Etymology First used as a noun in Early Modern English, from dialectal English dold (“stupid, confused”), from Middle English dold, a variant of dulled, dult (“dulled”), past participle of dullen, dollen (“to make dull, make stupid”), from dull, dul, dwal (“stupid”). More at dull.
1
Derogatory A stupid person; a blockhead or dullard.
O Gull, oh dolt, / As ignorant as durt:[…]c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii], page 337:
Moſt Monſter-like, be ſhewne / For poor'ſt Diminutiues, for Dolts, […]c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene xii], page 361:
2 more examples
This Puck seemes but a dreaming dolt.1627, Michaell [i.e., Michael] Drayton, “Nimphidia. The Court of Fayrie.”, in The Battaile of Agincourt. […], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] for William Lee, […], →OCLC:
Those who loathe “Jackass” — which brought the world beer enemas and urine snow cones and thrust its merry band of dolts into reptile lairs and shark-infested waters — have called it disgusting and irresponsible: an incitement to copycat idiocy, if not a sign of the end of Western civilization.2010 October 8, By Dennis Lim, “Another Dimension of Idiocy”, in New York Times:
Etymology First used as a noun in Early Modern English, from dialectal English dold (“stupid, confused”), from Middle English dold, a variant of dulled, dult (“dulled”), past participle of dullen, dollen (“to make dull, make stupid”), from dull, dul, dwal (“stupid”). More at dull.