📖 D — The English dictionary · page 24

detergent — Everyday, meaning 1: Detergent is a liquid or powder used for cleaning, especially for washing clothes or dishes.↗ Example: Put some detergent in the washing machine.↗ · Detergent helps take grease off the plates.↗ · We added a drop of detergent to the milk and the colours swirled.↗ · Keep detergent on a high shelf away from little children.↗ · This detergent is gentle on the skin.↗ · Mix water and detergent to make bubbles.↗ · Never drink anything from a detergent bottle.↗

deteriorate — Everyday, meaning 1: To deteriorate means to become worse, more and more, over time.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (things) Buildings, food, roads or materials deteriorate when they wear out, rot or break down.↗ Example: The weather deteriorated, so the match was called off.↗ · Grandpa's eyesight has deteriorated with age.↗ · Without a roof, the old castle deteriorated quickly.↗ · Fruit deteriorates fast in hot weather.↗ · His behaviour deteriorated after lunch.↗ · The road surface has deteriorated badly over the winter.↗ · The patient's condition deteriorated overnight.↗

deterioration — Everyday, meaning 1: The process of becoming worse in quality, condition or health.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (science) The slow breaking down of materials, such as wood rotting or metal rusting.↗ Example: There has been a deterioration in the weather, so the match is cancelled.↗ · The nurse watched for any deterioration in Grandma's health.↗ · The deterioration of the old bridge made it unsafe.↗ · Rust causes the deterioration of iron gates.↗ · Teachers noticed a deterioration in his handwriting.↗ · Damp led to the deterioration of the books in the shed.↗

determinant — Everyday, meaning 1: Something that decides or strongly affects what happens, as in «Sleep is a big determinant of how well you learn».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (maths) A special number worked out from a square table of numbers (a matrix), used in higher maths; it is not usually taught at primary school.↗ Example: Weather is a key determinant of how many people visit the beach.↗ · Practice is the main determinant of how well you play.↗ · Scientists studied the determinants of good health.↗ · Rainfall is a determinant of which plants can grow.↗ · In older maths classes you learn to find the determinant of a matrix.↗ · Price is often a determinant of what people buy.↗

determinate — Everyday, meaning 1: (formal) Determinate means fixed, exact and clearly limited, not vague.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (science) A determinate plant, like some tomato plants, grows to a fixed size and then stops.↗ Example: The problem has a determinate answer: 12.↗ · The prisoner got a determinate sentence of five years.↗ · Determinate tomato plants stop growing at about one metre.↗ · The recipe gives a determinate amount of flour.↗ · The number of people at the party was determinate, so we bought exactly enough cake.↗ · Some puzzles have more than one answer and are not determinate.↗

determination — Everyday, meaning 1: Being firm about doing something and not giving up even when it is hard.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (formal) Finding out or deciding something exactly, often officially: «the determination of the winner».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (formal, science) Measuring or calculating something exactly: «the determination of density».↗ Example: With great determination, she finished the race.↗ · It took sheer determination to learn to swim.↗ · His determination to win impressed the coach.↗ · The team showed grit and determination.↗ · (formal) The determination of the winner will be made by the judges.↗ · (science) We carried out a determination of the boiling point of water.↗ · Brother Ignatius strengthened his longings, and the determination became firm within him.↗

determine — Everyday, meaning 1: To find out or work out something exactly, often by measuring or calculating.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To decide or control what will happen; to be the thing that causes a result.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (formal) To make a firm decision to do something.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (formal, exam) A command word: «Determine the value of x» means find it, usually with working shown.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: (casual) In everyday talk people say «work out», «figure out», «sort out» or «suss» instead; «it depends» replaces «it is determined by».↗ Everyday, meaning 6: (formal, law) «Determine» can mean to end or settle: «The court determined the matter.».↗ Example: Determine the perimeter of a square with sides of 5 cm.↗ · Use the table to determine which class collected more cans.↗ · The weather will determine whether we play outside.↗ · Your effort determines how well you do.↗ · The judge must determine who is telling the truth.↗ · She was determined to finish the race.↗ · Scientists measured the water to determine how hot it was.↗ · Determine how many groups of 4 you can make from 20.↗ · Determine the aggregate quantity of apples, given that 3 baskets each contain 8.↗ (formal exam)↗ · work out how many 4s go into 20, quick (casual, the same idea)↗ · depends on the weather innit, if it rains no footy (casual)↗ · Don't just sit there, figure it out — it's 5, you numpty.↗ (rough)↗ · The three widows die, but their mother, "an old witch," determines on revenge.↗ · Thus far. it has been impossible to determine tiic ago and authorship of tlic Sefer Yetzirah. .↗ Tcwish tradition claims divine origin for it: it was intrusted by tlie Lord to Adam and after- wards to Abraham***).↗ (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914))↗

determined — Everyday, meaning 1: Having decided firmly to do something and not letting anything stop you.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Past form of determine: found out or calculated exactly (The cause was determined).↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Past form of determine: decided or controlled (Your height is partly determined by your genes).↗ Example: She was determined to finish the race.↗ · The determined puppy finally opened the gate.↗ · The police determined the cause of the fire.↗ · Determine the area of the rectangle.↗ · Eye colour is determined by genes.↗ · He's a very determined boy.↗ · Hidesato determined to try his last chance.↗ · Who determined the measures thereof, if thou knowest?↗ (Writings JOB.38.5, JPS 1917)↗ · For what pleasure hath he in his house after him? seeing the number of his months is determined.↗ (Writings JOB.21.21, JPS 1917)↗ · For an extermination wholly determined shall the Lord, the GOD of hosts, make in the midst of all the earth.↗ (Prophets ISA.10.23, JPS 1917)↗

determiner — Everyday, meaning 1: (grammar) A determiner is a word that comes before a noun and tells you which one, whose, or how many, such as «the», «a», «this», «my», «some», «every» and numbers like «three».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: More generally, a determiner is something that decides or controls what happens.↗ Example: In «the dog barked», «the» is a determiner.↗ · «My», «your» and «their» are possessive determiners.↗ · Underline the determiner in «Those apples are sour.»↗ · «Some», «many» and «every» are determiners too.↗ · Numbers like «two» can act as determiners: «two cats».↗ · A determiner comes before the adjective: «a tall tree».↗ · Use «an» before a vowel sound: «an elephant».↗

deterrence — Everyday, meaning 1: Stopping people from doing something by making them afraid of what would happen to them if they did it.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (politics) The idea that a country can stop attacks by having strong weapons that would hit back.↗ Example: Fines for littering are a form of deterrence.↗ · The bright lights act as deterrence against burglars.↗ · During the Cold War, both sides relied on nuclear deterrence.↗ · Some people argue that deterrence works better than punishment after a crime.↗ · The guard dog provides deterrence.↗ · Deterrence only works if people believe the threat.↗

deterrent — Everyday, meaning 1: A deterrent is something that makes people decide not to do a thing, because of the trouble or danger it would bring.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: As an adjective: having that effect, as in «a deterrent effect».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (formal) Weapons a country keeps so that others are afraid to attack it.↗ Example: A loud alarm is a good deterrent to burglars.↗ · Bright colours on a frog act as a deterrent to birds.↗ · The fine for parking there is a strong deterrent.↗ · Spikes on the wall are a deterrent to climbers.↗ · The teacher hoped detention would be a deterrent.↗ · A dog barking is a deterrent for strangers.↗

detest — Everyday, meaning 1: To hate something or someone very much.↗ Example: I detest getting up early.↗ · She detests unkindness.↗ · He detests broccoli.↗ · The villain detested the hero.↗ · My cat detests baths.↗ · They detest the cold, wet winters.↗ · Their mother detested her eldest son, and had only eyes for the youngest.↗ · And thou shalt not bring an abomination into thy house, and be accursed like unto it; thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a devoted thing.↗ (Torah DEU.7.26, JPS 1917)↗

detestable — Everyday, meaning 1: Very hateful; so bad or nasty that people strongly dislike it.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Of a person: behaving so cruelly or meanly that others cannot stand them.↗ Example: Bullying younger children is a detestable thing to do.↗ · The villain in the story was a detestable man who stole from the poor.↗ · My brother has the detestable habit of reading my diary.↗ · «What a detestable smell!» cried Aunt Mary as she opened the fridge.↗ · Cheating in a test is detestable because it is unfair to everyone else.↗ · The Queen thought the game was going detestably, and said so.↗ · Leaving litter on the beach is a detestable way to treat nature.↗ · "You are detestable!" exclaimed Babette, bursting into tears.↗ · All winged swarming things that go upon all fours are a detestable thing unto you.↗ (Torah LEV.11.20, JPS 1917)↗ · But all winged swarming things, which have four feet, are a detestable thing unto you.↗ (Torah LEV.11.23, JPS 1917)↗ · Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that is a detestable thing unto you.↗ (Torah LEV.11.12, JPS 1917)↗ · And I will cast detestable things upon thee, and make thee vile, and will make thee as dung.↗ (Prophets NAM.3.6, JPS 1917)↗ · Thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy harlotry, on the hills in the field have I seen thy detestable acts.↗ (Prophets JER.13.27, JPS 1917)↗ · And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.↗ (Prophets EZK.11.18, JPS 1917)↗

detestation — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: A strong feeling of hatred or disgust for something.↗ Example: and they shall be a detestable thing unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, and their carcasses ye shall have in detestation.↗ (Torah LEV.11.11, JPS 1917)↗ · And these ye shall have in detestation among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are a detestable thing: the great vulture, and the bearded vulture, and the ospray; (Torah LEV.11.13, JPS 1917)↗ · For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the detestation of the Ammonites.↗ (Prophets 1KI.11.5, JPS 1917)↗ · Then did Solomon build a high place for Chemosh the detestation of Moab, in the mount that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech the detestation of the children of Ammon.↗ (Prophets 1KI.11.7, JPS 1917)↗

dethrone — Everyday, meaning 1: To dethrone a king or ruler is to remove him from the throne so that he no longer rules.↗ Example: The rebels planned to dethrone the old king.↗ · His wicked uncle dethroned the rightful heir.↗ · The people dethroned the cruel queen.↗

detonate — Everyday, meaning 1: To make a bomb or explosive go off on purpose.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To explode suddenly with a loud bang.↗ Example: The bomb squad detonated the old shell in an empty field.↗ · The fireworks detonated high above the river.↗ · Engineers detonate explosives to knock down old towers.↗ · The mine did not detonate, so the soldiers marked it with a flag.↗ · In the film, the hero cut the red wire before the bomb could detonate.↗ · Scientists showed how a tiny spark can detonate a gas cloud.↗ · A wartime bomb found on a building site in London was safely detonated.↗

detour — Everyday, meaning 1: A longer or different way you take to avoid something, such as a closed road or traffic.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A trip off your main route to visit somewhere, as in «make a detour to see the waterfall».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (verb) To go a different way, or to send traffic a different way.↗ Example: The bridge was closed, so we took a detour.↗ · We made a detour to see the lighthouse.↗ · The detour added 5 miles to our journey.↗ · Traffic was detoured around the parade.↗ · The story goes off on a detour about the hero's childhood.↗ · Follow the detour signs to get to school.↗

detox — Everyday, meaning 1: A time when a person stops taking a drug or alcohol so their body can get clean of it, often with doctors helping.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) A time of eating only healthy food, which some people believe cleans the body.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (informal) A break from something: a digital detox is time away from phones and screens.↗ Example: Dad is doing a digital detox — no phone all weekend.↗ · The singer went into detox to stop drinking.↗ · Doctors help people through detox safely.↗ · Juice detoxes don't really clean your body.↗ · We had a screen detox on our camping trip.↗ · After the holidays Mum said she needed a chocolate detox.↗

detriment — Everyday, meaning 1: (formal) Harm or damage: «to the detriment of your health» means harming your health.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (formal) Something that causes harm.↗ Example: He played games all night, to the detriment of his homework.↗ · Eating only sweets is to the detriment of your teeth.↗ · The new road was built to the detriment of the woodland.↗ · You can enjoy sport without detriment to your studies.↗ · Shouting at the team worked to the coach's detriment.↗ · Pollution is a detriment to the health of rivers.↗

detrimental — Everyday, meaning 1: (formal) Causing harm or damage (detrimental to health).↗ Example: Too much sugar is detrimental to your teeth.↗ · Pollution has a detrimental effect on wildlife.↗ · Lack of sleep can be detrimental to learning.↗ · The storm was detrimental to the crops.↗ · Screen time late at night is detrimental to sleep.↗ · The changes were detrimental to the team.↗