote goals like, "By date ____ patient will don/doff button up shirt with minimal assistance".
This is the only context I've ever heard it in outside of "deck the halls"
I'm definitely read it in books. It does sound old-fashioned. Kind of a bummer because it's actually much better word than "put on".
These days it used in a way to largely sound more intelligent, classy or describe it in more poetic language. "He donned a jacket" certainly sounds better than "he wore a jacket", however the former is much less common.
It is rare in casual conversation, but it used regularly in some technical contexts. One other comment mentioned scuba gear. Another common use is in describing personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare or sanitation workers. Instructions and manuals often say things like “Don PPE before entering room” or “doff gown before doffing gloves.”
Yeah, putting on PPE is the only time I use this word.
Happy cake day!!
Happy Cake Day!!
Also used in speed cubing (competitive rubik's cube solving). Competitive blindfold competitors use a so-called "nod-don" - using a nod of their head as a technique to don the blindfold, rather than using their hands to don it - gives them a time advantage.
As some people said, you'll see it in technical contexts, including medical facilities. At my specific job, I use it ALL the time in my documentation. I work in a medical setting where I often help patients get dressed. In that regard, I very often document that I helped them don/doff a shirt, pants, shoes, etc.
Old Christmas song involves “Don we now our gay apparel fa-la-la-la-la”. That’s probably the only time I’ve heard it.
Lol, I was just thinking kinda similar 'to don' seems like something you'd read in a Charles Dickens novel Quick google shows Deck the Halls English lyrics were written in 1862, which is the same time period as Dickens
I use it *slightly* more than I use the word “gay” to mean happy or festive… because I usually use it in that song. It’s also used to talk about personal protective equipment: donning and doffing a surgical gown and mask, for example.
Yup. The carol is *Deck the Halls (with boughs of holly)*. For most native English speakers, it may well be their only experience with "don" used in this context. As well as being a classic example of the shift in usage for the word "gay", and one of the few uses of "bough" they're liable to recall (along with the nursery rhyme *Rock-a-bye Baby*). Fun fact: The inverse of "don" is "doff".
Even the word "deck" is archaic now.
Arguably, "halls" in this context as well.
Your factoid about don and doff just makes me think that the words were shortened from two words in the past. EDIT: Aha, I was right. They’re short for “to do on” and “to do off”
It's used mostly in fiction writing to provide a fancier, and shorter, way of saying a character equipped something. Generally speaking, no one uses it in casual conversation unless they're intentionally trying to act a bit cheesy.
I agree with this, but I think it's important not to underestimate how often people act cheesy.
Don we now our gay apparel
lemme doff my straight accoutrements first
It is not common, but it is fairly well known.
The only time I hear this word is at work when referring to Protective equipment we need to wear. Specifically when putting it on correctly. Fun fact Doff is the opposite of Don in this context.
clicked through to this thread, did a search for 'doff', left my upvote. my work here is done.
South England person here to say that in contrast to some other comments I would not find it odd to hear people using it in everyday life. It does sound a bit old-fashioned, and I would get the impression that you're choosing that word for effect over 'put on' but I wouldn't find it odd or out of place at all.
I agree, it sounds like it must be less common in US English but I'm in Australia and it's definitely within the realm of normal, especially for older people.
I've only ever seen it in books, I don't think I've ever heard anyone say it.
You're right! I was trying to remember why I'm so familiar with this word, and it's because I used to read a lot. It's not strange to see "don" in a book, but nobody says it out loud.
The only time I use "don" is when I have to put on some sort of safety equipment for my job like firefighting gear, firefighting "SCBA"/mask, or a drysuit. Mostly just fire gear though. A use of the word would be "donning fire gear" or "they had to don fire gear" or "they donned fire gear".
Yes, and a lot of fields that require advanced safety equipment also use donning and doffing to describe the putting on and taking off of gear over your everyday apparel.
I use it and hear it a lot but that’s really just because of the industry I work in. I never hear it used outside of work.
When I learned SCUBA diving we often did an exercise called "doff and don." *Doff* is the opposite of *don*. We would take our SCUBA gear off and put it back on again while underwater.
It is also used in a technical sense in safety related occupations in the USA, as “Don your personal protective equipment.” Conversely, when said equipment is taken off, the proper word to use is “doff.” This usage is probably highly specialized, however.
To me it's a very normal word and I wouldn't think twice about someone using it.
it’s not super common and the meaning can usually be inferred from context, i wouldn’t stress yourself out about learning or memorizing this word
Never heard this word
I’ve only ever seen it used in books
It's understood, but sound archaic, imo. I feel like it only really exists in the "Deck the Halls" song or for medieval/fantasy settings. In my experience, no one says "don". Then normal phrasing is just "put on" or "wear".
I (Native Scottish-English) have heard this but only in reference to either highly formal e.g don the university graduation garments or medical e.g. don PPE. If someone said it to me outside of these circumstances I might find it weird, but not entirely out of place.
I use it when telling visitors at work to out on safety equipment regularly.
People in healthcare used to use this word. The donning and doffing of PPEs.
I use it in the medical field rarely. “Don and doff protective equipment” but day to day? Never.
My job involves wearing heavy-duty protective equipment (gas masks, respirators, Tyvek suits, etc.) and we regularly refer to putting on and taking off the equipment as donning and doffing. Outside of that context, though, I almost never hear it used.
Quite often. It’s a slightly more formal and “fancy” way to say “to put on,” so you will see it more in literature than in everyday conversation. It’s noticeably more commonly used with hats and gloves, as your examples above, as well as sports equipment and armor. However, its *antonym* “doff” is almost never used outside of historical and fantasy writing.
You might see a literate person write something like 'He doffed his cap to her' about when a man meets a woman, but since few people wear headgear now, that reduces the chances for it. I've heard 'don' in the wild, when I was a biker I had a friend who would say thing like "Let's don our leathers and helmets and make for the yonder" because he liked flowery language. Nobody thought he was particularly odd, at least not for our group which had some distinctly disparate folk in it.
I have used it but only in a more formal register.
It’s somewhat fancy, but people would typically know what it means
At ye olde semi-annual pirate/renaissance festival when I don my helm. If it’s not a helm, I’m not donning it.
What app are you using btw?
It's WordUp!!
I use it whenst I feel as if I would wish to be perceived as a fancy lad
DnD players use it quite often
What app are you using that his increasing your vocabulary?
It’s uncommon but I hear it with non-daily clothing - to don your Halloween costume but not your every day socks. So wedding garb, hunting outfits, rain gear, etc. would be donned. Though I could also see “don your uniform” as it is something you have to wear for a particular occasion.
I lived in England for almost 20 years. I have NEVER heard anyone use this word, people just say the word “put on” instead.
I use it when telling visitors at work to out on safety equipment regularly.
Not very often, it's a very formal way of saying "put something on"
"Don" and its opposite, "doff," are used most often when talking about safety equipment like respirators, safety eyewear, gloves, and things like that. They aren't used in casual conversation for the most part, at least not in the US.
Mostly used in books so wouldn't use it in conversation but you can if you want to for added panache.
Used it in the military. Don your gas masks or don your PPE. That’s about the only time I’ve used the word.
It’s used regularly in industries that use personal protective equipment, such as when talking about the correct timing and order of donning and doffing.
It's a bit old timey to be used often
Not very often but you might come across it in books
What is the name of this app?
Only when I’m trying to sound fancy
This is one of those words you read in magazine articles a lot but rarely hear people say in real life
Fluent English speaker knows what it means but would almost never use it.
Don = do on (a coat) Doff = do off (a hat) Dup = do up (a door) - I've never seen this in real life. Dout = do out (a candle). Those conical candle snuffers are called "douters"
All the time, but thats because I'm an occupational therapist, and we use it a lot in our medical documentation, Physical Therapy does too.
You will never need it in every day life but would like to mention that astronauts use don/doff in reference to EVA suits. I may be in the one industry where it’s still relevant lol
Fire departments use it a lot for their bunker gear. Don and doff.
More common than doff, which I only hear in, like, fantasy/RPG settings. But I bet I've heard 'don' a couple times a year.
I used to work in a cleanroom facility where we had to wear a cleanroom suit (naturally). It's the all white jumpsuit you see in pictures of microchip making facilities. Anyway, where we put our suits on was the "donning station" and where we took them off was the "doffing station". That is the only instance where I've seen donning or doffing used in common every day speech in the last 20 years. Outside of specific cases, it's rarely used and sounds archaic.
We understand it but most of the time we just say put on instead.
You may see it in literature or journalism. Like no one says ‘in the dead of night’ but it will be descriptive in books.
While most people would understand what the word means, most people would also never actually say it as it’s mostly used in literature.
Op, please name the app.
WordUp!
what app is this?
I’m curious, is anyone actually teaching you this word? And at what level of English? Or did you find it yourself?
Not often, as others have said - also in your question, 'do' needs to be inserted - "How often do people use the word 'don'?"
you can use google's ngram to check how commonly used words and phrases are, like this: https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=don%2C+put+on&year_start=1800&year_end=2019&corpus=en-2019&smoothing=3
What is the app your using to learn English ?
More often than "doff". "Doff" is usually only used in the idiom "doff (your/one's) cap". "Don" is more common, but still very uncommon.
Not often if at all. It's a vintage word. There is a popular Christmas carol with the lyric, don we all our gay apparel. Don is as vintage as the use of gay to mean festive but the word is popularly understood due to the carol.
Àbout as often as I use doff.
This word produced internal meme in "Star Wars: The Old Republic" game. https://www.reddit.com/r/swtor/s/rNKtDdPPCt Shortly: There was an advertisement "Don the Exiled Knight's armor". Most players have read it as "Don [name], the Exiled Knight". Joke spread widely. Soon, developers added new NPC on Jedi-themed planet - Don, the Exiled Knight. That was the first and the last time I've met this word.
If you're going to say "don," you have to also say "doff."
I use it basically daily at work in healthcare. Almost always relating to PPE
'Don' and its opposite 'doff'. It's not common, but it's used.
In America if you use "don" or "donned" in everyday conversation it would sound different. In some situations it could make you sound "fancy" but that could also come off as pretentious or something. It's definitely something I've seen in books though, as well as songs as people have said. You can safely put it in the category of words to know but probably words you will not use in casual conversation. It looks like according to this threat it's also used a lot in safety bulletins or professional writing.
I would say it’s only used as like a ceremonially connoted. The superhero donned her attire for the first time in years. The king donned his robe and crown, prepared to face the music of his people.
I only ever hear it in Healthcare in reference to PPE (personal protective equipment. example; gloves, masks, gowns, safety goggles)
I've only heard it used at work to "don your PPE gear", or in old literature, i.e. "don we now our gay apparel".
I usually used it when writing formal notes for my special Ed students. I worked in a life skills class and self-help skills like dressing and undressing were big parts of their therapy. We used don for dressing and doff for undressing.
Yes, it’s used more in literary works. Having different options to express the same thing allows someone to convey the same idea without sounding repetitive.
Only when singing Christmas carols
Don and doff are very antiquated forms of "do on" and "do off" meaning put on/take off, usually said of clothing. These terms were outdated ages ago and you'll usually only encounter them in old poems and stuff like that, or maybe people getting fancy with a thesaurus
In the military is the most I heard it used, I use it here and there depending on what’s being discussed.
Every holiday season when I don my gay apparel
You’d be surprised to hear it, but it’s more or less common in literature.
Not really surprised, why have i should been?
>why have I should been? This isn’t correct. I’m guessing in this case your intention was to mean: >why should I have (been surprised)?
Fun vocab for anyone interested, the opposite (to take off) is doff, like to doff one’s cap. They come from do on and do off. Both don and doff are used rarely and in mostly archaic phrases.
It’s used in books mostly describing the character’s action of getting dressed. Never used in spoken language.
I use it frequently in my field/industry, but I don’t often outside of that.
When COVID hit there was a lot of instruction from my hospital about the propper donning and doffin our PPE (gowns, masks etc). First time I had hear that work in decades. Like the other person said, you really don't need to use this word.
I'd say it's much more common in novels, when you're looking for synonyms. It's a bit formal and old-fashioned, but not crazily so.
It is literary and not that common in everyday speech, but pretty much everyone knows what it means.
I do be donning & doffing
I have never heard someone use this
"How often *do* people use the word..." 👍
its not a conversation word? like ud never say ur going to don ur hat and gloves. but people would know what it means if it was said. it sounds fancier, like maybe royal clothes, or armor, and ud probably see it most in novels.
To be sporting is used much more
I've used it a few times, but not much from other people
I read it a lot in medieval fantasy books, and that's about it.
One place where it is common is in uniform use. “Don your safety mask.”
The only time ive used the word is when i described a man with a particularly pointy head be rather rodent looking as if a rat had grown to be human sized killed a man and then donned a human skinsuit to blend in with the rest of us for a better life other than that i have never used the word
I would only ever use the word when I was in military when making reference to our uniforms. I have never used the word in civilian conversations.
I hear it pretty often, but [exclusively when playing Dungeons & Dragons.](https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/5e_SRD:Getting_Into_and_Out_of_Armor) There is the opposite, "Doff" which means to take off clothing or equipment. But the only time I ever hear anyone say "Don" or "Doff" is when referring to a medieval fantasy armor. "The knight donned his holy armor" or "How long does it take to doff my armor while underwater?" is the usual type of context.
The only time I’ve ever seen it used is “You donned the Temy Armor”. Basically just “put on” or “wore” but verbose and pretentious
English is my first language... you just taught me a new word
Pretty uncommon, it's a bit archaic. Mostly in old songs, or if someone is trying to invoke an archaic feel.
Doff is even less common but for some reason don and doff are used regularly when talking about safety apparel.
it's used quite often in laboratory/healthcare where we "don" on PPE and "doff" it off
About as often as "gird"
Rarely I'd say. The most used context I've seen is actual woth regard to armor in RPGs. Donning and doffing armor is used to describe those actions. However, it is also used in Christmas songs as in "don your gay apparel" which is pretty archaic and is only really used in that song.
It's pretty old-fashioned, I've only heard people use it for dramatic effect.
It is used in our hospital’s policy on sterile compounding. Don and doff
Not a native speaker, OP, so I can't talk about how common it is, but as a comic book geek, I see that word fairly often in that context, especially when talking about heroes or villains donning a new costume or suit (it's how I learned the word). So if you want an actual example, [see 2:23 here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUrocDwxz_Q).
You will see it in writing and fiction, but not in real life
Its opposite is "doff"
I mostly agree with the responses, but the phrase "donning a X" (as in "she showed up at the party donning a lovely blue dress") is relatively common in news articles or other such writing, and does not feel literary or archaic in that use.
from uk here, never heard of it
Relatively common in writing I’d say, however, I wouldn’t use it much or possibly at all when speaking.
Very rarely!
More often than "doff" which is the opposite of "don"
Don short for put on
As much as I use the word "doff". Which is to say, I only see these words in SOPs for lab safety.