DST
Abbreviation with 4 meanings
| Stands for | Daylight saving time |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 4 |
| Categories | Units & Measurements, Medical, Sports, Business & Finance |
DST has four meanings. The most common are Daylight saving time (time zone) and Dexamethasone suppression test (endocrinology & diabetes); it can also stand for Defense/special teams and Delaware statutory trust.
Meanings of DST at a glance
| # | DST stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daylight saving time | Units & Measurements › Time Zone |
| 2 | Dexamethasone suppression test | Medical › Endocrinology & Diabetes |
| 3 | Defense/special teams | Sports › American Football |
| 4 | Delaware statutory trust | Business & Finance › Real Estate & Mortgage |
1. Daylight saving time
Units & Measurements · Time Zone Abbreviations
Advancing clocks by one hour in warmer months so that evenings have more daylight. In the US and Canada it runs from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November; the EU and UK switch on the last Sundays of March and October.
Example: Set your clocks forward one hour on Sunday, when DST begins at 2 a.m.
Hawaii, most of Arizona and US territories such as Puerto Rico do not observe it, nor do Japan, China, India and most tropical countries; Mexico abolished it for most of the country in 2022. The US Sunshine Protection Act to make DST permanent passed the Senate in 2022 but did not become law. The correct term is "saving", though "daylight savings" is widespread.
2. Dexamethasone suppression test
Medical · Endocrinology & Diabetes Abbreviations
Test in which the synthetic steroid dexamethasone is given, typically 1 mg at 11 p.m., and cortisol is measured the next morning. Normally cortisol is suppressed below 1.8 mcg/dL; failure to suppress suggests Cushing's syndrome or autonomous adrenal cortisol secretion.
Example: Incidental adrenal adenoma; 1 mg DST cortisol 3.1, possible autonomous cortisol secretion.
High-dose versions were formerly used to distinguish pituitary from ectopic ACTH sources. Oral estrogens raise cortisol-binding globulin and can cause false-positive results, as can drugs that speed dexamethasone metabolism, such as carbamazepine. Psychiatry once used the DST to study depression, which also impairs suppression.
3. Defense/special teams
Sports · American Football Abbreviations
Fantasy football roster slot for an NFL team's entire defense and special teams unit, which scores points for sacks, takeaways, return touchdowns and points allowed. Also written D/ST.
Example: He streamed a different DST every week based on the opponent's offense.
"Streaming" defenses means picking up a unit with a favorable matchup each week rather than holding one all season. Some leagues use individual defensive players (IDP) instead. In time-zone usage DST means daylight saving time.
4. Delaware statutory trust
Business & Finance · Real Estate & Mortgage Abbreviations
Trust structure that lets multiple investors own fractional interests in large properties, such as apartment complexes or warehouses, often purchased as replacement property in a 1031 exchange.
Example: He sold his rental and rolled the gain into a DST to stop being a landlord.
A 2004 IRS revenue ruling allowed DST interests to count as like-kind real property. Investors have no control over management and limited liquidity.
Related abbreviations
More time zone abbreviations
- CET – Central European Time
- ChST – Chamorro Standard Time
- CST – Central Standard Time (North America)
- CT – Central Time
- EAT – East Africa Time
- EDT – Eastern Daylight Time
- EEST – Eastern European Summer Time
- EET – Eastern European Time
See all 64 time zone abbreviations →
More endocrinology & diabetes abbreviations
- DI – Diabetes insipidus
- DKA – Diabetic ketoacidosis
- DM – Diabetes mellitus
- DPN – Diabetic peripheral neuropathy
- FNA – Fine-needle aspiration
- FPG – Fasting plasma glucose
- FSH – Follicle-stimulating hormone
- GAD – Glutamic acid decarboxylase (autoantibody)
See all 64 endocrinology & diabetes abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.