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dada

/ˈdɑdɑ/
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Other forms: dadas

Dada is another way to say "daddy" or "papa," a nickname for your father. The word dada is also the name of an early 20th-century art movement that protested conventional ideas using humor and absurdity.

Across most cultures, dada is an extremely common first word (or sound) spoken by babies. In English, this is usually translated as "dad" or "daddy," and it sometimes continues to be a young child's name for their father. The avant-garde art movement took the word as its name, often capitalized as Dada, from its silly, innocent sound and multiple meanings (including "rocking horse" in French and "yes, yes" in Romanian). Ironically, this art movement was intentionally anti-art, with Dadaist artists claiming that "Dada means nothing."

Definitions of dada
  1. noun
    an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
    synonyms: dad, daddy, pa, papa, pappa, pop
    see moresee less
    type of:
    begetter, father, male parent
    a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
  2. noun
    a nihilistic art movement (especially in painting) that flourished in Europe early in the 20th century; based on irrationality and negation of the accepted laws of beauty
    synonyms: dadaism
    see moresee less
    type of:
    art movement, artistic movement
    a group of artists who agree on general principles
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