1 a home or hiding place of a wild animal
2 a special place where you can do what you want without being disturbed
denial denials
NOUN 1 A denial of something is a statement that it is untrue.
2 The denial of a request is the refusal to grant it.
denim denims
NOUN strong, cotton cloth used for making clothes, especially jeans
[from French serge de Nîmes, meaning serge (a type of cloth) from Nîmes]
denominator denominators
NOUN In mathematics, the denominator is the bottom number of a fraction.
dense denser, densest
ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is dense contains a lot of things or people in a small area. • We cut our way through the dense forest.
2 difficult to see through • The dense fog prevented us from enjoying the view over the hills.
densely ADVERB
density densities
NOUN 1 thickness
2 the proportion of mass to volume
dent dents, denting, dented
VERB 1 If you dent something, you damage its surface by hitting it.
NOUN 2 a hollow in the surface of something
dental
ADJECTIVE to do with teeth
dentist dentists
NOUN a person who is qualified to treat people’s teeth
dentures
PLURAL NOUN false teeth
deny denies, denying, denied
VERB 1 If you deny something, you say that it is not true.
2 If you are denied something, you are refused it.
deodorant deodorants
NOUN a substance used to hide or prevent the smell of sweat on your body
depart departs, departing, departed
VERB When you depart, you leave.
departure NOUN
department departments
NOUN one of the sections into which a large shop or an organization is divided
department store department stores
NOUN a very large shop divided into departments, each selling different types of goods
depend depends, depending, depended
VERB 1 If one thing depends on another, it is influenced by it. • The cooking time depends on the size of the potato.
2 If you depend on someone or something, you trust them and rely on them.
dependable
ADJECTIVE If someone is dependable, you can trust them to be helpful, sensible and reliable.
depict depicts, depicting, depicted
VERB If you depict someone or something, you paint, draw or describe them.
deport deports, deporting, deported
VERB If someone is deported from a country they are sent out of it, either because they have no right to be there, because they have done something wrong or because they did not ask permission to be there.
deposit deposits, depositing, deposited
VERB 1 If you deposit something, you put it down or leave it somewhere.
NOUN 2 a sum of money given in part payment for goods or services
depot depots
NOUN 1 a place where supplies of food or equipment are stored until they are needed
2 A bus depot is a bus station.
depressed
ADJECTIVE sad and gloomy
depression depressions
NOUN 1 a state of mind in which someone feels unhappy and has no energy or enthusiasm for anything
2 a hollow in the ground or on any other surface
3 a time when there is a lot of unemployment and poverty
deprive deprives, depriving, deprived
VERB If you deprive someone of something, you take it away from them or prevent them from having it.
depth depths
NOUN 1 the measurement or distance between the top and bottom of something, or the back and front of something • The depth of the swimming pool at the deep end is 1.5 m.
PHRASE 2 In depth means thoroughly. • We studied the poem in depth.
deputy deputies
NOUN a person who helps someone in their job and acts on their behalf when they are away
derail derails, derailed, derailing
VERB If a train is derailed, it comes off the railway tracks.
derivation derivations
NOUN The derivation of something is where it has come from.
derive derives, deriving, derived
VERB 1 FORMAL If you derive something from someone or something, you get it from them. • He derives great pleasure from music.
2 If something is derived from something else, it comes from that thing. • His name is derived from a Greek word.
descant descants
NOUN 1 The descant to a tune is another tune played at the same time but at a higher pitch.
ADJECTIVE 2 A descant musical instrument plays the highest notes in a range of instruments. • a descant recorder
descend descends, descending, descended
VERB If someone or something descends, they move downwards. • We descended to the basement in the lift.
ANTONYM: ascend
descendant descendants
NOUN A person’s descendants are all the people in later generations who are related to them.
describe describes, describing, described
VERB If you describe someone or something, you say what they are like.
desert deserts, deserting, deserted
Said “dez-ert” NOUN 1 an area of land, usually in a hot region, that has almost no water, rain, trees or plants • the Sahara Desert
Said “de-zert” VERB 2 If someone deserts you, they leave you and no longer help or support you.
deserted
ADJECTIVE A deserted building or place is one that people have left and never come back to.
deserve deserves, deserving, deserved
VERB If you deserve something, you earn it or have a right to it.
design designs, designing, designed
VERB 1 If you design something new, you plan what it should be like.
NOUN 2 a drawing from which something can be built or made
3 a decorative pattern of lines or shapes
desire desires, desiring, desired
VERB 1 If you desire something, you want it.
NOUN 2 a strong feeling of wanting