English

Proper noun

Dorcas

1. A woman who is said, in the Bible, to have been restored to life by Peter.
   • 1611, Bible (KJV), Acts 9:36::

     Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas; this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.

2. A female given name of biblical origin.

Translations

Noun

Dorcas ‎(uncountable)

1. (now historical) Used attributively of a ladies' association within the church in order to make and distribute clothes for the poor.
   • 1863, Anthony Trollope, Rachel Ray:

     She established a Dorcas society at Baslehurst, of which she became permanent president, and spent her money in carrying on this institution in the manner most pleasing to herself.

   • 1866, George Eliot, Felix Holt:

     The daughter was probably some prim Miss, neat, sensible, pious, but all in a small feminine way, in which Felix was no more interested than in Dorcas meetings, biographies of devout women, and that amount of ornamental knitting which was not inconsistent with Nonconforming seriousness.

Portuguese

Proper noun

Dorcas f

1. (biblical) Dorcas (woman restored to life by Peter)
2. A female given name, equivalent to English Dorcas

Latin

Alternative forms

• dorcus
• dorx

Noun

dorcas f ‎(genitive dorcadis); third declension

1. An antelope or gazelle.

Inflection

Third declension.

References

• dorcas in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• Félix Gaffiot (1934), “dorcas”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.