Meaning

verb be foolish or senile due to old age

verb shower with love; show excessive affection for

originThe verb is derived from Middle English doten, from Middle Low German doten (“to be foolish”) or Middle Dutch doten (“to be silly”). Doublet of doit (Scottish English). The noun in the sense of "imbecile" is derived from Middle English dote (“simpleton”), itself from doten (see above). The noun in the sense of "darling" and "decay" is derived from the modern verb.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0