digestive
digestive: adj. & n. --adj.
1 of or relating to digestion.
2 aiding or promoting digestion. --n.
1 a substance that aids digestion.
2 (in full digestive biscuit) Brit. a usu. round semi-sweet wholemeal biscuit. øødigestively adv. [ME f. OF digestif -ive or L digestivus (as DIGEST)]

delationdominion
dominion: n.
1 sovereignty, control.
2 the territory of a sovereign or government; a domain.
3 hist. the title of each of the self-governing territories of the British Commonwealth. [ME f. OF f. med.L dominio -onis f. L dominium f. dominus lord]

demand
demand: n. & v. --n.
1 an insistent and peremptory request, made as of right.
2 Econ. the desire of purchasers or consumers for a commodity (no demand for solid tyres these days).
3 an urgent claim (care of her mother makes demands on her). --v.tr.
1 (often foll. by of, from, or to + infin., or that + clause) ask for (something) insistently and urgently, as of right (demanded to know; demanded five pounds from him; demanded that his wife be present).
2 require or need (a task demanding skill).
3 insist on being told (demanded her business).
4 (as demanding adj.) making demands; requiring skill, effort, etc. (a demanding but worthwhile job). ødemand feeding the practice of feeding a baby when it cries for a feed rather than at set times. demand not.
1 a written request for payment.
2 US a bill payable at sight. demand pull Econ. available money as a factor causing economic inflation. in demand sought after. on demand as soon as a demand is made (a cheque payable on demand). øødemandable adj. demander n. demandingly adv. [ME f. OF demande (n.), demander (v.) f. L demandare entrust (as DE-, mandare order: see MANDATE )]

destination
destination: n. a place to which a person or thing is going. [OF destination or L destinatio (as DESTINE)]

deliberate
deliberate: adj. & v. --adj.
1 a intentional (a deliberate foul). b fully considered; not impulsive (made a deliberate choice).
2 slow in deciding; cautious (a ponderous and deliberate mind).
3 (of movement etc.) leisurely and unhurried. --v.
1 intr. think carefully; take counsel (the jury deliberated for an hour).
2 tr. consider, discuss carefully (deliberated the question). øødeliberately adv. deliberateness n. deliberator n. [L deliberatus past part. of deliberare (as DE-, librare weigh f. libra balance)]

drunken
drunken: adj. (usu. attrib..
1 = DRUNK.
2 caused by or exhibiting drunkenness (a drunken brawl).
3 fond of drinking; often drunk. øødrunkenly adv. drunkenness n.

discreet
discreet: adj. (discreeter, discreetest.
1 a circumspect in speech or action, esp. to avoid social disgrace or embarrassment. b tactful; trustworthy.
2 unobtrusive (a discreet touch of rouge). øødiscreetly adv. discreetness n. [ME f. OF discret -ete f. L discretus separate (as DIS-, cretus past part. of cernere sift), with LL sense f. its derivative discretio discernment]

dysplasia
dysplasia: n. Med. abnormal growth of tissues etc. øødysplastic adj. [mod.L, formed as DYS- + Gk plasis formation]

distribution
distribution: n.
1 the act or an instance of distributing; the process of being distributed.
2 Econ. a the dispersal of goods etc. among consumers, brought about by commerce. b the extent to which different groups, classes, or individuals share in the total production or wealth of a community.
3 Statistics the way in which a characteristic is spread over members of a class. øødistributional adj. [ME f. OF distribution or L distributio (as DISTRIBUTE)]

dance
dance: v. & n. --v.
1 intr. move about rhythmically alone or with a partner or in a set, usu. in fixed steps or sequences to music, for pleasure or as entertainment.
2 intr. move in a lively way; skip or jump about.
3 tr. a perform (a specified dance or form of dancing). b perform (a specified role) in a ballet etc.
4 intr. move up and down (on water, in the field of vision, etc.).
5 tr. move (esp. a child) up and down; dandle. --n.
1 a a piece of dancing; a sequence of steps in dancing. b a special form of this.
2 a single round or turn of a dance.
3 a social gathering for dancing, a ball.
4 a piece of music for dancing to or in a dance rhythm.
5 a dancing or lively motion. ødance attendance on follow or wait on (a person) obsequiously. dance of death a medieval dance in which a personified Death is represented as leading all to the grave. dance to a person's tune accede obsequiously to a person's demands and wishes. lead a person a dance (or merry dance) Brit. cause a person much trouble in following a course one has instigated. øødanceable adj. [ME f. OF dance, danse (n.), dancer, danser (v.), f. Rmc, of unkn. orig.]

dread
dread: v., n., & adj. --v.tr.
1 (foll. by that, or to + infin.) fear greatly.
2 shrink from; look forward to with great apprehension.
3 be in great fear of. --n.
1 great fear, apprehension, awe.
2 an object of fear or awe. --adj.
1 dreaded.
2 archaic awe-inspiring, revered. [OE adródan, ondródan]

defend
defend: v.tr. (also absol..
1 (often foll. by against, from) resist an attack made on; protect (a person or thing) from harm or danger.
2 support or uphold by argument; speak or write in favour of.
3 conduct the case for (a defendant in a lawsuit). øødefendable adj. defender n. [ME f. OF defendre f. L defendere: cf. OFFEND]

dragonfly
dragonfly: n. (pl. -ies) any of various insects of the order Odonata, having a long slender body and two pairs of large transparent wings usu. spread while resting.

democratic
democratic: adj.
1 of, like, practising, advocating, or constituting democracy or a democracy.
2 favouring social equality. ødemocratic centralism an organizational system in which policy is decided centrally and is binding on all members. Democratic Party one of the two main US political parties, considered to support social reform and international commitment (cf. Republican Party). øødemocratically adv. [F d÷mocratique f. med.L democraticus f. Gk demokratikos f. demokratia DEMOCRACY]

deck
deck: n. & v. --n.
1 a a platform in a ship covering all or part of the hull's area at any level and serving as a floor. b the accommodation on a particular deck of a ship.
2 anything compared to a ship's deck, e.g. the floor or compartment of a bus.
3 a component, usu. a flat horizontal surface, that carries a particular recording medium (such as a disc or tape) in sound-reproduction equipment.
4 US a a pack of cards. b sl. a packet of narcotics.
5 sl. the ground.
6 any floor or platform, esp. the floor of a pier or a platform for sunbathing. --v.tr.
1 (often foll. by out) decorate, adorn.
2 furnish with or cover as a deck. øbelow deck (or decks) in or into the space below the main deck. deck-chair a folding chair of wood and canvas, of a kind used on deck on passenger ships. deck-hand a person employed in cleaning and odd jobs on a ship's deck. deck quoits a game in which rope quoits are aimed at a peg. deck tennis a game in which a quoit of rope, rubber, etc., is tossed to and fro over a net. on dec.
1 in the open air on a ship's main deck.
2 esp. US ready for action, work, etc. [ME, = covering f. MDu. dec roof, cloak]

dollar
dollar: n.
1 the chief monetary unit in the US, Canada, and Australia.
2 the chief monetary unit of certain countries in the Pacific, West Indies, SE Asia, Africa, and S. America. ødollar area the area in which currency is linked to the US dollar. dollar diplomacy diplomatic activity aimed at advancing a country's international influence by furthering its financial and commercial interests abroad. dollar gap the excess of a country's import trade with the dollar area over the corresponding export trade. dollar mark (or sign) the sign $, representing a dollar. dollar spo.
1 a fungal disease of lawns etc.
2 a discoloured patch caused by this. [LG daler f. G Taler, short for Joachimstaler, a coin from the silver-mine of Joachimstal in Czechoslovakia]

degree
degree: n.
1 a stage in an ascending or descending scale, series, or process.
2 a stage in intensity or amount (to a high degree; in some degree).
3 relative condition (each is good in its degree).
4 Math. a unit of measurement of angles, one-ninetieth of a right angle or the angle subtended by one-three-hundred-and-sixtieth of the circumference of a circle. °Symb.: Û (as in 45Û).
5 Physics a unit in a scale of temperature, hardness, etc. °Abbr.: deg. (or omitted in the Kelvin scale of temperature).
6 Med. an extent of burns on a scale characterized by the destruction of the skin.
7 an academic rank conferred by a college or university after examination or after completion of a course, or conferred as an honour on a distinguished person.
8 a grade of crime or criminality (murder in the first degree).
9 a step in direct genealogical descent. 10 social or official rank. 11 Math. the highest power of unknowns or variables in an equation etc. (equation of the third degree). 12 a masonic rank. 13 a thing placed like a step in a series; a tier or row. 14 Mus. the classification of a note by its position in the scale. øby degrees a little at a time; gradually. degree of freedo.
1 Physics the independent direction in which motion can occur.
2 Chem. the number of independent factors required to specify a system at equilibrium.
3 Statistics the number of independent values or quantities which can be assigned to a statistical distribution. degrees of comparison see COMPARISON . forbidden (or prohibited) degrees a number of degrees of descent too few to allow of marriage between two related persons. to a degree colloq. considerably. øødegreeless adj. [ME f. OF degr÷ f. Rmc (as DE-, L gradus step)]

disperse
disperse: v.
1 intr. & tr. go, send, drive, or distribute in different directions or over a wide area.
2 a intr. (of people at a meeting etc.) leave and go their various ways. b tr. cause to do this.
3 tr. send to or station at separate points.
4 tr. put in circulation; disseminate.
5 tr. Chem. distribute (small particles) uniformly in a medium.
6 tr. Physics divide (white light) into its coloured constituents. øødispersable adj. dispersal n. disperser n. dispersible adj. dispersive adj. [ME f. L dispergere dispers- (as DIS-, spargere scatter)]

department
department: n.
1 a separate part of a complex whole, esp.: a a branch of municipal or State administration (Housing Department; Department of Social Security). b a branch of study and its administration at a university, school, etc. (the physics department). c a specialized section of a large store (hardware department).
2 colloq. an area of special expertise.
3 an administrative district in France and other countries. ødepartment store a large shop stocking many varieties of goods in different departments. [F d÷partement (as DEPART)]

decorative
decorative: adj. serving to decorate. øødecoratively adv. decorativeness n. [F d÷coratif (as DECORATE)]

discipline
discipline: n. & v. --n.
1 a control or order exercised over people or animals, esp. children, prisoners, military personnel, church members, etc. b the system of rules used to maintain this control. c the behaviour of groups subjected to such rules (poor discipline in the ranks).
2 a mental, moral, or physical training. b adversity as used to bring about such training (left the course because he couldn't take the discipline).
3 a branch of instruction or learning (philosophy is a hard discipline).
4 punishment.
5 Eccl. mortification by physical self-punishment, esp. scourging. --v.tr.
1 punish, chastise.
2 bring under control by training in obedience; drill. øødisciplinable adj. disciplinal adj. [ME f. OF discipliner or LL & med.L disciplinare, disciplina f. discipulus DISCIPLE]

disturbance
disturbance: n.
1 the act or an instance of disturbing; the process of being disturbed.
2 a tumult; an uproar.
3 agitation; worry.
4 an interruption.
5 Law interference with rights or property; molestation. [ME f. OF desto(u)rbance (as DISTURB)]

determination
determination: n.
1 firmness of purpose; resoluteness.
2 the process of deciding, determining, or calculating.
3 a the conclusion of a dispute by the decision of an arbitrator. b the decision reached.
4 Law the cessation of an estate or interest.
5 Law a judicial decision or sentence.
6 archaic a tendency to move in a fixed direction. [ME (in sense 4) f. OF f. L determinatio -onis (as DETERMINE)]

difference
difference: n. & v. --n.
1 the state or condition of being different or unlike.
2 a point in which things differ; a distinction.
3 a degree of unlikeness.
4 a the quantity by which amounts differ; a deficit (will have to make up the difference). b the remainder left after subtraction.
5 a a disagreement, quarrel, or dispute. b the grounds of disagreement (put aside their differences).
6 Heraldry an alteration in a coat of arms distinguishing members of a family. --v.tr. Heraldry alter (a coat of arms) to distinguish members of a family. ømake a (or all the etc.) difference (often foll. by to) have a significant effect or influence (on a person, situation, etc.). make no difference (often foll. by to) have no effect (on a person, situation, etc.). with a difference having a new or unusual feature. [ME f. OF f. L differentia (as DIFFERENT)]

djellaba
djellaba: n. (also djellabah, jellaba) a loose hooded woollen cloak worn or as worn by Arab men. [Arab. jallaba, jallabiya]

dad
dad: n. colloq. father. [perh. imit. of a child's da, da (cf. DADDY)]

develop
develop: v. (developed, developing.
1 tr. & intr. a make or become bigger or fuller or more elaborate or systematic (the new town developed rapidly). b bring or come to an active or visible state or to maturity (developed a plan of action).
2 tr. begin to exhibit or suffer from (developed a rattle).
3 tr. a construct new buildings on (land). b convert (land) to a new purpose so as to use its resources more fully.
4 tr. treat (photographic film etc.) to make the latent image visible.
5 tr. Mus. elaborate (a theme) by modification of the melody, harmony, rhythm, etc.
6 tr. Chess bring (a piece) into position for effective use. ødeveloping country a poor or primitive country that is developing better economic and social conditions. øødeveloper n. [F d÷velopper f. Rmc (as DIS-, orig. of second element unknown)]

doctrine
doctrine: n.
1 what is taught; a body of instruction.
2 a a principle of religious or political etc. belief. b a set of such principles; dogma. øødoctrinism n. doctrinist n. [ME f. OF f. L doctrina teaching (as DOCTOR)]

drawer
drawer: n.
1 a person or thing that draws, esp. a person who draws a cheque etc.
2 a boxlike storage compartment without a lid, sliding in and out of a frame, table, etc. (chest of drawers).
3 (in pl.) an undergarment worn next to the body below the waist. øødrawerful n. (pl. -fuls).

dishwasher
dishwasher: n.
1 a machine for automatically washing dishes.
2 a person employed to wash dishes.

delight
delight: v. & n. --v.
1 tr. (often foll. by with) please greatly (the gift delighted them; was delighted that you won; delighted with the result).
2 intr. (often foll. by in, or to + infin.) take great pleasure; be highly pleased (delighted in her success; was delighted to help). --n.
1 great pleasure.
2 something giving pleasure (her singing is a delight). øødelighted adj. delightedly adv. [ME f. OF delitier, delit, f. L delectare frequent. of delicere: alt. after light etc.]

division
division: n.
1 the act or an instance of dividing; the process of being divided.
2 Math. the process of dividing one number by another (see also long division (see LONG(1))), short division).
3 disagreement or discord (division of opinion).
4 Parl. the separation of members of a legislative body into two sets for counting votes for and against.
5 one of two or more parts into which a thing is divided.
6 a major unit of administration or organization, esp.: a a group of army brigades or regiments. b Sport a grouping of teams within a league, usu. by ability.
7 a a district defined for administrative purposes. b Brit. a part of a county or borough returning a Member of Parliament.
8 a Bot. a major taxonomic grouping. b Zool. a subsidiary category between major levels of classification.
9 Logic a classification of kinds, parts, or senses. ødivision of labour the improvement of efficiency by giving different parts of a manufacturing process etc. to different people. division sign the sign (*!) indicating that one quantity is to be divided by another. øødivisional adj. divisionally adv. divisionary adj. [ME f. OF divisiun f. L divisio -onis (as DIVIDE)]

database
database: n. a structured set of data held in a computer, esp. one that is accessible in various ways.

dream
dream: n. & v. --n.
1 a a series of pictures or events in the mind of a sleeping person. b the act or time of seeing this. c (in full waking dream) a similar experience of one awake.
2 a day-dream or fantasy.
3 an ideal, aspiration, or ambition, esp. of a nation.
4 a beautiful or ideal person or thing.
5 a state of mind without proper perception of reality (goes about in a dream). --v. (past and past part. dreamt or dreamed.
1 intr. experience a dream.
2 tr. imagine in or as if in a dream.
3 (usu. with neg.) a intr. (foll. by of) contemplate the possibility of, have any conception or intention of (would not dream of upsetting them). b tr. (often foll. by that + clause) think of as a possibility (never dreamt that he would come).
4 tr. (foll. by away) spend (time) unprofitably.
5 intr. be inactive or unpractical.
6 intr. fall into a reverie. ødream-time Austral. the alcheringa. dream up imagine, invent. like a dream colloq. easily, effortlessly. øødreamful adj. dreamless adj. dreamlike adj. [ME f. OE dream joy, music]

dishonourable
dishonourable: adj. (US dishonorable.
1 causing disgrace; ignominious.
2 unprincipled. øødishonourableness n. dishonourably adv.

distinguish
distinguish: v.
1 tr. (often foll. by from) a see or point out the difference of; draw distinctions (cannot distinguish one from the other)). b constitute such a difference (the mole distinguishes him from his twin). c draw distinctions between; differentiate.
2 tr. be a mark or property of; characterize (distinguished by his greed).
3 tr. discover by listening, looking, etc. (could distinguish two voices).
4 tr. (usu. refl.; often foll. by by) make prominent or noteworthy (distinguished himself by winning first prize).
5 tr. (often foll. by into) divide; classify.
6 intr. (foll. by between) make or point out a difference between. øødistinguishable adj. [F distinguer or L distinguere (as DIS-, stinguere stinct- extinguish): cf. EXTINGUISH]

dearth
dearth: n. scarcity or lack, esp. of food. [ME, formed as DEAR]

directive
directive: n. & adj. --n. a general instruction from one in authority. --adj. serving to direct. [ME f. med.L directivus (as DIRECT)]