COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (Collins Cobuild)

dis|in|cli|na|tion /d I s I nkl I ne I ʃ ^ə n/ N‑SING [usu N to-inf] A disinclination to do something is a feeling that you do not want to do it. [FORMAL ] □ They are showing a marked disinclination to pursue these opportunities.

dis|in|clined /d I s I nkla I nd/ ADJ [v-link ADJ , usu ADJ to-inf] If you are disinclined to do something, you do not want to do it. [FORMAL ] □ He was disinclined to talk about himself, especially to his students.

dis|in|fect /d I s I nfe kt/ (disinfects , disinfecting , disinfected ) VERB If you disinfect something, you clean it using a substance that kills germs. □ [V n] Chlorine is used to disinfect water.

dis|in|fect|ant /d I s I nfe ktənt/ (disinfectants ) N‑VAR Disinfectant is a substance that kills germs. It is used, for example, for cleaning kitchens and bathrooms.

dis|in|fla|tion /d I s I nfle I ʃ ^ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT Disinflation is a reduction in the rate of inflation, especially as a result of government policies.

dis|in|for|ma|tion /d I s I nfə ^r me I ʃ ^ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT If you accuse someone of spreading disinformation , you are accusing them of spreading false information in order to deceive people. □ They spread disinformation in order to discredit politicians.

dis|in|genu|ous /d I s I ndʒe njuəs/ ADJ Someone who is disingenuous is slightly dishonest and insincere in what they say. [FORMAL ] □ It would be disingenuous to claim that this is great art. ● dis|in|genu|ous|ly ADV [usu ADV with v, oft ADV adj] □ He disingenuously remarked that he knew nothing about strategy.

dis|in|her|it /d I s I nhe r I t/ (disinherits , disinheriting , disinherited ) VERB If you disinherit someone such as your son or daughter, you arrange that they will not become the owner of your money and property after your death, usually because they have done something that you do not approve of. □ [V n] He threatened to disinherit her if she refused to obey.

dis|in|te|grate /d I s I nt I gre I t/ (disintegrates , disintegrating , disintegrated )

1 VERB If something disintegrates , it becomes seriously weakened, and is divided or destroyed. □ [V ] During October 1918 the Austro-Hungarian Empire began to disintegrate. ● dis|in|te|gra|tion /d I s I nt I gre I ʃ ^ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the violent disintegration of Yugoslavia.

2 VERB If an object or substance disintegrates , it breaks into many small pieces or parts and is destroyed. □ [V ] At 420mph the windscreen disintegrated. ● dis|in|te|gra|tion N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the catastrophic disintegration of the aircraft after the explosion.

dis|in|ter /d I s I ntɜː ^r / (disinters , disinterring , disinterred )

1 VERB [usu passive] When a dead body is disinterred , it is dug up from out of the ground. □ [be V -ed] The bones were disinterred and moved to a burial site.

2 VERB If you disinter something, you start using it again after it has not been used for a long time. [HUMOROUS ] □ [V n] …the trend for disinterring sixties soul classics for TV commercials.

dis|in|ter|est /d I s I ntrəst/ N‑UNCOUNT If there is disinterest in something, people are not interested in it. □ [+ in ] …disinterest in politics.

dis|in|ter|est|ed /d I s I ntrəst I d/

1 ADJ Someone who is disinterested is not involved in a particular situation or not likely to benefit from it and is therefore able to act in a fair and unselfish way. □ Scientists, of course, can be expected to be impartial and disinterested.

2 ADJ If you are disinterested in something, you are not interested in it. Some users of English believe that it is not correct to use disinterested with this meaning.

dis|joint|ed /d I sdʒɔ I nt I d/

1 ADJ Disjointed words, thoughts, or ideas are not presented in a smooth or logical way and are therefore difficult to understand. □ Sally was used to his disjointed, drunken ramblings.

2 ADJ Disjointed societies, systems, and activities are ones in which the different parts or elements are not as closely connected as they should be or as they used to be. □ …our increasingly fragmented and disjointed society.

disk /d I sk/ (disks ) also disc

1 N‑COUNT [oft on/to N ] In a computer, the disk is the part where information is stored. □ The program takes up 2.5 megabytes of disk space.

2 → see also disk drive , floppy disk , hard disk

di sk drive (disk drives ) in BRIT, also use disc drive N‑COUNT The disk drive on a computer is the part that contains the disk or into which a disk can be inserted. The disk drive allows you to read information from the disk and store information on the disk.

disk|ette /d I ske t/ (diskettes ) N‑COUNT A diskette is the same as a floppy disk .

di sk jock|ey → see disc jockey

dis|like /d I sla I k/ (dislikes , disliking , disliked )

1 VERB If you dislike someone or something, you consider them to be unpleasant and do not like them. □ [V n] We don't serve liver often because so many people dislike it. □ [V n] David began to dislike all his television heroes who smoked.

2 N‑UNCOUNT Dislike is the feeling that you do not like someone or something. □ [+ of ] He made no attempt to conceal his dislike of me. [Also + for ]

3 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Your dislikes are the things that you do not like. □ Consider what your likes and dislikes are about your job.

4 PHRASE If you take a dislike to someone or something, you decide that you do not like them.

dis|lo|cate /d I sləke I t/ (dislocates , dislocating , dislocated )

1 VERB If you dislocate a bone or joint in your body, or in someone else's body, it moves out of its proper position in relation to other bones, usually in an accident. □ [V n] Harrison dislocated a finger.

2 VERB To dislocate something such as a system, process, or way of life means to disturb it greatly or prevent it from continuing as normal. □ [V n] It would help to end illiteracy, but it would also dislocate a traditional way of life.

dis|lo|ca|tion /d I sləke I ʃ ^ə n/ (dislocations ) N‑VAR Dislocation is a situation in which something such as a system, process, or way of life is greatly disturbed or prevented from continuing as normal. □ [+ of ] Millions of refugees have suffered a total dislocation of their lives.

dis|lodge /d I slɒ dʒ/ (dislodges , dislodging , dislodged )

1 VERB To dislodge something means to remove it from where it was fixed or held. □ [V n + from ] Rainfall had dislodged debris from the slopes of the volcano. [Also V n]

2 VERB To dislodge a person from a position or job means to remove them from it. □ [V n] He may challenge the Prime Minister even if he decides he cannot dislodge her this time.

dis|loy|al /d I slɔ I əl/ ADJ Someone who is disloyal to their friends, family, or country does not support them or does things that could harm them. □ [+ to ] She was so disloyal to her deputy she made his position untenable.

dis|loy|al|ty /d I slɔ I əlti/ N‑UNCOUNT Disloyalty is disloyal behaviour. □ Charges had already been made against certain officials suspected of disloyalty. [Also + to ]

dis|mal /d I zm ^ə l/

1 ADJ Something that is dismal is bad in a sad or depressing way. □ It was a dismal failure. ● dis|mal|ly ADV □ He failed dismally in his opening match.

2 ADJ Something that is dismal is sad and depressing, especially in appearance. □ The main part of the hospital is pretty dismal but the children's ward is really lively. WORD HISTORY dismal

In medieval times, dismal (from Latin dies mali , meaning 'evil days') was the name given to the 24 days of the year (two in each month) that were believed to be unlucky.

dis|man|tle /d I smæ nt ^ə l/ (dismantles , dismantling , dismantled )

1 VERB If you dismantle a machine or structure, you carefully separate it into its different parts. □ [V n] He asked for immediate help from the United States to dismantle the warheads.

2 VERB To dismantle an organization or system means to cause it to stop functioning by gradually reducing its power or purpose. □ [V n] Public services of all kinds are being dismantled.

dis|may /d I sme I / (dismays , dismaying , dismayed )

1 N‑UNCOUNT Dismay is a strong feeling of fear, worry, or sadness that is caused by something unpleasant and unexpected. [FORMAL ] □ Local councillors have reacted with dismay and indignation.

2 VERB If you are dismayed by something, it makes you feel afraid, worried, or sad. [FORMAL ] □ [be V -ed] The committee was dismayed by what it had been told. □ [V n] The thought that she was crying dismayed him. ● dis|mayed ADJ [usu v-link ADJ , ADJ to-inf/that] □ [+ at ] He was dismayed at the cynicism of the youngsters.

dis|mem|ber /d I sme mbə ^r / (dismembers , dismembering , dismembered )

1 VERB To dismember the body of a dead person or animal means to cut or pull it into pieces. □ [V n] He then dismembered her, hiding parts of her body in the cellar.

2 VERB To dismember a country or organization means to break it up into smaller parts. □ [V n] …Hitler's plans to occupy and dismember Czechoslovakia.

dis|mem|ber|ment /d I sme mbə ^r mənt/

1 N‑UNCOUNT Dismemberment is the cutting or pulling into pieces of a body.

2 N‑UNCOUNT Dismemberment is the breaking up into smaller parts of a country or organization. □ …the case for dismemberment or even abolition of the BBC.

dis|miss ◆◇◇ /d I sm I s/ (dismisses , dismissing , dismissed )

1 VERB If you dismiss something, you decide or say that it is not important enough for you to think about or consider. □ [V n + as ] Mr Wakeham dismissed the reports as speculation. □ [V n] I would certainly dismiss any allegations of impropriety by the Labour Party.

2 VERB If you dismiss something from your mind, you stop thinking about it. □ [V n + from ] I dismissed him from my mind. □ [V n] 'It's been a lovely day,' she said, dismissing the episode.

3 VERB When an employer dismisses an employee, the employer tells the employee that they are no longer needed to do the job that they have been doing. □ [V n] …the power to dismiss civil servants who refuse to work.

4 VERB If you are dismissed by someone in authority, they tell you that you can go away from them. □ [be V -ed] Two more witnesses were called, heard and dismissed. [Also V n]

5 VERB When a judge dismisses a case against someone, he or she formally states that there is no need for a trial, usually because there is not enough evidence for the case to continue. □ [V n] The High Court judge dismissed the claim. □ [have n V -ed] …their attempt to have the case against them dismissed.

dis|mis|sal /d I sm I s ^ə l/ (dismissals )

1 N‑VAR [oft with poss] When an employee is dismissed from their job, you can refer to their dismissal . □ …Mr Low's dismissal from his post at the head of the commission.

2 N‑UNCOUNT Dismissal of something means deciding or saying that it is not important. □ [+ of ] …their high-handed dismissal of public opinion.

dis|miss|ive /d I sm I s I v/ ADJ If you are dismissive of someone or something, you say or show that you think they are not important or have no value. □ [+ of ] Mr Jones was dismissive of the report, saying it was riddled with inaccuracies. ● dis|miss|ive|ly ADV [usu ADV with v] □ 'Forget it,' he replied dismissively.

dis|mount /d I smaʊ nt/ (dismounts , dismounting , dismounted ) VERB If you dismount from a horse or a bicycle, you get down from it. [FORMAL ] □ [V ] Emma dismounted and took her horse's bridle.

dis|obedi|ence /d I səbiː diəns/ N‑UNCOUNT Disobedience is deliberately not doing what someone tells you to do, or what a rule or law says that you should do.

dis|obedi|ent /d I səbiː diənt/ ADJ If you are disobedient , you deliberately do not do what someone in authority tells you to do, or what a rule or law says that you should do. □ Her tone was that of a parent to a disobedient child.

dis|obey /d I səbe I / (disobeys , disobeying , disobeyed ) VERB When someone disobeys a person or an order, they deliberately do not do what they have been told to do. □ [V n] …a naughty boy who often disobeyed his mother and father. □ [V ] They were threatened with punishment if they disobeyed.

dis|or|der /d I sɔː ^r də ^r / (disorders )

1 N‑VAR A disorder is a problem or illness which affects someone's mind or body. □ …a rare nerve disorder that can cause paralysis of the arms.

2 N‑UNCOUNT [oft in N ] Disorder is a state of being untidy, badly prepared, or badly organized. □ The emergency room was in disorder.

3 N‑VAR Disorder is violence or rioting in public. □ He called on the authorities to stop public disorder.

dis|or|dered /d I sɔː ^r də ^r d/ ADJ If you describe something as disordered , you mean it is untidy and is not neatly arranged. □ …a disordered heap of mossy branches.

dis|or|der|ly /d I sɔː ^r də ^r li/

1 ADJ If you describe something as disorderly , you mean that it is untidy, irregular, or disorganized. [FORMAL ] □ …a large and disorderly room.

2 ADJ If you describe someone as disorderly , you mean that they are behaving in a noisy, rude, or violent way in public. You can also describe a place or event as disorderly if the people there behave in this way. [FORMAL ]

dis|or|gani|za|tion /d I sɔː ^r gəna I ze I ʃ ^ə n/ in BRIT, also use disorganisation N‑UNCOUNT If something is in a state of disorganization , it is disorganized.

dis|or|gan|ized /d I sɔː ^r gəna I zd/ in BRIT, also use disorganised 1 ADJ Something that is disorganized is in a confused state or is badly planned or managed. □ A report by the state prosecutor described the police action as confused and disorganised.

2 ADJ Someone who is disorganized is very bad at organizing things in their life. □ My boss is completely disorganised.

dis|ori|ent /d I sɔː rient/ (disorients , disorienting , disoriented ) in BRIT, also use disorientate VERB If something disorients you, you lose your sense of direction, or you generally feel lost and uncertain, for example because you are in an unfamiliar environment. □ [V n] An overnight stay at a friend's house disorients me. ● dis|ori|ent|ed ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] □ I feel dizzy and disoriented. ● dis|ori|ent|ing ADJ □ An abrupt change of location can be disorienting. ● dis|ori|en|ta|tion /d I sɔː riənte I ʃ ^ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ Morris was so stunned by this that he experienced a moment of total disorientation.

dis|ori|en|tate /d I sɔː riənte I t/ (disorientates , disorientating , disorientated ) → see disorient

dis|own /d I soʊ n/ (disowns , disowning , disowned ) VERB If you disown someone or something, you say or show that you no longer want to have any connection with them or any responsibility for them. □ [V n] The man who murdered the girl is no son of mine. I disown him.

dis|par|age /d I spæ r I dʒ/ (disparages , disparaging , disparaged ) VERB If you disparage someone or something, you speak about them in a way which shows that you do not have a good opinion of them. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] …Larkin's tendency to disparage literature.

dis|par|age|ment /d I spæ r I dʒmənt/ N‑UNCOUNT Disparagement is the act of speaking about someone or something in a way which shows that you do not have a good opinion of them. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] Reviewers have been almost unanimous in their disparagement of this book.

dis|par|ag|ing /d I spæ r I dʒ I ŋ/ ADJ If you are disparaging about someone or something, or make disparaging comments about them, you say things which show that you do not have a good opinion of them. □ They would often make disparaging remarks about the other in public. ● dis|par|ag|ing|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ Do not talk disparagingly about your company in public.

dis|par|ate /d I spərət/

1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Disparate things are clearly different from each other in quality or type. [FORMAL ] □ Scientists are trying to pull together disparate ideas in astronomy.

2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A disparate thing is made up of very different elements. [FORMAL ] □ …a very disparate nation, with enormous regional differences.

dis|par|ity /d I spæ r I ti/ (disparities ) N‑VAR If there is a disparity between two or more things, there is a noticeable difference between them. [FORMAL ] □ [+ between/in ] …disparities in pay between men and women.

dis|pas|sion|ate /d I spæ ʃənət/ ADJ Someone who is dispassionate is calm and reasonable, and not affected by emotions. □ We, as prosecutors, try to be dispassionate about the cases we bring. ● dis|pas|sion|ate|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ He sets out the facts coolly and dispassionately.

dis|patch /d I spæ tʃ/ (dispatches , dispatching , dispatched ) in BRIT, also use despatch 1 VERB If you dispatch someone to a place, you send them there for a particular reason. [FORMAL ] □ [V n adv/prep] He dispatched scouts ahead. □ [V n to-inf] The Italian government was preparing to dispatch 4,000 soldiers to search the island. ● N‑UNCOUNT Dispatch is also a noun. □ [+ of ] The despatch of the task force is purely a contingency measure.

2 VERB If you dispatch a message, letter, or parcel, you send it to a particular person or destination. [FORMAL ] □ [V n prep/adv] The victory inspired him to dispatch a gleeful telegram to Roosevelt. □ [be V -ed] Free gifts are dispatched separately so please allow 28 days for delivery. [Also V n] ● N‑UNCOUNT Dispatch is also a noun. □ We have 125 cases ready for dispatch.

3 N‑COUNT A dispatch is a special report that is sent to a newspaper or broadcasting organization by a journalist who is in a different town or country. □ …this despatch from our West Africa correspondent.

4 N‑COUNT A dispatch is a message or report that is sent, for example, by army officers or government officials to their headquarters. □ I was carrying dispatches from the ambassador.

5 VERB To dispatch a person or an animal means to kill them. [OLD-FASHIONED ] □ [V n] The hunters caught the bear and dispatched him immediately.

dis|pel /d I spe l/ (dispels , dispelling , dispelled ) VERB To dispel an idea or feeling that people have means to stop them having it. □ [V n] This result should dispel the notion that developing countries are dependent on exports of agricultural products.

dis|pen|sable /d I spe nsəb ^ə l/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If someone or something is dispensable they are not really needed. □ All those people in the middle are dispensable.

dis|pen|sa|ry /d I spe nsəri/ (dispensaries ) N‑COUNT A dispensary is a place, for example in a hospital, where medicines are prepared and given out.

dis|pen|sa|tion /d I spense I ʃ ^ə n/ (dispensations )

1 N‑VAR A dispensation is special permission to do something that is normally not allowed. □ [+ from ] They were promised dispensation from military service.

2 N‑UNCOUNT Dispensation of something is the issuing of it, especially from a position of authority. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] …our application of consistent standards in the dispensation of justice.

dis|pense /d I spe ns/ (dispenses , dispensing , dispensed )

1 VERB If someone dispenses something that they own or control, they give or provide it to a number of people. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] The Union had already dispensed £40,000 in grants. □ [V n + to ] I thought of myself as a patriarch, dispensing words of wisdom to all my children.

2 VERB If you obtain a product by getting it out of a machine, you can say that the machine dispenses the product. □ [V n] For two weeks, the cash machine was unable to dispense money.

3 VERB When a chemist dispenses medicine, he or she prepares it, and gives or sells it to the patient or customer. □ [V n] Some shops gave wrong or inadequate advice when dispensing homeopathic medicines. □ [V ] Doctors confine themselves to prescribing rather than dispensing. [Also V n + to ]

▸ dispense with PHRASAL VERB If you dispense with something, you stop using it or get rid of it completely, especially because you no longer need it. □ [V P n] Now supermarkets are dispensing with checkouts, making you scan your own groceries.

dis|pens|er /d I spe nsə ^r / (dispensers ) N‑COUNT [oft n N ] A dispenser is a machine or container designed so that you can get an item or quantity of something from it in an easy and convenient way. □ …cash dispensers.

dis|per|sal /d I spɜː ^r s ^ə l/

1 N‑UNCOUNT Dispersal is the spreading of things over a wide area. □ Plants have different mechanisms of dispersal for their spores.

2 N‑UNCOUNT The dispersal of a crowd involves splitting it up and making the people leave in different directions. □ [+ of ] The police ordered the dispersal of the crowds gathered round the building.

dis|perse /d I spɜː ^r s/ (disperses , dispersing , dispersed )

1 VERB When something disperses or when you disperse it, it spreads over a wide area. □ [V ] The oil appeared to be dispersing. □ [V n] The intense currents disperse the sewage.

2 VERB When a group of people disperses or when someone disperses them, the group splits up and the people leave in different directions. □ [V n] Police fired shots and used teargas to disperse the demonstrators. □ [V ] The crowd dispersed peacefully after prayers.

dis|persed /d I spɜː ^r st/ ADJ Things that are dispersed are situated in many different places, a long way apart from each other. □ …his widely dispersed businesses.

dis|per|sion /d I spɜː ^r ʃ ^ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT Dispersion is the spreading of people or things over a wide area. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] The threat will force greater dispersion of their forces.

dis|pir|it|ed /d I sp I r I t I d/ ADJ If you are dispirited , you have lost your enthusiasm and excitement. □ I left eventually at six o'clock feeling utterly dispirited and depressed.

dis|pir|it|ing /d I sp I r I t I ŋ/ ADJ Something that is dispiriting causes you to lose your enthusiasm and excitement. □ It's very dispiriting for anyone to be out of a job.

dis|place /d I sple I s/ (displaces , displacing , displaced )

1 VERB If one thing displaces another, it forces the other thing out of its place, position, or role, and then occupies that place, position, or role itself. □ [V n] These factories have displaced tourism as the country's largest source of foreign exchange.

2 VERB [usu passive] If a person or group of people is displaced , they are forced to moved away from the area where they live. □ [be V -ed] In Europe alone thirty million people were displaced. □ [V -ed] …the task of resettling refugees and displaced persons.

di s|placed pe r|son (displaced persons ) N‑COUNT A displaced person is someone who has been forced to leave the place where they live, especially because of a war.

dis|place|ment /d I sple I smənt/

1 N‑UNCOUNT Displacement is the removal of something from its usual place or position by something which then occupies that place or position. [FORMAL ] □ …the displacement of all my energy into caring for the baby.

2 N‑UNCOUNT Displacement is the forcing of people away from the area or country where they live.

dis|play ◆◆◇ /d I sple I / (displays , displaying , displayed )

1 VERB If you display something that you want people to see, you put it in a particular place, so that people can see it easily. □ [V n] Among the war veterans proudly displaying their medals was Aubrey Rose. ● N‑UNCOUNT [oft on N ] Display is also a noun. □ Most of the other artists whose work is on display were his pupils or colleagues.

2 VERB If you display something, you show it to people. □ [V n + to ] She displayed her wound to the twelve gentlemen of the jury. □ [V n] The chart can then display the links connecting these groups.

3 VERB If you display a characteristic, quality, or emotion, you behave in a way which shows that you have it. □ [V n] He has displayed remarkable courage in his efforts to reform the party. ● N‑VAR Display is also a noun. □ [+ of ] Normally, such an outward display of affection is reserved for his mother.

4 VERB When a computer displays information, it shows it on a screen. □ [V n] They started out by looking at the computer screens which display the images.

5 N‑COUNT A display is an arrangement of things that have been put in a particular place, so that people can see them easily. □ [+ of ] …a display of your work.

6 N‑COUNT A display is a public performance or other event which is intended to entertain people. □ …gymnastic displays.

7 N‑COUNT [usu sing] The display on a computer screen is the information that is shown there. The screen itself can also be referred to as the display . □ A hard copy of the screen display can also be obtained from a printer.

8 → see also liquid crystal display SYNONYMS display VERB 1

show: The cushions, shown left, measure 20 x 12 inches and cost $39.95.

present: We presented the information in a variety of chart forms.

exhibit: His work was exhibited in the best galleries in America, Europe and Asia. NOUN 5

demonstration: …demonstrations of new products.

exhibition: …an exhibition on the natural history of the area.

presentation: We gave a slide and video presentation.

dis|please /d I spliː z/ (displeases , displeasing , displeased ) VERB If something or someone displeases you, they make you annoyed or rather angry. □ [V n] Not wishing to displease her, he avoided answering the question.

dis|pleased /d I spliː zd/ ADJ [v-link ADJ , ADJ to-inf] If you are displeased with something, you are annoyed or rather angry about it. □ [+ with/at ] Businessmen are displeased with erratic economic policy-making.

dis|pleas|ure /d I sple ʒə ^r / N‑UNCOUNT [oft poss N ] Someone's displeasure is a feeling of annoyance that they have about something that has happened. □ [+ with/at ] The population has already begun to show its displeasure at the slow pace of change.

dis|port /d I spɔː ^r t/ (disports , disporting , disported ) VERB If you disport yourself somewhere, you amuse yourself there in a happy and energetic way. [HUMOROUS or OLD-FASHIONED ] □ [V pron-refl prep/adv] …the rich and famous disporting themselves in glamorous places.

dis|pos|able /d I spoʊ zəb ^ə l/ (disposables )

1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A disposable product is designed to be thrown away after it has been used. □ …disposable nappies suitable for babies up to 8lb. ● N‑COUNT [usu pl] Disposable products can be referred to as disposables . □ It's estimated that around 80 per cent of babies wear disposables.

2 ADJ [ADJ n] Your disposable income is the amount of income you have left after you have paid income tax and social security charges. □ Gerald had little disposable income.

dis|pos|al /d I spoʊ z ^ə l/

1 PHRASE If you have something at your disposal , you are able to use it whenever you want, and for whatever purpose you want. If you say that you are at someone's disposal , you mean that you are willing to help them in any way you can. □ Do you have this information at your disposal? □ If I can be of service, I am at your disposal.

2 N‑UNCOUNT [oft n N ] Disposal is the act of getting rid of something that is no longer wanted or needed. □ [+ of ] …methods for the permanent disposal of radioactive waste.

dis|pose /d I spoʊ z/ (disposes , disposing , disposed )

▸ dispose of

1 PHRASAL VERB If you dispose of something that you no longer want or need, you throw it away. □ [V P n] …the safest means of disposing of nuclear waste.

2 PHRASAL VERB If you dispose of a problem, task, or question, you deal with it. □ [V P n] You did us a great favour by disposing of that problem.

dis|posed /d I spoʊ zd/

1 ADJ If you are disposed to do something, you are willing or eager to do it. [FORMAL ] □ I might have been disposed to like him in other circumstances.

2 ADJ [adv ADJ , usu v-link ADJ ] You can use disposed when you are talking about someone's general attitude or opinion. For example, if you are well or favourably disposed to someone or something, you like them or approve of them. [FORMAL ] □ [+ to/towards ] I saw that the publishers were well disposed towards my book.

dis|po|si|tion /d I spəz I ʃ ^ə n/ (dispositions )

1 N‑COUNT Someone's disposition is the way that they tend to behave or feel. □ The rides are unsuitable for people of a nervous disposition.

2 N‑SING [usu N to-inf] A disposition to do something is a willingness to do it. [FORMAL ] □ This has given him a disposition to consider our traditions critically.

3 N‑SING If you refer to the disposition of a number of objects, you mean the pattern in which they are arranged or their positions in relation to each other. [FORMAL ]

4 N‑COUNT The disposition of money or property is the act of giving or distributing it to a number of people. [LEGAL ] □ [+ of ] Judge Stacks was appointed to oversee the disposition of funds.

dis|pos|sess /d I spəze s/ (dispossesses , dispossessing , dispossessed ) VERB If you are dispossessed of something that you own, especially land or buildings, it is taken away from you. □ [be V -ed + of ] …people who were dispossessed of their land under apartheid. □ [V n] They settled the land, dispossessing many of its original inhabitants. □ [V -ed] Droves of dispossessed people emigrated to Canada. [Also V n + of/from ]

dis|pro|por|tion /d I sprəpɔː ^r ʃ ^ə n/ (disproportions ) N‑VAR A disproportion is a state in which two things are unequal. [FORMAL ] □ …a disproportion in the legal resources available to the two sides.

dis|pro|por|tion|ate /d I sprəpɔː ^r ʃənət/ ADJ Something that is disproportionate is surprising or unreasonable in amount or size, compared with something else. □ [+ to ] A disproportionate amount of time was devoted to one topic. ● dis|pro|por|tion|ate|ly ADV [ADV adj] □ …a disproportionately high suicide rate among young prisoners.

dis|prove /d I spruː v/ (disproves , disproving , disproved , disproven ) VERB To disprove an idea, belief, or theory means to show that it is not true. □ [V n] The statistics to prove or disprove his hypothesis will take years to collect.

dis|pu|ta|tion /d I spjʊte I ʃ ^ə n/ (disputations ) N‑VAR Disputation is discussion on a subject which people cannot agree about. [FORMAL ] □ After much legal disputation our right to resign was established.

dis|pute ◆◆◇ /d I spjuː t/ (disputes , disputing , disputed )

1 N‑VAR A dispute is an argument or disagreement between people or groups. □ [+ with/over ] They have won previous pay disputes with the government. [Also + between ]

2 VERB If you dispute a fact, statement, or theory, you say that it is incorrect or untrue. □ [V n] He disputed the allegations. □ [V that] Nobody disputed that Davey was clever. □ [V wh] Some economists disputed whether consumer spending is as strong as the figures suggest.

3 VERB When people dispute something, they fight for control or ownership of it. You can also say that one group of people dispute something with another group. □ [V n] Russia and Ukraine have been disputing the ownership of the fleet. □ [V n + with ] Fishermen from Bristol disputed fishing rights with the Danes. □ [V -ed] …a disputed border region. [Also V n (non-recip)]

4 PHRASE If two or more people or groups are in dispute , they are arguing or disagreeing about something. □ The two countries are in dispute over the boundaries of their coastal waters. [Also + with ]

5 PHRASE If something is in dispute , people are questioning it or arguing about it. □ All those matters are in dispute and it is not for me to decide them. COLLOCATIONS dispute NOUN 1

noun + dispute : border, contract, pay, trade

adjective + dispute : contractual, industrial, legal, territorial; bitter, long-running, ongoing

verb + dispute : end, resolve, settle SYNONYMS dispute NOUN 1

disagreement: My instructor and I had a brief disagreement.

conflict: The two companies came into conflict.

argument: Anny got into an argument with one of the marchers.

strife: Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages.

row: This provoked a further row about the bank's role in the affair. VERB 2

question: It never occurs to them to question the doctor's decisions.

challenge: I challenged him on the hypocrisy of his political attitudes.

deny: They all denied ever having seen her.

contest: Her former employer contested the case.

dis|quali|fy /d I skwɒ l I fa I / (disqualifies , disqualifying , disqualified ) VERB When someone is disqualified , they are officially stopped from taking part in a particular event, activity, or competition, usually because they have done something wrong. □ [be V -ed + from ] He was convicted of corruption, and will be disqualified from office for seven years. □ [V n] The stewards conferred and eventually decided to disqualify us. [Also V n + from ] ● dis|quali|fi|ca|tion /d I skwɒ l I f I ke I ʃ ^ə n/ (disqualifications ) N‑VAR [oft with poss] □ [+ from ] Livingston faces a four-year disqualification from athletics.

dis|qui|et /d I skwa I ət/ (disquiets , disquieting , disquieted )

1 N‑UNCOUNT Disquiet is a feeling of worry or anxiety. [FORMAL ] □ There is growing public disquiet about the cost of such policing.

2 VERB If something disquiets you, it makes you feel anxious. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] This information disquieted him. ● dis|qui|et|ing ADJ □ He found her letter disquieting.

dis|qui|si|tion /d I skw I z I ʃ ^ə n/ (disquisitions ) N‑VAR A disquisition is a detailed explanation of a particular subject. [FORMAL ] □ Amanda launched into an authoritative disquisition about contracts.

dis|re|gard /d I sr I gɑː ^r d/ (disregards , disregarding , disregarded ) VERB If you disregard something, you ignore it or do not take account of it. □ [V n] He disregarded the advice of his executives. ● N‑UNCOUNT Disregard is also a noun. □ [+ for ] Whoever planted the bomb showed a total disregard for the safety of the public.

dis|re|pair /d I sr I peə ^r / PHRASE If something is in disrepair or is in a state of disrepair , it is broken or in bad condition. □ The house was unoccupied and in a bad state of disrepair.

dis|repu|table /d I sre pjʊtəb ^ə l/ ADJ If you say that someone or something is disreputable , you are critical of them because they are not respectable or cannot be trusted. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …the noisiest and most disreputable bars.

dis|re|pute /d I sr I pjuː t/ PHRASE If something is brought into disrepute or falls into disrepute , it loses its good reputation, because it is connected with activities that people do not approve of. □ Such people bring our profession into disrepute.

dis|re|spect /d I sr I spe kt/

1 N‑UNCOUNT If someone shows disrespect , they speak or behave in a way that shows lack of respect for a person, law, or custom. □ [+ for ] …young people with complete disrespect for authority.

2 PHRASE You can say ' no disrespect to someone or something' when you are just about to criticize them, in order to indicate that you are not hostile towards them or admire them for other things. □ No disrespect to John Beck, but the club has been happier since he left.

dis|re|spect|ful /d I sr I spe ktfʊl/ ADJ If you are disrespectful , you show no respect in the way that you speak or behave to someone. □ [+ to/of ] …accusations that he had been disrespectful to the Queen. ● dis|re|spect|ful|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ They get angry if they think they are being treated disrespectfully.

dis|robe /d I sroʊ b/ (disrobes , disrobing , disrobed ) VERB When someone disrobes , they remove their clothes. [FORMAL ] □ [V ] She stood up and began to disrobe, folding each garment neatly.

dis|rupt /d I srʌ pt/ (disrupts , disrupting , disrupted ) VERB If someone or something disrupts an event, system, or process, they cause difficulties that prevent it from continuing or operating in a normal way. □ [V n] Anti-war protesters disrupted the debate.

dis|rup|tion /d I srʌ pʃ ^ə n/ (disruptions ) N‑VAR When there is disruption of an event, system, or process, it is prevented from continuing or operating in a normal way. □ The strike is expected to cause delays and disruption to flights from Britain.

dis|rup|tive /d I srʌ pt I v/ ADJ To be disruptive means to prevent something from continuing or operating in a normal way. □ There are many ways children's disruptive behaviour can be managed.

dis|ru p|tive tech|no l|ogy (disruptive technologies ) N‑COUNT A disruptive technology is a new technology, such as computers and the internet, which has a rapid and major effect on technologies that existed before. [BUSINESS ] □ …the disruptive technologies of the 20th century, such as electricity and the car.

diss /d I s/ (disses , dissing , dissed ) VERB If someone disses you, they criticize you unfairly or speak to you in a way that does not show respect. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n] He believes that his records speak for themselves and ignores those who diss him.

dis|sat|is|fac|tion /d I ssæ t I sfæ kʃ ^ə n/ (dissatisfactions ) N‑VAR If you feel dissatisfaction with something, you are not contented or pleased with it. □ [+ with ] She has already expressed her dissatisfaction with this aspect of the policy.

dis|sat|is|fied /d I ssæ t I sfa I d/ ADJ If you are dissatisfied with something, you are not contented or pleased with it. □ [+ with ] 82% of voters are dissatisfied with the way their country is being governed.

dis|sect /da I se kt, d I -/ (dissects , dissecting , dissected )

1 VERB If someone dissects the body of a dead person or animal, they carefully cut it up in order to examine it scientifically. □ [V n] We dissected a frog in biology class. ● dis|sec|tion /da I se kʃ ^ə n, d I -/ (dissections ) N‑VAR □ Researchers need a growing supply of corpses for dissection.

2 VERB If someone dissects something such as a theory, a situation, or a piece of writing, they consider and talk about each detail of it. □ [V n] People want to dissect his work and question his motives. ● dis|sec|tion (dissections ) N‑VAR □ [+ of ] …her calm, condescending dissection of my proposals.

dis|sem|ble /d I se mb ^ə l/ (dissembles , dissembling , dissembled ) VERB When people dissemble , they hide their real intentions or emotions. [LITERARY ] □ [V ] Henry was not slow to dissemble when it served his purposes. [Also V n]

dis|semi|nate /d I se m I ne I t/ (disseminates , disseminating , disseminated ) VERB To disseminate information or knowledge means to distribute it so that it reaches many people or organizations. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] They disseminated anti-French propaganda. ● dis|semi|na|tion /d I se m I ne I ʃ ^ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] He promoted the dissemination of scientific ideas.

dis|sen|sion /d I se nʃ ^ə n/ (dissensions ) N‑UNCOUNT Dissension is disagreement and argument. [FORMAL ] □ The tax cut issue has caused dissension among administration officials.

dis|sent /d I se nt/ (dissents , dissenting , dissented )

1 N‑UNCOUNT Dissent is strong disagreement or dissatisfaction with a decision or opinion, especially one that is supported by most people or by people in authority. □ He is the toughest military ruler yet and has responded harshly to any dissent.

2 VERB If you dissent , you express disagreement with a decision or opinion, especially one that is supported by most people or by people in authority. [FORMAL ] □ [V ] Just one of the 10 members dissented. □ [V + from ] No one dissents from the decision to unify. □ [V -ing] There are likely to be many dissenting voices.

dis|sent|er /d I se ntə ^r / (dissenters ) N‑COUNT Dissenters are people who say that they do not agree with something that other people agree with or that is official policy. □ The Party does not tolerate dissenters in its ranks.

dis|ser|ta|tion /d I sə ^r te I ʃ ^ə n/ (dissertations ) N‑COUNT A dissertation is a long formal piece of writing on a particular subject, especially for a university degree. □ [+ on ] He is currently writing a dissertation on the Somali civil war.

dis|ser|vice /d I ssɜː ^r v I s/ N‑SING If you do someone or something a disservice , you harm them in some way. [FORMAL ] □ [+ to ] He said the protesters were doing a disservice to the nation.

dis|si|dent /d I s I dənt/ (dissidents )

1 N‑COUNT Dissidents are people who disagree with and criticize their government, especially because it is undemocratic. □ …political dissidents.

2 ADJ [ADJ n] Dissident people disagree with or criticize their government or a powerful organization they belong to. □ …a dissident Russian novelist.

dis|simi|lar /d I s I m I lə ^r / ADJ If one thing is dissimilar to another, or if two things are dissimilar , they are very different from each other. □ [+ to ] His methods were not dissimilar to those used by Freud. ● dis|simi|lar|ity /d I s I m I læ r I ti/ (dissimilarities ) N‑VAR □ [+ between ] One of his main themes is the dissimilarity between parents and children.

dis|simu|late /d I s I mjʊle I t/ (dissimulates , dissimulating , dissimulated ) VERB When people dissimulate , they hide their true feelings, intentions, or nature. [FORMAL ] □ [V ] This man was too injured to dissimulate well. □ [V n] They were decked out in tracksuits, seemingly to dissimulate their true function.

dis|si|pate /d I s I pe I t/ (dissipates , dissipating , dissipated )

1 VERB When something dissipates or when you dissipate it, it becomes less or becomes less strong until it disappears or goes away completely. [FORMAL ] □ [V ] The tension in the room had dissipated. □ [V n] He wound down the windows to dissipate the heat.

2 VERB When someone dissipates money, time, or effort, they waste it in a foolish way. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] He is dissipating his time and energy on too many different things.

dis|si|pat|ed /d I s I pe I t I d/ ADJ If you describe someone as dissipated , you disapprove of them because they spend a lot of time drinking alcohol and enjoying other physical pleasures, and are probably unhealthy because of this. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Flynn was still handsome, though dissipated.

dis|si|pa|tion /d I s I pe I ʃ ^ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT If someone leads a dissipated life, you can also say that they lead a life of dissipation . [LITERARY ]

dis|so|ci|ate /d I soʊ ʃie I t/ (dissociates , dissociating , dissociated )

1 VERB If you dissociate yourself from something or someone, you say or show that you are not connected with them, usually in order to avoid trouble or blame. □ [V pron-refl + from ] It is getting harder for the president to dissociate himself from the scandal.

2 VERB If you dissociate one thing from another, you consider the two things as separate from each other, or you separate them. [FORMAL ] □ [V n + from ] Almost the first lesson they learn is how to dissociate emotion from reason. ● dis|so|cia|tion /d I soʊ sie I ʃ ^ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ from ] The war between the sexes should not result in their complete dissociation from one another.

dis|so|lute /d I səluːt/ ADJ Someone who is dissolute does not care at all about morals and lives in a way that is considered to be wicked and immoral. [DISAPPROVAL ]

dis|so|lu|tion /d I səluː ʃ ^ə n/

1 N‑VAR [oft a N ] Dissolution is the act of breaking up officially an organization or institution, or of formally ending a parliament. [FORMAL ] □ Politicians say it could lead to a dissolution of parliament.

2 N‑VAR [oft a N ] Dissolution is the act of officially ending a formal agreement, for example a marriage or a business arrangement. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] …the statutory requirement for granting dissolution of a marriage.

dis|solve /d I zɒ lv/ (dissolves , dissolving , dissolved )

1 VERB If a substance dissolves in liquid or if you dissolve it, it becomes mixed with the liquid and disappears. □ [V ] Heat gently until the sugar dissolves. □ [V n] Dissolve the salt in a little boiled water.

2 VERB When an organization or institution is dissolved , it is officially ended or broken up. □ [be V -ed] The committee has been dissolved. □ [V n] The King agreed to dissolve the present commission.

3 VERB When a parliament is dissolved , it is formally ended, so that elections for a new parliament can be held. □ [be V -ed] The present assembly will be dissolved on April 30th. □ [V n] Kaifu threatened to dissolve the Parliament and call an election.

4 VERB [usu passive] When a marriage or business arrangement is dissolved , it is officially ended. □ [be V -ed] The marriage was dissolved in 1976.

5 VERB If something such as a problem or feeling dissolves or is dissolved , it becomes weaker and disappears. □ [V ] His new-found optimism dissolved. □ [V n] Lenny still could not dissolve the nagging lump of tension in his chest.

▸ dissolve into PHRASAL VERB If you dissolve into or dissolve in tears or laughter, you begin to cry or laugh, because you cannot control yourself. □ [V P n] She dissolved into tears at the mention of Munya's name.

dis|so|nance /d I sənəns/ N‑UNCOUNT Dissonance is a lack of agreement or harmony between things. [FORMAL ]

dis|suade /d I swe I d/ (dissuades , dissuading , dissuaded ) VERB If you dissuade someone from doing or believing something, you persuade them not to do or believe it. [FORMAL ] □ [V n + from ] Doctors had tried to dissuade patients from smoking. □ [V n] He considered emigrating, but his family managed to dissuade him.

dis|tance ◆◆◇ /d I stəns/ (distances , distancing , distanced )

1 N‑VAR The distance between two points or places is the amount of space between them. □ [+ between ] …the distance between the island and the nearby shore. □ Everything is within walking distance.

2 N‑UNCOUNT When two things are very far apart, you talk about the distance between them. □ The distance wouldn't be a problem.

3 ADJ [ADJ n] Distance learning or distance education involves studying at home and sending your work to a college or university, rather than attending the college or university in person. □ I'm doing a theology degree by distance learning.

4 N‑UNCOUNT When you want to emphasize that two people or things do not have a close relationship or are not the same, you can refer to the distance between them. [EMPHASIS ] □ [+ between ] There was a vast distance between psychological clues and concrete proof.

5 N‑SING If you can see something in the distance , you can see it, far away from you. □ We suddenly saw her in the distance.

6 N‑UNCOUNT Distance is coolness or unfriendliness in the way that someone behaves towards you. [FORMAL ] □ There were periods of sulking, of pronounced distance, of coldness.

7 VERB If you distance yourself from a person or thing, or if something distances you from them, you feel less friendly or positive towards them, or become less involved with them. □ [V pron-refl + from ] The author distanced himself from some of the comments in his book. □ [V n + from ] Television may actually be distancing the public from the war. ● dis|tanced ADJ [v-link ADJ ] □ [+ from ] Clough felt he'd become too distanced from his fans.

8 PHRASE If you are at a distance from something, or if you see it or remember it from a distance , you are a long way away from it in space or time. □ The only way I can cope with my mother is at a distance. □ Now I can look back on the whole tragedy from a distance of forty years.

9 PHRASE If you keep your distance from someone or something or keep them at a distance , you do not become involved with them. □ Jay had always tended to keep his girlfriends at a distance.

10 PHRASE If you keep your distance from someone or something, you do not get physically close to them. [OLD-FASHIONED ] □ He walked towards the doorway, careful to keep his distance. SYNONYMS distance NOUN 1

length: It is about a metre in length.

extent: Their commitment was to maintain the extent of forests, not their biodiversity.

space: The space underneath could be used as a storage area.

span: It is a very pretty butterfly, with a 2 inch wing span.

dis|tant /d I stənt/

1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Distant means very far away. □ The mountains rolled away to a distant horizon. □ …the war in that distant land.

2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You use distant to describe a time or event that is very far away in the future or in the past. □ There is little doubt, however, that things will improve in the not too distant future.

3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A distant relative is one who you are not closely related to. □ He's a distant relative of the mayor. ● dis|tant|ly ADV [usu ADV -ed] □ His father's distantly related to the Royal family.

4 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you describe someone as distant , you mean that you find them cold and unfriendly. □ He found her cold, ice-like and distant.

5 ADJ If you describe someone as distant , you mean that they are not concentrating on what they are doing because they are thinking about other things. □ There was a distant look in her eyes from time to time, her thoughts elsewhere.

dis|tant|ly /d I stəntli/

1 ADV [also ADV -ed] Distantly means very far away. [LITERARY ] □ Distantly, to her right, she could make out the town of Chiffa.

2 ADV [ADV adj, ADV with v] If you are distantly aware of something or if you distantly remember it, you are aware of it or remember it, but not very strongly. □ She became distantly aware that the light had grown brighter.

3 → see also distant

dis|taste /d I ste I st/ N‑UNCOUNT If you feel distaste for someone or something, you dislike them and consider them to be unpleasant, disgusting, or immoral. □ He professed a distaste for everything related to money.

dis|taste|ful /d I ste I stfʊl/ ADJ If something is distasteful to you, you think it is unpleasant, disgusting, or immoral. □ [+ to ] He found it distasteful to be offered drinks before witnessing the execution.

dis|tem|per /d I ste mpə ^r /

1 N‑UNCOUNT Distemper is a dangerous and infectious disease that can be caught by animals, especially dogs.

2 N‑UNCOUNT Distemper is a kind of paint sometimes used for painting walls.

dis|tend /d I ste nd/ (distends , distending , distended ) VERB If a part of your body is distended , or if it distends , it becomes swollen and unnaturally large. [MEDICAL , FORMAL ] □ [be V -ed] Through this incision, the abdominal cavity is distended with carbon dioxide gas. □ [V ] The colon, or large intestine, distends and fills with gas. [Also V n] ● dis|tend|ed ADJ □ …an infant with a distended belly.

dis|ten|sion /d I ste nʃ ^ə n/ also distention N‑UNCOUNT Distension is abnormal swelling in a person's or animal's body. [MEDICAL ]

dis|til /d I st I l/ (distils , distilling , distilled ) in AM, use distill 1 VERB If a liquid such as whisky or water is distilled , it is heated until it changes into steam or vapour and then cooled until it becomes liquid again. This is usually done in order to make it pure. □ [be V -ed] The whisky had been distilled in 1926 and sat quietly maturing until 1987. □ [V n] You can't actually drink the water from the marshland. But you can distil it. ● dis|til|la|tion /d I st I le I ʃ ^ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ Any faults in the original cider stood out sharply after distillation.

2 VERB If an oil or liquid is distilled from a plant, it is produced by a process which extracts the most essential part of the plant. To distil a plant means to produce an oil or liquid from it by this process. □ [be V -ed + from ] The oil is distilled from the berries of this small tree. □ [V n] …the art of distilling rose petals. [Also V n from n] ● dis|til|la|tion N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the distillation of rose petals to produce rosewater.

3 VERB If a thought or idea is distilled from previous thoughts, ideas, or experiences, it comes from them. If it is distilled into something, it becomes part of that thing. □ [be V -ed + from ] Reviews are distilled from articles previously published in the main column. □ [V n + into ] Roy distills these messages into something powerful. ● dis|til|la|tion N‑SING □ [+ of ] The material below is a distillation of his work.

dis|till|er /d I st I lə ^r / (distillers ) N‑COUNT A distiller is a person or a company that makes whisky or a similar strong alcoholic drink by a process of distilling.

dis|till|ery /d I st I ləri/ (distilleries ) N‑COUNT A distillery is a place where whisky or a similar strong alcoholic drink is made by a process of distilling.

dis|tinct /d I st I ŋkt/

1 ADJ If something is distinct from something else of the same type, it is different or separate from it. □ [+ from ] Engineering and technology are disciplines distinct from one another and from science. □ This book is divided into two distinct parts. ● dis|tinct|ly ADV [ADV adj] □ …a banking industry with two distinctly different sectors.

2 ADJ If something is distinct , you can hear, see, or taste it clearly. □ …to impart a distinct flavor with a minimum of cooking fat. ● dis|tinct|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ I distinctly heard the loudspeaker calling passengers for the Turin-Amsterdam flight.

3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If an idea, thought, or intention is distinct , it is clear and definite. □ Now that Tony was no longer present, there was a distinct change in her attitude. ● dis|tinct|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ I distinctly remember wishing I had not got involved.

4 ADJ [ADJ n] You can use distinct to emphasize that something is great enough in amount or degree to be noticeable or important. [EMPHASIS ] □ Being 6ft 3in tall has some distinct disadvantages! ● dis|tinct|ly ADV [ADV adj/-ed] □ His government is looking distinctly shaky.

5 PHRASE If you say that you are talking about one thing as distinct from another, you are indicating exactly which thing you mean. □ There's a lot of evidence that oily fish, as distinct from fatty meat, has a beneficial effect.

dis|tinc|tion /d I st I ŋkʃ ^ə n/ (distinctions )

1 N‑COUNT A distinction between similar things is a difference. □ [+ between ] There are obvious distinctions between the two wine-making areas. ● PHRASE If you draw a distinction or make a distinction , you say that two things are different. □ I did not yet make a distinction between the pleasures of reading and of writing fiction.

2 N‑UNCOUNT Distinction is the quality of being very good or better than other things of the same type. [FORMAL ] □ Lewis emerges as a composer of distinction and sensitivity.

3 N‑COUNT A distinction is a special award or honour that is given to someone because of their very high level of achievement. □ The order was created in 1902 as a special distinction for eminent men and women.

4 N‑SING If you say that someone or something has the distinction of being something, you are drawing attention to the fact that they have the special quality of being that thing. Distinction is normally used to refer to good qualities, but can sometimes also be used to refer to bad qualities. □ [+ of ] He has the distinction of being regarded as the country's greatest living writer.

dis|tinc|tive /d I st I ŋkt I v/ ADJ Something that is distinctive has a special quality or feature which makes it easily recognizable and different from other things of the same type. □ His voice was very distinctive. ● dis|tinc|tive|ly ADV [ADV adj/-ed] □ …the distinctively fragrant taste of elderflowers. ● dis|tinc|tive|ness N‑UNCOUNT [oft with poss] □ His own distinctiveness was always evident at school.

dis|tin|guish /d I st I ŋgw I ʃ/ (distinguishes , distinguishing , distinguished )

1 VERB If you can distinguish one thing from another or distinguish between two things, you can see or understand how they are different. □ [V n + from ] Could he distinguish right from wrong? □ [V + between ] Research suggests that babies learn to see by distinguishing between areas of light and dark. □ [V n] It is necessary to distinguish the policies of two successive governments.

2 VERB A feature or quality that distinguishes one thing from another causes the two things to be regarded as different, because only the first thing has the feature or quality. □ [V n + from ] There is something about music that distinguishes it from all other art forms. □ [V -ing] The bird has no distinguishing features.

3 VERB If you can distinguish something, you can see, hear, or taste it although it is very difficult to detect. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] There were cries, calls. He could distinguish voices.

4 VERB If you distinguish yourself , you do something that makes you famous or important. □ [V pron-refl + as ] Over the next few years he distinguished himself as a leading constitutional scholar. □ [V pron-refl] They distinguished themselves at the Battle of Assaye.

dis|tin|guish|able /d I st I ŋgw I ʃəb ^ə l/

1 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If something is distinguishable from other things, it has a quality or feature which makes it possible for you to recognize it and see that it is different. □ [+ from ] …features that make their products distinguishable from those of their rivals.

2 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If something is distinguishable , you can see or hear it in conditions when it is difficult to see or hear anything. □ It was getting light and shapes were more distinguishable.

dis|tin|guished /d I st I ŋgw I ʃt/

1 ADJ If you describe a person or their work as distinguished , you mean that they have been very successful in their career and have a good reputation. □ …a distinguished academic family.

2 ADJ If you describe someone as distinguished , you mean that they look very noble and respectable. □ He looked very distinguished.

dis|tort /d I stɔː ^r t/ (distorts , distorting , distorted )

1 VERB If you distort a statement, fact, or idea, you report or represent it in an untrue way. □ [V n] The media distorts reality; categorises people as all good or all bad. ● dis|tort|ed ADJ □ These figures give a distorted view of the significance for the local economy.

2 VERB If something you can see or hear is distorted or distorts , its appearance or sound is changed so that it seems unclear. □ [V n] A painter may exaggerate or distort shapes and forms. □ [V ] This caused the sound to distort. ● dis|tort|ed ADJ □ Sound was becoming more and more distorted through the use of hearing aids.

dis|tor|tion /d I stɔː ^r ʃ ^ə n/ (distortions )

1 N‑VAR Distortion is the changing of something into something that is not true or not acceptable. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [+ of ] It would be a distortion of reality to say that they were motivated by self-interest.

2 N‑VAR Distortion is the changing of the appearance or sound of something in a way that makes it seem strange or unclear. □ Audio signals can be transmitted along cables without distortion.

dis|tract /d I stræ kt/ (distracts , distracting , distracted ) VERB If something distracts you or your attention from something, it takes your attention away from it. □ [V n + from ] Tom admits that playing video games sometimes distracts him from his homework. □ [be V -ed] Don't let yourself be distracted by fashionable theories. □ [V n] A disturbance in the street distracted my attention.

dis|tract|ed /d I stræ kt I d/ ADJ If you are distracted , you are not concentrating on something because you are worried or are thinking about something else. □ She had seemed curiously distracted. ● dis|tract|ed|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ He looked up distractedly. 'Be with you in a second.'

dis|tract|ing /d I stræ kt I ŋ/ ADJ If you say that something is distracting , you mean that it makes it difficult for you to concentrate properly on what you are doing. □ It's distracting to have someone watching me while I work.

dis|trac|tion /d I stræ kʃ ^ə n/ (distractions )

1 N‑VAR A distraction is something that turns your attention away from something you want to concentrate on. □ Total concentration is required with no distractions.

2 N‑COUNT A distraction is an activity which is intended to entertain and amuse you. □ Their national distraction is going to the disco.

3 PHRASE If you say that something or someone drives you to distraction , you are emphasizing that they annoy you a great deal. [EMPHASIS ] □ A very clingy child can drive a parent to distraction.

dis|traught /d I strɔː t/ ADJ If someone is distraught , they are so upset and worried that they cannot think clearly. □ His distraught parents were being comforted by relatives.

dis|tress /d I stre s/ (distresses , distressing , distressed )

1 N‑UNCOUNT Distress is a state of extreme sorrow, suffering, or pain. □ Jealousy causes distress and painful emotions.

2 N‑UNCOUNT [oft in N ] Distress is the state of being in extreme danger and needing urgent help. □ He expressed concern that the ship might be in distress.

3 VERB If someone or something distresses you, they cause you to be upset or worried. □ [V n] The idea of Toni being in danger distresses him enormously.

dis|tressed /d I stre st/ ADJ If someone is distressed , they are upset or worried. □ I feel very alone and distressed about my problem.

dis|tress|ing /d I stre s I ŋ/ ADJ If something is distressing , it upsets you or worries you. □ It is very distressing to see your baby attached to tubes and monitors. ● dis|tress|ing|ly ADV [usu ADV adj] □ …a distressingly large bloodstain.

dis|trib|ute /d I str I bjuːt/ (distributes , distributing , distributed )

1 VERB If you distribute things, you hand them or deliver them to a number of people. □ [V n] Students shouted slogans and distributed leaflets. □ [be V -ed + among ] In the move most of the furniture was left to the neighbours or distributed among friends.

2 VERB When a company distributes goods, it supplies them to the shops or businesses that sell them. [BUSINESS ] □ [V n] We didn't understand how difficult it was to distribute a national paper.

3 VERB If you distribute things among the members of a group, you share them among those members. □ [V n + among ] After his election he distributed major offices among his friends and supporters. [Also V n]

4 VERB To distribute a substance over something means to scatter it over it. [FORMAL ] □ [V n + over ] Distribute the topping evenly over the fruit.

5 → see also distributed

dis|trib|ut|ed /d I str I bjuːt I d/ ADJ [adv ADJ ] If things are distributed throughout an area, object, or group, they exist throughout it. □ These cells are widely distributed throughout the body.

dis|tri|bu|tion ◆◇◇ /d I str I bjuː ʃ ^ə n/ (distributions )

1 N‑UNCOUNT The distribution of things involves giving or delivering them to a number of people or places. □ [+ of ] …the council which controls the distribution of foreign aid. □ …emergency food distribution.

2 N‑VAR The distribution of something is how much of it there is in each place or at each time, or how much of it each person has. □ [+ of ] …a more equitable distribution of wealth. SYNONYMS distribution NOUN

1

delivery: …the delivery of goods and resources.

shipping: It is $39.95 plus $3 shipping.

transport: Local production virtually eliminates transport costs.

2

rationing: The municipal authorities here are preparing for food rationing.

division: The current division of labor between workers and management will alter.

allocation: His sons quarrelled bitterly over the allocation of family resources.

dis|tri|bu|tion|al /d I str I bjuː ʃənəl/

1 ADJ [ADJ n] Distributional means relating to the distribution of goods. □ What they're doing is setting up distributional networks.

2 ADJ [ADJ n] Distributional effects and policies relate to the share of a country's wealth that different groups of people have. [FORMAL ] □ …the distributional effects of free markets, which lead to inequalities in income.

dis|tribu|tive /d I str I bjuːt I v/ ADJ [ADJ n] Distributive means relating to the distribution of goods. □ Reorganization is necessary on the distributive side of this industry.

dis|tribu|tor /d I str I bjʊtə ^r / (distributors ) N‑COUNT A distributor is a company that supplies goods to shops or other businesses. [BUSINESS ] □ …Spain's largest distributor of petroleum products.

dis|tribu|tor|ship /d I str I bjʊtə ^r ʃ I p/ (distributorships ) N‑COUNT A distributorship is a company that supplies goods to shops or other businesses, or the right to supply goods to shops and businesses. [BUSINESS ] □ …the general manager of an automobile distributorship.

dis|trict ◆◆◇ /d I str I kt/ (districts )

1 N‑COUNT A district is a particular area of a town or country. □ I drove around the business district. □ …Nashville's shopping district.

2 N‑COUNT A district is an area of a town or country which has been given official boundaries for the purpose of administration. □ …the home of the governor of the district.

Di s|trict At|to r|ney (District Attorneys ) N‑COUNT In the United States, a District Attorney is a lawyer who works for a city, state, or federal government and puts on trial people who are accused of crimes. The abbreviation D.A. is also used.

di s|trict nu rse (district nurses ) N‑COUNT In Britain, a district nurse is a nurse who goes to people's houses to give them medical treatment and advice.

dis|trust /d I strʌ st/ (distrusts , distrusting , distrusted )

1 VERB If you distrust someone or something, you think they are not honest, reliable, or safe. □ [V n] I don't have any particular reason to distrust them.

2 N‑VAR [oft a N ] Distrust is the feeling of doubt that you have towards someone or something you distrust. □ [+ of ] What he saw there left him with a profound distrust of all political authority.

dis|trust|ful /d I strʌ stfʊl/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you are distrustful of someone or something, you think that they are not honest, reliable, or safe. □ [+ of ] Voters are deeply distrustful of all politicians.

dis|turb /d I stɜː ^r b/ (disturbs , disturbing , disturbed )

1 VERB If you disturb someone, you interrupt what they are doing and upset them. □ [V n] I hope I'm not disturbing you.

2 VERB If something disturbs you, it makes you feel upset or worried. □ [V n] I dream about him, dreams so vivid that they disturb me for days.

3 VERB If something is disturbed , its position or shape is changed. □ [be V -ed] He'd placed his notes in the brown envelope. They hadn't been disturbed. □ [V n] She patted Mona, taking care not to disturb her costume.

4 VERB If something disturbs a situation or atmosphere, it spoils it or causes trouble. □ [V n] What could possibly disturb such tranquility?

dis|turb|ance /d I stɜː ^r bəns/ (disturbances )

1 N‑COUNT A disturbance is an incident in which people behave violently in public. □ During the disturbance which followed, three Englishmen were hurt.

2 N‑UNCOUNT Disturbance means upsetting or disorganizing something which was previously in a calm and well-ordered state. □ The home would cause less disturbance to local residents than a school.

3 N‑VAR You can use disturbance to refer to a medical or psychological problem, when someone's body or mind is not working in the normal way. □ Poor educational performance is related to emotional disturbance.

dis|turbed /d I stɜː ^r bd/

1 ADJ A disturbed person is very upset emotionally, and often needs special care or treatment. □ …working with severely emotionally disturbed children.

2 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ , oft ADJ that, ADJ to-inf] You can say that someone is disturbed when they are very worried or anxious. □ Doctors were disturbed that less than 30 percent of the patients were women.

3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe a situation or period of time as disturbed , you mean that it is unhappy and full of problems. □ …women from disturbed backgrounds.

dis|turb|ing /d I stɜː ^r b I ŋ/ ADJ Something that is disturbing makes you feel worried or upset. □ There was something about him she found disturbing. ● dis|turb|ing|ly ADV [usu ADV adj, ADV with v] □ …the disturbingly high frequency of racial attacks.

dis|unit|ed /d I sjʊna I t I d/ ADJ If a group of people are disunited , there is disagreement and division among them. □ …an increasingly disunited party.

dis|unity /d I sjuː n I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT Disunity is lack of agreement among people which prevents them from working together effectively. [FORMAL ] □ He had been accused of promoting disunity within the armed forces.

dis|use /d I sjuː s/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft into N ] If something falls into disuse , people stop using it. If something becomes worse as a result of disuse , it becomes worse because no one uses it. □ …a church which has fallen into disuse.

dis|used /d I sjuː zd/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A disused place or building is empty and is no longer used. □ …a disused airfield near Maidenhead.

ditch /d I tʃ/ (ditches , ditching , ditched )

1 N‑COUNT A ditch is a long narrow channel cut into the ground at the side of a road or field.

2 VERB If you ditch something that you have or are responsible for, you abandon it or get rid of it, because you no longer want it. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n] I decided to ditch the sofa bed.

3 VERB If someone ditches someone, they end a relationship with that person. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n] I can't bring myself to ditch him and start again.

4 VERB If a pilot ditches an aircraft or if it ditches , the pilot makes an emergency landing. □ [V n] One American pilot was forced to ditch his jet in the Gulf. □ [V ] A survivor was knocked unconscious when the helicopter ditched.

5 → see also last-ditch

dith|er /d I ðə ^r / (dithers , dithering , dithered ) VERB When someone dithers , they hesitate because they are unable to make a quick decision about something. □ [V + over ] We're still dithering over whether to marry. □ [V + about ] If you have been dithering about buying shares, now could be the time to do it. [Also V ]

dit|to /d I toʊ/ In informal English, you can use ditto to represent a word or phrase that you have just used in order to avoid repeating it. In written lists, ditto can be represented by ditto marks – the symbol " – underneath the word that you want to repeat. □ Lister's dead. Ditto three Miami drug dealers and a lady.

dit|ty /d I ti/ (ditties ) N‑COUNT A ditty is a short or light-hearted song or poem. [HUMOROUS or WRITTEN ]

dit|zy /d I tsi/ (ditzier , ditziest ) also ditsy ADJ A ditzy person is silly and not very organized. [INFORMAL ] □ I sounded like a ditzy blonde!

di|uret|ic /da I əre t I k/ (diuretics ) N‑COUNT A diuretic is a substance which makes your body increase its production of waste fluids, with the result that you need to urinate more often than usual. [MEDICAL or TECHNICAL ] □ Alcohol acts as a diuretic, making you even more dehydrated. ● ADJ Diuretic is also an adjective. □ Many remedies effective in joint disease are primarily diuretic.

di|ur|nal /da I ɜː ^r n ^ə l/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Diurnal means happening or active during the daytime. [FORMAL ] □ Kangaroos are diurnal animals.

diva /diː və/ (divas ) N‑COUNT You can refer to a successful and famous female opera singer as a diva .

di|van /d I væ n, [AM ] da I væn/ (divans )

1 N‑COUNT A divan or divan bed is a bed that has a thick base under the mattress. [BRIT ]

2 N‑COUNT A divan is a long soft seat that has no back or arms.

dive /da I v/ (dives , diving , dived ) American English sometimes uses the form dove , pronounced /doʊ v/, for the past tense. 1 VERB If you dive into some water, you jump in head-first with your arms held straight above your head. □ [V + into ] He tried to escape by diving into a river. □ She was standing by a pool, about to dive in. □ [V ] Joanne had just learnt to dive. ● N‑COUNT Dive is also a noun. □ Pat had earlier made a dive of 80 feet from the Chasm Bridge.

2 VERB If you dive , you go under the surface of the sea or a lake, using special breathing equipment. □ [V ] Bezanik is diving to collect marine organisms. ● N‑COUNT Dive is also a noun. □ This sighting occurred during my dive to a sunken wreck off Sardinia.

3 VERB When birds and animals dive , they go quickly downwards, head-first, through the air or through water. □ [V ] …a pelican which had just dived for a fish.

4 VERB If an aeroplane dives , it flies or drops down quickly and suddenly. □ [V prep/adv] He was killed when his monoplane stalled and dived into the ground. [Also V ] ● N‑COUNT Dive is also a noun. □ Witnesses said the plane failed to pull out of a dive and smashed down in a field.

5 VERB If you dive in a particular direction or into a particular place, you jump or move there quickly. □ [V prep/adv] They dived into a taxi. ● N‑COUNT Dive is also a noun. □ He made a sudden dive for Uncle Jim's legs to try to trip him up.

6 VERB If you dive into a bag or container, you put your hands into it quickly in order to get something out. □ [V + into ] She dived into her bag and brought out a folded piece of paper.

7 VERB If shares, profits, or figures dive , their value falls suddenly and by a large amount. [JOURNALISM ] □ [V ] If we cut interest rates, the pound would dive. □ [V + from/to/by ] Profits have dived from £7.7m to £7.1m. □ [V amount] The shares dived 22p to 338p. ● N‑COUNT Dive is also a noun. □ Stock prices took a dive.

8 N‑COUNT If you describe a bar or club as a dive , you mean it is dirty and dark, and not very respectable. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]

di ve-bomb (dive-bombs , dive-bombing , dive-bombed ) VERB If a plane dive-bombs an area, it suddenly flies down low over it to drop bombs onto it. □ [V n] The Russians had to dive-bomb the cities to regain control. [Also V ]

di ve bomb|er (dive bombers ) also dive-bomber N‑COUNT You can refer to a plane that flies down low over a place in order to drop bombs on it as a dive bomber . □ The port had been attacked by German dive bombers for the past five days.

div|er /da I və ^r / (divers ) N‑COUNT A diver is a person who swims under water using special breathing equipment.

di|verge /da I vɜː ^r dʒ, [AM ] d I -/ (diverges , diverging , diverged )

1 VERB If one thing diverges from another similar thing, the first thing becomes different from the second or develops differently from it. You can also say that two things diverge . □ [V + from ] His interests increasingly diverged from those of his colleagues. □ [V ] When the aims of the partners begin to diverge, there's trouble.

2 VERB [no cont] If one opinion or idea diverges from another, they contradict each other or are different. You can also say that two opinions or ideas diverge . □ [V + from ] The view of the Estonian government does not diverge that far from Lipmaa's thinking. □ [V ] Needless to say, theory and practice sometimes diverged.

3 VERB If one road, path, or route diverges from another, they lead in different directions after starting from the same place. You can also say that roads, paths, or routes diverge . □ [V + from ] …a course that diverged from the Calvert Island coastline. □ [V ] Where three roads diverge take the middle branch.

di|ver|gence /da I vɜː ^r dʒ ^ə ns, [AM ] d I -/ (divergences ) N‑VAR A divergence is a difference between two or more things, attitudes, or opinions. [FORMAL ] □ There's a substantial divergence of opinion within the party.

di|ver|gent /da I vɜː ^r dʒ ^ə nt, [AM ] d I -/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Divergent things are different from each other. [FORMAL ] □ …two people who have divergent views on this question.

di|verse /da I vɜː ^r s, [AM ] d I -/

1 ADJ If a group or range of things is diverse , it is made up of a wide variety of things. □ …shops selling a diverse range of gifts.

2 ADJ Diverse people or things are very different from each other. □ Jones has a much more diverse and perhaps younger audience.

di|ver|si|fy /da I vɜː ^r s I fa I , [AM ] d I -/ (diversifies , diversifying , diversified ) VERB When an organization or person diversifies into other things, or diversifies their range of something, they increase the variety of things that they do or make. □ [V + into ] The company's troubles started only when it diversified into new products. □ [V ] Manufacturers have been encouraged to diversify. □ [V n] These firms have been given a tough lesson in the need to diversify their markets. ● di|ver|si|fi|ca|tion /da I vɜː ^r s I f I ke I ʃ ^ə n, [AM ] d I -/ (diversifications ) N‑VAR □ The seminar was to discuss diversification of agriculture.

di|ver|sion /da I vɜː ^r ʃ ^ə n, [AM ] d I vɜː rʒ ^ə n/ (diversions )

1 N‑COUNT A diversion is an action or event that attracts your attention away from what you are doing or concentrating on. □ The robbers threw smoke bombs to create a diversion.

2 N‑COUNT A diversion is an activity that you do for pleasure. [FORMAL ] □ Finger painting is very messy but an excellent diversion.

3 N‑COUNT A diversion is a special route arranged for traffic to follow when the normal route cannot be used. [BRIT ] □ They turned back because of traffic diversions. in AM, use detour 4 N‑UNCOUNT The diversion of something involves changing its course or destination. □ [+ of ] …the illegal diversion of profits from secret arms sales.

di|ver|sion|ary /da I vɜː ^r ʃənri, [AM ] d I vɜː rʒəneri/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A diversionary activity is one intended to attract people's attention away from something which you do not want them to think about, know about, or deal with. □ Fires were started by the prisoners as a diversionary tactic.

di|ver|sity /da I vɜː ^r s I ti, [AM ] d I -/ (diversities )

1 N‑VAR The diversity of something is the fact that it contains many very different elements. □ …the cultural diversity of British society.

2 N‑SING A diversity of things is a range of things which are very different from each other. □ [+ of ] His object is to gather as great a diversity of material as possible.

di|vert /da I vɜː ^r t, [AM ] d I -/ (diverts , diverting , diverted )

1 VERB To divert vehicles or travellers means to make them follow a different route or go to a different destination than they originally intended. You can also say that someone or something diverts from a particular route or to a particular place. [BRIT ] □ [V n + from/to ] …Rainham Marshes, east London, where a new bypass will divert traffic from the A13. □ [V n] We diverted a plane to rescue 100 passengers. □ [V + from/to ] She insists on diverting to a village close to the airport. in AM, use detour 2 VERB To divert money or resources means to cause them to be used for a different purpose. □ [V n prep/adv] The government is trying to divert more public funds from west to east. [Also V n]

3 VERB To divert a phone call means to send it to a different number or place from the one that was dialled by the person making the call. □ [V n prep/adv] He instructed switchboard staff to divert all Laura's calls to him. [Also V n]

4 VERB If you say that someone diverts your attention from something important or serious, you disapprove of them behaving or talking in a way that stops you thinking about it. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V n prep/adv] They want to divert the attention of the people from the real issues. [Also V n]

di|vert|ing /da I vɜː ^r t I ŋ, [AM ] d I -/ ADJ If you describe something as diverting , you mean that it is amusing or entertaining. [OLD-FASHIONED ]

di|vest /da I ve st, [AM ] d I -/ (divests , divesting , divested )

1 VERB If you divest yourself of something that you own or are responsible for, you get rid of it or stop being responsible for it. [FORMAL ] □ [V pron-refl + of ] The company divested itself of its oil interests.

2 VERB If something or someone is divested of a particular quality, they lose that quality or it is taken away from them. [FORMAL ] □ [be V -ed + of ] …in the 1960s, when sexual love had been divested of sin. □ [V n + of ] They have divested rituals of their original meaning.

di|vide ◆◆◇ /d I va I d/ (divides , dividing , divided )

1 VERB When people or things are divided or divide into smaller groups or parts, they become separated into smaller parts. □ [be V -ed + into ] The physical benefits of exercise can be divided into three factors. □ [V n + into ] It will be easiest if we divide them into groups. □ [V n + in ] Divide the pastry in half and roll out each piece. □ [V + into ] We divide into pairs and each pair takes a region. □ [V ] Bacteria reproduce by dividing and making copies of themselves. [Also V n]

2 VERB If you divide something among people or things, you separate it into several parts or quantities which you distribute to the people or things. □ [V n + between/among ] Divide the sauce among 4 bowls. [Also V n]

3 VERB If you divide a larger number by a smaller number or divide a smaller number into a larger number, you calculate how many times the smaller number can fit exactly into the larger number. □ [V n + by/into ] Measure the floor area of the greenhouse and divide it by six.

4 VERB If a border or line divides two areas or divides an area into two, it keeps the two areas separate from each other. □ [V n] the decision to divide the country into autonomous regions. □ [V n + from ] …the long frontier dividing Mexico from the United States. [Also V n into pl-n]

5 VERB If people divide over something or if something divides them, it causes strong disagreement between them. □ [V n] She has done more to divide the Conservatives than anyone else. □ [V prep] The party is likely to divide along ideological lines. [Also V n prep]

6 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A divide is a significant distinction between two groups, often one that causes conflict. □ …a deliberate attempt to create a Hindu–Muslim divide in India.

7 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A divide is a moment in time or a point in a process when there is a complete change from one situation to another. □ The time had come to cross the great divide between formality and truth.

8 PHRASE You use divide and rule to refer to a policy which is intended to keep someone in a position of power by causing disagreements between people who might otherwise unite against them. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Ministers will offer inducements to some, in an attempt to divide and rule.

▸ divide up

1 PHRASAL VERB If you divide something up , you separate it into smaller or more useful groups. □ [V P n + into ] The idea is to divide up the country into four sectors. □ [V n P + into ] The Trust needs a new law to divide it up into smaller bodies. [Also V n P ]

2 PHRASAL VERB If you divide something up , you share it out among a number of people or groups in approximately equal parts. □ [V P n] The aim was to divide up the business, give everyone an equal stake in its future. [Also V n P ] COLLOCATIONS divide VERB 6

noun + divide : class, gender, north-south

adjective + divide : generational, racial, sectarian

verb + divide : bridge, straddle SYNONYMS divide VERB 1

split: We split the boards down the middle.

separate: Police moved in to separate the two groups.

cut up: Halve the tomatoes, then cut them up coarsely.

partition: Bedrooms have been created by partitioning a single larger room.

segregate: Police segregated the two rival camps of protesters.

di|vi d|ed hi gh|way (divided highways ) N‑COUNT A divided highway is a road which has two lanes of traffic travelling in each direction with a strip of grass or concrete down the middle to separate the two lots of traffic. [AM ] in BRIT, use dual carriageway

divi|dend ◆◇◇ /d I v I dend/ (dividends )

1 N‑COUNT A dividend is the part of a company's profits which is paid to people who have shares in the company. [BUSINESS ] □ The first quarter dividend has been increased by nearly 4 per cent.

2 PHRASE If something pays dividends , it brings advantages at a later date. □ Steps taken now to maximise your health will pay dividends later on.

3 → see also peace dividend COLLOCATIONS dividend NOUN 1

noun + dividend : cash, share

adjective + dividend : annual, final, interim, quarterly; tax-free

dividend + be + adjective : payable

verb + dividend : pay, reap, receive; increase, reinvest; declare

di|vid|er /d I va I də ^r / (dividers )

1 N‑COUNT A divider is something which forms a barrier between two areas or sets of things. □ A curtain acted as a divider between this class and another.

2 N‑PLURAL [oft a pair of N ] Dividers are an instrument used for measuring lines and for marking points along them. Dividers consist of two pointed arms joined with a hinge.

di|vi d|ing line (dividing lines )

1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A dividing line is a distinction or set of distinctions which marks the difference between two types of thing or two groups. □ [+ between ] There's a very thin dividing line between joviality and hysteria.

2 N‑SING The dividing line between two areas is the boundary between them. □ [+ between ] …the street that was the dividing line between San Francisco and the fields of the Presidio.

divi|na|tion /d I v I ne I ʃ ^ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT Divination is the art or practice of discovering what will happen in the future using supernatural means. [FORMAL ]

di|vine /d I va I n/ (divines , divining , divined )

1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You use divine to describe something that is provided by or relates to a god or goddess. □ He suggested that the civil war had been a divine punishment. ● di|vine|ly ADV [usu ADV -ed] □ The law was divinely ordained.

2 VERB If you divine something, you discover or learn it by guessing. [LITERARY ] □ [V n] …the child's ability to divine the needs of its parents and respond to them. □ [V that] From this he divined that she did not like him much. [Also V wh]

di|vi ne ri ght (divine rights ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] If someone thinks they have a divine right to something, they think that it is their right to have it, without making any effort. □ A degree does not give you a divine right to wealth.

div|ing /da I v I ŋ/

1 N‑UNCOUNT Diving is the activity of working or looking around underwater, using special breathing equipment. □ …equipment and accessories for diving.

2 N‑UNCOUNT Diving is the sport or activity in which you jump into water head first with your arms held straight above your head, usually from a diving board.

di v|ing bell (diving bells ) N‑COUNT A diving bell is a container shaped like a bell, in which people can breathe air while they work under water.

di v|ing board (diving boards ) N‑COUNT A diving board is a board high above a swimming pool from which people can dive into the water.

di|vin|ity /d I v I n I ti/ (divinities )

1 N‑UNCOUNT Divinity is the study of religion.

2 N‑UNCOUNT [oft with poss] Divinity is the quality of being divine. □ …a lasting faith in the divinity of Christ's word.

3 N‑COUNT A divinity is a god or goddess. □ The three statues above are probably Roman divinities.

di|vi|sible /d I v I z I b ^ə l/ ADJ If one number is divisible by another number, the second number can be divided into the first exactly, with nothing left over. □ [+ by ] Twenty-eight is divisible by seven.

di|vi|sion ◆◆◇ /d I v I ʒ ^ə n/ (divisions )

1 N‑UNCOUNT [oft with poss] The division of a large unit into two or more distinct parts is the act of separating it into these parts. □ [+ into ] …Czechoslovakia's division into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

2 N‑UNCOUNT The division of something among people or things is its separation into parts which are distributed among the people or things. □ The current division of labor between workers and management will alter.

3 N‑UNCOUNT Division is the arithmetical process of dividing one number into another number. □ I taught my daughter how to do division at the age of six.

4 N‑VAR A division is a significant distinction or argument between two groups, which causes the two groups to be considered as very different and separate. □ [+ between/among ] The division between the prosperous west and the impoverished east remains.

5 N‑COUNT In a large organization, a division is a group of departments whose work is done in the same place or is connected with similar tasks. □ …the bank's Latin American division.

6 N‑COUNT A division is a group of military units which fight as a single unit. □ Several armoured divisions are being moved from Germany.

7 N‑COUNT In some sports, such as football, baseball, and basketball, a division is one of the groups of teams which make up a league. The teams in each division are considered to be approximately the same standard, and they all play against each other during the season. SYNONYMS division NOUN 4

rift: The serious rifts within the country could lead to civil war.

disagreement: There was a disagreement over who should be invited to the conference.

split: They were accused of trying to provoke a split in the party.

feud: …a long and bitter feud between the state government and the villagers.

schism: The church seems to be on the brink of schism.

di|vi|sion|al /d I v I ʒən ^ə l/ ADJ [ADJ n] Divisional means relating to a division of a large organization or group. □ An alarm links the police station to the divisional headquarters.

di|vi |sion sign (division signs ) N‑COUNT A division sign is the symbol ÷ used between two numbers to show that the first number has to be divided by the second.

di|vi|sive /d I va I s I v/ ADJ Something that is divisive causes unfriendliness and argument between people. □ Abortion has always been a divisive issue. ● di|vi|sive|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ We live in a world that seems ever more full of rancor and divisiveness.

di|vor|cé /d I vɔː ^r si/ (divorcés ) N‑COUNT A divorcé is a man who is divorced. [mainly AM ]

di|vorce ◆◇◇ /d I vɔː ^r s/ (divorces , divorcing , divorced )

1 N‑VAR A divorce is the formal ending of a marriage by law. □ Numerous marriages now end in divorce.

2 VERB If a man and woman divorce or if one of them divorces the other, their marriage is legally ended. □ [V ] My parents divorced when I was very young. □ [n get V -ed] He and Lillian had got divorced. □ [V n] I am absolutely furious that he divorced me to marry her. □ [V ] Mr Gold is divorcing for the second time. □ [get V -ed] I got divorced when I was about 31.

3 N‑SING A divorce of one thing from another, or a divorce between two things is a separation between them which is permanent or is likely to be permanent. □ [+ from ] …this divorce of Christian culture from the roots of faith.

4 VERB If you say that one thing cannot be divorced from another, you mean that the two things cannot be considered as different and separate things. □ [be V -ed + from ] Good management in the police cannot be divorced from accountability. □ [V n + from ] We have been able to divorce sex from reproduction. COLLOCATIONS divorce NOUN 1

adjective + divorce : acrimonious, bitter, messy, painful; amicable

verb + divorce : finalize, obtain, seek, want; grant

di|vorced /d I vɔː ^r st/

1 ADJ Someone who is divorced from their former husband or wife has separated from them and is no longer legally married to them. □ He is divorced, with a young son.

2 ADJ If you say that one thing is divorced from another, you mean that the two things are very different and separate from each other. □ [+ from ] …speculative theories divorced from political reality.

3 ADJ If you say that someone is divorced from a situation, you mean that they act as if they are not affected by it in any way. □ [+ from ] This just shows how divorced from reality she's become.

di|vor|cee /d I vɔː ^r siː / (divorcees ) N‑COUNT A divorcee is a person, especially a woman, who is divorced.

di|vor|cée /d I vɔː ^r si/ (divorcées ) N‑COUNT A divorcée is a woman who is divorced. [mainly AM ]

div|ot /d I vət/ (divots ) N‑COUNT A divot is a small piece of grass and earth which is dug out accidentally, for example by a golf club.

di|vulge /da I vʌ ldʒ, [AM ] d I -/ (divulges , divulging , divulged ) VERB If you divulge a piece of secret or private information, you tell it to someone. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] Officials refuse to divulge details of the negotiations. □ [V wh] I do not want to divulge where the village is. [Also V n + to , V that]

div|vy /d I vi/ (divvies , divvying , divvied ) N‑COUNT If you call someone a divvy , you are saying in a humorous way that you think they are rather foolish. [BRIT , INFORMAL ]

▸ divvy up PHRASAL VERB If you divvy up something such as money or food, you share it out. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P n] Johnson was free to divvy up his share of the money as he chose. [Also V n P ]

Di|wa|li /d I wɑː li/ also Divali N‑UNCOUNT Diwali is a Hindu festival held in honour of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. It is celebrated in October or November with the lighting of lamps in homes and temples, and with prayers to Lakshmi.

DIY /diː a I wa I / N‑UNCOUNT DIY is the activity of making or repairing things yourself, especially in your home. DIY is an abbreviation for 'do-it-yourself'. [BRIT ] □ He's useless at DIY. He won't even put up a shelf.

diz|zy /d I zi/ (dizzier , dizziest , dizzies , dizzying , dizzied )

1 ADJ If you feel dizzy , you feel that you are losing your balance and are about to fall. □ Her head still hurt, and she felt slightly dizzy and disoriented. ● diz|zi|ly /d I z I li/ ADV [usu ADV with v] □ Her head spins dizzily as soon as she sits up. ● diz|zi|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ His complaint causes dizziness and nausea.

2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can use dizzy to describe a woman who is careless and forgets things, but is easy to like. □ She is famed for playing dizzy blondes.

3 PHRASE If you say that someone has reached the dizzy heights of something, you are emphasizing that they have reached a very high level by achieving it. [HUMOROUS , EMPHASIS ] □ [+ of ] I escalated to the dizzy heights of director's secretary.

DJ /diː dʒe I / (DJs ) also D.J. , dj

1 N‑COUNT A DJ is the same as a disc jockey .

2 N‑COUNT A DJ is the same as a dinner jacket . [BRIT ]

DNA ◆◇◇ /diː en e I / N‑UNCOUNT DNA is an acid in the chromosomes in the centre of the cells of living things. DNA determines the particular structure and functions of every cell and is responsible for characteristics being passed on from parents to their children. DNA is an abbreviation for 'deoxyribonucleic acid'.

D NA fi nger|print|ing N‑UNCOUNT DNA fingerprinting is the same as genetic fingerprinting .

D NA te st (DNA tests ) N‑COUNT A DNA test is a test in which someone's DNA is analysed, for example to see if they have committed a particular crime or are the parent of a particular child. ● DNA test|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ They took samples from his hair for DNA testing.

do

➊ AUXILIARY VERB USES

➋ OTHER VERB USES

➌ NOUN USES

➊ do ◆◆◆ /də, STRONG duː/ (does , doing , did , done ) Do is used as an auxiliary with the simple present tense. Did is used as an auxiliary with the simple past tense. In spoken English, negative forms of do are often shortened, for example do not is shortened to don't and did not is shortened to didn't . 1 AUX Do is used to form the negative of main verbs, by putting 'not' after 'do' and before the main verb in its infinitive form, that is the form without 'to'. □ They don't want to work. □ I did not know Jamie had a knife. □ It doesn't matter if you win or lose.

2 AUX Do is used to form questions, by putting the subject after 'do' and before the main verb in its infinitive form, that is the form without 'to'. □ Do you like music? □ What did he say? □ Where does she live?

3 AUX Do is used in question tags. □ You know about Andy, don't you? □ I'm sure they had some of the same questions last year didn't they?

4 AUX You use do when you are confirming or contradicting a statement containing 'do', or giving a negative or positive answer to a question. □ 'Did he think there was anything suspicious going on?'—'Yes, he did.' □ 'Do you have a metal detector?'—'No, I don't.'

5 AUX Do is used with a negative to tell someone not to behave in a certain way. □ Don't be silly. □ Don't touch that!

6 AUX Do is used to give emphasis to the main verb when there is no other auxiliary. [EMPHASIS ] □ Veronica, I do understand. □ You did have your phone with you.

7 AUX Do is used as a polite way of inviting or trying to persuade someone to do something. [POLITENESS ] □ Do sit down. □ Do help yourself to another drink.

8 VERB Do can be used to refer back to another verb group when you are comparing or contrasting two things, or saying that they are the same. □ [V ] I make more money than he does. □ I had fantasies, as do all mothers, about how life would be when my girls were grown. □ Girls receive less health care and less education in the developing world than do boys.

9 VERB You use do after 'so' and 'nor' to say that the same statement is true for two people or groups. □ [V n] You know that's true, and so do I. □ [V n] We don't forget that. Nor does he.

➋ do ◆◆◆ /duː / (does , doing , did , done ) do is used in a large number of expressions which are explained under other words in the dictionary. For example, the expression 'easier said than done' is explained at 'easy'. 1 VERB When you do something, you take some action or perform an activity or task. Do is often used instead of a more specific verb, to talk about a common action involving a particular thing. For example you can say 'do your teeth' instead of 'brush your teeth'. □ [V n] I was trying to do some work. □ [V n] After lunch Elizabeth and I did the washing up. □ [V n] Dad does the garden.

2 VERB Do can be used to stand for any verb group, or to refer back to another verb group, including one that was in a previous sentence. □ [V n] What are you doing? □ [V n] Think twice before doing anything. □ [V n] A lot of people got arrested for looting so they will think before they do it again. □ [V n] I'm glad they gave me my money back, but I think they did this to shut me up. □ [V n] The first thing is to get some more food. When we've done that we ought to start again. □ Brian counted to twenty and lifted his binoculars. Elena did the same. □ [V so ] He turned towards the open front door but, as he did so, she pushed past him.

3 VERB You can use do in a clause at the beginning of a sentence after words like 'what' and 'all', to give special emphasis to the information that comes at the end of the sentence. [EMPHASIS ] □ [V n] All she does is complain. □ [V n] What I should do is go and see her.

4 VERB If you do a particular thing with something, you use it in that particular way. □ [V n + with ] I was allowed to do whatever I wanted with my life. □ [V amount + with ] The technology was good, but you couldn't do much with it.

5 VERB If you do something about a problem, you take action to try to solve it. □ [V n + about ] They refuse to do anything about the real cause of crime: poverty. □ [V amount + about ] If an engine packs in, the engineer can't do anything about it until the plane has landed.

6 VERB If an action or event does a particular thing, such as harm or good, it has that result or effect. □ [V n] A few bombs can do a lot of damage. □ [V n n] It'll do you good to take a rest.

7 VERB You can use do to talk about the degree to which a person, action, or event affects or improves a particular situation. □ [V amount + for ] Such incidents do nothing for live music's reputation. □ [V n + for ] I'd just tried to do what I could for Lou.

8 VERB You can talk about what someone or something does to a person to mean that they have a very harmful effect on them. □ [V + to ] I saw what the liquor was doing to her.

9 VERB If you ask someone what they do , you want to know what their job or profession is. □ [V n] What does your father do?

10 VERB If you are doing something, you are busy or active in some way, or have planned an activity for some time in the future. □ [V n] Are you doing anything tomorrow night? □ [V n] There is nothing to do around here.

11 VERB If you say that someone or something does well or badly, you are talking about how successful or unsuccessful they are. □ [V adv] Connie did well at school and graduated with honours. □ [V adv] How did I do?

12 VERB If a person or organization does a particular service or product, they provide that service or sell that product. [mainly BRIT ] □ [V n] They provide design services and do printing and packaging. □ [V n] They do a good range of herbal tea.

13 VERB You can use do when referring to the speed or rate that something or someone achieves or is able to achieve. □ [V amount] They were doing 70 miles an hour.

14 VERB If you do a subject, author, or book, you study them at school or college. [SPOKEN ] □ [V n] I'd like to do maths at university.

15 VERB If you do a particular person, accent, or role, you imitate that person or accent, or act that role. □ [V n] Gina does accents extremely well.

16 VERB If someone does drugs, they take illegal drugs. □ [V n] I don't do drugs.

17 VERB If you say that something will do or will do you, you mean that there is enough of it or that it is of good enough quality to meet your requirements or to satisfy you. □ [V ] Anything to create a scene and attract attention will do. □ [V n] 'What would you like to eat?'—'Anything'll do me, Eva.'

18 PHRASE If you say that you could do with something, you mean that you need it or would benefit from it. □ I could do with a cup of tea. □ The range could do with being extended.

19 PHRASE You can ask someone what they did with something as another way of asking them where they put it. □ What did you do with that notebook?

20 PHRASE If you ask what someone or something is doing in a particular place, you are asking why they are there. □ 'Dr Campbell,' he said, clearly surprised. 'What are you doing here?'

21 PHRASE If you say that one thing has something to do with or is something to do with another thing, you mean that the two things are connected or that the first thing is about the second thing. □ Mr Butterfield denies having anything to do with the episode. □ That's none of your business, it has nothing to do with you.

▸ do away with

1 PHRASAL VERB To do away with something means to remove it completely or put an end to it. □ [V P P n] The long-range goal must be to do away with nuclear weapons altogether.

2 PHRASAL VERB If one person does away with another, the first murders the second. If you do away with yourself , you kill yourself. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P P n] She thinks he may have done away with her sister.

▸ do for PHRASAL VERB [usu passive] If you say that you are done for , you mean that you are in a terrible and hopeless situation. [INFORMAL ] □ [be V -ed P ] We need his help or we're done for, dead and gone, lost.

▸ do in PHRASAL VERB To do someone in means to kill them. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n P ] Whoever did him in removed a man who was brave as well as ruthless. [Also V P n]

▸ do out PHRASAL VERB [usu passive] If a room or building is done out in a particular way, it is decorated and furnished in that way. [BRIT ] □ [be V -ed P ] …a room newly done out in country-house style.

▸ do out of PHRASAL VERB If you do someone out of something, you unfairly cause them not to have or get a particular thing that they were expecting to have. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n P P n] He complains that the others have done him out of his share.

▸ do over PHRASAL VERB If you do a task over , you perform it again from the beginning. [AM ] □ [V n P ] If she had the chance to do it over, she would have hired a press secretary.

▸ do up

1 PHRASAL VERB If you do something up , you fasten it. □ [V P n] Mari did up the buttons. □ [V n P ] Keep your scarf on, do your coat up.

2 PHRASAL VERB If you do up an old building, you decorate and repair it so that it is in a better condition. [BRIT ] □ [V n P ] Nicholas has bought a barn in Provence and is spending August doing it up. [Also V P n]

3 PHRASAL VERB [usu passive] If you say that a person or room is done up in a particular way, you mean they are dressed or decorated in that way, often a way that is rather ridiculous or extreme. □ [be V -ed prep/adv] …Beatrice, usually done up like the fairy on the Christmas tree.

▸ do without

1 PHRASAL VERB If you do without something you need, want, or usually have, you are able to survive, continue, or succeed although you do not have it. □ [V P n] We can't do without the help of your organisation. □ [V P ] We've had a bit more money and that, and the baby doesn't do without.

2 PHRASAL VERB If you say that you could do without something, you mean that you would prefer not to have it or it is of no benefit to you. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P n] He could do without her rhetorical questions at five o'clock in the morning.

➌ do /duː / (dos )

1 N‑COUNT A do is a party, dinner party, or other social event. [mainly BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ A friend of his is having a do in Stoke.

2 PHRASE If someone tells you the dos and don'ts of a particular situation, they advise you what you should and should not do in that situation. □ Please advise me on the most suitable colour print film and some dos and don'ts.

do. do. is an old-fashioned written abbreviation for ditto .

do|able /duː əbəl/ also do-able ADJ If something is doable , it is possible to do it. □ Is this project something that you think is doable?

d.o.b. d.o.b. is an old-fashioned written abbreviation for date of birth , used especially on official forms.

do|ber|man /doʊ bə ^r mən/ (dobermans ) N‑COUNT A doberman is a type of large dog with short dark fur.

doc /dɒ k/ (docs ) N‑VOC Some people call a doctor doc . [INFORMAL ]

doc|ile /doʊ sa I l, [AM ] dɑː s ^ə l/ ADJ A person or animal that is docile is quiet, not aggressive, and easily controlled. □ …docile, obedient children. ● do|cil|ity /dɒs I l I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT □ Her docility had surprised him. ● doc|ile|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ She stood there, docilely awaiting my decision.

dock /dɒ k/ (docks , docking , docked )

1 N‑COUNT [oft in/into N ] A dock is an enclosed area in a harbour where ships go to be loaded, unloaded, and repaired. □ She headed for the docks, thinking that Ricardo might be hiding in one of the boats.

2 VERB When a ship docks or is docked , it is brought into a dock. □ [V ] The vessel docked at Liverpool in April 1811. □ [V n] Russian commanders docked a huge aircraft carrier in a Russian port.

3 VERB When one spacecraft docks or is docked with another, the two crafts join together in space. □ [V + with ] The shuttle should be capable of docking with other spacecraft in orbit. □ [V n prep] They have docked a robot module alongside the orbiting space station.

4 N‑COUNT A dock is a platform for loading vehicles or trains. [AM ] □ The truck left the loading dock with hoses still attached.

5 N‑COUNT A dock is a small structure at the edge of water where boats can tie up, especially one that is privately owned. [AM ]

6 N‑SING In a law court, the dock is where the person accused of a crime stands or sits. □ What about the odd chance that you do put an innocent man in the dock?

7 VERB If you dock someone's wages or money, you take some of the money away. If you dock someone points in a contest, you take away some of the points that they have. □ [V n] He threatens to dock her fee. [Also V n n]

8 → see also dry dock

dock|er /dɒ kə ^r / (dockers ) N‑COUNT A docker is a person who works in the docks, loading and unloading ships. [BRIT ] in AM, use longshoreman

dock|et /dɒ k I t/ (dockets )

1 N‑COUNT A docket is a certificate or ticket which shows the contents of something such as a parcel or cargo, and proves who the goods belong to. [BRIT ]

2 N‑COUNT A docket is a list of cases waiting for trial in a law court. [mainly AM ]

dock|land /dɒ klænd/ (docklands ) N‑VAR The dockland or docklands of a town or city is the area around the docks. [BRIT ]

dock|side /dɒ ksa I d/ N‑SING [oft N n] The dockside is the part of a dock that is next to the water.

do ck work|er (dock workers ) N‑COUNT A dock worker is a person who works in the docks, loading and unloading ships.

dock|yard /dɒ kjɑː ^r d/ (dockyards ) N‑COUNT A dockyard is a place where ships are built, maintained, and repaired.

doc|tor ◆◆◇ /dɒ ktə ^r / (doctors , doctoring , doctored )

1 N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE A doctor is someone who is qualified in medicine and treats people who are ill. □ Do not discontinue the treatment without consulting your doctor. □ Doctor Paige will be here right after lunch to see her.

2 N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE A dentist or veterinarian can also be called doctor . [AM ]

3 N‑COUNT [usu sing] The doctor's is used to refer to the surgery or office where a doctor works. □ I have an appointment at the doctor's.

4 N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE A doctor is someone who has been awarded the highest academic or honorary degree by a university. □ [+ of ] He is a doctor of philosophy.

5 VERB If someone doctors something, they change it in order to deceive people. □ [V n] They doctored the prints to make her look as awful as possible.

doc|tor|al /dɒ ktərəl/ ADJ [ADJ n] A doctoral thesis or piece of research is written or done in order to obtain a doctor's degree.

doc|tor|ate /dɒ ktərət/ (doctorates ) N‑COUNT A doctorate is the highest degree awarded by a university. □ He obtained his doctorate in Social Psychology.

Do c|tor of Phi|lo so|phy (Doctors of Philosophy ) N‑COUNT A Doctor of Philosophy is someone who has a PhD .

doc|tri|naire /dɒ ktr I neə ^r / ADJ If you say that someone is doctrinaire or has a doctrinaire attitude, you disapprove of them because they have fixed principles which they try to force on other people. [FORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ He is firm but not doctrinaire.

doc|tri|nal /dɒktra I n ^ə l, [AM ] dɑː ktr I n ^ə l/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Doctrinal means relating to doctrines. [FORMAL ] □ Doctrinal differences were vigorously debated among religious leaders.

doc|trine /dɒ ktr I n/ (doctrines ) N‑VAR A doctrine is a set of principles or beliefs, especially religious ones. □ [+ of ] …the Marxist doctrine of perpetual revolution.

docu|dra|ma /dɒ kjʊdrɑːmə/ (docudramas ) also docu-drama N‑VAR A docudrama is a film based on events that really happened. Docudramas are usually shown on television rather than in cinemas.

docu|ment ◆◆◇ (documents , documenting , documented ) The noun is pronounced /dɒ kjəmənt/. The verb is pronounced /dɒ kjəment/. 1 N‑COUNT A document is one or more official pieces of paper with writing on them. □ …a policy document for the Labour Party conference. □ The police officer wanted to see all our documents.

2 N‑COUNT A document is a piece of text or graphics, for example a letter, that is stored as a file on a computer and that you can access in order to read it or change it. [COMPUTING ] □ When you are finished typing, remember to save your document.

3 VERB If you document something, you make a detailed record of it in writing or on film or tape. □ [V n] He wrote a book documenting his prison experiences. COLLOCATIONS document NOUN

1

noun + document : court, identity, policy, travel

adjective + document : historical, legal; classified, confidential, important; fake, false, genuine, original

verb + document : file, obtain, release; forge, leak; prepare, sign

2

verb + document : edit, open, save, send

docu|men|tary ◆◇◇ /dɒ kjəme ntri/ (documentaries )

1 N‑COUNT A documentary is a television or radio programme, or a film, which shows real events or provides information about a particular subject. □ …a TV documentary on homelessness.

2 ADJ [ADJ n] Documentary evidence consists of things that are written down. □ We have documentary evidence that they were planning military action.

docu|men|ta|tion /dɒ kjəmente I ʃ ^ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT Documentation consists of documents which provide proof or evidence of something, or are a record of something. □ Passengers must carry proper documentation.

docu|soap /dɒ kjəsoʊp/ (docusoaps ) N‑COUNT A docusoap is a television programme that shows the daily lives of people who work in a place such as a hospital or an airport, and is broadcast at a regular time each week or day.

dod|der|ing /dɒ dər I ŋ/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you refer to someone as a doddering old man or woman, you are saying in a disrespectful way that they are old and not strong. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …a doddering old man making his will before he's too senile.

dod|dery /dɒ dəri/ ADJ Someone who is doddery walks in an unsteady way, especially because of old age.

dod|dle /dɒ d ^ə l/ N‑SING If you say that something is a doddle , you mean that it is very easy to do. [BRIT , INFORMAL ]

dodge /dɒ dʒ/ (dodges , dodging , dodged )

1 VERB If you dodge , you move suddenly, often to avoid being hit, caught, or seen. □ [V prep/adv] He dodged amongst the seething crowds of men.

2 VERB If you dodge something, you avoid it by quickly moving aside or out of reach so that it cannot hit or reach you. □ [V n] He desperately dodged a speeding car trying to run him down.

3 VERB If you dodge something, you deliberately avoid thinking about it or dealing with it, often by being deceitful. □ [V n] He boasts of dodging military service by feigning illness. ● N‑COUNT Dodge is also a noun. □ This was not just a tax dodge.

dodg|em /dɒ dʒəm/ (dodgems ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] A dodgem or dodgem car is a small electric car with a wide rubber strip all round. People drive dodgems around a special area at an amusement park and sometimes crash into each other for fun. [mainly BRIT , TRADEMARK ] in AM, use bumper car

dodg|er /dɒ dʒə ^r / (dodgers )

1 N‑COUNT [usu n N ] A dodger is someone who avoids doing a duty or paying a charge, for example paying taxes or for train travel. □ …tax dodgers who hide their interest earnings.

2 → see also draft dodger

dodgy /dɒ dʒi/ (dodgier , dodgiest )

1 ADJ If you describe someone or something as dodgy , you disapprove of them because they seem rather dishonest and unreliable. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ He was a bit of a dodgy character.

2 ADJ If you say that something is dodgy , you mean that it seems rather risky, dangerous, or unreliable. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ Predicting voting trends from economic forecasts is a dodgy business.

3 ADJ If you say that someone has a dodgy heart or knee, for example, you mean that that part of their body is not very strong or healthy. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ My heart's a bit dodgy.

dodo /doʊ doʊ/ (dodos or dodoes )

1 N‑COUNT A dodo was a very large bird that was unable to fly. Dodos are now extinct.

2 N‑COUNT If you refer to someone as a dodo , you think they are foolish or silly. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]

doe /doʊ / (does ) N‑COUNT A doe is an adult female rabbit, hare, or deer.

doer /duː ə ^r / (doers ) N‑COUNT If you refer to someone as a doer , you mean that they do jobs promptly and efficiently, without spending a lot of time thinking about them. □ Robertson was a doer, not a thinker.

does /dəz, STRONG dʌz/ Does is the third person singular in the present tense of do .

doesn't ◆◆◆ /dʌ z ^ə nt/ Doesn't is the usual spoken form of 'does not'.

doff /dɒ f, [AM ] dɔː f/ (doffs , doffing , doffed ) VERB If you doff your hat or coat, you take it off. [OLD-FASHIONED ] □ [V n] The peasants doff their hats.

dog ◆◆◇ /dɒ g, [AM ] dɔː g/ (dogs , dogging , dogged )

1 N‑COUNT A dog is a very common four-legged animal that is often kept by people as a pet or to guard or hunt. There are many different breeds of dog. □ The British are renowned as a nation of dog lovers.

2 N‑COUNT You use dog to refer to a male dog, or to the male of some related species such as wolves or foxes. □ Is this a dog or a bitch?

3 N‑COUNT If someone calls a man a dog , they strongly disapprove of him. [DISAPPROVAL ]

4 N‑COUNT People use dog to refer to something that they consider unsatisfactory or of poor quality. [AM , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]

5 VERB If problems or injuries dog you, they are with you all the time. □ [V n] His career has been dogged by bad luck.

6 → see also dogged , guide dog , prairie dog , sniffer dog

7 PHRASE You describe something as a dog's breakfast or dog's dinner in order to express your disapproval of it, for example because it is very untidy, badly organized, or badly done. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]

8 PHRASE You use dog eat dog to express your disapproval of a situation where everyone wants to succeed and is willing to harm other people in order to do so. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ It is very much dog eat dog out there.

9 PHRASE If you say that something is going to the dogs , you mean that it is becoming weaker and worse in quality. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ They sit in impotent opposition while the country goes to the dogs. COLLOCATIONS dog NOUN 6

noun + dog : accusations, allegations, controversy, rumours, scandal; bad luck, ill health, injury, misfortune, problems; criticism, questions

do g-collar (dog-collars ) also dog collar

1 N‑COUNT A dog-collar is a stiff, round, white collar that fastens at the back and that is worn by Christian priests and ministers. [INFORMAL ]

2 N‑COUNT A dog-collar is a collar worn by a dog.

do g-eared ADJ A book or piece of paper that is dog-eared has been used so much that the corners of the pages are turned down or torn. □ …dog-eared copies of ancient history books.

dog|fight /dɒ gfa I t, [AM ] dɔː g-/ (dogfights ) also dog fight

1 N‑COUNT A dogfight is a fight between fighter planes, in which they fly close to one another and move very fast.

2 N‑COUNT If you say that organizations or people are involved in a dogfight , you mean they are struggling very hard against each other in order to succeed. □ The three leading contenders were locked in a dogfight.

dog|fish /dɒ gf I ʃ, [AM ] dɔː g-/ (dogfish ) N‑COUNT A dogfish is a small shark. There are several kinds of dogfish.

dog|ged /dɒ g I d, [AM ] dɔː -/ ADJ [ADJ n] If you describe someone's actions as dogged , you mean that they are determined to continue with something even if it becomes difficult or dangerous. □ They have gained respect through sheer dogged determination. ● dog|ged|ly ADV [usu ADV with v] □ She would fight doggedly for her rights as the children's mother. ● dog|ged|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ Most of my accomplishments came as the result of sheer doggedness.

dog|ger|el /dɒ gər ^ə l, [AM ] dɔː -/ N‑UNCOUNT If you refer to a poem as doggerel , you are emphasizing that you think it is very bad poetry. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …fragments of meaningless doggerel.

dog|gie /dɒ gi, [AM ] dɔː -/ (doggies ) N‑COUNT Doggie is a child's word for a dog.

do g|gie ba g (doggie bags ) N‑COUNT If you ask for a doggie bag in a restaurant, you ask for any food you have not eaten to be put into a bag for you to take home.

dog|gy /dɒ gi, [AM ] dɔː -/ (doggies ) → see doggie

dog|house /dɒ ghaʊs, [AM ] dɔː g-/ (doghouses ) also dog-house

1 N‑COUNT A doghouse is a small building made especially for a dog to sleep in. [AM ] in BRIT, use kennel

2 PHRASE If you are in the doghouse , people are annoyed or angry with you. [INFORMAL ] □ He plays a salesman in the doghouse for repeatedly turning up late.

dog|leg /dɒ gleg, [AM ] dɔː g-/ (doglegs ) also dog-leg N‑COUNT A dogleg is a sharp bend in a road or a path.

dog|ma /dɒ gmə, [AM ] dɔː g-/ (dogmas ) N‑VAR If you refer to a belief or a system of beliefs as a dogma , you disapprove of it because people are expected to accept that it is true, without questioning it. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Their political dogma has blinded them to the real needs of the country.

dog|mat|ic /dɒgmæ t I k, [AM ] dɔːg-/ ADJ If you say that someone is dogmatic , you are critical of them because they are convinced that they are right, and refuse to consider that other opinions might also be justified. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Many writers at this time held rigidly dogmatic views. ● dog|mati|cal|ly /dɒgmæ t I kli, [AM ] dɔːg-/ ADV [ADV with v] □ He applies the Marxist world view dogmatically to all social phenomena.

dog|ma|tism /dɒ gmət I zəm, [AM ] dɔː g-/ N‑UNCOUNT If you refer to an opinion as dogmatism , you are criticizing it for being strongly stated without considering all the relevant facts or other people's opinions. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ We cannot allow dogmatism to stand in the way of progress. ● dog|ma|tist (dogmatists ) N‑COUNT □ Intellectuals are becoming unhappy with dogmatists in the party leadership.

do -goo der (do-gooders ) N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a do-gooder , you mean that they do things which they think will help other people, although you think that they are interfering. [DISAPPROVAL ]

dogs|body /dɒ gzbɒdi, [AM ] dɔː gz-/ (dogsbodies ) N‑COUNT A dogsbody is a person who has to do all the boring jobs that nobody else wants to do. [BRIT , INFORMAL ]

do g tag (dog tags ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Dog tags are metal identification discs that are worn on a chain around the neck by members of the United States armed forces.

do g-ti red ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you say that you are dog-tired , you are emphasizing that you are extremely tired. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ By dusk we were dog-tired and heading for home.

dog|wood /dɒ gwʊd, [AM ] dɔː g-/ (dogwoods ) N‑VAR A dogwood is a tree or bush that has groups of small white flowers surrounded by four large leaves.

doi|ly /dɔ I li/ (doilies ) N‑COUNT A doily is a small, round piece of paper or cloth that has a pattern of tiny holes in it. Doilies are put on plates under cakes and sandwiches.

do|ings /duː I ŋz/ N‑PLURAL [usu with poss] Someone's doings are their activities at a particular time. □ The film chronicles the everyday doings of a group of London schoolchildren.

do -it-yourse lf N‑UNCOUNT Do-it-yourself is the same as DIY .

Dol|by /dɒ lbi/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Dolby is a system which reduces the background noise on electronic cassette players. [TRADEMARK ] □ …a cassette deck equipped with Dolby noise reduction.

dol|drums /dɒ ldrəmz/ PHRASE If an activity or situation is in the doldrums , it is very quiet and nothing new or exciting is happening. □ The economy is in the doldrums.

dole /doʊ l/

1 N‑UNCOUNT [oft the N ] The dole or dole is money that is given regularly by the government to people who are unemployed. [BRIT ] in AM, usually use welfare

2 PHRASE Someone who is on the dole is registered as unemployed and receives money from the government. [mainly BRIT ] □ It's not easy living on the dole. in AM, usually use on welfare

▸ dole out PHRASAL VERB If you dole something out , you give a certain amount of it to each member of a group. □ [V P n] I got out my wallet and began to dole out the money. [Also V n P ]

dole|ful /doʊ lfʊl/ ADJ A doleful expression, manner, or voice is depressing and miserable. □ He gave me a long, doleful look. ● dole|ful|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ 'I don't know why they left,' he said dolefully.

do le queue (dole queues ) N‑COUNT When people talk about the dole queue , they are talking about the state of being unemployed, especially when saying how many people are unemployed. [BRIT ] □ Another 29,100 people have joined the dole queue. in AM, usually use unemployment line

doll /dɒ l/ (dolls , dolling , dolled ) N‑COUNT A doll is a child's toy which looks like a small person or baby.

▸ doll up PHRASAL VERB If a woman dolls herself up , she puts on smart or fashionable clothes in order to try and look attractive for a particular occasion. [INFORMAL ] □ [V pron-refl P ] We used to doll ourselves up and go into town. ● dolled up ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] □ She was dolled up for the occasion.

dol|lar ◆◆◆ /dɒ lə ^r / (dollars )

1 N‑COUNT The dollar is the unit of money used in the USA, Canada, Australia, and some other countries. It is represented by the symbol $. A dollar is divided into one hundred smaller units called cents. □ She gets paid seven dollars an hour. □ The government is spending billions of dollars on new urban rail projects. ● N‑SING The dollar is also used to refer to the American currency system. □ In early trading in Tokyo, the dollar fell sharply against the yen.

2 PHRASE If you pay top dollar for something, you pay a lot of money for it. [INFORMAL ] □ People will pay top dollar for anything, as long as they think it's a rare treat.

dol|lop /dɒ ləp/ (dollops ) N‑COUNT A dollop of soft or sticky food is a large spoonful of it. [INFORMAL ] □ [+ of ] …a dollop of cream.

do ll's house (doll's houses ) in AM, use dollhouse N‑COUNT A doll's house is a toy in the form of a small house, which contains tiny dolls and furniture for children to play with.

dol|ly /dɒ li/ (dollies ) N‑COUNT A dolly is a child's word for a doll.

dol|phin /dɒ lf I n/ (dolphins ) N‑COUNT A dolphin is a mammal which lives in the sea and looks like a large fish with a pointed mouth.

dolt /doʊ lt/ (dolts ) N‑COUNT If you call someone a dolt , you think they are stupid, or have done something stupid. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]

do|main /doʊme I n/ (domains )

1 N‑COUNT A domain is a particular field of thought, activity, or interest, especially one over which someone has control, influence, or rights. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] …the great experimenters in the domain of art.

2 N‑COUNT On the internet, a domain is a set of addresses that shows, for example, the category or geographical area that an internet address belongs to. [COMPUTING ]

do|mai n name (domain names ) N‑COUNT A domain name is the name of a person's or organization's website on the internet, for example 'collins.co.uk'. [COMPUTING ] □ Is the domain name already registered or still available?

dome /doʊ m/ (domes )

1 N‑COUNT A dome is a round roof. □ …the dome of St Paul's cathedral.

2 N‑COUNT A dome is any object that has a similar shape to a dome. □ …the dome of the hill.

domed /doʊ md/ ADJ Something that is domed is in the shape of a dome. □ …the great hall with its domed ceiling.

do|mes|tic ◆◆◇ /dəme st I k/ (domestics )

1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Domestic political activities, events, and situations happen or exist within one particular country. □ …over 100 domestic flights a day to 15 U.K. destinations. □ …sales in the domestic market. ● do|mes|ti|cal|ly /dəme st I kli/ ADV [ADV after v, ADV -ed/adj] □ Opportunities will improve as the company expands domestically and internationally.

2 → see also gross domestic product

3 ADJ [ADJ n] Domestic duties and activities are concerned with the running of a home and family. □ …a plan for sharing domestic chores.

4 ADJ [ADJ n] Domestic items and services are intended to be used in people's homes rather than in factories or offices. □ …domestic appliances.

5 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A domestic situation or atmosphere is one which involves a family and their home. □ It was a scene of such domestic bliss.

6 ADJ A domestic animal is one that is not wild and is kept either on a farm to produce food or in someone's home as a pet. □ …a domestic cat.

7 N‑COUNT A domestic , a domestic help , or a domestic worker is a person who is paid to come to help with the work that has to be done in a house such as the cleaning, washing, and ironing. SYNONYMS domestic ADJ

1

internal: The country stepped up internal security.

national: …major national and international issues.

home: Europe's software companies still have a growing home market.

3

household: …household chores.

home: …cheap but healthy home cooking.

do|mes|ti|cate /dəme st I ke I t/ (domesticates , domesticating , domesticated ) VERB When people domesticate wild animals or plants, they bring them under control and use them to produce food or as pets. □ [V n] We domesticated the dog to help us with hunting.

do|mes|ti|cat|ed /dəme st I ke I t I d/ ADJ Someone who is domesticated willingly does household tasks such as cleaning. □ Mum wasn't very domesticated.

do|mes|ti|city /doʊ mest I s I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT Domesticity is the state of being at home with your family. □ …a small rebellion against routine and cosy domesticity.

do|me s|tic sci |ence N‑UNCOUNT In British schools, domestic science was the name used to refer to the subject which involved cookery, sewing, and other household skills. The subject is now referred to as home economics , which is also the usual American term.

do|me s|tic vi o|lence N‑UNCOUNT Domestic violence is violence that takes place in the home, especially by one person against their partner. □ Women are still the main victims of domestic violence.

domi|cile /dɒ m I sa I l/ (domiciles ) N‑COUNT [oft with poss] Your domicile is the place where you live. [FORMAL ]

domi|ciled /dɒ m I sa I ld/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you are domiciled in a particular place, you live there. [FORMAL ] □ [+ in ] Frank is currently domiciled in Berlin.

domi|nance /dɒ m I nəns/ N‑UNCOUNT The dominance of a particular person or thing is the fact that they are more powerful, successful, or important than other people or things. □ [+ of/over ] …an attempt by each group to establish dominance over the other.

domi|nant /dɒ m I nənt/

1 ADJ Someone or something that is dominant is more powerful, successful, influential, or noticeable than other people or things. □ …a change which would maintain his party's dominant position in Scotland.

2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A dominant gene is one that produces a particular characteristic, whether a person has only one of these genes from one parent, or two genes, one from each parent. Compare recessive . [TECHNICAL ]

domi|nate ◆◆◇ /dɒ m I ne I t/ (dominates , dominating , dominated )

1 VERB To dominate a situation means to be the most powerful or important person or thing in it. □ [V n] The book is expected to dominate the best-seller lists. □ [V ] No single factor appears to dominate. ● domi|na|tion /dɒ m I ne I ʃ ^ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the domination of the market by a small number of organizations.

2 VERB If one country or person dominates another, they have power over them. □ [V n] Women are no longer dominated by the men in their relationships. □ [V ] The countries of Eastern Europe immediately started to dominate. ● domi|na|tion N‑UNCOUNT □ They had five centuries of domination by the Romans.

3 VERB If a building, mountain, or other object dominates an area, it is so large or impressive that you cannot avoid seeing it. □ [V n] It's one of the biggest buildings in this area, and it really dominates this whole place. SYNONYMS dominate VERB 2

rule: …the long line of feudal lords who had ruled over this land.

control: Most of the countries in the region were controlled by dictators.

govern: Their citizens are very thankful they are not governed by a dictator.

domi|nat|ing /dɒ m I ne I t I ŋ/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A dominating person has a very strong personality and influences the people around them. □ She certainly was a dominating figure in politics.

domi|neer|ing /dɒ m I n I ə r I ŋ/ ADJ If you say that someone is domineering , you disapprove of them because you feel that they try to control other people without any consideration for their feelings or opinions. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Mick was stubborn and domineering with a very bad temper.

do|min|ion /dəm I njən/ (dominions )

1 N‑UNCOUNT Dominion is control or authority. [FORMAL ] □ [+ over ] They truly believe they have dominion over us.

2 N‑COUNT [oft with poss] A dominion is an area of land that is controlled by a ruler. □ [+ of ] The Republic is a dominion of the Brazilian people.

domi|no /dɒ m I noʊ/ (dominoes )

1 N‑COUNT Dominoes are small rectangular blocks marked with two groups of spots on one side. They are used for playing various games.

2 N‑UNCOUNT Dominoes is a game in which players put dominoes onto a table in turn.

do mi|no ef|fect N‑SING If one event causes another similar event, which in turn causes another event, and so on, you can refer to this as a domino effect . □ The domino effect if one train is cancelled is enormous.

don /dɒ n/ (dons , donning , donned )

1 VERB If you don clothing, you put it on. [WRITTEN ] □ [V n] The crowd threw petrol bombs at the police, who responded by donning riot gear.

2 N‑COUNT A don is a lecturer at Oxford or Cambridge University in England. ● N‑COUNT Lecturers from any university are sometimes referred to as dons . [BRIT ]

do|nate /doʊne I t/ (donates , donating , donated )

1 VERB If you donate something to a charity or other organization, you give it to them. □ [V n + to ] He frequently donates large sums to charity. □ [V n] Others donated secondhand clothes. ● do|na|tion /doʊne I ʃ ^ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the donation of his collection to the art gallery.

2 VERB If you donate your blood or a part of your body, you allow doctors to use it to help someone who is ill. □ [V n] …people who are willing to donate their organs for use after death. ● do|na|tion N‑UNCOUNT □ …measures aimed at encouraging organ donation.

do|na|tion /doʊne I ʃ ^ə n/ (donations )

1 N‑COUNT A donation is something which someone gives to a charity or other organization. □ [+ to/of/from ] Employees make regular donations to charity.

2 → see also donate

done ◆◇◇ /dʌ n/

1 Done is the past participle of do .

2 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] A task or activity that is done has been completed successfully. □ When her deal is done, the client emerges with her purchase.

3 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] When something that you are cooking is done , it has been cooked long enough and is ready. □ As soon as the cake is done, remove it from the oven.

4 CONVENTION You say ' Done ' when you are accepting a deal, arrangement, or bet that someone has offered to make with you. [SPOKEN , FORMULAE ] □ 'You lead and we'll look for it.'—'Done.'

5 PHRASE If you say that something is over and done with , you mean that it is completely finished and you do not have to think about it any more. [SPOKEN ] □ Once this is all over and done with you can have a rest.

don|gle /dɒ ŋg ^ə l, [AM ] dɔː ŋg ^ə l/ (dongles ) N‑COUNT A dongle is a small electronic device that you can connect to another device, especially one that gives you access to the internet. [COMPUTING ] □ …the kit includes a speaker and wi-fi dongle.

Don Juan /dɒ n dʒuː ən/ (Don Juans ) N‑COUNT If you describe a man as a Don Juan , you mean he has had sex with many women.

don|key /dɒ ŋki/ (donkeys )

1 N‑COUNT A donkey is an animal which is like a horse but which is smaller and has longer ears.

2 PHRASE For donkey's years means for a very long time. [BRIT , INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ I've been a vegetarian for donkey's years.

do n|key jack|et (donkey jackets ) N‑COUNT A donkey jacket is a thick, warm jacket, usually dark blue with a strip across the shoulders at the back. [BRIT ]

do n|key work N‑SING If you do the donkey work , you do the hard work or the less interesting part of the work that needs to be done. [BRIT , INFORMAL ]

don|nish /dɒ n I ʃ/ ADJ If you describe a man as donnish , you think he is rather serious and intellectual. [mainly BRIT ]

do|nor /doʊ nə ^r / (donors )

1 N‑COUNT [oft n N ] A donor is someone who gives a part of their body or some of their blood to be used by doctors to help a person who is ill. □ Doctors removed the healthy kidney from the donor.

2 ADJ [ADJ n] Donor organs or parts are organs or parts of the body which people allow doctors to use to help people who are ill.

3 N‑COUNT A donor is a person or organization who gives something, especially money, to a charity, organization, or country that needs it.

do |nor card (donor cards ) N‑COUNT A donor card is a card which people carry in order to make sure that, when they die, their organs are used by doctors to help people who are ill.

don't ◆◆◆ /doʊ nt/ Don't is the usual spoken form of 'do not'.

do|nut /doʊ nʌt/ (donuts ) → see doughnut

doo|dad /duː dæd/ (doodads ) N‑COUNT A doodad is the same as a doodah . [AM , INFORMAL ]

doo|dah /duː dɑː/ (doodahs ) N‑COUNT You can refer to something, especially an electronic device, as a doodah when you do not know exactly what is called. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ The car has all the latest electronic doodahs.

doo|dle /duː d ^ə l/ (doodles , doodling , doodled )

1 N‑COUNT A doodle is a pattern or picture that you draw when you are bored or thinking about something else.

2 VERB When someone doodles , they draw doodles. □ [V ] He looked across at Jackson, doodling on his notebook. [Also V n]

doom /duː m/ (dooms , dooming , doomed )

1 N‑UNCOUNT Doom is a terrible future state or event which you cannot prevent. □ …his warnings of impending doom.

2 N‑UNCOUNT If you have a sense or feeling of doom , you feel that things are going very badly and are likely to get even worse. □ Why are people so full of gloom and doom?

3 VERB If a fact or event dooms someone or something to a particular fate, it makes certain that they are going to suffer in some way. □ [V n + to ] That argument doomed their marriage to failure. [Also V n to-inf]

doomed /duː md/

1 ADJ [v-link ADJ , ADJ to-inf] If something is doomed to happen, or if you are doomed to a particular state, something unpleasant is certain to happen, and you can do nothing to prevent it. □ [+ to ] Their plans seemed doomed to failure.

2 ADJ Someone or something that is doomed is certain to fail or be destroyed. □ I used to pour time and energy into projects that were doomed from the start.

dooms|day /duː mzde I /

1 N‑UNCOUNT Doomsday is a day or time when you expect something terrible or unpleasant is going to happen. □ …the doomsday scenario of civil war between the two factions.

2 N‑PROPER In the Christian religion, Doomsday is the last day of the world, on which God will judge everyone.

doo ms|day cult (doomsday cults ) N‑COUNT A doomsday cult is a religious cult whose members believe that the world is about to end. [mainly JOURNALISM ]

door ◆◆◆ /dɔː ^r / (doors )

1 N‑COUNT A door is a piece of wood, glass, or metal, which is moved to open and close the entrance to a building, room, cupboard, or vehicle. □ I knocked at the front door, but there was no answer. □ The police officer opened the door and looked in.

2 N‑COUNT A door is the space in a wall when a door is open. □ She looked through the door of the kitchen. Her daughter was at the stove.

3 N‑PLURAL Doors is used in expressions such as a few doors down or three doors up to refer to a place that is a particular number of buildings away from where you are. [INFORMAL ] □ Mrs Cade's house was only a few doors down from her daughter's apartment.

4 → see also next door

5 PHRASE When you answer the door , you go and open the door because a visitor has knocked on it or rung the bell. □ Carol answered the door as soon as I knocked.

6 PHRASE If you say that someone gets or does something by the back door or through the back door , you are criticizing them for doing it secretly and unofficially. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ The government would not allow anyone to sneak in by the back door and seize power by force.

7 PHRASE If someone closes the door on something, they stop thinking about it or dealing with it. □ We never close the door on a successful series.

8 PHRASE If people have talks and discussions behind closed doors , they have them in private because they want them to be kept secret. □ …decisions taken in secret behind closed doors.

9 PHRASE If someone goes from door to door or goes door to door , they go along a street calling at each house in turn, for example selling something. □ They are going from door to door collecting money from civilians.

10 PHRASE If you talk about a distance or journey from door to door or door to door , you are talking about the distance from the place where the journey starts to the place where it finishes. □ …tickets covering the whole journey from door to door.

11 PHRASE If you say that something helps someone to get their foot in the door or their toe in the door , you mean that it gives them an opportunity to start doing something new, usually in an area that is difficult to succeed in. □ The bondholding may help the firm get its foot in the door to win the business.

12 PHRASE If someone shuts the door in your face or slams the door in your face , they refuse to talk to you or give you any information. □ Did you say anything to him or just shut the door in his face?

13 PHRASE If you lay something at someone's door , you blame them for an unpleasant event or situation. □ The blame is generally laid at the door of the government.

14 PHRASE If someone or something opens the door to a good new idea or situation, they introduce it or make it possible. □ This book opens the door to some of the most exciting findings in solid-state physics.

15 PHRASE When you are out of doors , you are not inside a building, but in the open air. □ The weather was fine enough for working out of doors.

16 PHRASE If you see someone to the door , you go to the door with a visitor when they leave.

17 PHRASE If someone shows you the door , they ask you to leave because they are angry with you. □ Would they forgive and forget–or show him the door?

18 at death's door → see death

door|bell /dɔː ^r bel/ (doorbells ) N‑COUNT A doorbell is a bell on the outside of a house which you can ring so that the people inside know that you want to see them.

door|keeper /dɔː ^r kiːpə ^r / (doorkeepers ) N‑COUNT A doorkeeper is a person whose job is to stand at the door of a building such as a hotel and help people who are going in or out.

door|knob /dɔː ^r nɒb/ (doorknobs ) N‑COUNT A doorknob is a round handle on a door.

door|man /dɔː ^r mən/ (doormen )

1 N‑COUNT A doorman is a man who stands at the door of a club, prevents unwanted people from coming in, and makes people leave if they cause trouble.

2 N‑COUNT A doorman is a person whose job is to stay by the main entrance of a large building, and help people visiting the building.

door|mat /dɔː ^r mæt/ (doormats )

1 N‑COUNT A doormat is a mat by a door which people can wipe their shoes on when they enter a house or building.

2 N‑COUNT If you say that someone is a doormat , you are criticizing them because they let other people treat them badly, and do not complain or defend themselves when they are being treated unfairly. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ If you always give in to others you will end up feeling like a doormat.

door|step /dɔː ^r step/ (doorsteps )

1 N‑COUNT A doorstep is a step in front of a door on the outside of a building.

2 PHRASE If a place is on your doorstep , it is very near to where you live. If something happens on your doorstep , it happens very close to where you live. □ It is all too easy to lose sight of what is happening on our own doorstep.

door|stop /dɔː ^r stɒp/ (doorstops ) N‑COUNT A doorstop is a heavy object that you use to keep a door open.

doo r-to-doo r → see door

door|way /dɔː ^r we I / (doorways )

1 N‑COUNT A doorway is a space in a wall where a door opens and closes. □ Hannah looked up to see David and another man standing in the doorway.

2 N‑COUNT A doorway is a covered space just outside the door of a building. □ …homeless people sleeping in shop doorways.

dope /doʊ p/ (dopes , doping , doped )

1 N‑UNCOUNT Dope is a drug, usually an illegal drug such as marijuana or cocaine. [INFORMAL ]

2 VERB If someone dopes a person or animal or dopes their food, they put drugs into their food or force them to take drugs. □ [V n] Anyone could have got in and doped the wine. □ [be V -ed + with ] I'd been doped with Somnolin. □ [V -ed] They've got him doped to the eyeballs. [Also V n with n]

3 N‑COUNT If someone calls a person a dope , they think that the person is stupid. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]

do ped u p ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If someone is doped up , they are in a state where they cannot think clearly because they are under the influence of drugs. [INFORMAL ] □ I feel a bit doped up, but I'm okay.

dopey /doʊ pi/

1 ADJ Someone who is dopey is sleepy, as though they have been drugged. □ The medicine always made him feel dopey and unable to concentrate.

2 ADJ If you describe someone as dopey , you mean that they are rather stupid. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]

dork /dɔː ^r k/ (dorks ) N‑COUNT If you say that someone is a dork , you think they dress badly in old-fashioned clothes and behave very awkwardly in social situations. [AM , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ …their unshakeable conviction that family holidays were strictly for dorks.

dorm /dɔː ^r m/ (dorms ) N‑COUNT A dorm is the same as a dormitory . [INFORMAL ]

dor|mant /dɔː ^r mənt/ ADJ Something that is dormant is not active, growing, or being used at the present time but is capable of becoming active later on. □ The virus remains dormant in nerve tissue until activated. ● dor|man|cy /dɔː ^r mənsi/ N‑UNCOUNT □ During dormancy the plants must be kept very dry.

dor|mer /dɔː ^r mə ^r / (dormers ) N‑COUNT A dormer or dormer window is a window that is built upright in a sloping roof.

dor|mi|tory /dɔː ^r m I tri, [AM ] -tɔːri/ (dormitories )

1 N‑COUNT A dormitory is a large bedroom where several people sleep, for example in a boarding school. □ …the boys' dormitory.

2 N‑COUNT A dormitory is a building in a college or university where students live. [AM ] □ She lived in a college dormitory. in BRIT, use hall of residence 3 ADJ [ADJ n] If you refer to a place as a dormitory suburb or town, you mean that most of the people who live there travel to work in another, larger town a short distance away. [BRIT ]

dor|mouse /dɔː ^r maʊs/ (dormice /dɔː ^r ma I s/) N‑COUNT A dormouse is a small animal that looks like a mouse. It is found in southern England and Wales.

dor|sal /dɔː ^r s ^ə l/ ADJ [ADJ n] Dorsal means relating to the back of a fish or animal. [TECHNICAL ] □ …a dolphin's dorsal fin.

DOS /dɒ s/ N‑UNCOUNT DOS is the part of a computer operating system that controls and manages files and programs stored on disk. DOS is an abbreviation for 'disk operating system'. [COMPUTING , TRADEMARK ] □ Where do I find the instructions to load DOS programs from Windows XP?

dos|age /doʊ s I dʒ/ (dosages ) N‑COUNT A dosage is the amount of a medicine or drug that someone takes or should take. □ He was put on a high dosage of vitamin C.

dose /doʊ s/ (doses , dosing , dosed )

1 N‑COUNT A dose of medicine or a drug is a measured amount of it which is intended to be taken at one time. □ [+ of ] One dose of penicillin can wipe out the infection.

2 N‑COUNT You can refer to an amount of something as a dose of that thing, especially when you want to emphasize that there is a great deal of it. [EMPHASIS ] □ The West is getting a heavy dose of snow and rain today.

3 VERB If you dose a person or animal with medicine, you give them an amount of it. □ [V n + with ] The doctor fixed the rib, dosed him heavily with drugs, and said he would probably get better. □ [V pron-refl + with ] I dosed myself with quinine. ● PHRASAL VERB Dose up means the same as dose . □ [V n P + with ] I dosed him up with Valium.

dosh /dɒ ʃ/ N‑UNCOUNT Dosh is money. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ …a chap who'd made lots of dosh.

doss /dɒ s/ (dosses , dossing , dossed ) VERB If someone dosses somewhere, they sleep in a place which is uncomfortable, usually because they have nowhere else to live. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [V prep/adv] …young people dossing in the streets of our cities. ● PHRASAL VERB Doss down means the same as doss . □ [V P prep/adv] When we had eaten, we dossed down in the lounge.

dos|ser /dɒ sə ^r / (dossers ) N‑COUNT A dosser is a city person who does not have a permanent home and sleeps in the streets or in very cheap hotels. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]

do ss-house (doss-houses ) also doss house , dosshouse N‑COUNT A doss-house is a kind of cheap hotel in a city for people who have no home and very little money. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] in AM, use flophouse

dos|si|er /dɒ sie I , -iə ^r / (dossiers ) N‑COUNT A dossier is a collection of papers containing information on a particular event, or on a person such as a criminal or a spy. □ [+ of/on ] The company is compiling a dossier of evidence to back its allegations.

dost /dʌ st/ Dost is an old-fashioned second person singular form of the verb 'do'.

dot /dɒ t/ (dots , dotting , dotted )

1 N‑COUNT A dot is a very small round mark, for example one that is used as the top part of the letter 'i', as a full stop, or as a decimal point.

2 N‑COUNT You can refer to something that you can see in the distance and that looks like a small round mark as a dot . □ Soon they were only dots above the hard line of the horizon.

3 VERB When things dot a place or an area, they are scattered or spread all over it. □ [V n] Small coastal towns dot the landscape.

4 → see also dotted , polka dots

5 PHRASE If you arrive somewhere or do something on the dot , you arrive there or do it at exactly the time that you were supposed to. □ They appeared on the dot of 9.50 pm as always.

6 PHRASE If you say that someone dots the i's and crosses the t's , you mean that they pay great attention to every small detail in a task; often used to express your annoyance because such detailed work seems unnecessary and takes a very long time.

dot|age /doʊ t I dʒ/ N‑UNCOUNT [usu poss N ] If someone is in their dotage , they are very old and becoming weak. □ Even in his dotage, the Professor still sits on the committee.

do t-co m (dot-coms ) N‑COUNT A dot-com is a company that does all or most of its business on the internet. □ …the first company to register as a dot-com.

dote /doʊ t/ (dotes , doting , doted ) VERB If you say that someone dotes on a person or a thing, you mean that they love or care about them very much and ignore any faults they may have. □ [V + on/upon ] He dotes on his nine-year-old son.

doth /dʌ θ/ Doth is an old-fashioned third person singular form of the verb 'do'.

dot|ing /doʊ t I ŋ/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you say that someone is, for example, a doting mother, husband, or friend, you mean that they show a lot of love for someone. □ His doting parents bought him his first racing bike at 13.

dot|ted /dɒ t I d/

1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A dotted line is a line which is made of a row of dots. □ Cut along the dotted line. ● PHRASE If you sign on the dotted line , you formally agree to something by signing an official document. □ Once you sign on the dotted line you are committed to that property.

2 ADJ [v-link ADJ + with ] If a place or object is dotted with things, it has many of those things scattered over its surface. □ The maps were dotted with the names of small towns.

3 ADJ If things are dotted around a place, they can be found in many different parts of that place. □ Many pieces of sculpture are dotted around the house.

4 → see also dot

dot|ty /dɒ ti/ (dottier , dottiest ) ADJ If you say that someone is dotty , you mean that they are slightly mad or likely to do strange things. [mainly BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ She was obviously going a bit dotty.

dou|ble ◆◆◇ /dʌ b ^ə l/ (doubles , doubling , doubled )

1 ADJ [ADJ n] You use double to indicate that something includes or is made of two things of the same kind. □ …a pair of double doors into the room from the new entrance hall. □ …a lone skier gliding along smooth double tracks.

2 ADJ [ADJ n] You use double before a singular noun to refer to two things of the same type that occur together, or that are connected in some way. □ …an extremely nasty double murder.

3 PREDET If something is double the amount or size of another thing, it is twice as large. □ The offer was to start a new research laboratory at double the salary he was then getting. ● PRON Double is also a pronoun. □ If they think you're a tourist, they charge you double.

4 ADJ You use double to describe something which is twice the normal size or can hold twice the normal quantity of something. □ …a double helping of ice cream. □ …a large double garage.