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ditto

   Also found in: Acronyms, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.04 sec.
dit·to  (dt)
n. pl. dit·tos
1. The same as stated above or before.
2. A duplicate; a copy.
3. A pair of small marks ( " ) used to indicated that the word, phrase, or figure given above is to be repeated.
adv.
As before.
tr.v. dit·toed, dit·to·ing, dit·tos
To duplicate (a document, for example).

[Italian dialectal, past participle of Italian dire, to say, from Latin dcere; see deik- in Indo-European roots.]
Word History: Ditto, which at first glance seems a handy and insignificant sort of word, actually has a Roman past, for it comes from dictus, "having been said," the past participle of the verb dcere, "to say." In Italian dcere became dire and dictus became detto, or in the Tuscan dialect ditto. Italian detto or ditto meant what said does in English, as in the locution "the said story." Thus the word could be used in certain constructions to mean "the same as what has been said"; for example, having given the date December 22, one could use 26 detto or ditto for 26 December. The first recorded use of ditto in English occurs in such a construction in 1625. The sense "copy" is an English development, first recorded in 1818. Ditto has even become a trademark for a duplicating machine.

ditto
Noun
pl -tos
the above; the same: used in lists to avoid repetition, and represented by the mark (,,) placed under the thing repeated
Adverb
in the same way [Italian (dialect) detto said]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.ditto - a mark used to indicate the word above it should be repeated
mark - a written or printed symbol (as for punctuation); "his answer was just a punctuation mark"
Verb1.ditto - repeat an action or statement; "The next speaker dittoed her argument"
ingeminate, iterate, reiterate, repeat, restate, retell - to say, state, or perform again; "She kept reiterating her request"
Translations
Spanish ditto [ˈdɪtəu] advídem, lo mismo
French ditto [ˈdɪtəu] advidem
German ditto [ˈdɪtəu] advdito, ebenfalls
Italian ditto [ˈdɪtəu] advidem

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27 Porters 3 Coarse Washers and Ironers 44 Mules 1 Fine ditto 44 Muleteers 7 Cows 2 Milkers
, and one dozen dessert ditto ditto, there were three young stockbrokers (Messrs.
The washing and dressing apparatus for the passengers generally, consists of two jack-towels, three small wooden basins, a keg of water and a ladle to serve it out with, six square inches of looking-glass, two ditto ditto of yellow soap, a comb and brush for the head, and nothing for the teeth.
 
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