3 When people debate something, they discuss it in a formal way.
debit card debit cards
NOUN a plastic card that allows someone to buy goods using the money in their bank account
debris
NOUN fragments or rubble left after something has been destroyed • After the eruption, volcanic debris was found scattered for miles.
debt debts
NOUN a sum of money that someone owes
debut debuts
NOUN a performer’s first public appearance
decade decades
NOUN a period of ten years
decaffeinated
ADJECTIVE Decaffeinated coffee or tea has had most of the caffeine removed.
decathlon decathlons
NOUN an athletic competition in which competitors take part in ten different events
decay decays, decaying, decayed
VERB When things decay, they rot or go bad.
deceased
ADJECTIVE FORMAL A deceased person is someone who has recently died.
deceit
NOUN behaviour that makes people believe something to be true that is not true
deceive deceives, deceiving, deceived
VERB If you deceive someone, you make them believe something that is not true.
December
NOUN the twelfth month of the year. December has 31 days.
decent
ADJECTIVE honest and respectable
deception deceptions
NOUN 1 something that is intended to trick or deceive someone
2 the act of deceiving someone
deceptive
ADJECTIVE likely to make people believe that something is true when it is not
decide decides, deciding, decided
VERB If you decide to do something, you choose to do it, usually after thinking about it carefully.
SYNONYM: make up one’s mind
decision NOUN
deciduous
ADJECTIVE Deciduous trees lose their leaves in the autumn every year.
decimal decimals
ADJECTIVE 1 A decimal system involves counting in units of ten.
NOUN 2 A decimal, or decimal fraction, is a fraction in which a dot, called a decimal point, separates the whole numbers on the left from tenths, hundredths and thousandths on the right. For example, 0.5 represents 5⁄10 (or ½); 0.05 represents 5⁄100 (or 1⁄20).
decision decisions
NOUN a choice or judgement that is made about something
decisive
ADJECTIVE 1 A decisive person is able to make decisions quickly.
2 having an important influence on the result of something • The first goal was a decisive moment in the match.
deck decks
NOUN a downstairs or upstairs area on a bus or ship
declare declares, declaring, declared
VERB 1 If you declare something, you say it firmly and forcefully.
SYNONYMS: announce, proclaim, state
2 FORMAL If something is declared, it is announced publicly. • War was declared in 1939.
decline declines, declining, declipned
VERB 1 If something declines, it becomes smaller or weaker. • The number of students has declined this year.
2 If you decline something, you politely refuse to accept it or do it.
decode decodes, decoding, decoded
VERB If you decode a coded message, you convert it into ordinary language.
decompose decomposes, decomposing, decomposed
VERB If something decomposes, it rots after it dies.
decorate decorates, decorating, decorated
VERB 1 If you decorate something, you make it more attractive by adding things to it.
2 If you decorate a room or building, you paint or wallpaper it.
decoy decoys
NOUN something used to lead a person or animal into a trap
decrease decreases, decreasing, decreased
VERB If something decreases, or if you decrease it, it becomes less. • The number of children in the class decreased rapidly.
decree decrees, decreeing, decreed
NOUN 1 an official order by the government, church or the rulers of a country
VERB 2 If someone decrees something, they announce formally that it will happen.
dedicate dedicates, dedicating, dedicated
VERB 1 If you dedicate yourself to something, you give your time and energy to it.
2 If you dedicate a book or piece of music to someone, you say that it is written for them.
deduct deducts, deducting, deducted
VERB If you deduct an amount from a total, you take it away.
deed deeds
NOUN 1 something that is done • a good deed
2 an important piece of paper or document that an agreement is written on
deep deeper, deepest
ADJECTIVE 1 going a long way down from the surface • a deep hole
2 great or intense • deep affection
3 a low sound • a deep voice
deer
NOUN a large, fast-running, graceful mammal with hooves, that lives wild in parts of Britain and other countries. Male deer have antlers.
deface defaces, defacing, defaced
VERB If you deface something, you damage its appearance in some way. • The gang defaced the walls with spray paint.
defeat defeats, defeating, defeated
VERB 1 If you defeat someone or something, you win a victory over them, or cause them to fail.
NOUN 2 the state of being beaten or of failing • The team was downhearted after its defeat.
defect defects, defecting, defected
NOUN 1 a fault or flaw in something
VERB 2 If someone defects, they leave their own country or organization and join an opposing one.
defection NOUN defector NOUN
defective
ADJECTIVE Something that is defective is not perfect or has something wrong with it.
defence defences
NOUN 1 something that protects you against attack • She carried an alarm as a defence against muggers.
2 A country’s defences are its armed forces and its weapons.
defend defends, defending, defended
VERB 1 If you defend someone or something, you protect them from harm or danger.
2 If you