Old French dent de lion meaning lion’s tooth, referring to the shape of the leaves]
dandruff
NOUN small, loose scales of dead skin in someone’s hair
danger dangers
NOUN the possibility that someone may be harmed or killed
SYNONYMS: peril, risk
dangerous
ADJECTIVE If something is dangerous, it is likely to cause hurt or harm. • It is dangerous to walk close to the edge of the cliff.
SYNONYMS: unsafe, hazardous
dangerously ADVERB
dangle dangles, dangling, dangled
VERB When something dangles, or when you dangle it, it swings or hangs loosely. • We sat by the pool and dangled our legs in the water.
dappled
ADJECTIVE marked with patches of a different or darker shade • The lawn was dappled with the shadows of the leafy trees.
dare dares, daring, dared
VERB 1 If you dare to do something, you have the courage to do it.
2 If you dare someone to do something, you challenge them to do it. • I dare you to ask him his name.
[from Old English durran meaning to venture or to be bold]
daredevil daredevils
NOUN a person who enjoys doing dangerous things
daring
ADJECTIVE 1 bold and willing to take risks
NOUN 2 the courage required to do things that are dangerous
daringly ADVERB
dark darker, darkest
ADJECTIVE 1 If it is dark, there is not enough light to see properly.
2 Dark colours have a lot of black, grey or brown tones in them.
dark NOUN
darken darkens, darkening, darkened
VERB If something darkens, it becomes darker than it was before. • The sky darkened as the storm approached.
darkness
NOUN being dark
darling darlings
NOUN You call someone darling if you love them or like them very much.
darn darns, darning, darned
VERB 1 When you darn a hole in a garment, you mend it with crossing stitches.
NOUN 2 A darn is the part of a garment that has been darned.
dart darts, darting, darted
NOUN 1 a small, pointed arrow
2 Darts is a game in which the players throw darts at a round board divided into numbered sections.
VERB 3 If you dart somewhere, you move there quickly and suddenly.
dash dashes, dashing, dashed
VERB 1 If you dash somewhere, you rush there.
NOUN 2 the punctuation mark (–) which may be used instead of brackets
dashboard dashboards
NOUN the instrument panel in a car
data
NOUN information, usually in the form of facts or statistics
database databases
NOUN a collection of information stored in a computer
date dates
NOUN 1 a particular day or year that can be named • What is your date of birth?
2 If you have a date, you have an appointment to meet someone.
3 a small, brown, sticky fruit with a stone inside. Dates grow on palm trees.
daughter daughters
NOUN Someone’s daughter is their female child.
dawdle dawdles, dawdling, dawdled
VERB If you dawdle, you are slow about doing something or going somewhere. • Don’t dawdle, we have to be there in ten minutes.
dawn dawns
NOUN the time in the morning when light first appears in the sky
day days
NOUN 1 the time taken between one midnight and the next. There are 24 hours in one day.
2 the period of light between sunrise and sunset
daydream daydreams, daydreaming, daydreamed
NOUN 1 pleasant thoughts about things that you would like to happen
VERB 2 When you daydream, you drift off into a daydream.
daylight
NOUN the part of the day when it is light
daytime
NOUN the part of the day when it is light
daze
PHRASE If you are in a daze, you are confused and bewildered.
dazzle dazzles, dazzling, dazzled
VERB If a bright light dazzles you, it blinds you for a moment.
dazzling ADJECTIVE
de-
PREFIX added to some words to mean removal or reversal of something • She debugged the computer program. • We had to defrost the windscreen before leaving.
dead
ADJECTIVE 1 no longer living
2 no longer functioning • The phone went dead.
ADVERB 3 precisely or exactly • We arrived dead on eight o’clock.
deadly deadlier, deadliest
ADJECTIVE 1 likely or able to cause death • a deadly disease
ADVERB OR ADJECTIVE 2 used to emphasize how serious or unpleasant something is • deadly dangerous • deadly serious
deaf deafer, deafest
ADJECTIVE Deaf people are unable to hear anything or unable to hear well.
deafening
ADJECTIVE A deafening sound is so loud that you cannot hear anything else.
deal deals, dealing, dealt
NOUN 1 an agreement or arrangement, especially in business
VERB 2 If you deal with something, you do what is necessary to sort it out.
3 When you deal cards, you give them out to the players.
PHRASE 4 A good deal or a great deal of something is a lot of it.
dear dearer, dearest
NOUN 1 You call someone dear as a sign of affection.
ADJECTIVE 2 Something that is dear is very expensive.
3 You use dear at the beginning of a letter, with the name of the person you are writing to. • Dear Sunita.
death deaths
NOUN the end of the life of a human being or other animal or plant
debate debates, debating, debated
NOUN 1 argument or discussion
2 a formal discussion in which opposing views