D
- detail noun (detail, details); verb (detail, details, detailed, detailing)
A detail is a small fact or part of something. - details noun, plural of detail (a detail, details); verb (detail, details, detailed, detailing — less common)
Details are the small facts or parts that together make up something bigger. - detain verb (detain, detains, detained, detaining); noun detention
To keep someone in a place and not let them leave, such as the police holding a suspect. - detainee noun (a detainee, detainees)
1) A person who is kept in prison or held by the police or the army, often without a trial yet. - detect verb (detect, detects, detected, detecting); nouns detection, detector, detective
To notice or discover something that is hard to see, hear or smell. - detectable adjective (detectable); opposite undetectable
1) Able to be noticed or found, especially with tests or instruments. - detected verb form (detect, detects, detected, detecting); adjective (detected)
Detected is the past form of detect, which means to notice or find something that is hard to see, hear or smell. - detecting verb form of detect (detect, detects, detected, detecting); noun (detecting, as in metal detecting)
Detecting is the -ing form of «detect»: noticing or discovering something that is hard to see, hear or find. - detection noun (detection; uncountable mostly)
Noticing or discovering something that is hard to see, hear or find. - detective noun (a detective, detectives); adjective (detective story, detective work)
A detective is a police officer or private worker whose job is to find out who did a crime and how. - detector noun (detector, detectors)
1) A detector is a machine or device that notices or finds something, such as smoke, metal or movement. - detention noun (detention, detentions)
A punishment at school where a pupil must stay in after lessons or at break time. - deter verb (deter, deters, deterred, deterring)
To deter someone is to make them decide not to do something, often by making them afraid of what will happen. - detergent noun (detergent, detergents; often uncountable)
1) Detergent is a liquid or powder used for cleaning, especially for washing clothes or dishes. - deteriorate verb (deteriorate, deteriorates, deteriorated, deteriorating)
To deteriorate means to become worse, more and more, over time. - deterioration noun (deterioration — mostly uncountable)
The process of becoming worse in quality, condition or health. - determinant noun (a determinant, determinants); adjective (determinant — rare)
Something that decides or strongly affects what happens, as in «Sleep is a big determinant of how well you learn». - determinate adjective (determinate; not compared)
Determinate means fixed, exact and clearly limited, not vague. - determination noun (determination; uncountable for sense 1, countable for sense 2: a determination, determinations)
Being firm about doing something and not giving up even when it is hard. - determine verb (determine, determines, determined, determining); adjective determined (see notes); noun (determination)
To find out or work out something exactly, often by measuring or calculating. - determined adjective (determined, more determined); past form of verb determine (determine, determines, determined, determining)
Having decided firmly to do something and not letting anything stop you. - determiner noun (a determiner, determiners) — grammar
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»… - deterrence noun (uncountable)
Stopping people from doing something by making them afraid of what would happen to them if they did it. - deterrent noun (a deterrent, deterrents); adjective (a deterrent effect)
A deterrent is something that makes people decide not to do a thing, because of the trouble or danger it would bring. - detest verb (detest, detests, detested, detesting); adjective (detestable)
1) To hate something or someone very much. - detestable adjective (detestable, more detestable, most detestable)
Very hateful; so bad or nasty that people strongly dislike it. - dethrone verb (dethrone, dethrones, dethroned, dethroning)
To dethrone a king or ruler is to remove him from the throne so that he no longer rules. - detonate verb (detonate, detonates, detonated, detonating)
1) To make a bomb or explosive go off on purpose. 2) To explode suddenly with a loud bang. - detour noun (a detour, detours); verb (detour, detours, detoured, detouring)
A longer or different way you take to avoid something, such as a closed road or traffic. - detox noun (a detox, detoxes — also uncountable); verb (detox, detoxes, detoxed, detoxing)
A time when a person stops taking a drug or alcohol so their body can get clean of it, often with doctors helping. - detriment noun (detriment — uncountable, formal)
1) (formal) Harm or damage: «to the detriment of your health» means harming your health. 2) (formal) Something that causes harm. - detrimental adjective (detrimental) — formal
1) (formal) Causing harm or damage (detrimental to health). - deuce noun (deuce, deuces); exclamation (old-fashioned)
In tennis, deuce is the score when both players have 40 points, so one must win two points in a row to win the game. - devanagari noun (Devanagari, uncountable; usually capitalised)
1) The writing system (script) used for Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, Sanskrit and several other languages of India and Nepal. - devastate verb (devastate, devastates, devastated, devastating); adjective forms: devastated, devastating
To destroy or badly damage a place, so little is left. - develop verb (develop, develops, developed, developing)
To develop means to grow and change over time into something bigger, stronger or more complete. - developed verb, past of develop (develop, develops, developed, developing); adjective (developed, well-developed)
Developed is the past form of «develop»: grew, changed, made or improved over time. - developer noun (a developer, developers)
A person or company that writes computer programs, apps or games. - development noun (development, developments; countable and uncountable)
Development is the process of growing or changing and becoming bigger, stronger or more advanced. - device noun (a device, devices)
A device is a machine or tool made for a special job, like a phone, a tablet or a can opener. - devices noun (plural of device: a device, devices)
Devices are machines or tools made for a special job, especially electronic ones like phones, tablets and laptops. - devil noun (a devil, devils; the Devil)
The Devil is the main evil spirit in some religions, the enemy of God. - devise verb (devise, devises, devised, devising)
To invent or plan something clever or new, usually after careful thinking: «devise a plan». - devoid adjective (devoid of something)
Devoid of something means completely without it; having none of it at all. - devolution noun (devolution; uncountable)
Handing some powers from a central government to smaller regional governments or parliaments: «Devolution gave Scotland its own Parliament». - devolve verb (devolve, devolves, devolved, devolving) (formal)
To devolve is to pass a duty, power or job on to another person, often because the first person is no longer able to do it. - devon proper noun (Devon); in Australia also a common noun (devon — a kind of sliced sausage meat)
Devon is a county in south-west England, with moors, beaches and farms. - devote verb (devote, devotes, devoted, devoting); devote yourself to; adjective devoted
To devote time, effort or money to something is to give a lot of it to that one thing. - devoted adjective (devoted, more devoted); past form of verb devote (devote, devotes, devoted, devoting)
Very loving and loyal (a devoted dog, a devoted fan). - devotedly adverb
In a devoted way: with great love, loyalty or care. - devotee noun (devotees)
A devotee is a person who is very keen on a religion, a belief or an activity, and follows it with great dedication. - devotion noun (devotion, devotions)
Great love and loyalty to someone or something. - devour verb (devour, devours, devoured, devouring)
To eat something quickly and hungrily, often all of it. - devout adjective
Devout means very religious, with deep, sincere faith and regular prayer. - devoutly adverb
1) In a devout way: with deep, sincere religious faith. 2) Very earnestly; with great wish or hope. - dew noun (dew — uncountable)
1) Dew is the tiny drops of water that form on grass, leaves and other cool surfaces outside, usually at night or early morning. - dewy adjective (dewy, dewier, dewiest)
Wet with dew, the tiny drops of water that form on grass and leaves on cool nights. - dexterous adjective (also spelled dextrous)
Dexterous means skilful with the hands, quick and neat at doing things. - diabetes noun (diabetes — uncountable)
1) Diabetes is an illness in which the body cannot control the amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood properly, because it does not make… - diabetic adjective (diabetic); noun (a diabetic, diabetics)
Diabetic means having diabetes, an illness where the body cannot control the amount of sugar in the blood properly. - diabolical adjective (diabolical); adverb diabolically
Very wicked or cruel, as if done by the Devil, as in «a diabolical plan». - diadem noun (diadem, diadems)
1) A diadem is a crown or band worn on the head, often made of gold or jewels, and worn by a queen, princess or other royal person. - diagnose verb (diagnose, diagnoses, diagnosed, diagnosing)
To find out what illness someone has by examining them and studying their symptoms. - diagnosis noun (a diagnosis, diagnoses)
A diagnosis is the decision a doctor makes about what illness or problem someone has, after looking at the signs. - diagonal adjective (diagonal); noun (a diagonal, diagonals); adverb diagonally
Diagonal means going in a slanting line, not straight across or straight up. - diagonally adverb (diagonally)
Diagonally means in a straight slanting line from one corner to the opposite corner. - diagram noun (a diagram, diagrams); verb (diagram, diagrams, diagrammed, diagramming — less common)
A diagram is a simple drawing with lines, shapes and labels that shows how something works, what its parts are, or how things are connected. - dial noun (a dial, dials); verb (dial, dials, dialled/dialed, dialling/dialing)
A dial is the round face of a clock, watch or measuring instrument, with numbers and a pointer. - dialect noun (a dialect, dialects; dialect, uncountable)
1) A dialect is a form of a language spoken in a particular area or by a particular group, with its own words, grammar and pronunciation. - dialogue noun (dialogue, dialogues; US also dialog)
Dialogue is the words that characters speak to each other in a story, play or film. - diameter noun (diameter, diameters)
A straight line going from one side of a circle to the other, passing through the centre. - diametrically adverb (diametrically)
Completely; as different as two things can be, used mostly in «diametrically opposed» or «diametrically opposite». - diamond noun (diamond, diamonds); adjective (diamond)
A diamond is a very hard, clear, sparkling precious stone. - diamondback noun (a diamondback, diamondbacks); also used before another noun (a diamondback rattlesnake, a diamondback terrapin)
1) A diamondback rattlesnake: a large, very venomous American rattlesnake with a pattern of diamond shapes along its back and a rattle on… - diaphragm noun (diaphragm, diaphragms)
The diaphragm is a large, flat, dome-shaped muscle under your lungs that helps you breathe. - diarrhoea noun (diarrhoea, uncountable; American spelling diarrhea)
1) Diarrhoea is an illness or condition in which a person has to go to the toilet very often, and the poo is runny and watery. - diary noun (diary, diaries)
A diary is a book where you write what happens each day and how you feel. - diatom noun (a diatom, diatoms)
A tiny one-celled living thing, a kind of algae, that lives in water and has a glassy shell made of silica. - dibs noun, plural only (slang: dibs; «dibs on»); interjection «Dibs!»
1) (slang) A claim to have or do something first: if you say «Dibs on the front seat!», you mean you get it. 2) (slang, UK, old) Money. - dice noun (dice — plural of die; also used for one in everyday British English); verb (dice, diced — to cut into small cubes)
Dice are small cubes with dots from 1 to 6 on their sides, used in games. - dick noun (dick, dicks; Dick, a name)
Dick is an old short form of the name Richard, as in Dick Whittington. - dickens proper noun (Dickens); noun in phrases (the dickens — old-fashioned)
Charles Dickens was a famous English writer of long novels, such as «Oliver Twist», «A Christmas Carol» and «Great Expectations». - dictation noun (dictation, dictations)
Dictation is saying words aloud so that someone else can write them down exactly. - dictator noun (a dictator, dictators)
A ruler who has complete power over a country, was usually not fairly elected, and does not allow people to disagree. - diction noun (diction, no plural)
1) Diction is the way a person chooses and says words, especially how clear or grand their speech or writing is. - dictionary noun (a dictionary, dictionaries)
A dictionary is a book or website that lists words in alphabetical order and tells you what they mean, how to spell and say them. - diddle verb (diddle, diddles, diddled, diddling)
To cheat someone, especially out of money, in a sneaky way. - die noun (die, dice); verb (die, dies, died, dying)
1) To die means to stop living. 2) A die is one small cube with dots from 1 to 6, used in games. A die has 6 faces. 3) To be dying to do… - diesel noun (diesel; also a diesel, diesels)
Diesel is a kind of heavy fuel made from oil, used in many trucks, buses, trains, tractors and some cars. - diet noun (diet, diets); verb (diet, diets, dieted, dieting)
Your diet is all the food and drink you usually eat and drink: a healthy diet. - dietary adjective (dietary)
To do with what people eat and drink, their diet. - dietician noun (a dietician, dieticians)
1) A trained health expert who gives advice about food and eating, to help people stay healthy or manage an illness. - dietitian noun (dietitian, dietitians — also spelled dietician)
1) A dietitian is a trained health worker who gives expert advice about food and healthy eating, often in hospitals, to help people with… - differ verb (differ, differs, differed, differing)
To differ means to be not the same as something else. - difference noun (difference, differences)
In maths, the difference is how much bigger one number is than another; you find it by subtracting. - different adjective (different)
1) Different means not the same. A cat and a dog are different animals. 2) Different also means separate or another: on different days. 3)… - differently adverb (differently, more differently)
1) In a way that is not the same as another way or as before. - difficult adjective (difficult, more difficult, most difficult)
Hard to do, understand or deal with; needing a lot of effort or skill. - difficulty noun (a difficulty, difficulties; also uncountable)
How hard something is to do or understand (the level of difficulty). - diffident adjective (diffident, more diffident, most diffident)
1) Shy and not sure of yourself; not wanting to speak up or push yourself forward.
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