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Technical Vocabularyabbreviation · /ˌdiː.ɛn.ˈɛs/

DNS

In simple English

DNS works like a phone book for the internet. When you type a website address into your browser, your computer sends a query to a DNS server asking, 'What is the IP address for this domain?' The DNS server looks up the answer and returns it so your browser can connect to the correct server. In tech workplaces, engineers discuss DNS in several contexts: infrastructure teams configure DNS records to route traffic, DevOps engineers troubleshoot DNS resolution issues, and backend developers ensure their applications handle domain names correctly. DNS is fundamental to how the internet works and is discussed regularly in meetings about deployment, infrastructure, and networking issues.

What is DNS and how does it work in web development and networking?

At a glanceCEFR B2
Commonness5/5
Versatility4/5
FormalityCasualFormalNeutral
Spoken ↔ WrittenSpokenWrittenBoth
Directness ↔ DiplomaticDirectDiplomaticDirect
RegionUS and UK
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Say it like this

✓Check the DNS settings
✓DNS resolution is slow
✓We need to configure DNS records
✓DNS lookup failed
✓Update the DNS entry

Real examples

in a standup

"We discovered that DNS propagation is taking longer than expected, so some users are still hitting the old server."

in a code review

"Make sure your application handles DNS timeouts gracefully instead of crashing."

in a team meeting

"Before we launch, the ops team needs to verify that all DNS records are pointing to the correct IP addresses."

in troubleshooting

"I ran nslookup and confirmed that DNS is resolving our domain correctly."

in infrastructure planning

"We should use a managed DNS service to ensure high availability and fast lookups globally."

Don't say this

Handle with care. DNS is not a verb—you cannot 'DNS something.' Non-native speakers sometimes try to use it as a verb when they mean 'resolve,' 'lookup,' or 'configure DNS.'

✕We need to DNS the domain.
✓We need to configure the DNS records for the domain.— DNS is a noun (a system), not a verb. You configure, update, or resolve DNS, but you do not 'DNS' something.
✕The DNS is very slow today.
✓DNS resolution is very slow today.— When describing performance, be specific: DNS resolution, DNS lookup, or DNS query is slow—not the DNS itself.
✕I will DNS that server tomorrow.
✓I will update the DNS records for that server tomorrow.— Use specific verbs like update, change, configure, or modify with DNS, not DNS as a verb.
✕The DNS is down.
✓The DNS server is unreachable or DNS resolution is failing.— Be clear about whether you mean the DNS service, DNS server, or DNS resolution is having issues.

Other forms

noun

DNS

"DNS is critical infrastructure for any web service."

noun

DNS server

"Our DNS server handles millions of queries per second."

noun

DNS record

"We added a new DNS record to route traffic to the backup server."

noun

DNS lookup

"The DNS lookup is taking 500 milliseconds, which is too slow."

noun

DNS resolution

"DNS resolution failed because the nameserver was unreachable."

Often used with

DNS serverThe machine that stores and provides DNS information; commonly paired with 'configure,' 'setup,' or 'query'
DNS recordA specific entry in DNS; often preceded by the type (A record, CNAME, MX record) or verbs like 'update,' 'add,' or 'delete'
DNS lookupThe process of querying DNS; used with 'perform,' 'execute,' or 'slow'
DNS resolutionThe process of converting a domain name to an IP address; paired with 'fail,' 'succeed,' or 'slow'
DNS propagationThe time it takes for DNS changes to spread across the internet; often used with 'wait for' or 'check'
configure DNSStandard phrase for setting up DNS settings
DNS issueGeneric phrase for any DNS-related problem
DNS queryA request to a DNS server for information

Similar words

Domain Name SystemThe full, formal name for DNS; used in documentation and formal writing
nameserverRefers specifically to the server providing DNS services, not the system itself
name resolutionThe process DNS performs, but narrower in scope than DNS itself

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Practice

Try it

4 quick exercises

Pick the most natural phrasing

1. Your team is setting up a new domain. How do you say it?

Complete the sentence

2. The application failed because _______ resolution timed out.

Spot the mistake

3. Which sentence uses 'DNS' incorrectly?

Rewrite naturally

4. Rewrite this in natural tech English: 'The system that turns website names into numbers that computers use is not working correctly.'

Questions

Quick poll

Have you said "dns" in a standup this week?

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