does

Does is an English word with two common uses in contemporary usage: it is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb to do, and it is the plural form of the noun doe, the female deer.

As a verb, does is used with a singular subject such as he, she, or it. For example: She does homework every evening. In questions and negatives, the auxiliary does is used, with the main verb in its base form: Does he know the answer? She does not (doesn't) like coffee. In most contexts, the base form do is used with plural subjects (they do).

As a noun, does refers to female deer. This plural appears in wildlife biology, hunting, and natural history discussions: The herd contains several does and a number of stags. The singular form is a doe, and both words are distinct in origin from the verb form, though they are spelled identically in the plural.

In usage, the meaning of does is determined by context. When the sentence concerns actions or questions about activity, does functions as a verb form. When the sentence concerns deer, does functions as a plural noun. The two senses are unrelated beyond their identical spelling, and careful reading typically disambiguates them.