Dictionary part 8

delta

1. The fourth letter of the Greek alphabet. 2. An object shaped like a triangle. 3a. A usually triangular alluvial deposit at the mouth of a river. 4. A finite increment in a variable.

deceive

1. To cause to believe what is not true; mislead. 2. To catch by guile; ensnare. 1. To practice deceit. 2. to give a false impression.

dampen

1. To make damp. 2. To deaden, restrain, or depress. 3. To soundproof. To become damp.

deafen

1. To make deaf, especially momentarily by a loud noise. 2. To make soundproof. To cause permanent or momentary deafness.

deceitful

1. given to cheating or deceiving. 2. Deliberately misleading, deceptive. Synonymous with dishonest.

dateless

1. having no date whatsoever. 2. So ancient that no date can be determined. 3. Having no limits in time; timeless.

dated

1. marked with or displaying a date. 2. Old-fashioned; out-of-date

Degas

1834-1917. French painter and sculptor noted especially for his studies of ballet dancers.

Delibes

1836-1891. French composer of melodic orchestral works, suchas the ballets Coppelia (1870) and Sylvia (1876).

Custer

1839-1876. American soldier. A brigadier general at age 23, he was killed and his troop's annihilated by Sioux and Cheyenne warriors led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse at Little Bighorn.

Daudet

1840-1897. French writer of the naturalist school whose stories of life in his native Provence include Lettres de mon Moulin (1869).

Debs

1855-1926. American labor organizer who ran for President five times as the Socialist party candidate.

Darrow

1857-1938. American lawyer known for his highly publicized defense of so-called lost causes, such as the Leopold-Loeb murder case (1924) and the scopes evolution trial (1925).

Debussy

1862-1918. French composer who is considered the first exponent of musical impressionism. His works include the tone poem L'Apres-midi d'un Faune (1894).

Davies

1862-1928. American painter who was the chief organizer of the revolutionary Armory Show in 1913.

Delius

1862-1934. British composer whose work, influenced by Edvard Grieg, combines romanticism and impressionism.

D'Annunzio

1863-1938. Italian writer best known for his passionate, free-spirited heroes and his support of Benito Mussolin's fascist regime.

Davis

1864-1916. American writer whose vivid coverage of the Spanish-American, Boer, and Russo-Japanese wars established him as the leading correspondent of his day.

Dawes

1865-1951. Vice President of the United States (1925-1929) under Calvin Coolidge. He shared the 1925 Nobel Peace Prize for proposing the Dawes Plan to reduce Germany's World War I reparations.

dent

1. A depression in a surface made by pressure or a blow. 2. A significant, usually diminishing effect or impression. 3. Meaningful progress; headway. To make a ____ in.

declination

1. A sloping or bending downward. 2. A falling off, especially from prosperity or vigor; a decline. 3. A deviation, as from specific direction or standard. 4. A refusal to accept. 5. Magnetic declination. 6. The angular distance to a point on a celestial object, measured north or south from the celestial equator.

dagger

1. A short pointed weapon with sharp edges. 2. Something that agonizes, torments, or wounds. 3. Synonymous with obelisk. b. A double ______.

dariole

1. A small cooking mold. 2. A dish, as of vegetables, fish, custard, or pastry, that is cooked and served in a small mold.

demitasse

1. A small cup of strong black coffee or espresso. 2. The small cup used to serve this drink.

deadlock

1. A standstill resulting from the opposition of two unrelenting forces or factions. 2. A tied score. 3. A failure or inability to proceed due to two programs or devices both requiring a response from the other before completing an operation. To bring or come to a ________.

deathblow

1. A stroke or blow that causes death. 2. A destructive event or occurrence.

delft

1. A style of glazed earthenware, usually blue and white. 2. Pottery made in this style.

dehydrator

1. A substance, such as sulfuric acid, that removes water. 2. An appliance or an engineered system designed to remove water from substances such as absorbents or food.

debacle

1. A sudden, disastrous collapse, downfall, or defeat; a rout. 2. A total, often ludicrous failure. 3. the breaking up of ice in a river. 4. A violent flood.

cutwater

1. The forward part of a ship's prow. 2. The wedge-shaped end of a bridge pier, designed to divide the current and break up ice floes.

Dalton

1867-1892. American outlaw noted for his exploits as a horse thief, train robber, and leader of the Dalton gang, which included his two brothers.

Dario

1867-1916. Nicaraguan poet who is considered the father of modern Spanish poetry. His works inclue Cantos de Vida y Esperanza (1905).

Daudet

1867-1942. French writer known for his highly charged political essays and numerous volumes of memoirs.

Dalton

186701892. American outlaw noted for his exploits as a horse thief, train robber, and leader of the Dalton gang, which included his two brothers.

Dale

1875-1968. British physiologist. He shared a 1936 Nobel Prize for work on the chemical transmission of nerve impulses.

Davis

1877-1970. American cavalry officer who was the first African-American general in the U.S. Army (1940-1948). His son Benjamin Oliver Davis, Jr. (born 1912),was the first African-American general in the U.S. Air Force. (1954-1970.)

Curtiss

1878-1930. American aviation pioneer who developed the first airplane to complete a one-kilometer flight (1908), the first seaplane (1911), and the aileron (1911).

de Gaulle

1890-1970. French general and politician. During World War II he gained enormous popularity as the leader of Free French forces in exile. Later, after years of self-imposed retirement, he emerged as the first president (1959-1969) of the Fifth Republic and led the country through its turbulent withdrawal from Algeria.

Davis

1894-1964. American artist who often incorporated jazz tempos into his vibrant canvases. In the 1920s he was strongly influenced by cubism.

Dam

1895-1976. Danish biochemist. He shared a 1943 Nobel Prize for the discovery of vitamin K.

Day

1897-1980. American journalist and reformer who cofounded the Catholic Worker in 1933 to promote pacifism and social justice.

database

A collection of data arranged for ease and speed of search and retrieval. Also called data bank.

DDT

A colorless contact insecticide, C14H9Cl5, toxic to humans and animals when swallowed or absorbed through the skin. It has been banned in the United States for most uses since 1972.

cycloheximide

A colorless crystalline compound, C15H23NO4, that is used as an agricultural fungicide.

cyclopentane

A colorless, flammable, liquid cycloalkane C5H10, derived fro petroleum and used as a solvent and motor fuel.

deet

A colorless, oily liquid, C12H17NO, that has a mild odor and is used as an insect repellent.

decimal point

A dot written in a decimal number, as in 8.375, to indicate the place where values change from positive to negative powers of 10.

deattribution

A downgrading in the attribution of a work of art.

declivity

A downward slope, as of a hill.

daydream

A dreamlike musing or fantasy while awake, especially of the fulfillment of wishes or hopes.

day nursery

A facility for the supervision of preschool children, especially during the hours that their parents are at work.

datum

A fact or proposition used to draw a conclusion or make a decision. 2. a point, line, or surface used as a reference, as in past participle of dare.

dairy farm

A farm for producing milk and milk products.

cut fastball

A fastball released with most pressure from the tip of the middle finger so that it breaks slightly in the manner of a curve ball as it approaches the plate.

demigoddess

A female being, often the offspring of a god, and a mortal, who has some but not all of the powers of a god. b An inferior deity; a minor god. c. A deified woman. 2. A person who is highly honored or revered.

dam

A female parent. Used of a four-legged animal. 2. A mother.

daimio

A feudal lord of Japan who was a large landowner,

Darjeeling

A fine variety of black tea grown especially in the northern part of India.

dactylogram

A fingerprint

cymogene

A flammable gaseous fraction of petroleum, consisting chiefly of butane.

dead-man's float

A floating position in which a person lies face down and extends the arms forward

deck chair

A folding chair that usually has arms and a leg rest.

deep ecology

A form of environmentalism that advocates radical measures to protect the natural environment regardless of their effect on the welfare of people.

Daman

A former Portuguese colony of northwest India on the eastern shore of the Gulf of Khambhat. It was acquired by the Portuguese in 1588 and annexed by India in 1962.

decongestant

A medication or treatment that breaks up congestion, as of the sinuses, by reducing swelling. Capable of relieving congestion.

data carrier

A medium, such as magnetic tape, that is selected to record and often transport or communicate data.

dacoit

A member of a robber band or gang in India or Myanmar (Burma).

deck hand

A member of a ship's crew who performs manual labor.

definite article

A member of the class of determiners that restricts or particularizes a noun. In English, the i the definite article.

Democratic-Republican Party

A political party in the United Statesthat was opposed to the Federalist Party and was founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1792 and dissolved in 1828.

decagon

A polygon with ten angles and ten sides.

decahedron

A polyhedron with ten faces.

dendrimer

A polymer in which the atoms are arranged in may branches and subbranches along a central backbone of carbon atoms. Also called cascade molecule.

daisy wheel

A printing device used in some electric typewriters and printers, consisting of printing characters fixed at the ends of spokes on a wheel.

cyanide process

A process of extracting gold or silver from ores by treating them with a solution of sodium cyanide or calcium cyanide.

dais

A raised platform, as in a lecture hall, for speakers or honored guests.

daypack

A rather small, lightweight backpack for carrying articles such as books.

day room

A recreation room, especially one found in a barracks on a military installation.

Darfur

A region and former sultanate of western Sudan. Occupied since prehistoric times, the area fell to the Egyptians in 1874 and later to the British, who incorporated it into their holdings in the Sudan.

Darien

A region of eastern Panama on the Gulf of Darien, a wide bay of Caribbean Sea between eastern Panama and northwest Colombia. In 1513 vasco Nunez de Balboa led an expedition across the Isthmus of Darien (now the Isthmus of Panama) and became the first European to view the Pacific Ocean from the New World.

Deep South

A region of the southeast United States, usually comprising the states of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina.

Dallis grass

A tall South American perennial grass (Paspalum dilatatum) grown for pasturage in the southern United States. Probably alteration of Dallas, Texas.

Danegeld

A tax levied in England from the 10th to the 12th century to finance protection against Danish invasion.

death duty

A tax on inherited property; an inheritance tax.

defenseman

A team member, as in hockey, who plays a defensive zone or position.

cytotechnologist

A technician trained in medical examination and identification of cellular abnormalities.

day letter

A telegram sent during the day.

Demogorgon

A terrifying ancient deity or demon of the underworld.

dapsone

An antibacterial drug, C12H12N2O2S, used primarily to treat leprosy and some forms of dermatitis.

cycloserine

An antibiotic effective against a wide range of bacteria, used especially in the treatment of tuberculosis and infections of the urinary tract.

dactinomycin

An antibiotic of the actinomycin group, C62H86N12O16, isolated from bacteria and used as an antineoplastic agent in the treatment of certain cancers. Also called actinomycin D.

cyproheptadine

An antihistamine, C21H21N, used to relieve the symptoms of various allergic reactions, such as itching and skin rash.

deep fryer

An appliance used for deep-frying food.

Delta

An area of the south-central United States extending on either side of the Mississippi river from Memphis, Tennessee, to Vicksburg, Mississippi. An important cotton-producing region, it is noted for its folk culture, especially as the home of the earliest blues music.

Death Valley

An arid desert basin of eastern California and western Nevada. It includes the lowest point, 86 m (282 ft) below sea level, in the Western Hemisphere.

decathlete

An athlete who participates in a decathlon.

decathlon

An athletic contest usually limited to men in which each contestant participates in the following ten track and field events: the 100-meter, 400-meter, and 1,500-meter runs; the 110-meter high hurdles; the discus and javelin throws; the shot put; the pole vault; the high jump and the long jump.

Dagestan

An autonomous republic of southwest Russia bordering on the Caspian Sea. Settled in the first millennium B.C., it was ceded to Russia by Persia in 1813.

Damascus steel

An early form of steel having wavy markings, developed in Near Eastern countries and used chiefly in sword blades.

daisy fleabone

An eastern North American weed (Erigeron annuus) naturalized in Europe, having rayed, white to bluish flower heads grouped in corymblike panicles.

damage control

An effort to minimize or curtail damage or loss.

Darby and Joan

An elderly married couple who live a placid, harmonious life together and are seldom seen apart.

defibrillator

An electrical device used to counteract fibrillation of the heart muscle and restore normal heartbeat by applying a brief electric shock.

delta ray

An electron ejected from matter by ionizing radiation.

death point

An environmental limit, as of temperature or radiation, beyond which a specified life form cannot survive.

cyclase

An enzyme that acts as a catalyst in the cyclization of a compound.

dehydrochlorinase

An enzyme that catalyzes the removal of hydrogen from a substrate and the transfer of the hydrogen to an acceptor in an oxidation-reduction reaction.

deydratase

An enzyme that catalyzes the removal of oxygen and hydrogen from organic compounds in the form of water.

cyclohexane

An extremely flammable, colorless, mobile liquid, C6H12, obtained from petroleum and benzene and used in the manufacture of nylon and as a solvent, a paint, and a varnish remover.

daiquiri

An iced cocktail of rum, lime or lemon juice, and sugar.

cyclosporine

An immunosuppressive drug obtained from certain soil fungi, used mainly to prevent the rejection of transplanted organs.

cyathium

An inflorescence consisting of a cuplike cluster of modified lieaves enclosing a female flower and several male flowers, as in the poinsettia.

daltonism

An inherited defect in perception of red and green; red-green colorblindness

daltonism

An inherited defect in perception of red and green; red-green colorblindness.

Delagoa Bay

An inlet of the Indian Ocean in southern Mozambique. The Portuguese arrived in the bay in 1502 and explored the adjoining territory after 1544. Portugal's claim to the area was upheld in 1875, after a dispute with Great Britian.

cyclometer

An instrument that records the revolutions of a wheel to indicate distance traveled. 2. An instrument that measures circular arcs.

cytophotometer

An instrument used to identify and locate the chemical the chemical compounds within a cell by measuring the intensity of light passing through stained sections of the cytoplasm.

imeterdens

An instrument used to measure density or specific gravity. Also called densitometer.

customs union

An international association organized to eliminate customs restrictions on goods exchanged between member nations and to establish a uniform tariff policy toward nonmember nations.

cuttlefish

Any of various squidlike cephalopod marine mollusks of the genus Sepia that have ten arms and a calcareous internal shell and eject a dark inky fuild when in danger.

deer fly

Any of various stout-bodied, blood-sucking flies of the genus chrysops, closely related to the horseflies but smaller and having spotted or banded wings.

dentalium

Any of various tooth shells of the genus Dentalium.

davit

Any of various types of small cranes that project over the side of a ship and are used to hoist boats, anchors, and cargo.

daphnia

Any of various water fleas of the genus Daphnia, some species of which are commonly used as food for aquarium fish.

deathwatch beetle

Any one of several beetles of the family Anobiidae, especially Xestobium rufovillosum, whose head makes a clicking sound as it burrows into wood or wooden structures. The sound was superstitiously regarded as a portent of death.

data bank

Synonymous with database. 2. An organization chiefly concerned with building, maintaining, and using a database.

dead point

Synonymous with dead center.

dead load

Synonymous with dead weight

death angel

Synonymous with death cup.

death cap

Synonymous with death cup.

death house

Synonymous with death row.

demiworld

Synonymous with demimonde.

dendron

Synonymous with dendrite.

dandy fever

Synonymous with dengue.

dental plate

Synonymous with denture.

cutis

Synonymous with dermis.

demirelief

Synonymous with half relief.

dassie

Synonymous with hyrax.

death tax

Synonymous with inheritance tax. 2. Synonymous with estate tax.

dayfly

Synonymous with mayfly.

deer grass

Synonymous with meadow beauty.

degenerative joint disease

Synonymous with osteoarthritis

cymling

Synonymous with pattypan squash.

dandle board

Synonymous with seesaw.

dent

Synonymous with tooth.

cyanocobalamin

Synonymous with vitamin B12

dander

Temper or anger.

degrading

Tending or intended to degrade.

delusory

Tending to deceive; delusive.

damping

The capacity built into a mechanical or electrical device to prevent excessive correction and the resulting instability or oscillatory conditions.

Delmarva Peninsula

A peninsula of the eastern United States separating Chesapeake Bay from Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. It includes all of Delaware and parts of eastern Maryland and Virginia.

cymbal

A percussion instrument consisting of a concave brass plate that makes a loud clashing tone when hit with a drumstick or when used in pairs.

decennium

A period of ten years; a decade.

dekaliter

Abbr. dkl. Variant of decagram.

decarboxylase

Any of various enzymes that hydrolize the carboxl radical.

dammar

Any of various hard resins obtained from trees of the genera Shorea, Balanocarpus, and Hopea, native to southeast Asia and the Malay Archipelago and used to varnishes and lacquers.

deer

Any of various hoofed ruminant mammals of the family Cervidae, characteristically having deciduous antlers borne chiefly by the males. The ____ family also includes the elk, moose, caribou, and reindeer.

decane

Any of various liquid isomers, C10H22, of the methane series.

damselfly

Any of various often brightly colored, predatory insects having a long slender body and elongated wings that fold together when the insect is at rest. Also called demoiselle, devil's darning needle.

dasyure

Any of various often carnivorous marsupials of the family Dasyuridae of Australia, Tasmania, and adjacent islands, including marsupial mice and rats, native cats, the Tasmanian devil, and the Tasmanian wolf.

cypripediu

Any of various orchids of the genus Cypripedium, sch as the lady's slipper.

cycad

Any of various palmlike gymnospermous cone-bearing evergreen plants of the division Cycadophyta, native to warm regions and having large pinnately compound leaves.

dayflower

Any of various plants of the genus Commelina having blue or purplish flowers that wilt quickly.

cutover

Cleared of trees, especially those that bear valuable lumber.

dancewear

Clothing such as leotards and warmup suits that are worn for dance practice and exercising.

day labor

Labor hired and paid by the day

dentate

Edged with toothlike projections; toothed.

Cyrus

Known as "the Younger" 424-401 B.C. Persian prince who led a mammoth force of Greeks against his brother Artaxerxes II. The retreat that followed his defeat and death are described in Xenophon's Anabasis.

cycloplegia

Paralysis of the ciliary muscles of the eye, resulting in the loss of visual accommodation.

deluxe

Particularly elegant and luxurious; sumptuous.

deep-frozen

Past participle of deep-freeze.

dealt

Past tense and past participle of deal.

deep-froze

Past tense of deep-freeze.

deform

To spoil the natural form of; misshape. 2. To spoil the beauty or appearance of; disfigure. 3. To alter the shape of by pressure or stress. 4. To change the original state or size of a rock, mass, especially by folding or faulting.

damnedest

Superlative of damned. All that is possible; the utmost.

debridement

Surgical excision of dead, devitalized, or contaminated tissue and removal of foreign matter from a wound.

cystectomy

Surgical removal of a cyst. 2a. Surgical removal of the gallbladder. b. Surgical removal of all or part of the urinary bladder.

defervescence

The abatement of a fever.

defamation

The act of defaming; calumny.

demurral

The act of demurring, especially a mild, polite, or considered expression of opposition.

deceit

The act or practice of deceiving; deception. 2. A stratagem; a trick. 3. The quality of being deceitful; falseness.

deglutition

The act or process of swallowing.

deathbed

The bed on which a person dies. 2. The last hours before death.

deism

The belief, based solely on reason, in a God who created the universe and then abandoned it assuming no control over life, exerting no influence o natural phenomena, and giving no supernatural revelation.

decontrol

To stop control of, especially by the government.

Danae

The daughter of Eurydice and Acrisius and mother of Perseus who was imprisoned by her father in a bronze chamber.

czarevna

The daughter of a Russian czar. 2. The wife of a czarevitch.

Danaides

The daughters of Danaus, who at their father's command murdered their bridegrooms on their wedding night and were condemned in Hades to pour water eternally into a leaky vessel.

cytolysis

The dissolution or destruction of a cell.

date line

The International Date Line.

cytokinesis

The division of the cytoplasm of a cell following the division of the nucleus.

cystic duct

The duct that conveys bile from the gallbladder to the common bile duct.

czaravitch

The eldest son of a Russian czar.

cyberspace

The electronic medium of computer networks, in which online communication takes place.

cytosol

The fluid component of cytoplasm, excluding organelles and the insoluble, usually suspended, cytoplasmic components.

Cushing's disease

The form of Cushing's syndrome involving the pituitary gland.

cyclization

The formation of one or more rings in a hyrocarbon.

cytogenesis

The formation, development, and variation of cells. Also called cytogeny.

Dardanus

The founder of Troy.

cypres

The legal doctrine that allows a court freedom in interpreting the terms of a will or gift if carrying out the terms literally would be impracticable or illegal. At the same time, the general intent of the testator or donor is supposed to be observed as closely as possible.

defibrillate

To stop the fibrillation of (a heart) and restore normal contractions through the use of drugs or an electric shock.

defund

To stop the flow of funds to.

defer

To submit to the opinion, wishes, or decision of another through respect or in recognition of his or her authority, knowledge, or judgment. Synonymous with yield. To commit or entrust to another.

defraud

To take something from by fraud; swindle.

degust

To taste with relish; savor.

debark

To unload, as from a ship or an airplane.

defecate

To void faces from the bowels. 1. To remove (ipurities, as in a chemical solution; clarify. 2. To void (feces) from the bowels.

decommission

To withdraw (a ship, for example) from active service.

deforce

To withhold (something) by force from the rightful owner.

decussate

To cross or become crossed so as to form an X; intersect. 2. Arranged on a stem in opposite pairs at right angles to those above or below, resulting in four vertical rows.

dash

To damn.

deescalate

To decrease the size, or intensity of (a war, for example). To decrease or diminish in size, scope, or intensity.

defrag

To defragment.

decease

To die. The act of dying; death.

demonetize

To divest (a coin, for example) of monetary value. 2. To stop using (a metal) as a monetary standard.

defeminize

To divest of feminine traits, qualities, or characteristics.

dandify

To dress as or cause to resemble a dandy.

decerbrate

To eliminate cerebral brain function in (an animal) by removing the cerebrum, cutting across the brain stem, or severing certain arteries in the brain stem, as for purposes of experimentation. 1. Deprived of cerebral function, as by having the cerebrum removed. 2. Resulting from or as if from decrebration. 3. Lacking intelligence; or reason.. A ___________ animal or human.

delimit

To establish the limits or boundaries of; demarcate.

demystify

To make less mysterious; clarify.

customize

To make or alter to individual or personal specifications.

deepen

To make or become deep or deeper.

delegalize

To revoke the legality of.

Cynoscephalae

Two hills of southeast Thessaly in northeast Greece. The Theban general Pelopidase was killed in battle here (364 B.C.) Later (197) the Roman general Flaminius decisively defeated Philip V of Macedon at __________________.

darky

Used as a disparaging term for a Black person.

dago

Used as a disparaging term for an Italian, Spaniard, or Portuguese.

dadgum

Used as an intensive to express mild annoyance.

Dan

Used formerly as a title of honor for respected men, such as clerics or poets.

dammit

Used to express anger, irritation, contempt, or disappointment.

darn

Used to express dissatisfaction or annoyance. Damn. To damn.

dang

Used to express dissatisfaction or annoyance. To damn. The least valuable bit; a jot.

Dai

Variant of Tai.

cyder

Variant of cider.

customshouse

Variant of customhouse.

cutey

Variant of cutie.

cyclopaedia

Variant of cyclopedia.

dakoit

Variant of dacoit.

dal

Variant of dahl.

damar

Variant of dammar.

damoiselle

Variant of damosel

darkie

Variant of darky.

daishiki

Variant of dashiki.

defence

Variant of defense.

demagog

Variant of demagogue.

demarkation

Variant of demarcation.

daemonic

Variant of demonic.

cyanite

Variant of kyanite.

deka

Variants of deca-

dendr-

Variants of dendro-

deflexion

Variation of deflection.

dancy

Suitable for or inviting dancing; danceable.

cyan

a greenish blue, one of the subtractive primary colors.

degraded

1. reduced in rank, dignity, or esteem. 2. Having been corrupted or depraved. 3. Having been reduced in quality or value.

decennial

1. relating to or lasting for ten years. 2. Occurring every ten years. A tenth anniversary. a period of ten years.

Decalogue

1. the Ten Commandments. 2. A fundamental set of rules having authoritative weight.

Cushing

1869-1939. American neurologist noted for his study of the brain and the pituitary gland.

delta wing

An aircraft with swept-back wings that give it the appearance of an isosceles triangle.

Day

1874-1935. American writer best known for his autobiographical Life with Father (1935) and Life with Mother (published in 1937).

Dehra Dun

A city of northern India north-northeast of Delhi. It is a trade center and has a forestry college. Population: 270,159.

Deauville

A city of northwest France on the English Channel. It is a fashionable resort. Population: 4,682.

Delray Beach

A city of southeast Florida on the Atlantic Ocean north of Boca Raton. Settled in 1901, it is a tourist resort. Population: 47,181.

Deerfield Beach

A city of southeast Florida on the Atlantic Ocean north of Fort Lauderdale. It is in a truck-farming area. Population: 46,325.

cutdown

1. A reduction or decrease. 2. The surgical insertion of a catheter into a vein, as for the administration of intravenous medication. Reduced in size; abridged.

Deledda

1875-1936. Italian writer, many of whose novels and short stories reflect her Sardinian background. She won the 1926 Nobel Prize for literature.

D.

1. diopter 2. Don (title) 3. duchess 4. duke

debrief

1. to question to obtain knowledge or intelligence gathered especially on a military mission. 2. To instruct (a government agent, for example) not to reveal classified or secret information after employment has ceased.

decouple

1. to reduce or eliminate the coupling of (one circuit or part to another). 2. To decrease or eliminate airborne shock waves from (an explosion) by having it take place underground. 3. To separate or detach.

delocalize

1. to remove from a native or usual locality. 2. To broaden the range or scope of.

defuse

1. to remove the fuse from (an explosive device) 2. To make less dangerous, tense, or hostile.

deinstitutionalize

1. to remove the status f an institution from. 2. To release (a mental health patient, for example) from an institution for placement and care in the community.

demoralize

1. to undermine the confidence or morale of; dishearten. 2. To put into disorder; confuse. 3. To debase the morals of; corrupt.

decided

1. without doubt or question; definite.

Defoe

1660-1731. British writer whose most famous novel, Robinson Crusoe (1719), was inspired by the exploits of a Scottish sailor and castaway, Alexander Selkirk. He also wrote Moll Flanders and A Journal of the Plague Year (both 1722).

Darwin

1731-1802. British physician, scientist, reformer, and poet whose zoonomia (1794-1796) anticipated the evolutionary theories of his grandson Charles.

Cutler

1742-1823. American cleric, botanist, and pioneer noted for his study of New England flora and as a central figure in the settlement of the Ohio River valley.

Dawes

1745-1799. American patriot who rode with Paul Revere on April 18, 1775, to warn of the British advance on Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts.

David

1748-1825. French painter known for his classicism and his commitment to the ideals of the French Revolution. His works include The Oath of the Horatii (1785) and The Death of Marat (1793).

Da Ponte

1749-1838. Italian-born American poet and educator who wrote librettos for Mozart's Marriage of Figaro (1786), Don Giovanni (1787), and Cosi fan Tutte (1790).

Danton

1759-1794. French Revolutionary leader who took part in the storming of the Bastille (1789) and supported the execution of Louis XVI (1793) but was guillotined the following year for his opposition to the excesses of the Reign of Terror.

Dalton

1766-1844. British chemist whose pioneer work on the properties of gases led to his formulation of the atomic theory. He also studied his own condition of colorblindness.

Davy

1778-1829. British chemist who was a pioneer of electrochemistry, using its methods to isolate sodium and potassium (1807) and barium boron, calcium, and magnesium (1808).

Decatur

1779-1820. American naval officer known for his heroic deeds in the Tripolitan War, the War of 1812, and skirmishes against the Barbary pirates.

Daguerre

1789-1851. French artist and inventor of the daguerreotype process for obtaining positive photographic prints.

Davis

1879-1945. American tennis player and donor (1900) of the Davis Cup for the annual international team tennis competition.

John Deere

1804--1886. American industrialist who pioneered the manufacture of plows especially suited to working prairie soil.

De Morgan

1806-1871. British mathematician and logician who wrote important works on calculus and with George Boole laid the foundation for modern symbolic logic.

Daumier

1808-1879. French artist best known for his bitterly satirical lithographs of scenes from bourgeois society.

Davis

1808-1889. American soldier and president of the Confederacy (1861-1865). He was captured by Union soldiers in 1865 and imprisoned for two years, and although he was indicted for treason (1866), he was never imprisoned.

Dan.

abbr. for 1. Daniel. 2. Danish.

Darlan

1881-1942. French admiral. A leading member of Marshal Petain's Vichy government, he was nevertheless instrumental in persuading French territories in northern and western africa to side with the Allies after 1942.

De Mille

1881-1959. American filmmaker known for his spectacular epic productions, including The Ten Commandments (1923 and 1956) and The Greatest Show on Earth (1952).

Demuth

1883-1935. American painter known for his still-life watercolors. he was one of the first artists to use the geometric shapes of modern technology in his work.

Davidson

1883-1952. American sculptor best remembered for his vigorous portrait busts of woodrow wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Albert Einstein, among others.

Debye

1884-1966. Dutch-born American physicist. He won a 1936 Nobel Prize for his investigations on dipole movements and on diffraction of x-rays and electrons in gases.

Daladier

1884-1970. French statesman who signed the Munich Pact with Adolf Hitler in September 1938. He was arrested by the Germans after the fall of France (1940) and remained in captivity until 1945.

Dayan

1915-1981. Israeli military leader and politician who directed the 1956 Sinai campaign and the 1967 Six-Day War. He later served as minister of foreign affairs. (1977-1979).

Dahl

1916-1990. British fiction and screenplay writer best known for his children's books, including James and the Giant Peach (1961) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964).

de Man

1919-1983. Belgian-born American literary theorist best known for his deconstructionist works Blindness and Insight (1971) and Allegories of Reading (1979).

Davis

1926-1991. American jazz musician and acclaimed for his warm, often muted trumpet style.

Dean

1931-1955. American actor whose moody, rebellious persona in films such as East of Eden and Rebel without a Cause (both 1955) made him a cult figure. He died in a automobile accident.

demimonde

1a. A class of women kept by wealthy lovers or protectors. b. Women prostitutes considered as a group. 2. A group whose respectability is dubious or whose success is marginal.

denim

1a. A corase twilled cloth, usually cotton, used for jeans, overalls, and work uniforms. b. Trousers or another garment made of this cloth. 2. A similar but finer fabric used in draperies and upholstery.

deal

1a. A fir or pine board cut to standard dimensions. b. Such boards or planks considered as a group. 2. Fir or pine wood.

delivery

1a. the act of conveying or delivering. b. Something delivered, as a shipment or package. 2a. The act of transferring to another. b. A formal act of transferring ownership of property to another. 3. The act of giving up; surrender. 4. The act or manner of throwing of discharging. 5. The act of giving birth; parturition. 6a. Utterance or enunciation. b. the act or manner of speaking or singing. 7. The act of releasing or rescuing.

darling

2. A dearly beloved person. 2. One that is greatly liked or preferred; a favorite. 1. Dearly beloved. 2. Regarded with special favor; favorite. 3. Charming or amusing.

dare

2. To have the courage required for. 2. To challenge (someone) to do something requiring boldness. 3. To confront or oppose boldly. Synonymous for defy.

Demosthenes

384-322 B.C. Greek orator whose reputation is based mainly on his Philippics, a series of orations exhorting the citizens of Athens to rise up against Philip II of Macedon.

Dada

A European artistic and literary movement (1916-1923) that flouted conventional aesthetic and cultural values by producing works, marked by nonsense, travesty, and incongruity.

dame's rocket

A European plant (Hesperis matronalis) having clusters of fragrant purple to white flowers. Also called dame's violet.

dacha

A Russian country house or villa.

Daphnis

A Sicilian shepherd and son of Hermes who was famed as a musician and reputed to be the inventor of pastoral poetry.

Darwin

A city of northern Australia on Port Darwin, an inlet of the Timor Sea. It was founded as Palmerston in 1869 and renamed in 1911. Population: 65,200.

Dardan

A Trojan.

dab

A dab hand.

daddy

A father.

daw

A jackdaw.

cutpurse

A pickpocket.

darkroom

A room in which photographic materials are processed, either in complete darkness or with a safelight.

deckhouse

A short, houselike structure on the upper deck of a ship.

dele

A sign indicating that something is to be removed from printed or written matter. To remove, especially from printed or written matter; delete. 2. To mark with a sign indicating deletion.

Deira

A sixth-century A.D. Anglian kingdom in present-day northeast England between the Humber and Tees rivers. It was later part of the kingdom of Northumbria.

cyanate

A slat or ester of cyanic acid.

delta wave

A slow brain wave, having a frequency of fewer than six cycles per second, that emanates from the forward portion of the brain and is associated with deep sleep in normal adults. Also called delta rhythm.

dead march

A slow, solemn funeral march.

demoiselle crane

A small crane (Anthropoides virgo) of Asia, northern Africa, and Europe, having gray and black plumage, long black breast feathers, and white plumes at the side of the head.

dachshund

A small dog of a breed developed in Germany for hunting badgers and having a long body, a usually shorthaired brown or black and brown coat, drooping ears, and very short legs.

day sailer

A small sailboat for day trips.

dell

A small secluded wooded valley.

cuvette

A small, transparent, often tubular laboratory vessel.

Darwinism

A theory of biological evolution developed by Charles Darwin and others, stating that all species of organisms arise and develop through the natural selection of small, inherited variations that increase the individual's ability to compete, survive, and reproduce. Also called Darwinian theory.

deltoid

A thick triangular muscle covering the shoulder joint, used to raise the arm from the side. 1. triangular. 2. Of or relating to the ________.

demisemiquaver

A thirty-second note.

deerstalker

A tight-fitting hat with visors in the front and back, originally worn by hunters.

dental implant

A tooth, usually artificial, that is anchored in the gums or jawbone to replace a missing tooth.

dale

A valley.

defeatism

Acceptance of or resignation to the prospect of defeat.

de jure

According to law, by right.

cyanosed

Afflicted with cyanosis.

da Vinci

Also known as Leonardo da Vinci.

dealfish

An Atlantic ribbonfish (Trachipterus arcticus) having a compressed, tapering, silvery body that can attain a length of 2.6 meters (8.5 feet).

cypsela

An achene fruit derived form an inferior ovary, characteristic of plants in the composite family.

defenestration

An act of throwing someone or something out of a window.

dengue

An acute, infectious tropical disease caused by an arbovirus transmitted by mosquitoes, and characterized by high fever, rash, headache, and severe muscle and joint pain. Also called breakbone fever,

delirium tremens

An acute, sometimes fatal episode of delirium usually caused by withdrawal or abstinence from alcohol following habitual excessive drinking. It also may occur during an episode of heavy alcohol consumption.

cyanoacrylate

An adhesive substance with an acrylate base that is used in industry and medicine.

Dark Age

An era of ignorance, superstition, or social chaos, or repression. Often used in the plural. b. The early or crude stage in the history or development of something. Often used in the plural. 2. The period in Europe from the fall of Rome in the fifth century a.D. to the restoration of relative political stability around the year 1000, the early part of the Middle Ages. b. The entire Middle Ages, especially when viewed as a troubled period marked by the loss of classical learning. No longer in use by historians.

Delaware Bay

An estuary of the Delaware River emptying into the Atlantic Ocean between eastern Delaware and southern New Jersey.

deathsman

An executioner

debit

An item of debt as recorded in an account. b. The left-hand side of an account or accounting ledger where bookkeeping entries are made. c. An entry of a sum in the left-hand side of an account. d. The sum of each entries. 2. A drawback; a detriment. 1. To enter (a sum) on the left-hand side of an account or accounting ledger. 2. To charge with a debit.

Dano-Norwegian

An official literary form of Norwegian based on written Danish. Also called Bokmal, Riksmal.

debouchere

An opening or mouth, as of a river or stream.

dalapon

An organic acid, C3H4Cl2O2, used as a herbicide that selectively kills grasses and other monocotyledons.

decomposer

An organism, often a bacterium or fungus, that feeds on and breaks down dead plant or animal matter, thus making organic nutrients available to the ecosystem.

cytochrome oxidase

An oxidizing enzyme containing iron and a porphrin, found in mitochondria and important in cell respiration as an agent of electron transfer from certain cytoschrome molecules to oxygen molecules.

cyclone cellar

An underground shelter in or adjacent to a house, used for protection from severe windstorms. Also called storm cellar.

dead air

An unintended interruption in a broadcast during which there is no sound.

dead-air space

An unventilated space.

Dartmoor

An upland region of southwest England noted for its bare granite tors. There are remains of numerous Bronze Age settlements.

Cynewulf

Anglo-Saxon poet whose extant works are Juliana, Elene, The Ascension, and The Fates of the Apostles.

deaminase

Any of a class of enzymes that catalyze the removal, usually by hydrolysis, of the amino group NH2 from an amino compound.

cyclamen

Any of various plants of the genus Cyclamen, especially a Mediterranean species (C. persicum) widely cultivated as a houseplant, having decorative leaves and showy, variously colored flowers with reflexed petals.

cyclostome

Any of various primitive eellike vertebrates of the class Agnatha, such as a lamprey, lacking jaws and true teeth and having a circular, sucking mouth.

cyanide

Any of various salts or esters of hydrogen cyanide containing a CN group, especially the extremely poisonous compounds potassium cyanide and sodium cyanide. 1. To treat (a metal surface) with ________ to produce a hard surface. 2. To treat (an ore) with _______ to extract gold or silver.

cut flower

Any of various showy flowers used in fresh arrangements.

dace

Any of various small freshwater fishes of the family Cyprinidae, which also includes carps and minnows.

dabchick

Any of various small grebes of the genus Podiceps.

cyprinodont

Any of various small soft-finned fishes of the family Cyprinodontidae, which includes the killifishes, topminnows, and many species popular in home aquariums.

cytostasis

Arrest of cellular growth and multiplication.

deco

Art deco

daywear

Attire that is appropriate for use during the day.

decrescent

Becoming gradually less; waning.

dejected

Being in low spirits; depressed. Synonymous with depressed.

deflexed

Bent or turned abruptly downward aat a sharp angle.

cysto-

Bladder; cyst; sac.

De Bakey

Born 1908. American heart surgeon who implanted the first totally artificial heart in a human (1966).

de Havilland

Born 1916. British-born American actress who portrayed Melanie in Gone with the Wind (1939) and won an Academy Award for To Each His Own (1946) and The Heiress (1949).

d'Amboise

Born 1934. American ballet dancer and choreographer noted for his work with the National Dance Institute.

Davies

Born 1934. British composer whose avant-garde choral, vocal, and instrumental works draw on medieval and Renaissance traditions and are noted for their shocking, violent style.

de Klerk

Born 1936. South African president (1989-1994) who shared the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts toward endign apartheid in south Africa.

custom-built

Built according to the specifications of the buyer.

defeasible

Capable of being annulled or invalidated.

defensible

Capable of being defended protected, or justified.

CYO

Catholic Youth Organization

decorous

Characterized by or exhibiting decorum; proper.

dastardly

Cowardly and malicious; base.

dairy cattle

Cows bred and raised for milk rather than meat.

Dale

Died 1619. English-born naval commander and colonial administrator noted for his strict rule of Virginia from 1611 to 1616.

Darius III

Died 330 B.C. King of Persia (336-330) who was defeated in several battles by Alexander the Great. His murder by a Bactrian satap effectively ended the Persian Empire.

damask steel

Damascus steel.

darnation

Damnation.

darned

Damned

darksome

Dark and somber.

decadency

Decadence

decaf

Decaffeinated coffee.

cuspidation

Decoration with cupss.

decretive

Decretory

deferral

Deferment

cutesy

Deliberately or affectedly cute; precious.

delightsome

Delightful.

demagogism

Demagoguery.

demob

Demobilization of armed forces.

damnable

Deserving condemnation; odious.

deciding

Determining or able to determine an outcome.

deictic

Directly proving by argument. 2. Of or relating to a word, the determination of whose referent is dependent on the context in which it is said or written. In the sentence I want him to come here now, the words I, here, him, and now are ________ because the determination of their referents depends on who says that sentence, and where, when, and of whom it is said. A ________ word, such as I or there.

dank

Disagreeably damp or humid. Synonymous with wet.

deformed

Distorted in form; misshapen.

DDS

Doctor of Dental Science. 2. Doctor of Dental Surgery.

cut time

Duple meter in which the half note is the unit of time.

days

During the daytime on every day or most days.

cyma

Either of two moldings, cyma recta or cyma reversa, having an undulating or S-shaped profile, used especially in classical architecture. Also called cymatium.

demeton

Either of two pale-yellow, highly toxic organophosphorous liquids, C6H15O3PS2 or C6H15O4PS2, used as systemic insecticides.

dancercise

Energetic dancing done for the purpose of aerobic exercise.

denatured alcohol

Ethyl alcohol to which a poisonous substance, such as acetone or methanol, has been added to make it unfit for consumption.

def

Excellent; first-rate.

days of grace

Extra days, usually three, allowed for payment of a note or bill after it has come due.

deafening

Extremely loud. A silence or lack of response that reveals something significant, such as disapprova or a lack of enthusiasm.

cyberpunk

Fast-paced science fiction involving futuristic computer-based societies.

deep-rooted

Firmly implanted; well-established

Curzon

First Marquis Curzon of Kedleston. 1859-1925. British politician who served as viceroy and governor-general of India (1898-1905) and as secretary of state for foreign affairs (1919-1924).

cystoid

Formed like or resembling a cyst. A ________ structure.

curvilinear

Formed, bounded, or characterized by curved lines.

Dardanelles

Formerly Hellespont. A strait connecting the Aegean Sea with the Sea of Marmara. In ancient times it was the scene of the legendary exploits of Hero and Leander.

Damocles

Fourth century B.C. Greek courtier to Dionysius the Elder, tyrant of Syracuse, who according to legend was forced to sit at a banquet table under a sword suspended by a single hair to demonstrate the precariousness of a king's fortunes.

cuspate

Having a cusp. 2. Shaped like a cusp.

degage

Free and relaxed in manner; casual.

Cuvier

French naturalist who is considered the founder of comparative anatomy and vertebrate paleontology.

cyanogenesis

Generation of cyanide.

deleterious

Having a harmful effect; injurious.

Cush

In the Bible, the oldest son of Ham.

dapple-gray

Gray with a mottled pattern of darker gray markings. A horse having a coat of mottled gray.

delight

Great pleasure; joy. 2. something that gives great pleasure or enjoyment. 2. To give great pleasure or joy. To please greatly. Synonymous with please.

delightful

Greatly pleasing.

cystocele

Herniation of the urinary bladder through the wall of the vagina.

Delilah

In the Bible, a mistress of Samson who betrayed him to the Philistines b having his hair shorn while he slept, thus depriving him of his strength.

Dan

In the Bible, a son of Jacob and the forebear of one of the tribes of Israel.

deceptively

In a deceptive or deceiving manner; so as to deceive.

D

In biochemistry, a symbol used as a prefix to indicate the spatial configuration of certain organic compounds with asymmetric carbon atoms. It is used if an organic compound has a configuration about an asymmetric carbon atom analagous to that of D-glyceraldehyde (the arbitrarily chosen standard), in which the hydroxy (Oh) functional group is on the right side of the asymmetric carbon atom.

deep structure

In generative grammar, an abstract underlying structure from which the actual form of a sentence is derived.

de facto

In reality or fact; actually. 1. Actual. 2. Exercising power or serving a function without being legally or officially established.

Daniel

In the Bible, a Hebrew prophet of the sixth century B.C.

Deborah

In the Bible, a judge and prophet who aided the Israelites in their victory over the Canaanites.

darkling

In the dark. 1. Occurring or enacted in the dark. 2. Dark; dim. The dark.

dauntless

Incapable of being intimidated or discouraged; fearless. Synonymous with brave.

demand-pull

Increased demand for a limited supply of goods and services, tending to cause consumer prices to increase.

dagga

Indian hemp used as a narcotic; cannabis.

cystitis

Inflammation of the urinary bladder.

deli

Informal for A delicatessen.

cytostatic

Inhibiting or suppressing cellular growth and multiplication. A ___________ agent.

death benefit

Insurance money payable to a deceased person's stipulated beneficiary.

Davila y Padilla

Known as "Chronicler of the Indies." 1562-1604. Mexican prelate and historian who wrote a mammoth study of the Spanish colonial era in Mexico and Florida.

Cyrus II

Known as "Cyrus the Great." 600-529 B.C. King of Persia (550-529) and founder of the Persian Empire who conquered Lydia and Babylon. Tolerant in religious matters, he allowed the worship of native gods and permitted the exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem (537).

Darius I

Known as "Darius the Great." 550-486 B.C. King of Persia (521-486 B.C.) who expanded the empire, organized a highly efficient administrative system, and invaded Greece, only to be defeated at the Battle of Marathon in 490.

Dean

Known as "Dizzy". 1911-1974. American baseball player. A right-handed pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals (1930-1937), he is best remembered for his 1934 season, in which he won 30 regular season games, led the league in strikeouts, and won two World Series Games.

Damien de Veuster

Known as "Father Damien." 1840-1889. Belgian Roman Catholic missionary who ministered to the leper colony on Molokai (1873-1889), where he contracted leprosy and died.

Dempsey

Known as "Jack." Called "the Manassa Mauler." 1895-1983. American prizefighter who won the world heavyweight title in 1919 but lost it to Gene Tunney in 1926. He brought new popularity to the sport of boxing in the United States.

De Forest

Known as "the Father of Radio." 1873-1961. American electrical engineer who patented the triode electron tube (1907) that made possible the amplification and detection of radio waves. He originated radio news broadcasts in 1916.

Democritus

Known as "the Laughing Philosopher." 460?-370? B.C. Greek philosopher who developed one of the first atomist theories of the universe and espoused the doctrine that pleasure, along with self-control, is the goal of human life.

deni

Macedonian currency

custommade

Made according to the specifications of an individual purchaser.

deepdish

Made or used in a deep baking dish.

cushy

Making few demands; comfortable.

defiant

Marked by defiance; boldly resisting.

deferential

Marked by or exhibiting deference.

deadening

Material used for soundproofing.

declivitous

Moderately steep

demode

No longer in fashion; outmoded.

deceased

No longer living; dead. Synonymous with dead.

deathless

Not subject to termination or death; immortal.

Day of the Dead

November 1 and November 2 collectively, celebrated concurrently with All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day in Mexico and parts of Central America in commemoration of the dead. Also called Dia de los Muertos.

Cyrillic

Of or being any of the alphabets based on Glagolithic and used for certain Slavic languages, such as Russian.

demographic

Of or relating to demography.

dead duck

One doomed to failure or to death.

dCTP

One of hte two pyrimidine nucleotides that are used to synthesize DNA.

Democratic Party

One of the two major political parties in the United States, owing its origin to a split in the Democratic-Republican Party under Andrew Jackson in 1828.

dATP

One of the two purine nucleotides that are used to synthesize DNA.

decorator

One that decorates, especially an interior decorator. Appropriate for interior decoration.

defier

One that defies.

denier

One that denies.

dealmaker

One that makes deals, as in business, finance, or politics.

delegated

One to whom something delegated.

dedicatee

One to whom something, such as a literary work, is dedicated.

dancegoer

One who attends dance performances.

deadbeat

One who does not pay one's debts. 2. A lazy person; a loafer. Not fulfilling one's obligations or paying one's debts.

dabbler

One who engages in an activity superficially or without serious intent. Synonymous with amateur.

daredevil

One who is recklessly bold. Recklessly bold.

declarant

One who makes a declaration, as an alien who has signed a declaration f intent to become a U.S. citizen.

cutler

One who makes, repairs, or sells knives or other cutting instruments.

dairyer

One who owns or manages a dairy or works in one.

cyclist

One who rides or races a bicycle, motorcycle, or similar vehicle.

dark matter

Physical objects or particles that emit little or no detectable radiation of their own and are postulated to exist because of unexplained gravitational forces observed on other astronomical objects. ____________ is believed to be part of the missing mass.

cut-and-paste

Pieced together from several sources.

Cyclopes

Plural of Cyclops.

cysticerci

Plural of cysticercus.

dead-on

Precisely accurate and to the point.

curule

Privileged to sit in a curule chair; of superior rank.

daycare

Provision of daytime training, supervision, recreation, and often medical services for children of preschool age, for the disabled, or for the elderly.

deft

Quick and skillful; adroit. Synonymous with dexterous.

date rape

Rape perpetrated by the victim's social escort.

dedifferentiation

Regression of a specialized cell or tissue to a simpler, more embryonic, unspecialized form. _____________________ may occur before the regeneration of appendages in plants and certain animals and in the development of some cancers.

demission

Relinquishment of an office or function.

decarboxylation

Removal of a carboxyl group from a chemical compound, usually with hydrogen replacing it.

dappled

Spotted; mottled.

dacoity

Robbery by a band or gang of dacoits.

Cyril

Saint. 827-869. Christian missionary and theologian who with his brother Saint Methodius (826-885) worked in Moravia, translating the Scriptures into Old Church Slavonic.

Cyprian

Saint. Died A.D. 258. Christian prelate and martyr who led Christians in North Africa during persecution by the Roman emperors Decius and Valerian.

David

Saint. c. 520-601. Patron saint of Wales. His shrine at St. David's in southwest Wales was an important place of pilgrimage during the Middle Ages.

dementia praecox

Schizophrenia. No longer in scientific use.

dander

Scurf from the coat or feathers of various animals, often of an allergenic nature.

decorative

Serving to decorate or embellish.

demulcent

Serving to soothe or soften. A soothing usually mucilaginous or oily substance, such as glycerin or lanolin, used especially to relieve pain in inflamed or irritated mucous membranes.

dear

Severe; grievous; sore.

cybersex

Sexual activity or arousal through communication by computer.

dendroid

Shaped like a tree.

dendriform

Shaped like or having the form of a tree.

deferent

Showing deference; deferential.

debilitated

Showing impairment of energy or strength; enfeebled. Synonymous with weak.

cutrate

Sold or on sale at a reduced price.

decker

Something having a deck or an indicated number of levels, stories, or tiers. Often used in combination.

customable

Subject to tariffs.

Dairren

Synonymous Dalian.

Cytherea

Synonymous with Aphrodite.

Dahomey

Synonymous with Benin.

dagger fern

Synonymous with Christmas fern.

Cusco

Synonymous with Cuzco.

Cynwulf

Synonymous with Cynewulf.

Demavend

Synonymous with Damavand.

Dacca

Synonymous with Dhaka.

de Lesseps

Synonymous with Ferdinand Marie de Lesseps.

Danzig

Synonymous with Gdansk.

Day of Judgment

Synonymous with Judgment Day.

Decoration Day

Synonymous with Memorial Day.

Denali

Synonymous with Mount McKinley.

Dalhousie

Tenth Earl and First Marquis. Aka James Andrew Brown Ramsay.

degradable

That can be chemically degraded.

deductible

That can be deducted, especially with respect to income taxes. 1. Something, such as an expense, that can be deducted, as for income-tax purposes. 2. A clause in an insurance policy that exempts the insurer from paying an initial specified amount in the event that the insured sustains a loss.

Dene

The Athabaskan-speaking peoples of northwest Canada and inalnd Alaska considered as a group.

Dagan

The Babylonian god of the earth.

Dakotas

The Dakota Territory or (after 1889) the states of North Dakota and South Dakota.

dendrology

The botanical study of trees and other woody plants.

Davy Jones

The bottom of the sea, as personified in songs and stories.

Davy Jone's locker

The bottom of the sea, especially as the grave of all who perish at sea.

cytochemistry

The branch of biochemistry that deals with the study of the chemical composition and activity of cells.

cytogenetics

The branch of biology that deals with heredity and the cellular components, particularly chromosomes, associated with heredity.

cytology

The branch of biology that deals with the formation, structure, and function of cells.

Deneb

The brightest star in the constellation Cygnus, approximately 1,630 light-years from Earth.

dairying

The business of owning and operating a dairy or a dairy farm.

cuttlebone

The calcareous internal shell of a cuttlefish, used as a dietary supplement for cage birds or ground into powder for use as a polishing agent.

demagogy

The character or practices of a demagogue; demagoguery.

deanery

The office, jurisdiction, or official residence of an ecclesiastical dean.

Dead Sea Scrolls

The papyrus scrolls and scroll fragments discovered between 1947 and 1960 at sites along the Dead Sea, mostly dating from the last two centuries B.C., containing passages from books of the Hebrew Scriptures and from apocryphal biblical books, as well as sectarian writings. They are of great importance for reconstructing the compilation of the Hebrew Scriptures and for understanding Jewish culture in the era immediately preceding the birth of Jesus.

death row

The part of a prison for housing inmates who have received the death penalty. Also called death house.

defendant

The party against which an action is brought.

death seat

The passenger seat next to the driver of an automotive vehicle. Australian, so called because this seat is said to be the most dangerous one in the event of an accident.

dark adaptation

The physical and chemical adjustments of the eye, including dilation of the pupil and increased activity of rods in the retina, that make vision possible in relative darkness.

dead center

The point at the end of each stroke of a moving crank and connecting rod at which the two lie in the same straight line and the turning force applied by the connecting rod is zero. Also called dead point.

decimal place

The position of a digit to the right of a decimal point, usually identified by successive ascending ordinal numbers with the digit immediately to the right of the decimal point being first.

death qualification

The qualification of a juror on the basis of a favorable attitude regarding the death penalty.

definitude

The quality of being definite or exact; precision.

decrepitude

The quality or condition of being weakened, worn out, impaired, or broken down by old age, illness, or hard use.

dalles

The rapids of a river that runs between the steep precipices of a gorge or narrow valley.

dells

The rapids of a river. Alteration of Dalles (influenced by Dell)

death rate

The ratio of total deaths to total population in a specified community or area over a specified period of time. The __________ is often expressed as the number of deaths per 1,000 of the population per year. Also called fatality rate.

deep space

The regions beyond the gravitational influence of Earth encompassing interplanetary, interstellar, and intergalactic space.

Deimos

The satellite of Mars that is second in distance from the planet.

cyclosis

The streaming rotary motion of protoplasm within certain cells and one-celled organisms.

cytophotometry

The study of cells and chemical compounds within cells by means of a cytophotometer.

dendrochronology

The study of climate changes and past events by comparing the successive annual growth rings of trees or old timber.

dactylography

The study of fingerprints as a method of identification.

demography

The study of the characteristics of human populations, such as size, growth, density, distribution, and vital statistics.

cystostomy

The surgical formation of an opening into the urinary bladder.

d-

The symbol for dextrorotatory

dB

The symbol for the element dubnium

czarina

The wife of a Russian czar.

damnatory

Threatening with or expressing condemnation; damning.

Darnley

Title of Henry Stewart or Stuart. 1545-1567. Scottish nobleman and second husband (1565-1567) of Mary Queen of Scots. He plotted to kill David Rizzio, Mary's secretary, in 1566 and was himself murdered the following year, possibly at the urging of Mary's lover, the Earl of Bothwell.

daunt

To abate the courage of; discourage. Synonymous with dismay.

dehypnotize

To arouse from a hypnotic state.

decollate

To behead.

defragment

To reorganize a computer file to eliminate fragmentation.

dendro-

Tree; treelike.

decrepit

Weakened, worn out, impaired, or broken down by old age, illness, or hard use.

dental hygienist

a person trained and licensed to provide preventive dental services, such as cleaning the teeth and taking x-rays, usually in conjunction with a dentist.

daring

Willing to take or seek out risks; bold and venturesome. Synonymous with adventurous. Audacious bravery; boldness.

decrescendo

With gradually diminishing force or loudness. Used chiefly as a direction. 1. A gradual decrease in force or loudness. 2. A ____________ passage.

demonolatry

Worship of demons.

deceptive

___________ or tending to deceive.

Cuzco

a city of southern Peru in the Andes east-southeast of Lima. Founded according to legend by Manco Capac around the 12th century, it became the center of the vast Inca empire and was rebuilt by the Spanish after its plunder by Francisco Pizarro in 1533. Population: 302,700.

cyclic AMP

a cyclic nucleotide of adenosine that acts at the cellular level to regulate various metabolic processes and mediate the effects of many hormones.

DA

a ducktail.

dealership

a franchise to sell specified items in a certain area.

czar

also tsar or tzar. A male monarch or emperor, especially one o the emperors who ruled Russia until the revolution of 1917. 2. A person having great power; an autocrat. 3. An appointed official having special powers to regulate or supervise an activity.

cyclopedia

an encyclopedia

CYA

cover your ass

denar

currency in Macedonia.

dalasi

currency in Mandingo.

deb.

debenture

denovo

dense. 1a. Having relatively high density. b. Crowded closely together; compact. 2. Hard to penetrate; thick. 3a. Permitting little light to pass through, because of compactness of matter. b. Opaque, with good contrast between light and dark areas. Used of a photographic negative. 4. Difficult to understand because of complexity or obscurity. 5. Slow to apprehend; thickheaded.

cut glass

glassware shaped, or decorated by cutting instruments or abrasive wheels.

demi-

half. 2. To some degree; part; partly.

dad

informal for father.

cytotoxic T cell

killer cell

deadly sin

one of the seven sins- anger, covetousness, envy , gluttony, lust, pride, and sloth-- that are supposed to be fatal to one's spiritual development and progress.

dental technician

one who makes dental appliances and restorative devices, such has bridges or dentures, to the specifications of a dentist.

cutwork

openwork embroidery in which the ground fabric is cut away from the design.

dactylo

or dactyl. prefix for finger; toe; digit.

daylight-saving time

or daylight-savings time. abbr. DST. Time during which clocks are set one hour or more ahead of standard time to provide more daylight at the end of the working day during late spring, summer, and early fall.

deniable

possible to contradict or declare untrue. 2. Being such that plausible disavowal or disclaimer is possible.

deci

pref. for one tenth (10^-1).

cyber-

prefix for 1. Computer. 2. Computer network. Synonymous with virtual.

deca

prefix for Ten

demanding

requiring much effort or attention. Synonymous with burdensome.

-cy

suffix for 1. State; condition; quality. 2. Rank; office.

-cyte

suffix. cell.

demand draft

synonymous with sight draft.

daybreak

the beginning of day; dawn.

curtilage

the enclosed area immediately surrounding a house or dwelling.

dental caries

the formation of cavities in the teeth by the action of bacteria; tooth decay.

cypher

variant of cipher.

dent-

variant of denti-

Cymry

1. The Brythonic Celts of Wales, Cornwall, and Brittany. 2. The Welsh.

damnation

1. The act of damning or the condition of being damned. 2. Condemnation to everlasting punishment; doom. b. Everlasting punishment. 3. Failure or ruination incurred by adverse criticism. Used to express anger or annoyance.

deduction

1. The act of deducting; subtraction. 2. An amount that is or may be deducted. 3. The drawing of a conclusion by reasoning; the act of deducing. 4. The process of reasoning in which a conclusion follows necessarily from the stated premises; inference by reasoning from the general to the specific. b. A conclusion reached by this process.

defense

1. The act of defending against attack, danger, or injury. 2. A means or method of defending or protecting. 3. The act or an instance of defending a championship against a challenger. 4. An argument in support or justification of something. 5. a. the action of the defendant in opposition to complaints against him or her. b. The defendant and his or her legal counsel. 6. The science or art of defending oneself; self-defense. 7. a. Means or tactics used in trying to stop the opposition from scoring. b. The team or those players on the team attempting to stop the opposition from scoring. 8. The military, governmental, and industrial complex, especially as if authorizes and manages weaponry production.

deflation

1. The act of deflating or the condition of being deflated. 2. A persistent decrease in the level of consumer prices or a persistent increase in the purchasing power of money because of a reduction in available currency and credit. 3. The erosion of soil by the wind.

deflection

1. The act of deflecting or the condition of being deflected. 2. Deviation or a specified amount of deviation. 3. The deviation of an indicator of a measuring instrument from zero or from its normal position. 4. The movement of a structure or structural part as a result of stress.

defloration

1. The act of deflowering. 2. Rupture of the hymen, typically in sexual intercourse.

delegacy

1. The act of delegating or state of being delegated. 2. The authority, office, or position of a delegate. 3. A body of delegates; a delegation.

deletion

1. The act of deleting; removal by striking out. 2. Material, such as a word or passage, that has been removed from a body of written or printed matter. 3. The loss, as through mutation, of one or more nucleotides from a chromosome.

denotation

1. The act of denoting; indication. 2. Something, such as a sign or symbol, that denotes. 3. Something signified or referred to; a particular meaning of a symbol. 4. The most specific or direct meaning of a word ,in contrast to its figurative or associated meanings.

death

1. The act of dying; termination of life. 2. The state of being dead. 3. The cause of dying. 4. A manner of dying. 5. often A personification of the destroyer of life. 6. Bloodshed; murder. b. Execution. 7. Civil death. 8. The termination or extinction of something.

demonstration

1. The act of showing or making evident. 2. Conclusive evidence; proof. 3. An illustration or explanation. 4. A manifestation, as of one's feelings. 5. A public display of group opinion, as by a rally or march.

delamination

1. The act of splitting or separating a laminate into layers.

defiance

1. The act or an example of defying; bold resistance to an opposing force or authority. 2. Intentionally contemptuous behavior or attitude; readiness to contend or resist.

debriefing

1. The act or process of ______________ or of being debriefed. 2. the information imparted during the process of being __________.

decompression

1. The act or process of decompressing. 2. surgical procedure used to relieve pressure on an organ or part, such as the abdomen, cranium, or spinal cord.

decrement

1. The act or process of decreasing or becoming gradually less. 2. The amount lost by gradual diminution or waste. 3. The amount by whcih a variable is decreased; a negative increment.

deliberation

1. The act or process of deliberating. 2. Discussion and consideration of all sides of an issue. 3. Thoughtfulness in decision or action. 4. Leisureliness in motion or manner.

demineralization

1. The act or process of removing minerals or mineral salts from a liquid, such as water. 2. The loss, deprivation, or removal of minerals or mineral salts from the boy, especially through disease, as the loss of calcium from bones or teeth.

demolition

1. The act or process of wreaking or destroying, especially destruction by explosives. 2. Explosives, especially when designed or used as weapons.

decomposition

1. The act or result of decomposing; disintegration. 2a. Separation into constituents by chemical reaction. b. Breakdown or decay of organic materials.

custody

1. The act or right of guarding, especially such a right granted by a court. 2. Care, supervision, and control exerted by one in charge. 3. The state of being detained or held under guard, especially by the police.

decoration

1. The act, process, technique, or art of decorating. 2. Something used to decorate. 3. An emblem of honor, such as a medal or badge.

Danelaw

1. The body of law established by the Danish invaders and settlers in northeast England in the ninth and tenth centuries. 2. The sections of England under the jurisdiction of this law.

decillion

1. The cardinal number equal to 10^33. 2. The cardinal number equal to 10*60.

demos

1. The common people; the populace. 2. The common people of an ancient Greek state.

denominator

1. The expression written below the line in a common fraction that indicates the number of parts into which one whole is divided. 2. A common trait or characteristic. 3. An average level or standard.

dartboard

A circular board, often of cork, used as the target in a game of darts.

dashi

A clear soup stock, usually with a fish or vegetable base.

cymatium

Synonymous with cyma. 2. The topmost molding of a classical cornice.

cytogeny

Synonymous with cytogenesis.

Deleware

1 A group of closely related Native American peoples formerly inhabiting Deleware and Hudson river valleys, and the area between with present day populations in Oklahoma, Kansas, Wisconisn, and Ontario. The _____________ formed in a variety of political alliances.

defect

1 The lack of something necessary or desirable for completion or perfection; a deficiency. 2. To abandon a position or association often to join an opposing group.

dead weight

1 The unrelieved weight of a heavy, motionless mass. 2. An oppressive burden or difficulty. 3. Abbr. DW the fixed weight of a structure or piece of equipment, such as a bridge on its supports. Also called dead load.

dandelion

1. A Eurasian plant (Taraxacum officinale) of the composite family having many-rayed yellow flower heads and deeply notched basal leaves. Widely naturalized as a weed in Norht America, it is used in salads and to make wine. 2. Any of several similar or related plants. 3. A brilliant to vivid yellow.

damson

1. A Eurasian plum tree (Prunus institia) cultivated since ancient times for its edible fruit. 2. The oval, bluish-black, juicy plum of the tree. In both senses also called bullace, damson plum.

deaconess

1. A Protestant woman who assists the minister in various functions. 2. Used as a title prefixed to teh surname of such a woman.

deadpan

1. A blank, expressionless face. 2. A person, especially a performer, who has or assumes a blank expression. Impassively matter-of-fact, as in style, bahavior, or expression. With a blank, expressionless face.

dacquoise

1. A cake made with layers of nut meringue and whipped cream or buttercream. 2. One of the layers of meringue used in this cake.

debenture

1. A certificate or voucher acknowledging a debt. 2. An unsecured bond issued by a civil or governmental corporation or agency and backed only by the credit standing of the issuer. 3. A customhouse certificate providing for the payment of a drawback.

Davenport

1. A city of eastern Iowa on the Mississippi River opposite Moline and Rock Island, Illinois. It grew rapidly after the first railroad bridge across the Mississippi was completed in 1856. Population: 95,333.

Decatur

1. A city of northern Alabama on the Tennessee River north of Birmingham. Most of the original city was destroyed during the Civil War. Population: 48,761. 2. A city of central Illinois east of Springfield. Abraham Lincoln practiced law here. Population: 83,885.

Danville

1. A city of western California, a suburb of Oakland. Population: 31,306. 2. A city of eastern Illinois east-northeast of Decatur. It is a commercial center in an agricultural region. Population: 33,828. 3. An independent city of southern Virginia on the an River near the North Carolina border. Founded in 1793, it was the last capital of the Confederacy in 1865. Population: 53,056.

deacon

1. A cleric ranking just below a priest in the Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and Roman Catholic churches. 2. A Protestant layperson who assists the minister in various functions. 3. Used as a title prefixed to the surname of such a person.

cyanogen

1. A colorless, flammable, pungent, highly poisonous gas, C2N2, used as a rocket propellant, an insecticide, and a chemical weapon. 2. A univalent radical, CN, found in simple and complex cyanide compounds.

dark comedy

1. A comedy having gloomy or disturbing elements, especially one in which a character suffers an irreparable loss. 2. A comedy characterized by morbid or grimly satiric humor.

dairy

1. A commercial establishment for processing or selling milk and milk products. 2. A place where milk and cream are stored and processed. 3. A dairy farm. 4. The dairy business, dairying. 1. Of, for, or relating to milk or milk products. 2. Of or relating to dairying. 3. Of, relating to, or intended for the consumption or preparation of milk or milk products exclusively, as dictated by dietary law.

dead meat

1. A corpse or carcass. 2. One that is doomed, as to obsolescence, ruin, or death.

demarche

1. A course of action, a maneuver. 2. A diplomatic representation or protest. 3. A statement or protest addressed by citizens to public authorities.

decussation

1. A crossing in the shape of an X. 2. An X-shaped crossing, especially of nerves or bands of nerve fibers, connecting corresponding parts on opposite sides of the brain or spinal cord.

decapod

1. A crustacean of the order Decapoda, such as a crab, lobster, or shrimp, characteristically having ten legs, each joined to a segment of the thorax. 2. A cephalopod mollusk, such as a squid or cuttlefish, having ten armlike tentacles. Of or relating to the Decapoda or a _______.

cutback

1. A decrease; a curtailment. 2. A sharp reversal of direction, as of a ball carrier in football.

cutoff

1. A designated limit or point of termination. 2. A shortcut or bypass. 3. A new channel cut by a river across the neck of an oxbow. 4. The act or an instance of cutting off. 5. The interception by an infielder of a throw to home plate from the outfield. 6. A device that cuts off a flow of fluid. 7. A conductor's signal indicating a stop or break in playing or singing. 8. Pants, such as blue jeans, made into shorts by cutting off part of the legs. 1. Designating a limit or point of termination. 2. Serving to intercept or relay a throw to home plate from the outfield.

deicer

1. A device used on an aircraft to keep the wings and propeller free from ice or to remove ice after it has formed. 2. A compound, such as ethylene glycol, used to prevent the formation of ice, as on windshields.

debut

1. A first public appearance, as of a performer. 2. the formal presentation of a young woman to society. 3. The beginning of a course of action. To present in or make a _____.

deadeye

1. A flat hardwood disk with a grooved perimeter, pierced by three holes through which the lanyards are passed, used to fasten the shrouds. 2. An expert shooter.

cusk

1. A food fish (Borsme brosme) of North Atlantic coastal waters that is related to the cod. 2. Synonymous with burbot. Probably alteration of tusk, a kind of codfish, perhaps from dialectal Norwegian, variant of Norwegian torsk, tosk.

deckle

1. A frame used in making a paper by hand to form paper pulp into sheets of a desired size. 2. A deckle edge.

day shift

1. A group of emplyees working during the day in a factory or business. 2. Te period of time for such work.

defroster

1. A heating device designed to remove frost or prevent its formation. 2. A device designed to thaw frozen goods.

cyclorama

1. A large composite picture placed on the interior walls of a cylindrical room so as to appear in natural perspective to a spectator standing in the center of the room. 2. A large curtain or wall, usually concave, hung or placed at the rear of a stage.

denomination

1. A large group of religious congregations united under a common faith and name and organized under a single administrative and legal hierarchy. 2. One of a series of kinds, values, or sizes, as in a system of currency or weights. 3. A name or designation, especially for a class or group.

davenport

1. A large sofa, often convertible into a bed. 2. A small desk.

demagogue

1. A leader who obtains power by means of impassioned appeals to the emotions and prejudices of the populace. 2. A leader of the common people in ancient times.

decimal

1. A linear array of digits that represents a real number, every decimal place indicating a multiple of a negative power of 10. For example, the decimal 0.1=1/10, 0.12=12/100, 0.003=3/1000. Also called decimal fraction. 2. A number written using the base 10. 1. Expressed or expressible as a ________. 2a. Based on 10. b. Numbered or ordered by groups of 10.

dag

1. A lock of matted or dung-coated wool. 2. A hanging end or shred.

darning needle

1. A long, large-eyed needle used in darning.

decolletage

1. A low neckline on a woman's garment, especially a dress. 2. A dress with a low neckline in front.

dandy

1. A man who affects extreme elegance in clothes and manners, a fop. 2. Something very good or agreeable. 3. Synonymous with yawl. 1. Suggestive of or attired like a ______; foppish. 2. Fine; good.

cutaway

1. A man's formal daytime coat, with from edges sloping diagonally from the waist and forming tails at the back. 2. A brief shot that interrupts the main action of a film, often to depict related matter or supposedly concurrent action. 3. A model or diagram of an object with part of the outer layer removed

delivery system

1. A means or procedure for providing a product or service to the public. 2. A means, technology, or device for administering drugs to a patient. 3. The technology for conveying nuclear weapons to their targets.

dactyl

1. A metrical foot consisting of one accented syllable followed by two short, as in flattery. 2. A finger, toe, or similar part or structure, a digit.

cutthroat

1. A murderer, especially one who cuts throats. 2. An unprincipled, ruthless person. 3. A cutthroat trout. 3. Being a form of a game in which each of three or more players acts and scores individually.

Cypriot

1. A native or inhabitant of Cyprus. Also called Cyprian. 2. The ancient or modern Greek dialect of Cyprus. 1. Of or relating to Cyprus or its people or culture. 2. Of or relating to _________ Greek.

Dalmatian

1. A native or inhabitant of Dalmatia. 2. A dog of a breed believed to have originated in Dalmatia, having a short, smooth white coat covered with black or dark brown spots. Also called carriage dog, coach dog. Of or relating to __________ or its inhabitants or culture.

Dane

1. A native or inhabitant of Denmark. @. A person of Danish ancestry.

decimal system

1. A number system based on units of 10. 2. A system of measurement in which all derived units are multiples of 10 of the fundamental units.

cushion

1. A pad or pillow with a soft filling, used for resting, reclining, or kneeling. 2. Something resilient used as a rest, support, or shock absorber. 3. A mat placed or attached beneath carpeting to provide softness and increase durability. 4. A padlike body part. 5. The rim bordering the playing surface of a billiard table. 6. A pillow used in lacemaking. 7. Something that mitigates or relieves an adverse effect. 1. To provide with a ________. 2. To place or seat on a ________. 3. To cover or hid (something) with or as if with a _________. 3. To cover or hide (something) with or as if with a _______. 4. To protect from impacts or other disturbing effects. 5. To mitigate the effects of; absorb the shock of.

decade

1. A period of ten years. 2. A group or series of ten.

delegate

1. A person authorized to act as representative for another; a deputy or an agent. 2. A representative to a conference or convention. 3. A member of a House of Delegates, the lower house of the Maryland, Virginia, or West Virginia legislature. 4. An elected or appointed representative of a U.S. territory in the House of Representatives who is entitled to speak but not vote. 1. To authorize and send (another person) as one's representative. 2. To commit or entrust to another. 3. To appoint (one's debtor) as a debtor to one's creditor in place of oneself.

cynic

1. A person who believes all people are motivated by selfishness. 2. A person whose outlook is scornfully and often habitually negative. 3. A member of a sect of ancient Greek philosophers who believed virtue to be the only good and self-control to be the only means of achieving virtue. 1. Cynical. 2. Of or relating to the Cynics or their beliefs.

deadhead

1. A person who uses a free ticket for admittance, accommodation, or entertainment. 2. A vehicle, such as an aircraft, that transports no passengers or freight during a trip. 3. A person regarded as dull-witted or sluggish. 4. A partially submerged log or trunk. 1. To pilot or drive (a vehicle) carrying no passengers or freight. 2. To pull (dead or dying blossoms) off of a flower. 1. To make a trip without passengers or freight. 2. To bypass a senior employee in order to promote a more junior employee. Without passengers or freight; empty.

defense mechanism

1. A physiological reaction of an organism used in self-protection, as against infection. 2. Any of various usually unconscious mental processes, including denial, projection, rationalization, and repression, that protect the ego from shame, anxiety, conflict, loss of self-esteem, or other unacceptable feelings or thoughts.

decal

1. A picture or design transferred by decalcomania. 2. A decorative sticker.

deck

1. A platform extending horizontally from one side of a ship to the other. 2a. A platform or surface likened to a ship's deck. b. A roofless, floored structure, typically with a railing, that adjoins a house. c. The roadway of a bridge or an elevated freeway. 3a. A pace of playing cards. b. A group of data processing cards. 4. A tape deck. 5. A packet of narcotics. 1. To furnish with or as if with a deck. 2. To knock down.

cusp

1. A point or pointed end. 2. A pointed or rounded projection on the chewing surface of a tooth. b. A triangular fold or flap of a heart valve. 3. A point at which a curve crosses itself and at which the two tangents to the curve coincide. 4. The point of intersection of two ornamental arcs or curves, such as the inner points of a trefoil. 5. Either point of a crescent moon. 6. A transitional point or time, as between two astrological signs.

demiurge

1. A powerful creative force or personality. 2. A public magistrate in some ancient Greek states. 3. Demiurge. A deity in Gnosticism, Manichaeism, and other religions who creates the material world and is often viewed as the originator of evil. 4. A platonic deity who orders or fashions the material world out of chaos.

custom

1. A practice followed by people of a particular group or region. 2. A habitual practice. 3. A common tradition or usage so long established that it has the force or validity of law. 4a. Habitual patronage, as of a store. b. Habitual customers; patrons. 5. a. Duties or taxes imposed on imported and, less commonly, exported goods. b. The governmental agency authorized to collect these duties. c. The procedure for inspecting goods and baggage entering a country. 6. Tribute, service, or rent paid by a feudal tenant to a lord. 1. Made to order. 2. Specializing in the making or selling of made-to-order goods.

death instinct

1. A primitive impulse for destruction, decay, and death, postulated by Sigmund Freud as coexisting with and opposing the life instinct. Also called Thanatos. 2. Death wish.

day school

1. A private school for pupils living at home. 2. A school that holds classes during the day

decadence

1. A process, condition, or period of deterioration or decline, as in morals or art; decay. 2. A literary movement especially of late 19th century France and England characterized by refined aestheticism, artifice, and the quest for new sensations.

declamation

1. A recitation delivered as an exercise in rhetoric or elocution. 2a. Vehement oratory. b. A speech marked by strong feeling; a tirade.

denial

1. A refusal to comply with or satisfy a request. 2a. A refusal to grant the truth of a statement or allegation; a contradiction. b. The opposing by a defendant of an allegation of the plaintiff. 3a. A refusal to accept or believe something, such as a doctrine or belief. b. An unconscious defense mechanism characterized by refusal to acknowledge painful realities, thoughts, or feelings. 4. The act of disowning or disavoing; repudiation. 5. Abstinence; self-denial.

defeasance

1. A rendering void; an annulment. 2a. The voiding of a contract or deed. b. A clause within a contract or deed providing for annulment.

damask

1. A rich patterned fabric of cotton, linen, silk, or wool. 2. A fine, twilled table linen. 3. Damascus steel. 4. The wavy pattern on Damascus steel. 1. To damascene. 2. To decorate or weave with rich patterns.

Dee

1. A river rising in the Cairngorm Mountains of eastern Scotland and flowing about 145 km (90 mi) eastward to the North Sea through an artificial channel at Aberdeen. It is known for its scenic beauty and salmon fisheries. 2. A river of northern Wales and western England flowing about 113km (70 mi) partially along the Welsh-English border to the Irish sea.

dearth

1. A scarce supply; a lack. 2. Shortage of food; famine.

dedans

1. A screened gallery for spectators at the service end of a court-tennis court. 2. The spectators at a court-tennis match.

daily dozen

1. A set of exercises that one does every day. 2. A set of routing tasks.

delicatessen

1. A shop that sells cooked or prepared foods ready for serving. 2. Ready-to-serve foods such as cheeses, cold cooked meats, and salads.

cutlass

1. A short heavy sword with a curved single-edged blade, once used as a weapon by sailors. 2. A machete.

dalliance

1. Frivolous spending of time; dawdling. 2. Playful flirtation.

delirium

1. A temporary state of mental confusion and fluctuating consciousness resulting from high fever, intoxication, shock, or other causes. It is characterized by anxiety, disorientation, hallucinations, delusions, and incoherent speech. 2. A state of uncontrolled excitement or emotion.

cutlet

1. A thin slice of meat, usually veal or lamb, cut from the leg or ribs. 2. A patty of chopped meat or fish, usually coated with breaded crumbs and fried; a flat croquette.

deadline

1. A time limit, as for payment of a debt or completion of an assignment . 2. A boundary line in a prison that prisoners can cross only at the risk of being shot.

deadfall

1. A trap for large animals in which a heavy weight is arranged to fall on and kill or disable the prey. 2. A mass of fallen timber and tangled brush.

dayhop

1. A trip that can be made in one day's time. 2. A day student at a boarding school, college, or university.

denier

1. A unit of fineness for rayon, nylon, and silk fibers, based on a standard mass per length of 1 gram per 9,000 meters of yarn. 2. a. A small coin of varying composition and value current in western Europe from the eight century until the French Revolution. b. A small, trifling sum.

dasheen

1. A variety of taro having large yellowish tubers. 2. The tuber of this plant.

dairywoman

1. A woman who owns or manages a dairy. 2. A woman who works in a dairy.

demoiselle

1. A young woman. 2. A _____________ crane. 3. Synonymous with damselfly. 4. Synonymous with damselfish.

daybook

1. Abbr. DB A book in which daily transactions are recorded. 2. A diary.

cyst

1. An abnormal membranous sac containing a gaseous, liquid, or semisolid substance. 2. A sac or vesicle in the body. 3. A smal lcapsulelike sac that encloses certain organisms in their dormant or larval stage. 4. A thick-walled resting spore, as in certain algae or fungi.

democrat

1. An advocate of democracy. 2. A member of the Democratic Party.

Cush

1. An ancient region of northeast Africa where the biblical descendants of ______ settled. It is often identified with Ethiopia. 2. An ancient kingdom of Nubia in northern Sudan. It flourished from the 11th century B.C. to the 4th century A.D., when its capital fell to the Ethiopians.

densitometer

1. An apparatus for measuring the optical density of a material, such as a photographic negative. 2. Synonymous with densimeter.

cyclone

1. An atmospheric system characterized by the rapid inward circulation of air masses about a low-pressure center, usually accompanied by stormy, often destructive weather. _________ circulate counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. b. A violent tropical storm, especially on originating in the southwestern Pacific Ocean or Indian Ocean. 2. A violent rotating windstorm. 3. Any of various devices using centrifugal force to separate materials.

cynicism

1. An attitude of scornful or jaded negativity, especially a general distrust of the integrity or professed motives of others. 2. A scornfully or jadedly negative comment or act.

decree

1. An authoritative order having the force of law. 2. The judgment of a court of equity, admiralty, probate, or divorce. 3. a. A doctrinal or disciplinary act of an ecumenical council. b. An administrative act applying or interpreting articles of canon law. To ordain, establish, or decide by _______. To issue a _______.

deicer

1. An device used on an aircraft to keep the wings and propeller free from ice or to remove ice after it has formed. 2. A compound, such as ethylene glycol, used to prevent the formation of ice, as on windshields.

daguerreotype

1. An early photographic process with the image made on a light-sensitive silver-coated metallic plate. 2. A photograph made by this process.

cutting edge

1. An effective quality or element. 2. The position of greatest advancement or importance; the forefront.

data set

1. An electronic device that provides an interface in the transmission of data to a remote station. 2. A collection of related data records on a computer-readable medium, such as a disk.

dead end

1. An end of a passage, such as a street or pipe, that affords no exit. 2. A point beyond which no movement or progress can be made; an impasse.

demon

1. An evil supernatural being; a devil. 2. A persistently tormenting person, force, or passion. 3. One who is extremely zealous, skillful, or diligent. 4. Variant of daimon.

declaration

1. An explicit, formal announcement, either oral or written. 2. The act or process of declaring. 3. A statement by a plaintiff specifying the facts and circumstances constituting his or her cause of action. b. An unsworn statement of facts that is admissible as evidence. 5. A bid, especially the final bid of a hand in certain card games.

daimon

1. An inferior deity, such as a deified hero. 2. An attendant spirit; a genius.

denizen

1. An inhabitant; a resident. 2. One that frequents a particular place. 3. An animal or a plant naturalized in a region. 4. A foreigner who is granted rights of residence and sometimes of citizenship. To make a denizen of; grant rights of residence to.

definite integral

1. An integral that is calculated between two specified limits, usually expressed in the form fba F(x)dx. The result of performing the integral is a number that represents the area under the curve of f(x) between the limits and the x-axis if f(x) is greater than or equal to zero between the limits. 2. The result of an integration performed on a fixed interval.

denominative

1. Giving or constituting a name; naming. 2. Formed from a noun or an adjective. A word, especially a verb, that is derived from a noun or an adjective.

cycle

1. An interval of time during which a characteristic, often regularly repeated event or sequence of events occurs. 2a. A single complete execution of a periodically repeated phenomenon. b. A periodically repeated sequence of events. 4. A long period of time; an age. 5a. The aggregate of traditional poems or stories organized around a central theme or hero. 6. A bicycle, motorcycle, or similar vehicle. 7. A circular or whorled arrangement of flower parts such as those of petals or sepals. 8. In generative grammar, the principle that allows an ordered set of linguistic rules or operations to apply repeatedly to successive stages of a derivation. Often used with the. 1. To occur in or pass through a cycle. 2. To move in or as if in a cycle. 3. To ride a bicycle, motorcycle, or similar vehicle. To use in or put through a _______.

cynosure

1. An object that serves as a focal point of attention and admiration. 2. Something that serves to guide.

decurion

1. An officer in command of ten men in the army of ancient Rome. 2. A member of a municipal senate in ancient Rome who ran local government.

death warrant

1. An official order authorizing a person's execution. 2. Somethign that destroys hope or expectation; a deathblow person. 2. One who guards a condemned person before execution. 3. A deathwatch beetle.

dead letter

1. An unclaimed or undelivered letter that after a period of time is destroyed or returned to the sender by the postal service. 2. A law, directive, or factor still formally in effect but no longer valid or enforced.

deathtrap

1. An unsafe building or other structure. 2. A perilous circumstance or situation.

dan

1. Any of 12 levels of proficiency at the grade of black belt in martial arts such as judo and karate. b. One who has achieved such a level. 2. An expert or expert level in shogi and other such games.

cutgrass

1. Any of several grasses of the genus Leersia, found mostly along marshes, ponds, and streams and having leaves with very rough margins. 2. Any of several other grasses with rough margins.

daisy

1. Any of several plants of the composite family, especially a widely naturalized Eurasian plant (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum( having flower heads with a yellow center and white rays. Also called oxeye daisy, white daisy. 2. A low-growing European plant (Bellis perennis) having flower heads with pink or white rays. Also called english daisy. 3. The flower head of any of these plants. 4. One that is deemed excellent or notable.

dahlia

1. Any of several plants of the genus Dahlia native to the mountains of Mexico, Central America, and Colombia, having tuberous roots and showy, rayed, variously colored flower heads. 2. The flowr head of one of these plants.

custard apple

1. Any of several tropical American trees of the genus Annona, especially A. reticulata, having large, nearly heart-shaped edible fruits with white to yellowish flesh. 2. The fruit of any of these trees. In both senses also called bullock's heart.

Cyclops

1. Any of the three one-eyed Titans who forged thunderbolts for Zeus. 2. Any of a race of one-eyed giants, reputedly descended from these Titans, inhabiting the island of Sicily.

degree of freedom

1. Any of the unrestricted independent random variables that constitute a statistic. 2. Any of the minimum number of coordinates required to specify completely the motion ofa mechanical system. b. Any of the independent thermodynamic variables, such as pressure, temperature, or composition, required to specify a system with a given number of phases and components.

cypress

1. Any of various evergreen trees or shrubs of the genus Cupressus, native to Eurasia and North America and having opposite, scalelike leaves and globose woody cones. b. Any of several similar or related coniferous trees, such as the bald cypress. .c the wood of any of these trees. 2. _________ branches used as a symbol of mourning.

decile

1. Any one of the numbers or values in a series dividing the distribution of the individuals in the series into ten groups of equal frequency. 2. Any one of the ten groups.

decorum

1. Appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety. 2. The conventions or requirements of polite behavior. 3. The polite behavior. The appropriateness of an element of an artistic or literary work, such as style or tone, to its particular circumstance or to the composition as a whole.

decorative art

1. Art produced or intended primarily for utility, including jewelry, furniture, and other crafts. 2. Any of the art forms, such as pottery, weaving, or jewelry making, used to create such art. Often used in the plural.

deliberative

1. Assembled or organized for deliberation or debate. 2. Characterized by or for use in deliberation or debate.

dashing

1. Audacious and gallant; spirited. 2. Marked by showy elegance; splendid.

demonic

1. Befitting a demon; fiendish. 2. Motivated by a spiritual force or genius; inspired.

deep-seated

1. Being so far below the surface as to be unsusceptible to superficial examination, study, or treatment. 2. Deeply rooted; ingrained.

debatable

1. Being such that formal argument or discussion is possible. 2. Open to dispute; questionable. 3. In dispute, as land or territory claimed by more than one country.

cynical

1. Believing or showing the belief that people are motivated chiefly by base or selflish concerns; skeptical of the motives of others. 2. Selfishly or callously calculating. 3. Negative or pessimistic, as from world-weariness. 4. Expressing, jaded or scornful skepticism or negativity.

cyano

1. Blue. 2a. Cyanogen. b. Cyanide.

deep-six

1. Burial at sea 2. Disposal or rejection of something.

deep six

1. Burial at sea. 2. Disposal or rejection of something.

demonstrable

1. Capable of being demonstrated or proved. 2. Obvious or apparent.

cutting

1. Capable of or designed for incising, shearing, or severing. 2. Sharply penetrating, piercing. 3. Injuring or capable of injuring the feelings of others. 1. A part cut off from a main body. 2. A part, such as a stem, leaf, or root, removed from a plant to propagate a new plant, as through rooting or grafting. 3. An excavation made through high ground in a construction project. 4. The editing of film or recording tape. 5. A clipping, as from a newspaper.

deferent

1. Carrying down or away. Used of a duct or vessel. 2. Serving or adapted to carry or transport.

deadly

1. Causing or tending to cause death. 2. Suggestive of death. 3. Aiming or wanting to kill; implacable. 4a. Destructive in effect. b. Tending to take away vitality, effectiveness, or force. 6. Extreme or terrible. 7. Extremely accurate; unerring. 8. Dull, tedious, and boring. 1. So as to suggest death. 2. To an extreme.

decent

1. Characterized by conformity to recognized standards of propriety or morality. 2. free from indelicacy; modest. 3. Meeting accepted standards; adequate. 4a. Morally upright; respectable. b. Kind or obliging. 5. Properly or modestly dressed.

customary

1. Commonly practiced, used, or encountered, usual. Synonymous with usual. 2. Based on custom or tradition rather than written law or contract.

decompound

1. Compounded or consisting of things or parts that are already compound. 2. Having or consisting of divisions that are themselves once or several times compound; bipinnate.

damned

1. Condemned, especially to eternal punishment. 2. Deserving condemnation; detestable. 3. Used as an intensive.

decuple

1. Consisting of ten parts or members. 2. Ten times as much in size, strength, number, or amount. A ten-fold amount or number. To multiply or be multiplied by ten.

'd

1. Contraction of. 2. contraction of had, would, and did.

decollete

1. Cut low at the neckline. 2. Wearing a garment that is low-cut or strapless.

cutlery

1. Cutting instruments and tools. 2. Utensils such has knives, forks, and spoons used as tableware. 3. The occupation of a cutler.

deadwood

1. Dead branches or wood on a tree. 2. One that is burdensome or superfluous 3. Fallen bowling pins that remain on the alley. 4. The vertical planking between the keel of a vessel and the sternpost, serving as a reinforcement.

declaratory

1. Declarative. 2. Setting forth that which is the law. b. Explaining a legal interpretation or right.

deep-set

1. Deeply set or placed. 2. Deep-seated.

dainty

1. Delicately beautiful or charming; exquisite. 2. Delicious or choice. 3. Or refined taste; discriminating. 4. Overly fastidious; squamish. Something delicious; a delicacy.

delectation

1. Delight. 2. Enjoyment; pleasure.

cute

1. Delightfully pretty or dainty. 2. Obviously contrived to charm; precious. 3. Shrewd; clever.

Dem.

1. Democrat. 2. Democratic.

denotative

1. Denoting or naming; designative. 2. Specific or direct.

demurrage

1. Detention of a ship, freight car, or other cargo conveyance during loading or unloading beyond the scheduled time of departure. 2. Compensation paid for such detention.

dementia

1. Deterioration of intellectual faculties, such as memory, concentration, and judgment, resulting from an organic disease or a disorder of the brain. It is sometimes accompanied by emotional disturbance and personality changes. 2. Madness; insanity.

de-

1. Do or make the opposite of; reverse. 2. Remove or remove from. 3. Out of. 4. Reduce; degrade. 5. Derived from.

deliberate

1. Done with or marked by full consciousness of the nature and effects; intentional. 2. Arising from or marked by careful consideration. 3. Unhurried in action, movement, or manner, as if trying to avoid error.

demersal

1. Dwelling at or near the bottom of a body of water. 2. Sinking ot or deposited near the bottom of a body of water.

data

1. Factual information, especially information organized for analysis or used to reason or make decisions. 2. Numerical or other information represented in a form suitable for processing by computer. 3. Values derived from scientific experiments. 4. Plural of datum.

delinquent

1. Failing to do what law or duty requires. 2. Overdue in payment. 1. A juvenile ____________. 2. A person who neglects or fails to do what law or duty requires.

decompensation

1. Failure of the heart to maintain adequate blood circulation, marked by labored breathing, engorged blood vessels, and edema. 2. The inability to maintain defense mechanisms in response to stress, resulting in personality disturbance or psychological imbalance.

default

1. Failure to perform a task or fulfill an obligation, especially failure to meet a financial obligation. 2. Failure to mae a required court appearance. 3. The failure of one or more competitors or teams to participate in a contest. 4a. A particular setting or value for a variable that is assigned automatically by operating system value for a variable that is assigned automatically by an operating system and remains in effect unless canceled or overridden by the operator. b. A situation or condition that obtains in the absence of active intervention. 1a. To fail to do what is required. b. To fail to pay money when it is due. 2. a . To fail to appear in court when summoned. b. To lose a case by not appearing. 3. To fail to take part in or complete a scheduled contest. 1. To fail to perform or pay. 2. To lose a case by failing to appear in court. 3. To fail to take part in or complete ( a contest, for example).

deciduous

1. Falling off or shed at a specific season or stage of growth. 2. Shedding or losing foliage at the end of the growing season. 3. Not lasting; ephemeral.

delighted

1. Filled with delight 2. Delightful.

democracy

1. Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives. 2. A political or social unit that has such a government. 3. the common people, considered as the primary source of political power. 4. Majority rule. 5. The principles of social equality and respect for the individual within a community.

delectable

1. Greatly pleasing; delightful. 2. Greatly pleasing to the taste; delicious. Synonymous with delicious. Something delightful or delicious.

damage

1. Harm or injury to property or a person, resulting in loss of value or the impairment of usefulness. Money ordered to be paid as compensation for injury or lass. 3. Cost; price. To cause damage to. To suffer or be susceptible to damage.

caspidate

1. Having a cusp. 2. Terminating in or tipped with a sharp firm point.

degenerate

1. Having declined, as in function or nature, from a former or original state. 2. Having fallen to an inferior or undesirable state, especially in mental or moral qualities. 3. Relating to two or more quantum states that share the same quantum numbers. 4. Characterized by great density and consisting of atoms stripped of electrons. 5. Characterized by degeneration, as of tissue, a cell, or an organ. 6. Having lost one or more highly developed functions, characteristics, or structures through evolution. 7. Having more than one codon that may code for the same amino acid. 1. A depraved, corrupt, or vicious person. 2. A person lacking or having progressively lost normative biological or psychological characteristics. 1. To fall below a normal or desired below a normal or desirable state, especially functionally or morally; deteriorate. 2. To decline in quality. 3. To undergo degeneration.

definite

1. Having distinct limits. 2. Indisputable; certain. 3. Clearly defined; explicitly precise. 4. Limiting or particularizing. 5. a. Of a specified number not exceeding 20, as certain floral organs, especially stamens. b. Cymose; determinate.

dead

1. Having lost life; no longer alive. 2. Marked for certain death; doomed. 3a. Having the physical appearance of death. b. Lacking feeling or sensitivity; numb or unresponsive. c. Weary and worn-out; exhausted. 4a. Not having the capacity to live; inanimate or inert. b. Not having the capacity to produce or sustain life; barren. 5a. No longer in existence, use, or operation. b. No longer having significance or relevance. c. Physically inactive; dormant. 6a. Not commercially productive; idle. b. Not circulating or running; stagnant. 7a. Devoid of human of vehicular activity; quiet. b. Lacking all animation, excitement, or activity; dull. 8. Having no resonance. Used of sounds. 9. Having grown cold. 10. Lacking elasticity or bounce. 11. Out of operation because of a fault or breakdown. 12. Sudden; abrupt. b. Complete; utter. c. Exact; unerring. 13. Out of play. Used of a ball. 14a. Lacking connection to a source of electric current. b. Drained of electric charge; discharged. 1. One who has died. 2. The period exhibiting the greatest degree of intensity. 1. Absolutely; altogether. 2. Directly; exactly. 3. Suddenly.

dead-end

1. Having no exit. 2. Permitting no opportunity of advancement. 3. Tough and rowdy. To terminate with no exit or possibility of advancement.

decisive

1. Having the power to decide; conclusive. 2. Characterized by decision and firmness; resolute. 3. Beyond doubt; unmistakable.

declamatory

1. Having the quality of a declamation. 2. Pretentiously rhetorical; bombastic.

delicious

1. Highly pleasing or agreeable to the senses, especially of taste or smell. 2. Very pleasant; delightful.

declension

1. In certain languages, the inflection of nouns, pronouns, and adjectives in categories such as case, number, and gender. b. A class of words of one language with the same or a similar system of inflections such as the first ___________ in Latin. 2. A descending slope; a descent. 3. A decline or decrease; deterioration. 4. A deviation, as from a standard or practice.

data type

1. In programming, a classification identifying one of various types of data, as floating-point, integer, or Boolean, stating the possible values for that type, the operations that can be done on that type, and the way the values of that type are stored. 2. In databases or spreadsheets, a classification identifying one of various kinds of data, as a name, data, or dollar amount, found in a specific data field.

daedal

1. Ingenious and complex in design or function; intricate. 2. Finely or skillfully made or employed; artistic.

defensive

1. Intended or appropriate for defending; protective. 2a. Intended to withstand or deter aggression or attack. b. Of or relating to the effort to prevent an opponent from gaining points in a game or athletic contest. c. Performed so as to avoid risk, danger, or legal liability. 3. Of or relating to defense. 4. Constantly protecting oneself from criticism, exposure of one's shortcomings

dangerous

1. Involving or filled with danger; perilous. 2. Being able or likely to do harm.

delinquency

1. Juvenile delinquency. 2. Failure to do what law or duty requires. 3. An offense or a misdemeanor; a misdeed. 4. A debt or other financial obligation on which payment is overdue. Of or relating to juvenile delinquency.

deficient

1. Lacking an essential quality or element. 2. In adequate in amount or degree; insufficient.

deerskin

1. Leather made from the hide of a deer. 2. A garment made from _________.

declasse

1. Lowered in class, rank, or social position. 2. Lacking high station or birth; of inferior social status.

decumbent

1. Lying down; reclining .2. lying or growing on the ground but with erect or rising tips.

daft

1. Mad; crazy. 2. Foolish; stupid. 3. Frolicsome.

deific

1. Making or tending to make divine. 2. Of or characterized by divine or godlike nature.

demented

1. Mentally ill; insane. 2. Suffering from dementia or a loss of cognitive function.

demure

1. Modest and reserved in manner or behavior. 2. Affectedly shy, modest, or reserved.

demigod

1. Mythology. a. A male being, often the offspring of a god and a mortal, who has some but not all of the powers of a god. b. An inferior deity; a minor god. c. A deified man. 2. A person who is highly honored or revered.

day-to-day

1. Occurring on a routine or daily basis. 2. Subsisting one day at a time with little regard for the future.

deductive

1. Of or based on deduction. 2. Involving or using deduction in reasoning.

daily

1. Of or occurring during the day. 2. Happening or done every day. 3. computed or assessed for eacy day. 4. Everyday. 1. Every day. 2. Once a day. 1. A newspaper published every day or every weekday. 2. The first unedited print of movie film usually viewed after a day's shooting; the rushes.

Cyprian

1. Of or relating to Cyprus, Cypriot. 2a. Of or relating to the ancient worship of Aphrodite on Cyprus. b. Licentious; wanton. 1. Synonymous with Cypriot. 2. also cyprian. a. A wanted person. b. A prostitute.

Cyrenaic

1. Of or relating to Cyrenaic or Cyrene. 2. Of or advocating the doctrines of Aristippus of Cyrene, who argued that pleasure is the only good in life. 1. A native or inhabitant of Cyrenaica or Cyrene. 2. A disciple of the __________ school of philosophy.

demotic

1. Of or relating to the common people; popular. 2. Of, relating to, or written in the simplified form of ancient Egyptian hieratic writing. 3. Of or relating to a form of modern Greek based on colloquial use. A commoner.

custodial

1. Of or relating to the work of guarding or maintaining. 2a. Having custody, especially of a child. b. Of or relating to child custody. 3. Marked by care and supervision rather than efforts to cure.

democratic

1. Of, characterized by, or advocating democracy. 2. Of or for the people in general; popular. 3. Believing in or practicing social equality. 4. Of, relating to, or characteristic of the Democratic Party.

dental

1. Of, relating to, or for the teeth. 2. Of, relating to, or intended for dentistry. 3. Articulated with the tip of the tongue near or against the upper front teeth.

cystic

1. Of, relating to, or having the characteristic of a cyst. 2. Having or containing cysts or a cyst. 3. Enclosed in a cyst. 4. Of, relating to, or involving the gallbladder or urinary bladder.

cylindrical

1. Of, relating to, or having the shape of a cylinder, especially of a circular cylinder. 2. Of or relating to the coordinate system, or to any of three coordinates in it, formed by two polar coordinates in a plane and a rectangular coordinate measured perpendicularly from the plane.

delirious

1. Of, suffering from, or characteristic of delirium. 2. Marked by uncontrolled excitement or emotion; ecstatic.

dayside

1. Office employees and other personnel who work days. 2. The side of a planet facing the sun.

decemvir

1. One of a body of ten Roman magistrates, especially a member of one of two such bodies appointed in 451 and 450 B.C. to draw up a code of laws. 2. One of a authoritative body of ten.

degree

1. One of a series of steps in a process, course, or progression; a stage. 2. A step in a direct hereditary line of descent or ascent. 3. Relative social or official rank, dignity, or position. 4. relative intensity or amount, as of a quality or dignity, or position. 4. Relative intensity or amount, as of a quality or attribute. 5. The extent or measure of a state of being, an action, or a relation. 7. A planar unit of angular measure equal in magnitude to 1/360 of a complete revolution. 8. A unit of latitude or longitude, equal to 1/360 of a great circle. 9. a. The greatest sum of the exponents of the variables in a term of a polynomial or polynomial equation. b. the exponent of the derivative of highest order in a differential equation in standard form. 10. An academic title given by a college or university to a student who has completed a course of study. b. A similar title conferred as an honorary distinction. 11. A division or classification of a specific crime according to its seriousness. 12. A classification of the severity of an injury, especially a burn. 13. One of the forms used in the comparison of adjectives and adverbs. For example, tall is the positive _______, taller the comparative ______, and tallest the superlative degree of the adjective tall. 14. a. one of the seven notes of a diatonic scale. b. A space or line of the staff.

deme

1. One of the townships of ancient Attica. 2. A local, usually stable population of interbreeding organisms of the same kind or species.

customer

1. One that buys goods or services. 2. An individual with whom one most deal.

darner

1. One that darns. 2. Synonymous with dragonfly.

dasher

1. One that dashes, especially the plunger of an ice-cream freezer. 2. The ledge along the top of the boards of an ice rink.

damper

1. One that deadens, restrains, or depresses. 2. An adjustable plate, as in the flue of a furnace or stove, for controlling the draft. 3. A device in various keyboard instruments for deadening the vibrations of the strings. b. A mute for various brass instruments. 4. A device that eliminates or progressively diminishes vibrations or oscillations, as of a magnetic needle.

decoder

1. One that decodes. 2. A device that decodes a scrambled electronic signal to make it intrepretable.

demonstrator

1. One that demonstrates, such as a participant in a public display of opinion. 2. An article or product used in a demonstration.

demurrer

1. One that demures; an objector. 2. An objection. 3. A method of objecting that admits the facts of the opponent's argument but denies that they sustain the pleading based upon them.

custodian

1. One that has charge of something; a caretaker. . A janitor.

dealer

1. One that is engaged in buying and selling. 2. The one who distributes cards.

delusive

1. Tending to delude. 2. Having the nature of a delusion; false.

denary

1. Tenfold. 2. Divided or counted by tens; decimal.

darter

1. One that moves suddenly and rapidly. 2. Synonymous with anhinga. 3. Any of various small, often brilliantly colored freshwater fishes of the family Percidae, closely related to the perches and found in eastern North America.

debtor

1. One that owes something to another. 2. One who is guilty of a trespass or sin; a sinner.

dark horse

1. One who achieves unexpected support and success as a political candidate, typically during a party's convention. 2. A little-known, unexpectedly successful entrant, as in a horserace.

daughter

1. One's female child. 2. A female descendant. 3. A woman considered as if in relationship of child to parent. 4. One personified or regarded as a female descendant. 5. The immediate product of the radioactive decay of an element. 1. Possessing the characteristics of a _________; having the relationship of a _________. 2. Of or relating to a cell; organelle, or other structure produced by division or replication. 3. Produced by or resulting from the decay of a radioactive element.

deaf

1. Partially or completely lacking in the sense of hearing. 2. Of or relating to the Deaf or their culture. 3. Unwilling or refusing to listen; heedless. 1. _____ people considered as a group. Used with the. 2. The community of ____ people who use American Sign Language as a primary means of communication. Used with the.

cussed

1. Perverse; stubborn. 2. Cursed.

delicate

1. Pleasing to the senses, especially in a subtle way. 2. Exquisitely fine or dainty. 3. Frail in consititution or health. 4. Easily broken or damaged. 5. Marked by sensitivity of discrimination. 6a. Considerate of the feelings of others. b. Concerned with propriety. c. Squeamish or fastidious. 7. Requiring tactful treatment. 8. Fine or soft in touch or skill. 9. Measuring, indicating, or responding to very small changes; precise. 10. Very subtle in difference or distinction.

demoniac

1. Possessed, produced, or influenced by a demon. 2. Of, resembling, or suggestive of a devil; fiendish. One who is or seems to be possessed by a demon.

demesne

1. Possession and use of one's own land. 2. Manorial land retained for the private use of a feudal lord. 3. The grounds belonging to a mansion or country house. 4. An extensive piece of landed property; an estate. 5. A district; a territory. 6. A realm; a domain.

deferred

1. Postponed or delayed. 2. Withheld until a future date.

definitive

1. Precisely defined or explicit. 2. Supplying or being a final settlement or decision; conclusive. 3. Authoritative and complete. 4. Fully formed or developed, as an organ or structure. A word that defines, or limits, such as the definite article or a demonstrative pronoun.

cut-and-dried

1. Prepared and arranged in advance; settled. 2. Ordinary, routine.

cyanic

1. Relating to or containing cyanogen. 2. Of a blue or bluish hue.

cymose

1. Relating to or resembling a cyme; determinate. 2. Bearing a cyme or cymes.

cyclopean

1. Relating to or suggestive of a Cyclops. 2. Very big; huge. 3. Of or constituting a primitive style of masonry characterized by the use of huge stones of irregular shape and size.

cycloid

1. Resembling a circle. 2. A thin, rounded, and smooth-edged; dishlike. Used of fish scales. b. Having or composed of such scales. 3. Afflicted with or relating to cyclothymia. 1. The curve traced by a point on the circumference of a circle that rolls on a straight line. 2. A fish having cycloid scales.

cymoid

1. Resembling of cyma. 2. Resembling a cyme.

declarative

1. Serving to declare or state. 2. Of, relating to, or being an element or construction used to make a statement. A sentence or expression that makes a statement.

demonstrative

1. Serving to manifest or prove. 2. Involving or characterized by demonstration. 3. Given to or marked by the open expression of emotion. 4. Specifying or singling out the person or thing referred to.

daffy

1. Silly; foolish. 2. Crazy.

damp

1. Slightly wet. Synonymous with wet. 2. Dejected. 1. Moisture in the air; humidity. 2. Foil or poisonous gas that sometimes pollutes the air in coal mines. 3. Lowness of spirits; depression. 4. A restraint or check; a discouragement. 1. To make damp or moist; moisten. 2. To extinguish (a fire, for example) by cutting off air. 3. To restrain or check; discourage. 4. To slow or stop the vibrations of (the strings of a keyboard instrument) with a damper. 5. To decrease the amplitude of (an oscillating system.)

cutout

1. Something cut out or intended to be cut out from something else. 2. A device that interrupts, bypasses, or disconnects a circuit or circuit element. 3. A recording that is no longer current and whose remaining stock is sold at a discounted price. 4. A mutually trusted intermediary who handles communications between espionage agents.

debt

1. Something owed, such as money, goods, or services. 2a. An obligation or liability to pay or render something to someone else. b. The condition of owning. 3. An offense requiring forgiveness or reparation; a trespass.

deed

1. Something that is carried out; an act or action. 2. A usually praiseworthy act; a feat or exploit. 3. Action or performance in general. 4. A document sealed as an instrument of bond, contract, or conveyance, especially relating to property. To transfer by means of a ____.

debonair

1. Suave; urbane. 2. Affable; genial . 3. Carefree and gay; jaunty.

deference

1. Submission or courteous yielding to the opinion, wishes, or judgment of another. 2. Courteous respect. Synonymous with honor.

deadly nightshade

1. Synonymous with belladonna. 2. Synonymous with bittersweet nightshade.

dahl

1. Synonymous with pigeon pea. 2. A thick creamy East Indian stew made with lentils or other legumes, onions, and various spices.

deja vu

1. The illusion of having already experienced something actually being experienced for the first time. 2a. An impression of having seen or experienced for before. Dull familiarity and monotony.

daylight

1. The light of day; sunlight. 2a. Daybreak. b. Daytime. 3. Exposure to public notice. 4. Understanding or insight into what was formerly obscure. 5. An opening, as between defensive players, especially on providing an opportunity for action.

daystar

1. The morning star. 2. The sun.

deaconry

1. The office or position of a deacon. 2. Deacons considered as a group.

decillionth

1. The ordinal number matching the number decillion in a series. 2. One of a decillion equal parts.

cuticle

1. The outermost layer of the skin of vertibrates; epidermis. 2. The strip of hardened skin at the base and sides of a fingernail or toenail. 3. Dead or cornified epidermis. 4. The noncellular, hardened or membranous protective covering of many invertebrates, such as the transparent membrane that covers annelids. 5. The layer of cutin covering the epidermis of the aerial parts of plants.

decision

1. The passing of judgment on an issue under consideration. 2. The act of reaching a conclusion or making up one's mind. 3. A conclusion or judgment reached or pronounced; a verdict. 4. Firmness of character or action; determination. 5. A victory won on points in boxing when no knockout has occurred or in wrestling when no fall has occurred. 6. A win or loss accorded to a pitcher. To defeat by a decision, as in boxing.

degeneracy

1. The process of degenerating.

delicacy

1. The quality of being delicate. 2. Something pleasing and appealing, especially a choice food. 3. Finess of appearance, construction, or execution; elegance. 4. Frailty of bodily constitution or health. 5. Sensitivity of perception, discrimination, or taste; refinement. 6a. Sensitivity to the feelings of others; tact. b. Sensitivity to what is proper; propriety. c. Undue sensitivity to or concern with what may be considered offensive or improper; squeamishness. 7. The need for tact in treatment or handling 8. Sensitivity to very small changes; precision.

density

1. The quality or condition of being dense. 2a. The quantity of something per unit measure, especially per unit length, area, or volume. b. The mass per unit volume of a substance under specified conditions of pressure and temperature. 3. The number of units of useful information contained within a linear dimension. 4. The number of individuals, such as inhabitants or housing units, per unit of area. 5. The degree of optical opacity of a medium or material, as of a photographic negative. 6. Thickness of consistency; impenetrability. 7. Complexity of structure or content. 8. Stupidity; dullness.

demarcation

1. The setting or marking of boundaries or limits. 2. A separation; a distinction.

den

1. The shelter or retreat of a wild animal; a lair. 2. A cave or hollow used as a refuge or hiding place. 3. A hidden or squalid dwelling place. 4. A secluded room for study or relaxation. 5. A unit of about eight to ten Cub Scouts.

dehiscence

1. The spontaneous opening at maturity of a plant structure, such as a fruit, anther, or sporangium, to release its contents. 2. A rupture or splitting open, as of a surgical wound, or of an organ or structure to discharge its contents.

decency

1. The state or quality of being decent; propriety. 2. conformity to prevailing standards of propriety or modesty. 3. Social or moral proprieties. b. Surroundings or services deemed necessary for an acceptable standard of living.

demonology

1. The study of demons. 2. Belief in or worship of demons. 3. A list or catalog of one's enemies.

cylinder

1. The surface generated by a straight line intersecting and moving along a closed plane curve, the directrix, while remaining parallel to a fixed straight line that is not on or parallel to the plane of the directrix. b. The portion of such a surface bounded by two parallel planes and the regions of the planes bounded by the surface. c. A solid bounded by two parallel planes and the regions of the planes bounded by the surface. c. A solid bounded by two parallel planes and such a surface, especially such a surface having a circle as its directrix. 2. A cylindrical container or object. 3. a. The chamber in which a piston of a reciprocating engine moves. b. The chamber of a ump from which fluid is expelled by a piston. 4. The rotating chamber of a revolver that holds the cartridges. 5. Any of several rotating parts in a printing press, especially one that carries the paper. 6. A cylindrical stone or clay object with an engraved design or inscription.

date

1. The sweet, edible, oblong or oval fruit of the date palm, containing a narrow, hard seed. 2. A date palm.

decoupage

1. The technique of decorating a surface with cutouts, as of paper. 2. A creation produced by this technique.

deception

1. The use of deceit. 2. The fact or state of being deceived. 3. A ruse; a trick.

dalmatic

1. The wide-sleeved garment worn over the alb by a deacon, cardinal, bishop, or abbot at the celebration Mass. 2. A wide-sleeved garment worn by an English monarch at his or her coronation.

darkle

1. To appear darkly or indistinctly. 2a. To grow dark. b. To become gloomy. To make dark or indistinct.

dab

1. To apply with short poking strokes. 2. To cover lightly with or as if with a moist substance. 3. To strike or hit lightly. 1. A small amount. 2. A quick light pat.

denigrate

1. To attack the character or reputation of; speak ill of; defame. 2. To disparage; belittle.

deconstruct

1. To break down into components; dismantle. 2. To write about or analyze (a literary text, for example), following the tenets of deconstruction.

decondition

1. To cause (a conditioned response, such as a phobia) to become extinct. 2. To cause to decline from a condition of physical fitness, as throug ha prolonged period of inactivity or, in astronauts, through weightlessness in space. To lose physical fitness.

denature

1. To change the nature or natural qualities of. 2. To render unfit ot eat or drink without destorying usefulness in other applications, espcially to add methanol to (ethyl alcohol) 3. a. To cause the tertiary structure of (a protein) to unfold, as with heat, alkali, or acid, so that some of its original properties, especially its biological activity, are diminished or eliminated. b. To cause the paired strands of (double-stranded DNA) to separate into individual single strands. 4. To add nonfissionable matter to (fissionable material) so as to prevent use in an atomic weapon.

deck

1. To clothe with finery; adorn. Often used with out. 2. To decorate.

decry

1. To condemn openly. 2. To depreciate (currency, for example) by official proclamation or by rumor.

debate

1. To consider something; deliberate. 2. To engage in argument by discussing opposing points. 3. To engage in a formal discussion or argument. Synonymous with discuss. 4. To fight or quarrel. 1. A discussion involving opposing points; an argument. 2. Deliberation; consideration. 3. A formal contest of argumentation in hcih two opposing teams defend and attack a given proposition. 4. Conflict; strife.

decode

1. To convert from code into plain text. 2. To convert from a scrambled electronic signal into an interpretable one. 3. To extract the underlying meaning from.

defame

1. To damage the reputation, character, or good name of by slander or libel. Synonymous with malign. 2. To disgrace.

demean

1. To debase, as in dignity or social standing.

demean

1. To debase, as in dignity or social standing. 2. To humble (oneself)

delude

1. To deceive the mind or judgment of. 2. To elude or evade. 3. To frustrate the hopes or plans of.

decrypt

1. To decipher. 2. To decode.

decelerate

1. To decrease the velocity of. 2. To slow down the rate of advancement of.

declaim

1. To deliver a formal recitation, especially as an exercise in rhetoric or elocution. 2. To speak loudly and vehemently; inveigh. To utter or recite with rhetorical effect.

decamp

1. To depart secretly or suddenly. 2. To depart from a camp or camping ground.

dehumanize

1. To deprive of human qualities such as individuality, compassion, or civility. 2. To render mechanical and routine.

decimate

1. To destroy or kill a large part of (a group). 2. a. To inflicted great destruction or damage on. b. To reduce markedly in amount. 3. To select by lot and kill one in every ten of.

demobilize

1. To discharge from military service or use. 2. to disband (troops).

decentralize

1. To distribute the administrative functions or powers of a central authority among several locl authorities. 2a. To bring about the redistribution of (an urban population and industry) to suburban areas. b. To cause to withdraw or disperse from a center of concentration.

delineate

1. To draw or trace the outline of; sketch out. 2. To represent pictorially; depict. 3. To depict in words or gestures; describe. Synonymous with represent.

decontaminate

1. To eliminate contamination in. 2. To make safe by eliminating poisonous or otherwise harmful substances, such has noxious chemicals or radioactive material.

demilitarize

1. To eliminate the military character of. 2. To prohibit military forces or installations in.

debar

1. To exclude or shut out; bar. 2. to forbid, hinder, or prevent.

decline

1. To express polite refusal. 2a. To slope downward; descend. b. To bend downward; droop. 3. To degrade or lower oneself; condescend. 4. To deteriorate gradually; fail. 5a. To sink, as the setting sun. b. To draw to a gradual close; wane. 1. To refuse politely. 2. To cause to slope or bend downward. 3. To inflect (a noun, a pronoun, or an adjective.) for number and case. 1. The process or result of _________ing, especially a gradual deterioration. 2. A downward movement. 3. The period when somethign approaches an end. 4. A downward slope; a declivity. 5. A disease that gradually weakens or wastes the body.

dap

1. To fish by letting a baited hook fall gently onto the water. 2. To dip lightly or quickly into water, as a bird does. 3. To skip or bounce, especially over the surface of water.

decorate

1. To furnish, provide, or adorn with something ornamental; embellish. 2. To confer a medal or other honor on.

deal

1. To give out as a share or portion; apportion. 2. To distribute among several recipients. 3. To sell. 4. To administer; deliver. 5. To distribute playing cards. 6. To buy and sell drugs, especially illegally. 7. To cope. 1. The act or a round of apportioning or distributing. 2. Distribution of playing cards. b. The cards so distributed; a hand. c. The right or turn of a player to distribute the cards. d. The playing of one hand. 3. An indefinite quantity, extent, or degree. 4. An agreement often arranged secretly, as in business or politics. 5a. A business transaction. b. An agreement, especially one that is mutually beneficial. Synonymous with bargain. 6. A sale favorable especially to the buyer; a bargain. 7. Treatment received.

dangle

1. To hang loosely and swing or sway to and fro. 2. To be a hanger-on. 1. To cause to hang loosely or swing. 2. To cause (one's expectations or hopes) to hang uncertainly or remain unresolved. 1. the act or an instance of ________. 2. Something ______d.

deem

1. To have as an opinion. 2. To regard as; consider.

denominate

1. To issue or express in terms of a given monetary unit. 2. To give a name to; designate. Of or relating to a quantity as a multiple of a unit.

dement

1. To make (a person) insane. 2. To cause (a person) to lose intellectual capacity.

deify

1. To make a god of; raise to the condition of a god. 2. To worship or revere as a god. 3. To idealize; exalt.

defile

1. To make filthy or dirty; pollute. 2. To debase the pureness or excellence of; corrupt. 3. To profane or sully (a reputation, for example). 4. To make unclean or unfit for ceremonial use; desecrate. 5. To violate the chastity of.

declare

1. To make known formally or officially. Synonymous with announce. 2. To state emphatically or authoritatively; affirm. 3. To reveal or make manifest; show. 4. To make a full statement of (dutiable goods, for example). 5. To designate (a trump suit or no-trump) with the final bid of a hand in bridge. 1. To make a declaration 2. To proclaim one's support, choice, opinion, or resolution.

deface

1. To mar or spoil the appearance or surface of; disfigure. 2. To impair the usefulness, value, or influence of. 3. To obliterate; destroy.

debouch

1. To march from a narrow or confined area into the open. 2. To emerge; issue.

denote

1. To mark; indicate. 2. To serve as a symbol or name for the name for the meaning of; signify. 3. To signify directly; refer to specifically.

dance

1. To move rhythmically usually to music, using prescribed or improvised steps and gestures. 2a. To leap or skip about excitedly. b. To appear to flash or twinkle. 3. To bob up and down. 1. To engage in or perform (a dance). 2. To cause to dance. 3. To bring to a particular state or condition by dancing. 2. The art of _______ing a ball. 3. a party or gathering of people for ________; a ball. 4. One round or turn of _____ing. 5. A musical or rhythmical piece composed or played for _____ing. 6. The act or an instance of ____ing.

degauss

1. To neutralize the magnetic field of (a ship, for example). 2. To erase information form (a magnetic disk or other storage device).

dehisce

1. To open at definite places, discharging seeds, pollen, or other contents, as the ripe capsules or pods of some plants. 2. To rupture or break open, as a surgical wound.

defy

1. To oppose or resist with boldness and assurance. b. To refuse to submit to or cooperate with. 2. To be unaffected by; resist or withstand. 3. To challenge or dare (someone) to do something.

cut

1. To penetrate with a sharp edge; strike a narrow opening in. 2. To separate into parts with or as if with a sharp-edged instrument; sever. To sever the edges or ends of; shorten. 4. To mow, reap, or harvest. 5. To fell by sawing, hew. 6. To have ( a new tooth( grow through the gums. 7a. To form or shape by severing or incising. b. To form or shape by grinding. 8a. To form by penetrating, probing, or digging. b. To exhibit the appearance

dally

1. To play amorously; flirt. 2. To trifle; toy. 3. To waste time; dawdle. To wate time.

dawn

1. To pronounce an adverse judgment upon. Synonymous with condemn. 2. To bring about the failure of; ruin. 3. To condemn as harmful, illegal, or immoral. 4. To condemn to everlasting punishment or a similar fate; doom. 5. To swear at. To swear; curse. Used to express anger, irritation, contempt, or disappointment. 1. The saying of _____ as a curse. 2. The least valuable bit; a jot.

deep-freeze

1. To quick-freeze. 2. To store in a frozen condition. 3. To suspend or defer indefinitely.

deduce

1. To reach ( a conclusion) by reasoning. 2. To infer from a general principle; reason deductively. 3. To trace the origin or derivation of.

decpiher

1. To read or interpret (ambiguous, obscure, or illegible matter). Synonymous with solve. 2. To convert from a code or cipher to plain text; decode.

degrade

1. To reduce in grade, rank, or status, demote. 2. To lower in dignity; dishonor or disgrace. 3. To lower in moral or intellectual character; debase. 4. A general lowering of earth's surface by erosion.

deflate

1. To release contained air or gas from. b. To collapse by releasing contained air or gas. 2. To reduce or lessen the size or importance of. 3. To reduce the amount or availability of currency or credit), effecting a decline in prices. b. To produce deflation in (an economy). To be or become _____ed.

decompress

1. To relieve of pressure or compression. 2. To bring (a person exposed to conditions of increased pressure) gradually back to normal atmospheric pressure. 1. To adjust to normal atmospheric conditions after being exposed to increased pressure. 2. To relax.

demit

1. To relinquish (an office or function.) 2. To dismiss. To give up an office or position; resign.

debug

1. To remove a hidden electronic device, such as a microphone, from ____ a conference room. 2. to make (a hidden microphone, for example) ineffective. 3. To search for and eliminate malfunctioning elements or errors in. 4. To remove insects from, as with a pesticide.

defoam

1. To remove foam from. 2. To prevent the formation of foam on.

demagnetize

1. To remove magnetic properties from. 2. To erase (a magnetic storage device).

denitrify

1. To remove nitrogen or nitrogen groups from (a compound). 2. To reduce (nitrates or nitrites) to nitrogen-containing gases, as by bacterial action on soil.

decorticate

1. To remove the bark, husk, or outer layer from; peel. 2. To remove the surface layer, membrane, or fibrous cover of (an organ or structure).

declaw

1. To remove the claws from. 2. To strip of power, potency, or strength; make harmless or less threatening.

defang

1. To remove the fangs of a (snake, for example). 2. To undermine the strength or power of; make ineffectual.

deglaze

1. To remove the glaze from (pottery, for example). 2. To dissolve the remaining bits of sauteed or roasted food in (a pan or pot) by adding a liquid and heating.

dehydrate

1. To remove water from; make anhydrous. 2. to preserve by removing water from (vegetables, for example). Synonymous with dry. 3. To deplete the bodily fluids of. To lose water or bodily fluids.

deaden

1. To render less intense, sensitive, or vigorous. 2. To make soundproof. 3. To make less colorful or brilliant. 1. To become dead. 2. To lose vigor, brilliance, or liveliness.

delve

1. To search deeply and laboriously. 2. To dig the ground, as with a spade.

decompose

1. To separate into components or basic elements. 2. To cause to rot. 1. To become broken down into components, disintegrate. 2. To decay; putrefy. Synonymous with decay.

dedicate

1. To set apart for a deity or for religious purposes; consecrate. 2. To set apart for a special use. 3. To commit (oneself) to a particular course of thought or action. 4. To address or inscribe (a literary work, for example)

demonstrate

1. To show clearly and deliberately; manifest. 2. To show to be true by reasoning or adducing evidence; prove. 3. To present by experiments, examples, or practical application; explain and illustrate. 4. To show the use of (an article) to a prospective buyer. 1. To give a demonstration. 2. To participate in a public display of opinion.

defrock

1. To strip of priestly privileges and functions. 2. To deprive of the rights to practice a profession 3. To deprive of an honorary position.

daze

1. To stun, as with a heavy blow or shock; stupefy. 2. To dazzle, as with strong light. A stunned or bewildered condition.

deduct

1. To take away (a quantity) from another; subtract. 2. To derive by deduction; deduce. To take away a desirable part.

deflower

1. To take away the virginity of a woman. 2. To destroy the innocence, integrity, or beauty of; ravage.

dawdle

1. To take more time than necessary. 2. To move aimlessly or lackadaisically. To waste time by idling.

demolish

1. To tear down completely; raze. 2. To do away with completely; put an end to. 3. To damage (someone's reputation, for example) severely. Synonymous with ruin.

deep-six

1. To tow overboard. 2. To toss out; get rid of.

demonize

1. To turn into or as if into a demon. 2. To possess by or as if by a demon. 3. To represents evil or diabolic.

demur.

1. To voice opposition; object. Synonymous of object. 2. To enter a demurrer. 3. To delay. 1. The act of demurring. 2. An objection. 3. A delay.

defeat

1. To win victory over; beat. 2. to prevent the success of; thwart. 3. To make void; annul. 1. To act of defeating or state of being defeated. 2. Failure to win. 3. A coming to naught; frustration. 4. The act of making null and void.

dealing

1. Transactions or relations with others, usually in business. 2. Method or manner of conduct in relation to others; treatment.

dame

1. Used formerly as a courtesy title for a woman in authority or a mistress of a household. 2a. A married woman; a matron. b. An elderly woman. 3. A woman. 4. A woman holding a nonhereditary title conferred by a sovereign in recognition of personal merit or service to the country. b. The wife or widow of a knight.

daemon

1. Variant of demon. 2. Variant of daimon. 3. A program or process that sits idly in the background until it is invoked to perform its task.

dedicated

1. Wholly committed to a particular course of thought or action; devoted. 2. Designed for a particular use or function.

data processor

1. a device, such as a calculator or computer, that performs operations on data. 2. A person who processes data.

dead reckoning

1. a method of estimating the position of an aircraft or a ship without astronomical observations, as by applying to a previously determined position the course and distance traveled since. 2. Predictive calculation based on inference; guesswork.

demerit

1. a quality or characteristic deserving of blame or censure; a fault. b. Absence of merit. 2. A mark made against one's record for a fault or for misconduct.

delivery room

1. a room or an area in a hospital that is equipped for delivering babies. 2. A room or an area set aside for making or receiving deliveries, as for circulating books in a library.

deadlight

1. a. A strong shutter or plate fastened over a ship's porthole or cabin window in stormy weather. b. A thick window set in a ship's side or deck. 2. A skylight constructed so that it cannot be opened.

czardas

1. an intricate Hungarian dance characterized by variations in tempo. 2. Music for this dance.

curve ball

1. any of several pitches that veer to the left when thrown with the right hand and to the right when thrown with the left hand. 2. Something that is unexpected or designed to trick or deceived.

decadent

1. being in a state of decline or decay. 2. Marked by or providing unrestrained gratification; self-indulgent. 3. Of or relating to literary Decadence. 1. A person in a condition or process of mental or moral decay. 2. A member of the Decadence movement.

deciduate

1. characterized by or having a decidua. 2. Characterized by shedding.

data processing

1. conversion of data into a form that can be processed by computer. 2. The storing or processing of data by a computer.

def.

1. defendant. 2. defense. 3. Excellent; first-rate.

DA

1. delayed action. 2. deposit account. 3. district attorney. 4. Doctor of Arts. 5. don't answer.

denationalize

1. deprive of national rights or characteristics.

danger

1. exposure or vulnerability to harm or risk. 2. A source or an instance of risk or peril. 3. Power, especially power to harm or risk. 3. Power, especially power to harm.

cutter

1. one that cuts, especially in tailoring. 2. A device or machine that cuts. 3. A single-masted, fore-and-aft rigged sailing vessel with two or more headsails and a mast set somewhat farther aft than that of a sloop. b. A ship's boat, powered by a motor or oars and used for transporting stores or passengers. 4. A small, lightly armed boat used by the Coast Guard. 5. A small sleigh, usually seating one person and drawn by a single horse.

dead heat

1. race in which two or more contestants compete evenly or finish at the same time. 2. A political campaign or other contest that is so close that it is impossible to predict the winner.

curvature

1. the act of curving or the state of being curved. 2. a. The ratio of the change in the angle of a tangent that moves over a given arc to the length of the arc. b. The limit of this ratio as the length of the arc approaches zero. c. The reciprocal of the radius of a circle. 3. A curving or bending, especially an abnormal one.

dedication

1. the act of dedicating or the state of being dedicated. 2. A note prefixed to a literary, artistic, or musical composition dedicating it to someone in token of affection or esteem. 3. A rite or ceremony of dedicating. 4. Selfless devotion.

deliverance

1. the act of delivering or the condition of being delivered. 2. Rescue from bondage or danger. 3. A publicly expressed opinion or judgment, such as the verdict of a jury.

deferment

1. the act or an instance of delaying or putting off. 2. Officially sanctioned postponement of compulsory military service.

debouchment

1. the act or an instance of marching from a narrow, confined area into the open. 2. A debouchure

degradation

1. the act or process of degrading. 2. The state of being degraded; degeneration. 3. A decline to a lower condition, quality, or level. 4. A general lowering of the earth's surface by erosion or weathering. 5. Decomposition of a compound by stages, exhibiting well-defined intermediate products. 6. The state in which a computer operates when some of its memory or peripherals are not available.

deil

1. the devil; Satan. 2. A mischievous person; an imp.

dauphin

1. the eldest son of the king of France from 1349 to 1830. 2. Used as a title for such a nobleman.

dead hand

1. the ever-present, oppressive influence of past events. 2. Mortmain.

day

1. the period of light between dawn and nightfall; the interval from sunrise to sunset. 2a. The 24-hour period durign which Earth completes one rotation on its axis. b. The period during which a celestial body makes a similar rotation. 3. One of the numbered 24-hour periods into which a week, month, or year are divided. 4. The portion of a 24-hour period that is devoted to work, school, or business. 5. A 24-hour period or a portion of it that is reserved for a certain activity. 6a. A specific, characteristic period in one's lifetime. b. A period of opportunity or prominence. 7. a period of time in history; an era. 8. Period of life or activity. 1. Of or relating to the ____. 2. Working during the ___. 3. Occurring before nightfall.

dental hygiene

1. the practice of keeping the mouth, teeth, and gums clean and healthy to prevent disease, as by regular brushing and flossing and visits to a dentist. 2. The state of one's oral health, resulting from this practice or its neglect. Also called oral hygiene.

degeneration

1. the process of degenerating. 1. The process of degenerating. 2. The state of being degenerate. 3. Gradual deterioration of specific tissues, cells, or organs with corresponding impairment or loss of function, caused by injury, disease, or aging. 4. The evolutionary decline or loss of a function, characteristic, or structure in an organism or a species. 5. Loss of or gain in power in an amplifier caused by unintentional negative feedback.

dehydration

1. the process of removing water from a substance or compound. 2. Excessive loss of water from the body or from an organ or body part, as from illness or fluid deprivation.

decalcomania

1. the process of transferring pictures or designs printed on specially prepared paper to materials such as glass or metal. 2. A decal.

deficiency

1. the quality or condition of being deficient; incompleteness or inadequacy. 2. A lack or shortage, especially of something essential to health; an insufficiency.

deformity

1. the state of beign deformed. 2. A bodily malformation, distortion, or disfigurement. 3. A deformed person or thing. 4. Gross, ugliness or distortion.

D-day

1. the unnamed day on which an operation or offensive is to be launched. 2. The day on which the Allied forces invaded France during World War II (June 6, 1944).

decay

1. to break down into component parts; rot. 2. To disintegrate or diminish by radioactive _____. To decrease gradually in magnitude. 4. To decrease in orbit. 5. To fall into ruin. 6. To decline in health or vigor. 7. To decline from a state of normality; excellence, or prosperity; deteriorate. To cause to _____. 1a. The destruction or decomposition or organic matter as a result of bacterial or fungal action; rot. b. Rotted matter. 2. Radioactive _____. 3. The decrease in orbital altitude of an artificial satellite as a result of conditions such as atmospheric drag. 4. A gradual deterioration to an inferior state. 5. A falling into ruin.

dash

1. to break or smash by striking violently. 2. To hurl, knock, or thrust with sudden violence. 3. To splash; bespatter. 4a. To write hastily. Often used with off. 5a. To add an enlivening or altering element to.

deliver

1. to bring or transport to the proper place or recipient; distribute. 2. To surrender (someone or something) to another; handover. 3. To secure (something promised or desired) 4. To throw or hurl. 5. To strike (a blow). 6. To express in words; declare or utter. 7a. To give birth to. b. To assist (a woman) in giving birth. c. To assist or aid in the birth of. 8. To give forth or produce. 9. To set free, as from misery, peril, or evil. 1. To produce or achieve what is desired or expected, make good. 2. To give birth.

Daimler

1834-1900. German engineer and pioneer automobile manufacturer who produced the first high-speed internal-combustion engine (1885).

daub

1. to cover or smear with a soft adhesive substance such as plaster, grease, or mud. 2. To apply paint to (a surface) with hasty or crude strokes. 3. To apply with quick or crude strokes. 1. To apply paint or coloring with crude, unskillful strokes. 2. To make crude or amateurish paintings. 2. A soft adhesive coating material such as plaster, grease, or mud. 3. Matter _____ed on. 4. A crude, amateurish painting or picture.

dazzle

1. to dim the vision of, especially to blind with intense light. 2. To amaze, overwhelm or bewilder with spectacular display. 1. To become blinded. 2. To inspire admiration or wonder. The act of ____ling or the state of being _____ed.

decant

1. to pour off (wine, for example) without disturbing the sediment. 2. to pour ( a liquid) from one container into another.

David I

1082-1153. King of Scotland (1124-1153) who transformed Scotland into a feudalistic society.

Dante Alighieri

1265-1321. Italian poet whose masterpiece, The Divine Comedy (completed 1321), details his visionary progress through Hell and Purgatory, escorted by Virgil, and through Heaven, guided by his lifelong idealized love, Beatrice.

della Robbia

1400-1482. Italian sculptor noted for his works of enameled terra cotta, for which he perfected a special glazing made of tin, antimony, and other substances. His nephew Andrea (1435-1525) and Andrea's son Giovanni (1469-1529) successively took over his workshop, one of the most important of the Florentine Renaissance.

David

1460-1523. Dutch painter of religious subjects who is regarded as one of the most important Flemish primitives.

Delorme

1515-1570. French royal architect who directed the construction at Fontainebleu and built the tuileries for Catherine de Medicis.

Deganawidah

1550-1600. Native American spiritual leader. according to tradition, he founded the Iroquois confederacy with Hiawatha.

Dekker

1572-1632. English playwright whose comedy The Shoemaker's Holiday (1600) is notable for its vivid portrayal f daily life in London.

Dare

1587-1587. The first child of English parents born in America. She disappeared with other members of the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island in Virginia.

Day

1594-1668. English-born colonist who was the first printer in New England. His Bay Psal Book appeared in 1640.

Davenport

1597-1670. english Puritan who fled to American in 1637 and helped found a colony at New Haven, Connecticut.

Cyrano de Bergerac

1619-1655. French satirist and duelist whose works include the spirited drama The Pedant Imitated (1654). He is the subject of Edmond Rostand's play Cyrano de Bergerac (1897), which depicts him as a chivalric duelist with a comically long nose.

Czerny

1791-1857. Austrian pianist and composer. A student of Beethoven and the teacher of Liszt, he wrote piano exercises, such as School of the Left Hand, that remain in wide use.

Delacroix

1798-1863. French romantic painter known for his vast, dramatic canvases and exuberant use of color, as in The Massacre of Chios (1824) and Liberty Leading the People (1831).

Curtis

1809-1874. American jurist who served as an associate justic of the U.S. Supreme Court (1851-1857). He resigned in protest after the Dred Scott decision.

Darwin

1809-1882. British naturalist who revolutionized the study of biology with his theory of evolution based on natural selection. His most famous works include Origin of Species (1859) and The Descent of Man (1871).

Day

1810-1889. American printer and journalist who founded the first penny newspaper, the New York Sun (1833). His son Benjamin (1838-1916) invented the Ben Day process for shadowing printed illustrations.

Delaney

1812-1885. American physician and social worker who founded and edited the North Star (1847-1849) with Frederick Douglass.

Delmonico

1813-1881. Swiss-born American restauranteur who popularized European cuisine in New York City and is largely credited with establishing the restaurant as an institution in American cities.

Dana

1815-1882. American lawyer and writer best known for his Two Years Before the Mast (1840), an account of his voyage from Boston to California around Cape Horn.

Daubigny

1817-1878. French landscape painter best known for his sensitive portrayal of light, which influenced the later impressionists.

Damrosch

1832-1885. German-born American musician who was the first to conduct Wagnerian opera at New York's Metropolitan Opera House. His son Walter Johannes Damrosch (1862-1950) continued the tradition, introducing Wagner's works throughout the United States.

Daley

1902-1976. American politician who dominated Chicago politics during his years as mayor (1955-1976). Known as one of the last old-time big city bosses, _______ was also an important figure in the national Democratic Party.

Day Lewis

1904-1972. Irish-born poet and critic who became poet laureate in 1968 and wrote detective novels under the pen name Nicholas Blake.

Dali

1904-1989. Spanish surrealist artist known for his flamboyant personal style and his disquieting interpretation of fantastic images in meticulously rendered canvases. Among his most famous works is Persistence of Memory (1931).

Deng Xiaoping

1904-1997. Chinese political leader who was twice purged from the communist party (1967 and 1976) and twice rehabilitated (1973 and 1977) before gaining supreme power in China. He officially retired as head of state in November 1989.

de Kooning

1904-1997. Dutch-born American painter and leader of the abstract expressionist school. In the 1950s he produced a monumental series entitled Woman, characterized by unrestrained color and a violent treatment of subject matter. His wife, Elaine Fried de Kooning (1920-1989), painted in a variety of styles, often devoting numerous works to a single home, as in her drawings and portraits of John f. Kennedy.

Danilova

1904-1997. Russian-born American ballerina who danced with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo from 1938 to 1958.

De Mille

1905-1993. American choreographer who introduced innovative dance to a wide public audience with her choreography for Oklahoma! (1943), Carousal (1945), and other musicals.

Delbruck

1906-1981. German-born American biologist. He shared a 1969 Nobel Prize for investigating the mechanism of viral infection in living cells.

demo

1a. A demonstration, as of a product or service. b. A brief tape or recording illustrating the abilities of a musician or other performer. 2. A product, suchas an automobile, used for demonstration and often sold later at a discount.

deluge

1a. A great flood. b. A heavy downpour. 2. Something that overwhelms as if by a great flood. 3. In the Bible, the great flood that occurred in the time of Noah. 1. To overrun with water, inundate. 2. To overwhelm with a large number or amount; swamp. 3. In the Bible, the great flood that occurred in the time of Noah. 1. To overrun with water, inundate. 2. To overwhelm with a large number or amount; swamp.

curve

1a. A line that deviates from straightness in a smooth, continuous fashion. b. A surface that deviates from planarity in a smooth, continuous fashion. c. Something characterized by such a line or surface, especially a rounded line or contour of the human body. 2. A relatively smooth bend in a road or other course. 3a. A line representing data o na graph. b. A trend derived from or as if from such a graph. 4. "A graphic representation showing the relative performance of individuals as measured against each other, used especially as a method of grading students in which the assignment of grades is based on predetermined proportions of students. 5. a. the graph of a function on a coordinate plane. b. The intersection of two surfaces in three dimensions. c. The graph of the solutions to any equation of two variables. 6. A curve ball. 7. Something that is unexpected or designed to trick or deceive. To move in or take the shape of a _____. 1. To cause to _____. Synonymous with bend. 2. To pitch a curve ball. 3. To grade (students, for example) on a _____

decoy

1a. A living or artificial bird or other animal used to entice game into a trap or within shooting range. b. An enclosed place, such as a pond, into which wildfowl are lured for capture. 2. A means used to mislead or lead into danger. To lure or entrap by or as if by a _______.

dendrite

1a. A mineral crystallizing in another mineral in the form of a branching or treelike mark. b. A rock or mineral bearing such a mark or marks. 2. A branched protoplasmic extension of bearing such a mark or marks. 2. A branched protoplasmic extension of a nerve cell that conducts impulses from adjacent cells inward toward the cell body. A single nerve may possess many _________. Also called dendron.

dart

1a. A slender, pointed missible, often having tail fins, thrown by hand, shot from a blowgun, or expelled by an exploding bomb. b. An object likened to a slender, pointed missile either in shape, use, or effect. 2. The stinger of an insect. 3. A game in which small, slender, pointed missiles are thrown at a target. 4. A sudden, rapid movement. 5. A tapered tuck sewn to adjust the fit of a garment. 1. To thrust or throw suddenly and rapidly. 2. To cause to move swiftly and abruptly.

definition

1a. A statement conveying fundamental character. b. A statement of the meaning of a word, phrase, or term, as in a dictionary entry. 2. The act or process of stating a precise meaning or significance; formulation of a meaning. 3a. The act of making clear or distinct. b. the state of being closely outlined or determined. c. a determination of outline, extent, or limits. 4a. The clarity of detail in an optically produced image, such as a photograph, effected by a combination of resolution and contrast. b. The degree of clarity with which a televised image or broadcast signal is received.

dean

1a. An administrative officer in charge of a college, faculty, or division in a university. b. An officer of a college or high school who counsels students and supervises the enforcement of rules. 2. The head of the chapter of canons governing a cathedral or collegiate church. 3. A priest appointed to oversee a group of parishes within a diocese. 4. The senior member of a body or group.

daffodil

1a. Any of various bulbous plants of the genus Narcissus, especially N. pseudonarcissus, having showy, usually yellow flowers with a trumpet-shaped central corona. b. The flower of this plant. 2. A brilliant to vivid yellow.

defoliant

A chemical sprayed or dusted on plants to cause the leaves to fall off.

demise

1a. Death. b. the end of existence or activity; termination. 2. Transfer of an estate by lease or will. 3. The transfer of a ruler's authority by death or abdication. lease or will. 3. The transfer of a ruler's authority by death or abdication. 1. To trasnfer (an estate) by lease or will. 3. To be transferred by will or descent. 2. To die.

decor

1a. Decoration. b. A decorative style or scheme, as of a room. 2. A stage setting; scenery.

debauchery

1a. Extreme indulgence in sensual pleasures; dissipation. b. Orgies. Seduction from morality, allegiance, or duty.

defective

1a. Having a defect; faulty. b. Marked by subnormal structure, function, intelligence, or behavior. 2. Lacking one or more of the inflected forms normal for a particular category of word, as the verb may in English.

deficit

1a. Inadequacy or insufficiency. b. A deficiency or impairment in mental or physical functioning. c. An unfavorable condition or position; a disadvantage. b. A business loss.

dark

1a. Lacking or having very little light. b. Lacking brightness. 2. reflecting only a small fraction of incident light. 3. Of a shade tending toward black in comparison with other shades. Used of a color. 4. Having a complexion that is not fair; swarthy. 5. Served without ilk or cream. 6. Characterized by gloom; dismal. 7. Sullen or threatening. 8. Difficult to understand, obscure. 9. Concealed or secret; mysterious. 10 Lacking enlightenment, knowledge, or cultur. 11. Exhibiting or stemming from evil characteristics or forces; sinister. 12. Being or characterized by morbid or grimly satiric humor. 13. Having richness or depth. 14. Not giving performances; closed. 15. Pronounced with the back of the tongue raised toward the velum. Used ofthe sound (1) in words like full. 1. Absence of light. 2. A place having little or no light. 3. Night, nightfall. 4. A deep hue or color.

dear

1a. Loved and cherished. b. Greatly valued; precious. 2. Highly esteemed or regarded. Used in direct address, especially in salutations. 3a. High-priced; expensive. b. charging high prices. 4. Earnest; ardent. 5. Noble; worthy. 6. Heartfelt. 1. One that is greatly loved. 2. An endearing, lovable, or kind person. 1. With fondness; affectionately. 2. At a high cost. Used as a polite

dapple

1a. Mottled or spotted marking, as on a horse's coat. b. An individual spot. 2. An animal with a mottled or spotted skin or coat. To mark or mottle with spots.

dapper

1a. Neatly dressed; trim. b. Very stylish in dress. 2. Lively and alert.

cyclic

1a. Of, relating to, or characterized by cycles. 2. Of or relating to compounds having atoms arranged in a ring or closed-chain structure. 3. Having parts arranged in a whorl. b. forming a whorl. 4. Of, relating to, or characterized by the cycle.

delegation

1a. The act of delegating. b. The condition of being delegated. 2. A person or group of persons officially elected or appointed to represent another or others.

deformation

1a. The act or process of deforming. b. The condition of being deformed. 2. An alteration of form for the worse. 3. a. An alteration of form for the worse. 3. a. An alteration of shape, as by pressure or stress. b. The shape that results from such an alteration.

deification

1a. The act or process of deifying. b. The condition of being deified. 2. One that embodies the qualities of a god.

delusion

1a. The act or process of deluding. 2. A false belief or opinion. 3. A false belief strongly held in spite of invalidating evidence, especially as a symptom of mental illness.

denouement

1a. The final resolution or clarification of a dramatic or narrative plot. b. The events following the climax of a drama or novel in which such a resolution or clarification takes place. 2. The outcome of a sequence of events; the end result.

debris

1a. The scattered remains of something broken or destroyed; rubble or wreckage. b. Carelessly discarded refuse; litter. 2. An accumulation of relatively large rock fragments. 3. The fragmented remains of dead or damaged cells or tissues.

date

1a. Time stated in terms of the day, month, and year. b. A statement of calendar time, as on a document. 2. A specified day of a month. 3a. A particular point or period of time at which something happened or existed, or is expected to happen. b. The years of someone's birth and death. 4. The time during which something lasts; duration. 5. The time or historical period to which somethign belongs. 6. An appointment. 7a. An engagement to go out socially with another person, often out of romantic interest. b. One's companion on such an outing. 8. An engagement for a performance. 1. To mark or supply with a date. 2. To determine the _____. 2. To go on a ____. 3. To betray the age of. 4. To go on a ____ or _____ with. 1. To have origin in a particular time in the past. 2. To become old-fashioned. 3. To go on _____s.

debauch

1a. To corrupt morally. b. to lead away form excellence or virtue. 2. To reduce the value, quality, or excellence of; debase. 3. To cause to forsake allegiance. To indulge in dissipation. 1. The act or a period of __________. 2. An orgy.

darken

1a. To make dark or darken. b. To give a darker hue to. 2. To fill with sadness, make gloomy. 3. To render vague or uncertain; obscure. 4. To tarnish or stain. To become dark or darker.

deliquesce

1a. To melt away. b. To disappear as if by melting. 2. To dissolve and become liquid by absorbing moisture from the air. 3. a. To branch out into numerous subdivisions that lack a main axis, as the stem of an elm. b. To become fluid or soft on maturing, as certain fungi.

decide

1a. To settle conclusively all contention or uncertainty about. b. To make up one's mind about. 2. To influence or determine the outcome of. 3. To cause to make or reach a decision. 1. To pronounce a judgment; announce a verdict. 2. To make up one's mind.

define

1a. To state the precise meaning of (a word or sense of a word, for example). b. To describe the nature or basic qualities of, explain. 2a. To delineate the outline or form of. b. To specify distincty. 3. To give form or meaning to. To make or write a definition.

day camp

A children's camp providing recreation and meals during the day but no overnight facilities.

demand deposit

A bank deposit that can be withdrawn without advance notice.

debit card

A bankcard used to make an electronic withdrawal from funds on deposit in a bank, as in purchasing goods or obtaining cash advances.

dam

A barrier constructed across a waterway to control the flow or raise the level of water. b. A body of water controlled by such a barrier. 2. A barrier against the passage of liquid or loose material, as a rubber sheet used in dentistry to isolate one or more teeth from the rest of the mouth. 3. An obstruction; a hindrance. 1. To hold back or confine by means of a ___. 2. To close up; obstruct.

dam

A barrier constructed across a waterway to control the flow or raise the level of water. b. A body of water controlled by such a barrier. 2. A barrier against the passage of liquid or loose material, as a rubber sheet used in dentistry to isolate one or more teeth from the rest of the mouth. 3. an obstruction; a hindrance. 1. To hold back or confine by means of a dam. 2. To close up; obstruct.

darkling beetle

A beetle of the family Tenebrionidae, having a brown or black body and feeding on decaying vegetation, living plants, or stored grain. It is found in a variety of habitats, including deserts. Also called tenebroinid.

daily double

A bet won by choosing both winners of two specified races on one day, as in horseracing.

demand note

A bill or draft payable in lawful money upon presentation or demand.

decolorant

A bleaching agent.

cyanosis

A bluish discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes resulting from inadequate oxygenation of the blood.

Darlington

A borough of northeast England south of Newcastle. It is a railroad center. Population: 100,163.

Cushitic

A branch of the Afro-Asiatic language famil spoken in Somalia, Ethiopia, and northern Kenya and including Beja, Oromo, and Somali.

dance hall

A building or part of a building with facilities for dancing. 2. Synonymous with ragga.

deep focus

A camera technique that affords great depth of field, keeping both close and distant planes in focus at the same time.

daddy track

A career path determined by work arrangements offering fathers certain benefits, such as flexible schedules, but usually providing them with fewer opportunities for advancement.

death mask

A cast of a person's face taken after death.

Denmark Strait

A channel between Greenland and Iceland connecting the Arctic Ocean with the northern Atlantic Ocean.

delimiter

A character or sequence of characters marking the beginning or end of a unit of data.

daminozide

A chemical plant growth regulator, C6H12N2O3, formerly used to increase the storage life of fruit, and currently used as a growth retardant for azaleas, chrysanthemums, and other plants.

cyclotron

A circular particle accelerator in which charged subatomic particles generated at a central source are accelerated spirally outward in a plane perpendicular to a fixed magnetic field by an alternating electric field. A ___________ is capable of generating particle energies between a few million and several tens of millions of electron volts.

Dearborn Heights

A city of Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. Population 60,838.

Davis

A city of central California west of Sacramento. A branch of the University of California (established 1908) is here. Population: 46,209.

Dawson Creek

A city of eastern British Columbia, Canada, near the Albert border. It is the southern terminus of the Alaska Highway. Population: 11,373.

Debrecen

A city of eastern Hungary near the Romanian border east of Budapest. Founded in the 14th century, it was the provisional capital from 1944 to 1945. Population: 217,497.

Cuttack

A city of eastern India southwest of Calcutta. Founded in the tenth century, it was long noted for gold and silver filigree work. Population: 403,418.

Delhi

A city of north-central India on the Yamuna River. Important since ancient times, the old city was rebuilt by Shah Jahan in the 17th century with high stone walls enclosing the Red Fort that contained the imperial Mogul palace. The new part of _______ became the capital of British India in 1912 and of independent India in 1947. Population: 7,206,704.

Dalian

A city of northeast China on the Liaodong Peninsula and the Bo Hai. A major seaport, it was opened to foreign commerce in 1901 and occupied by the Japanese during the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). _________ and Lushun form the conurbation of Luda. Population: 1,723,302.

Datong

A city of northeast China west of Beijing. It is an important industrial and railroad center. Population: 1,277,310.

Damietta

A city of northeast Egypt on the Nile River delta north-northeast of Cairo. It was conquered by Crusaders in 1219. Population: 118,100.

Damanhur

A city of northeast Egypt on the Nile River delta northwest of Cairo. In ancient times it was known as Hermopolis Parva. Population: 222,000.

Daytona Beach

A city of northeast Florida on the Atlantic coast north-northeast of Orlando. Automobile speed trials and races have been held on its hard, white beach since the early 1900s. Population: 54,176.

Cuyahoga Falls

A city of northeast Ohio on the Cuyahoga River, about 129 km (80 mi) long. It is a residential and industrial suburb of Akron. Population: 48,950.

Dallas

A city of northeast Texas on the Trinity River east of Fort Worth. It was founded by French settlers in 1841 and became a cotton market in the 1870s. Population: 1,006,877.

Dandong

A city of northeast china on the Yalu River opposite North Korea. It is a seaport and manufacturing center. Population: 660,518.

De Kalb

A city of northern Illinois south-southeast of Rockford. It is a manufacturing center in a farming region. Population: 34,925.

Dachau

A city of southeast Germany north-northwest of Munich. It was the site of a Nazi concentration camp built in 1935 and captured by the Allies in April 1945. Population: 33,141.

Dearborn

A city of southeast Michigan west of Detroit. Greenfield Village, the restored birthplace of Henry Ford, is here. Population: 89,286.

Davao

A city of southeast Mindanao, Philippines, on Davao Gulf, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean. ______ is a major port and commercial center. Population: 960,910.

Daugavpils

A city of southeast latvia southeast of Riga. Founded in the 13th century, it was held by Lithuania and Poland before being ceded to Russia in 1771. The city later passed to independent Latvia (1918-1940) and the USSR (1940-1991). Population: 124,000.

Cypress

A city of southern California, a suburb of Long Beach. Population: 42,655.

Dartmouth

A city of southern Nova Scotia, Canada, on an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean opposite Halifax. It was founded by the British in the 1750s. Population: 62,277.

Czestochowa

A city of southern Poland north of katowice. Its monastery is a famous pilgrimage site. Population: 258,266.

Dabrowa Gornicza

A city of southern Poland northeast of Katowice. It has been a coal-mining center since the 1790s. Population: 137,249.

Danbury

A city of southwest Connecticut northwest of Bridgeport. Settled in 1685, it was largely destroyed by the British in 1777 during the American Revolution. Population: 65,585.

Darmstadt

A city of southwest Germany southeast of Frankfurt. It was chartered in 1330. Population: 139,754.

Delft

A city of southwest Netherlands southeast of The Hague. Chartered in 1246, it is noted for its fine pottery, which has been produced here since the 16th century. Population: 86,733.

Dayton

A city of southwest Ohio north-northeast of Cincinnati. Now a manufacturing center, it was the home of Orville and Wilbur Wright. Population: 182,044.

Del Rio

A city of southwest Texas on the rio Grande west of San Antonio. Founded in 1868, it is a market and shipping center in an agricultural region. Population: 30,705.

Daly City

A city of western California, a suburb of San Francisco. It was settled in 1906 by refugees from the San Francisco earthquake. Population: 92,311.

death squad

A clandestine military or paramilitary group employed to carrying out political assassinations.

cyclin

A class of proteins that fluctuate in concentration at specific points during the cell cycle and that regulate the cycle by binding to a kinase.

decompression chamber

A compartment in which atmospheric pressure can be gradually raised or lowered, used especially in readjusting divers or underwater workers to normal atmospheric pressure or in treating decompression sickness.

death camp

A concentration camp in which those held captive are likely to die or be killed.

deep freeze

A condition of being held in temporary suspension or inactivity.

dawn redwood

A cone-bearing Chinese tree (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) related to the redwood, having deciduous, flat, opposite leaves and small, globular cones. It is now commonly cultivated in the United States.

Decapolis

A confederacy in northeast Palestine of ten Roman-controlled cities settled by Greeks. It was formed after 63 B.C. and dominated by Damascus.

Cygnus

A constellation in the Northern Hemisphere near Lacerta and Lyra, containing the star Deneb. Also called Northern Cross, Swan.

Delphinus

A constellation in the Northern Hemisphere near Pegasus and Aquila.

demolition derby

A contest in which drivers crash old cars into each other until only one is left running.

day bed

A couch or sofa that is convertible into a bed.

Denmark

A country of northern Europe or Jutland and adjacent islands. It was unified in the 10th century by the Viking king Harold Bluetooth (died 985), who converted the people to Christianity. _________ controlled England briefly in the 11th century and was united with Sweden and Norway in 1397. The union with Sweden lasted until 1523, and the union with Norway until 1814. Copenhagen is the capital and the largest city. Population: 5,205,000.

cyclamic acid

A crystalline acid, C6H13NO3S, used to produce cyclamates.

dabber

A cushioned pad used by printers and engravers to apply ink.

cutie

A cute person.

cyclic GMP

A cyclic nucleotide of guanosine that acts at the cellular level to regulate various metabolic processes and mediate the action of certain hormones, possibly as an antagonist to cyclic AMP.

dandy roll

A cylinder of wire gauze pressed on moist pulp before it starts through the rollers of a papermaking device and resulting in the production of a watermark. Also called dandy roller.

cylindroid

A cylindrical surface or solid, all of whose sections perpendicular to the elements are elliptical. Resembling a cylinder.

cyma recta

A cyma in which the upper section is concave and the lower section convex.

cyma reversa

A cyma in which the upper section is convex and the lower section concave.

daimyo

A daimio.

decedent

A dead person. To depart, die

deb

A debutante.

dangleberry

A deciduous shrub (Gaylussacia frondosa) of the eastern United States, having dark blue fruits. Also called dwarf huckleberry. Probably alteration of tangleberry.

decretal

A decree, especially a papal letter giving a decision on a point or question of canon law.

delt

A deltoid muscle. Often used in the plural.

denegation

A denial.

Danite

A descendant of Dan. Of or relating to the Hebrew tribe descended from Dan.

degression

A descent by stages or steps.

Danakil

A desert region of northeast Ethiopia, southern Eritrea, and northern Djibouti bordering on the Red Sea. It is part of the Great Rift Valley.

death wish

A desire for self-destruction, often accompanied by feelings of depression, hopelessness, and self-reproach. b. The desire, often unconscious, for the death of another person, such as a parent, toward whom one has unconscious hostility. 2. A suicidal urge thought to drive certain people to put themselves consistently into dangerous situations.

dashpot

A device consisting of a piston that moves within a cylinder containing oil, used to dampen and control motion.

Dakin's solution

A dilute aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite used in cleansing wounds.

deejay

A disc jockey.

damping off

A disease of seedlings that is caused by fungi and results in wilting and death.

deficiency disease

A disease, such as rickets or scurvy, that is caused by a dietary deficiency of specific nutrients, especially a vitamin or mineral. The disease may stem from insufficient intake, digestion, absorption, or utilization of a nutrient.

custard

A dish consisting of milk, eggs, flavoring, and sometimes sugar, boiled or baked until set.

cush-cush

A dish made by frying or boiling a cornmeal or crumbled cornbread, sweetened and served as a cereal.

cush

A dish made by frying or boiling cornmeal or crumbled cornbread with grease and often other ingredients such as pieces of meat or onion.

decompression sickness

A disorder, seen especially in deep-sea divers, caused by the formation of nitrogen bubbles in the blood and tissues following a sudden drop in the surrounding pressure, as when ascending rapidly from a dive, and characterized by severe pains in the joints and chest, skin irritation, cramps, and paralysis.

deerhound

A dog of an old breed developed in Scotland, related to and resembling the greyhound but taller and larger and having a wiry coat. It was originally bred for hunting deer. Also called Scottish deerhound.

Czechoslovakia

A former country of central Europe. It was formed in 1918 from Czech- and Slovak-speaking territories of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Communists gained control of the government after World War II and stayed in power until late 1989 when demands for democratic political reform forced Communist leaders to resign. In 1993 the country split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Dark Continent

A former name for Afirca, so used because its hinterland was largely unknown and therefore mysterious to Europeans until the 19th century. Henry M. Stanley was probably the first to use the term in his 1878 account Through the Dark Continent.

Danzig Free City

A former state (1919-1939) on the Gulf of Gdansk surrounding and including the city of Gdansk.

deep freezer

A freezer for the quick-freezing and long-term storage of food.

deck tennis

A game in which a small ring is tossed back and forth over a net, made popular on board ocean liners.

daisy chain

A garland or chain made of linked daisies. 2. A series of connected events, activities, or experiences, likened to a garland.

curtsy

A gesture of respect or reverence made chiefly by women by bending the knees with one foot forward and lowering the body.

deity

A god or goddess. 2a. The essential nature or condition of being a god; divinity. Used with the.

Cybele

A goddess of nature and fertility in Asia Minor and later in Greece, whose worship was marked by ecstatic and frenzied states.

customhouse

A gonvermental buildign or office where customs are collected and ships are cleared for entering or leaving the country.

Dard

A group of Indic languages spoken in the upper Indus River valley.

Cyclades

A group of islands of southeast Greece in the southern Aegean Sea. The name was used in ancient times for the islands surrounding Elos.

death rattle

A gurgling or rattling sound sometimes made in the throat of a dying person, caused by loss of the cough reflex and passage of the breath through accumulating mucus.

cyclopropane

A highly flammable, explosive, colorless gas, C3H6, sometimes used as an anesthetic.

cyclophosphamide

A highly toxic, immunosuppressive, antineoplastic drug, C7H15Cl2N2P, used in the treatment of Hodgkin's disease, lymphoma, and certain other forms of cancer, such as leukemia and breast cancer.

Dauphine

A historical region and former province of southeast France bordering on Italy. After 1349 it became an appanage controlled by the eldest son of the king of France.

Dalmatia

A historical region of the northwest Balkan Peninsula on the Adriatic Sea in present-day Croatia. Subdued by the Romans in the 1st century B.C., it was divided between the kingdoms of Serbia and Croatia in the 10th century and held by numerous powers after the 15th century.

dahabeah

A houseboat having sails and sometimes an engine, used on the Nile.

cyborg

A human who has certain physiological processes aided or controlled by mechanical or electronic devices.

Danaus

A king of Argos and father of the Danaides.

deep kiss

A kiss in which the tongue is extending deep into the partner's mouth.

Czech Republic

A landlocked country of central Europe. It was a part of Czechoslovakia form 1918 until January 1993. Prauge is the capital and largest city. Population: 10,333,000.

dead language

A language, such as Latin, that is no longer learned as a native language by a speech community.

dark lantern

A lantern whose light can be blocked, as by a sliding panel.

cutthroat trout

A large trout (Salmo clarkii) found in western North American waters that resembles the rainbow trout and is distinguished by red or orange markings on the lower jaw.

demijohn

A large, narrow-necked bottle made of glass or earthenware, usually encased in wickerwork.

delict

A legal offense; a misdemeanor.

Damon

A legendary figure who, out of devotion, pledged his life as a guarantee that his condemned friend Pythias would return to face execution. Both were subsequently pardoned.

Deirdre

A legendary princess of Ulster who eloped with her lover, Naoise, to escape marriage to King Conchobar. After the king murdered Naoise, she killed herself.

Dear John

A letter, as to a serviceman, requesting a divorce or ending a personal relationship.

dead lift

A lift in weightlifting in which the weight is lifted from the floor to the level of the hips and then lowered by controlled effort to the floor.

dacite

A light gray volcanic rock containing a mixture of plagioclase and other crystalline minerals in glassy silica, similar in appearance to rhyolite.

curvet

A light leap by a horse, in which both hind legs leave the ground just before the forelegs are set down. 1. To leap in a ______. 2. To prance; frolic. To cause to leap in a ______.

decasyllable

A line of verse having ten syllables.

dean's list

A list of students in a high school, college, or university who have attained high academic rank.

dashiki

A loose brightly colored African garment.

danseur

A man who is a ballet dancer.

dairyman

A man who owns or manages a dairy. 2. A man who works in a dairy.

dance therapy

A method of psychological treatment in which movement and dance are used to express and deal with feelings and experiences, both positive and negative. Also called movement therapy.

decare

A metric unit of area equal to 10 ares.

dark-field microscope

A microscope in which an object is illuminated only from the sides so that it appears bright against a dark background.

cyclothymia

A mild affective disorder characterized by alternating periods of elevated and depressed mood.

cystolith

A mineral concretion, usually of calcium carbonate, occurring in the epidermal cells of certain plants such as figs.

cutup

A mischievous person; a prankster.

dealignment

A movement among voters toward nonpartisanship, resulting in a weakening of party structure.

decidua

A mucous membrane lining the uterus, modified during pregnancy and shed at parturition or during menstruation.

dagwood

A multilayered sandwich with a variety of fillings.

Dartford

A municipal borough of southeast England east-southeast of London. The Peasants' Revolt led by Wat Tyler began here in June 1381. Population: 77,900.

Czech

A native or inhabitant of the Czech Republic. 2. A native or inhabitant of Bohemia; a Bohemian. 3. A person of ______ descent. 2. The Slavic language of the Czechs.

data highway

A network of computer networks, other devices, and switching systes used for the transfer of digitized information.

delavirdine

A non-nucleoside, analogue that is used as an antiviral drug in the treatment of HIV.

deer mouse

A north American mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) having white feet and underparts, and a long, bicolored tail.

datebook

A notebook or calendar for listing appointments, events, and other work-related or social information.

DDI

A nucleoside analogue antiviral drug that inhibits replication of retroviruses such as HIV by interfering with the enzyme reverse transcriptase. Also called didanosine.

DDC

A nucleoside analogue antiviral drug that inhibits the replication of retroviruses such as HIV by interfering with the enzyme reverse transcriptase. Also called zalcitabine.

Daphne

A nymph who metamorphosed into a laurel tree as a means of escaping from Apollo.

date palm

A palm tree (Phoenix dactylifera) of western Asia and northern Africa and cultivated also in California, having featherlike leaves and bearing clusters of dates.

dashboard

A panel under the windshield of a vehicle, containing indicator dials, compartments, and sometimes control instruments.

Decembrist

A participant in the unsuccessful conspiracy to overthrow Czar Nicholas I of russia in December 1825.

Mount Democrat

A peak, 4,315.1 m (14,148 ft) high, of central Colorado in the Park Range of the Rocky Mountains.

Damavand

A peak, 5,774.9 m (18,934 ft) high, in the Elburz Mountains of northern Iran northeast of Tehran. It is the highest elevation in the range.

cypress spurge

A perennial European ornamental plant (Euphorbia cyparissias) having numerous narrow leaves and flower clusters with petaloid bracts.

dab hand

A person killed in a particular activity; an expert.

demirep

A person of doubtful reputation or respectability

deaf-mute

A person who can neither hear nor speak. Unable to speak or hear.

debauchee

A person who habitually indulges in debauchery or dissipation; a libertine.

deconstruction

A philosophical movement and theory of literary criticism that questions traditional assumptions about certain, identity, and truth; asserts that words can only refer to other words; and attempts to demonstrate how statements about any text subvert their own meanings.

cyanobacterium

A photosynthetic bacterium of the class Coccogoneae or Hormogoneae, generally blue-green in color and in some species capable of nitrogen fixation. _______________ were once thought to be algae. Also called blue-green alga.

dateline

A phrase at the beginning of a newspaper or magazine article that gives the date and place of the origin of the article.

deeryard

A place where deer gather for wintering.

demandant

A plaintiff.

delphinium

A plant of the genus Delphinium, especially any of several tall cultivated varieties having palmate leaves and long racemes of showy, variously colored spurred flowers. Also called larkspur.

Deccan

A plateau of south-central India between the Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats. the name is also used for the entire Indian peninsula south of the Narmada river.

cutes

A plural of cutis.

decennia

A plural of decennium.

deliria

A plural of delirium.

dentalia

A plural of dentalium.

cyanic acid

A poisonous, unstable, highly volatile organic acid, HOCN, used to prepare cyanates.

death cup

A poisonous, usually white mushroom (Amanita phalloides) having a prominent cup-shaped base. Also called death angel, death cap.

Daedalus

A renowned craftsman, sculptor, and inventor and builder of the Labyrith. He fashioned the wings with which he and his son Icarus escaped from Crete after their imprisonment by Minos.

Danube

A river of south-central Europe rising in southwest Germany and flowing about 2,848 km (1,1770 mi) southeast through Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, and Romania to the Black Sea. It has been a major trade route since the Middle Ages.

Deep River

A river rising in north-central North Carolina and flowing about 201 km (125 mi) southeast and east to join the Haw River and form the Cape Fear River.

Delaware River

A river rising in the Catskill Mountains of southeast New York and flowing about 451 km (280 mi) generally southward along the New York-Pennsylvania border and the Pennsylvania-New Jersey border to northern Delaware, where it enters Delaware Bay. The Dutch explorers named it hte South River to distinguish it from the North River, an estuary of the Hudson River.

Darling Range

A river rising in the Great Dividing Range of southeast Australia and flowing about 2,739 km (1,702 mi) generally southwest to the Murray River. It is the longest river in Australia but has a sporadic flow.

Dan River

A river, about 290 km (180 mi) long, of southern Virginia and northern North Carolina flowing south and east to the Roanoke River.

damask rose

A rose (Rosa damascena) native to Asia that has fragrant red or pink flowers and is used as a source of attar.

cutting horse

A saddle horse specially trained to separate individual animals from a cattle herd.

Dasht-e-Kavir

A salt desert of north-central Iran southeast of the Elburz Mountains.

Dead Sea

A salt lake, about 397 m (1,300 ft) below sea level between Israel and Jordan. It is one of the saltiest bodies of water known and is the lowest point on the surface of the Earth.

cyclamate

A salt of cyclamic acid formerly used as an artificial sweetener, especially. a. Sodium cyclamate. b .Calcium cyclamate.

Dasht-e-Lut

A sand and stone desert of eastern Iran extending southward from the Dasht-e-Kavir.

dene

A sandy tract or dune by the seashore.

dandruff

A scaly scurf formed on and shed from the scalp, sometimes caused by seborrhea.

curule chair

A seat with heavy curved legs and no back, reserved for the use of the highest officials in ancient Rome. Also called curule seat.

death penalty

A sentence of punishment by execution.

Dandie Dinmont

A small terrier of a breed developed in the border counties of England and Scotland and having a rough grayish or brownish coat, a long body, drooping ears, and short legs.

dahoon

A small tree (Ilex cassine) of the southeast United States, having red or sometimes orange to yellow fruit and leathery, dark green leaves. Also called cassina.

Delmonico steak

A small, often boned steak from the front section of the shot loin of beef. Also called club steak.

dastard

A sneaking, malicious coward.

deep pocket

A source of substantial wealth or financial support.

day trader

A speculator who buys and sells securities on the basis of small short-term price movements.

cuspidor

A spittoon.

Denebola

A star in the constellation Leo, approximately 43 light-years from Earth.

dark star

A star that is normally obscured or too faint for direct visual observation, especially the component of an eclipsing binary star detectable by spectral analysis or in the eclipse of the bright component.

Deleware

A state of the eastern United States on the Atlantic Ocean. It was admitted as the first of the original Thirteen Colonies in 1787. Settled by the Dutch in 1631 and by Swedes in 1638, the region passed to England in 1664. It was part of William Penn's Pennsylvania grant from 1682 until 1776. Dover is the capital and wilmington the largest city. Population: 668,696.

Dall sheep

A stocky wild sheep (Ovis dalli) of the mountainous regions of northwest North America, ranging from white to nearly black and having curved yellowish horns.

Davis Strait

A strait of the northern Atlantic Ocean between the southeast Baffin Island and southwest Greenland.

day student

A student at a school or university who does not reside in the facilities provided by the institution.

Decorated style

A style of English Gothic architecture of the late 13th to mid-14 century, characterized by rich ornamentation and the use of ogees in arches and window tracery.

cytotoxin

A substance having a specific toxic effect on certain cells.

cytolysin

A substance, such as an antibody, capable of dissolving or destroying cells.

decalescence

A sudden slowing in the rate of temperature increase in a metal being heated, caused by endothermic structural changes and resulting in darkening of the metal.

Danish pastry

A sweet buttery pastry made with raised dough.

Cushing's syndrome

A syndrome caused by an increased production of ACTH from a tumor of the adrenal cortex or of the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland, or by excessive intake of glucocorticoids. It is characterized by obesity and weakening of the muscles.

cyproterone

A synthetic steroid that inhibits the secretion of androgens.

Dakota Territory

A territory of the north-central United States organized in 1861 and divided into the states of North Dakota and South Dakota in 1889. The territory included much of present-day Montana until 1864 and Wyoming until 1868.

Darjeeling

A town of northeats India in the lower Himalaya Mountains on the Sikkim border. At an altitude of 2,287.5 m (7,500 ft), it is a tourist center with commanding views of Mount Kanchenjunga and Mount Everest. Population: 57,603.

Davie

A town of southeast Florida southwest of Fort Lauderdale. It is in a citrus-growing area. Population: 47,217.

Dawson

A town of western Yukon Territory, Canada, at the confluence of the Yukon and Klondike rivers. A boom town during the Klondike gold rush of the late 1890s, it was the territorial capital from 1898 to 1951. Population: 697.

day trade

A trade of a security that is opened and closed on the same day.

Demerol

A trademark used for a preparation of meperidine.

Dacron

A trademark used for a synthetic polyester fabric or the fiber from which it is made.

Day-Glo

A trademark used for fluorescent coloring agents and materials. This trademark sometimes occurs in print in lowercase.

Dalmane

A trademark used for the drug flurazepam.

Darvon

A trademark used for the drug propoxyphene.

demantoid

A transparent, green variety of garnet used as a gem.

cystoscope

A tubular instrument equipped with a light and used to examine the interior of the urinary bladder and ureter.

Daman and Diu

A union territory of northwest India on the Arabian Sea. It comprises two former Portuguese colonies, which were annexed by India in 1962 and administered jointly with Goa from 1962 to 1987, when Goa became a separate state.

degree-day

A unit of measurement equal to a difference of one degree between the mean outdoor temperature on a certain day and a reference temperature, used in estimating the energy needs for heating or cooling of a building.

cyme

A usually flat-topped or convex flower cluster in which the main axis that each branch end in a flower that opens before the flowers below or to the side of it.

cymophane

A variety of chrysoberyl having a shimmering luster and microscopic, needlelike inclusions that reflect a streak of light.

Deleware

A variety of grape having sweet, light red fruit.

Delicious

A variety of sweet apple whose flesh is often streaked with yellow and red.

decanter

A vessel used for decanting, especially a decorative bottle used for serving wine.

decapitate

A vessel used for decanting, especially a decorative bottle used for serving wine.

cusec

A volumetric unit for measuring the flow of liquids, equal to one cubic foot per second.

dental floss

A waxed or unwaxed thread used to remove food particles and plaque from between the teeth and under the gums.

cutin

A waxlike, water-repellent material present in the walls of some plant cells and forming the cuticle, which covers the epidermis.

cyanuric acid

A white crystalline acid, C3N3(OH)3, that decomposes with heating to form cyanic acid.

cystine

A white crystalline amino acid, C6H12N2O4S2, formed from the disulfide linkage of two cysteines during folding of many proteins, especially keratin, and stabilizing the tertiary structure of the protein.

cytidine

A white crystalline nucleoside, C9H13N3O5, composed of one molecule each of cytosine and ribose.

daikon

A white radish (Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus) of Japan, having a long root that is eaten raw, pickled, or cooked. Also called Chinese radish, Japanese radish, Oriental radish.

deminondaine

A woman belonging to the demimonde.

dairymaid

A woman or girl who works in a dairy.

danseuse

A woman who is a ballet dancer.

definiendum

A word or expression that is being defined.

cygnet

A young swan.

debutante

A young woman making a formal debut into society.

damosel

A young woman; a damsel.

dead spot

A zone within the range of a radio transmitter where little or no radio signal can be received.

Delphi

An ancient town of central Greece near Mount Parnassus. Dating to at least the seventh century B.C., it was the seat of a famous oracle of Apollo.

Davis

AKA John Davys.

cytosine

Abbr C. A pyrimidine base, C4H5N3O, that is the constitutent of DNA and RNA involved in base pairing with guanine.

cystic fibrosis

Abbr. CF. A hereditary disease of the exorcrine glands, usually developing during early childhood and affecting mainly the production of abnormally viscuous mucus by the affected glands, usually resulting in chronic respiratory infections and impaired pancreatic function.

cytomegalovirus

Abbr. CMV. Any of a group of herpes viruses that attack and enlarge epithelial cells. Such viruses also cause a disease of infants characterized by circulatory dysfunction and microcephaly.

demilitarized zone

Abbr. DMZ. An area from which military forces, operations, and installations are prohibited.

dal segno

Abbr. DS. From the place marked by the sign _ to a designated point. Used as a direction to repeat a passage.

Daniel

Abbr. Dan. or Dn.

December

Abbr. Dec. The 12th month of the year in the Gregorian calendar.

decibel

Abbr. dB. A unit used to express relative difference in power or intensity, usually between two acoustic or electric signals, equal to ten times the common logarithm of the ratio of the levels.

decagram

Abbr. dag or dkg. A metric unit of mass equal to 10 grams.

decaliter

Abbr. dal or dkl. A metric unit of volume equal to 10 liters.

decameter

Abbr. dam or dkm. A metric unit of length equal to 10 meters.

decigram

Abbr. dg. A metric unit of mass or weight equal to one-tenth (10^-1) of a gram.

dekagram

Abbr. dkg. Variant of decagram.

dekameter

Abbr. dkm. Variant of decameter.

deciliter

Abbr. dl. A metric unit of volume equal to one-tenth (10^-1) of a liter.

decimeter

Abbr. dm. A metric unit of length equal to one-tenth (10^-1) of a meter.

Del.

Abbr. for deleware

demand loan

Abbreviated as D/L. Synonymous with call loan.

cycloalkane

An alicyclic hydrocarbon with a saturated ring. Also called cycloparaffin.

cysteine

An amino acid, C3H7O2NS, derived from cystine and found in most proteins.

Cyrene

An ancient Greek city of Cyrenaica. Founded in 630 B.C., it was noted as an intellectual center with distinguished schools of medicine and philosophy.

denarius

An ancient Roman silver coin. 2. An ancient Roman gold coin valued at 25 silver denaru.

Dacia

An ancient region and Roman province corresponding roughly to modern romania. Inhabited before the Christian era by a people of thracian stock with an advanced material culture, the region was abandoned to the Goths after A.D. 270.

Cyrenaica

An ancient region of northeast Libya bordering on the Mediterranean Sea. It was colonized by the Greeks in the seventh century B.C. and became a Roman province in the first century B.C.

cuspid

Synonymous with canine.

Cyprus

An island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea south of Turkey. Site of an ancient Neolithic culture, the island was settled by Phoenicians c. 800 B.C. and thereafter fell successively to the Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, Macedonian Greeks, Egyptians again, and finally Romans (58 B.C.). The Byzantines controlled it from A.D. 395 until 1191, when it was captured by Richard I of England during the Third Crusade. Venice annexed it in 1489, Turkey conquered it in 1571, and Great Britian proclaimed its sovereignty in 1914. _______ became indpendent in 1960, but large-scale fighting between Greek and Turkish ________s led to the installment of a UN peacekeeping force in 1965. In 1974 Turkey invaded ________ and established a separate Turkish state in the northern part. Nicosia is the capital and the largest city. Population: 734,000.

Delos

An island of southeast Greece in the southern Aegean Sea. It is the smallest of the Cyclades Islands and was traditionally considered sacred to Apollo.

Cythera

An island of southern Greece in the Mediterranean Sea south of the Peloponnesus. Southern most of the Ionian Islands, it was the chief center ofr the worship of Aphrodite.

cytochrome

Any of a class of iron-containing proteins important in cell respiration as catalysts of oxidation-reduction reactions.

cytokinin

Any of a class of plant hormones that promote cell division and growth and delay the senescence of leaves.

cyprinid

Any of numerous often small freshwater fishes of the family Cyprinidae, which includes the minnows, carps, and shiners. Of, relating to, or belonging to the family Cyprinidae.

dendrobium

Any of numerous species of the orchid genus. Native to tropical or subtropical Asia, Australia, and the islands of the Pacific Ocean.

darnel

Any of several Eurasian grasses of the genus Lolium, especially L. temulentum or L. perenne. Also called ryegrass.

daphne

Any of several Eurasian shrubs of the genus Daphne often cultivated for their glossy evergreen foliage and clusters of small, bell-shaped flowers.

cusk eel

Any of several bottom-dwelling, eellike, chiefly marine fishes of the family Ophidiidae.

cyanohydrin

Any of several compounds that contain both the Cn and OH radicals.

cushaw

Any of several kinds of winter squahs (Cucrbita mixta) having a curved neck.

cutlass fish

Any of several marine fishes of the genus Trichiurus, having a long, ribbonlike body and a pointed tail.

cuscus

Any of several nocturnal marsupials of the genus Phalanger of New Guinea, Australia, and adjacent islands, having large eyes, small ears, a pointed snout, and a long prehensile tail.

day lily

Any of several perennial Eurasian herbs of the genus Hemerocallis in the lily family, having often grasslike leaves and yellow, orange, or purplish lilylike flowers. Also called hemerocallis.

datura

Any of several plants of the genus Datura, having trumpet-shaped flowers up to 25 centimeters (10 inches) long and usually prickly fruits. The leaves and seeds yield alkaloids with narcotic properties. Also called thorn apple.

death camas

Any of several plants of the genus Zigadenus of western North America, having grasslike leaves and clusters of usually greenish-white flowers. All parts of the plant are poisonous to livestock.

cytokine

Any of several regulatory proteins, such as the interleukins and lymphokines, that are released by cells of the immune system and act as intercellular mediators in the generation of an immune response.

demy

Any of several standard sizes of paper, especially paper measuring 16 by 21 inches.

deer tick

Any of several ticks of the genus Ixodes that are parasitic on deer and other animals and transmit the infectious agents of febrile diseases, such as Lyme disease.

dead nettle

Any of several weedy plants of the genus Lamium, native to Eurasia and northern Africa and having clusters of small, usually purplish flowers with two lips. So called because it looks like a nettle but does not sting.

Dakota

Any of the Sioux peoples, especially any of the peoples of the Santee branch. b. A member of a Sioux people, especially a Santee. 2. the Siouan language of the Dakota, especially the dialect of the Santee.

cymene

Any of three colorless isomeric liquid hydrocarbons, C10H14, obtained chiefly from the essential oils of cumin and thyme and used in the manufacture of synthetic resins.

daddy longlegs

Any of various arachnids of the order Phalangida, with a small rounded body and long slender legs. Also called harvestman. 2. Synonymous with crane fly.

cyanine

Any of various blue dyes, used to sensitize photographic emulsions to a greater range of light.

dabbling duck

Any of various ducks, chiefly of the genus Anas, including the mallards, teals, and shovelers, that feed by dabbling in shallow water and are favored as game birds.

cymbidium

Any of various epiphytic orchids of the genus Cymbidum, native to tropical Asia and Australia and extensively hybridized and cultivated for their elongate clusters of showy blooms.

dab

Any of various flatfishes, chiefly of the genera Limanda and Hippoglossoides, related to and resembling the floudners.

damselfish

Any of various small tropical marine fishes of the family Pomcentridae, having laterally compressed, usually brightly colored bodies. Also called demoiselle.

danio

Any of various small, often brightly colored freshwater fishes ofthe genera Danio and Brachydanio, native to Asia and popular as aquarium fish.

decanoic acid

Synonymous with capric acid.

cutch

Synonymous with catechu

De La Warr

Baron. title of Thomas West. 1577-1618. English-born American colonial administrator chosen as the first governor of the Virginia Company colony. He arrived at Jamestown in 1610 in time to prevent the colonists from deserting the settlement.

cytomembrane

Synonymous with cell membrane.

cwm

Synonymous with cirque.

CV joint

Synonymous with constant velocity joint.

cycloparaffin

Synonymous with cycloalkane.

David

Died c. 962 B.C. The second king of Judah and Israel. According to the Bible, he slew the Philistine giant Goliath and succeeded Saul as king. He is the reputed author of many of the Psalms.

cytophilic

Having an affinity for cells.

dead bolt

Having an indicator that stops without oscillation.

deadbeat

Having an indicator that stops without oscillation.

defunct

Having cease to exist or live.

dealate

Having lost the wings. Used of ants, termites, and other insects that shed their wings after a mating flight.

dancerly

Having or displaying the movements, skills, or knowledge of a dancer or the dance.

degreed

Having or requiring an academic degree.

decaffeinated

Having the caffeine removed.

curvaceous

Having the curves of a full or voluptuous figure.

decurrent

Having the leaf base extending down the stem below the insertion.

decadelong

Lasting a decade.

daylong

Lasting through the whole day. Through the day; all day.

dangling

Of or being a modifier, especially a participle or participial phrase, that grammatically modifies the subject of its sentence but semantically modifies another element of the sentence or an unstated referent, as approaching Dallas in the sentence, Approaching Dallas, the skyline came into view.

Delphic

Of or relating to Delphi or to the oracle of Apollo at Delphi. 2. Obscurely prophetic; oracular.

Danish

Of or relating to Denmark, the Danes, their language, or their culture. 1. The North Germanic language of the Danes. 2. A ________ pastry.

decennary

Of or relating to a ten-year period. A period of ten years; a decade.

cytopathic

Of or relating to degeneration or disease of cells.

Cymric

Of or relating to the Cymry. Synonymous with Welsh.

degenerative

Of, relating to, causing, or characterized by degneration.

cutaneous

Of, relating to, or affecting the skin.

decametric

Of, relating to, or being a radio wave of wavelength between one and ten decameters.

dative

Of, relating to, or being the grammatical case that marks the recipient of action, that often indicates the indirect object of the verb, and that can be used with prepositions or other function words corresponding in meaning to English to and for. 1. The ______ case. 2. A word or form in the _______ case.

deep-water

Of, relating to, or carried on in waters of a relatively great depth.

demagogic

Of, relating to, or characteristic of a demagogue.

cytomegalic

Of, relating to, or characterized by greatly enlarged cells.

decretory

Of, relating to, or having the force of a decree.

cytotoxic

Of, relating to, or producing a toxic effect on cells.

cytopathogenic

Of, relating to, or producing pathological changes in cells.

cyprinoid

Of, relating to, or resembling a carp or other cyprinid fish. A ___________ fish.

dendritic

Of, relating to, or resembling a dendrite. 2. Dendriform.

deep-sea

Of, relating to, or taking place in the deeper parts of the sea.

deathly

Of, resembling, or characteristic of death. 2. Causing death; fatal. 1. In the manner of death. 2. Extremely, very.

daytripper

One who takes a trip during the day without an overnight stop.

day job

One' primary job, usually at daytime and enabling one to persue a secondary activity from which eventually like to draw an income.

deciare

One-tenth (10^1) of an are.

Davis

Originally Ruth Elizabeth Davis. 1908-1989. American actress who won an Academy Award for Dangerous (1935) and Jezebel (1938).

danceable

Suitable for dancing.

Daye

Synonymous with Stephen Day.

Day of Atonement

Synonymous with Yom Kippur.

dalton

Synonymous with atomic mass unit.

decubitus ulcer

Synonymous with bedsore.

cyanotype

Synonymous with blueprint.

Dakar

The capital and largest city of Senegal, in the western part of the country on the Atlantic Ocean. It grew around a French fort built in 1857 and was the capital of French West Africa from 1902 to 1957. Population: 1,641,358.

Damascus

The capital and largest city of Syria, in the southwest part of the country. Inhabited since prehistoric times, the city became a thriving commercial center under the Romans and was a Saracen stronghold during the Crucades. Population: 1,549,000.

Dar es Salaam

The capital and largest city of Tanzania, in the eastern part of the country on an arm of the Indian Ocean. It was founded in 1862 by the sultan of Zanzibar. The name means "haven of peace." Population: 1,096,000.

demographics

The characteristics of human populations and population segments, especially when used to identify consumer markets.

Dagon

The chief god of the ancient Philistines, represented as half-man and half-fish.

Dalles

The city of northern Oregon on the Columbia River east of Portland. An important stop on the Oregon Trail in the 1800s, it is now a busy inland port. Population: 11,060.

cytotaxonomy

The classification of organisms based on cellular structure and function, especially on the structure and number of chromosomes.

cylinder head

The closed, often detachable, end of a cylinder in an internal-combustion engine.

deltiology

The collection and study of postcards.

cysticercosis

The condition of being infested with cysticerci.

demodulation

The conversion of a modulated carrier wave into a current equivalent to the original wignal. Also called detection.

death care

The management of funerary arrangements, including care of the dead and services offered to surviving family members.

darnedest

The most possible.

Danu

The mother of the Irish gods and the goddess of death.

decompound

To decompose.

damascene

To decorate (metal) with wavy patterns of inlay or etching. Metalwork decorated with wavy patterns of inlay or etching. 1. Of or relating to damascening. 2. Of or relating to damask.

deemphasize

To decrease the emphasis on; minimize the importance of.

degenderize

To degender.

dehydrogenize

To dehydrogenate.

denervate

To deprive (an organ or body part) of a nerve supply, as by surgically removing or cuting a nerve or by blockign a nerve connection with drugs.

dematerialize

To deprive of or lose apparent physical substance; make or become immaterial.

demyelinate

To destroy or remove the myelin seath of (a nerve fiber), as through disease.

debunk

To expose or ridicule the falseness, sham, or exaggerated claims of.

demodulate

To extract (information) from a modulated carrier wave.

decoct

To extract the flavor of by boiling. 2. To make concentrated; boil down.

deglutinate

To extract the gluten from (wheat flour, for example).

decolonize

To free (a colony) from dependent status.

decollectivize

To free from collective control.

deep-fry

To fry by immersing in a deep utensil of fat or oil.

decrease

To grow or cause to grow gradually less or smaller, as in number, amount, or intensity. 1. The act or process of _________ing. 2. The amount by which something decreases.

dehire

To lay off or otherwise terminate (an employee).

debase

To lower in character, quality, or value, degrade. Synonymous with adulterate, corrupt, degrade.

declass

To lower in class or status

deject

To lower the spirits of, dishearten.

deconsecrate

To make (a church, synagogue, or temple, for example) no longer consecrated.

definitize

To make definite.

democratize

To make democratic.

degender

To make gender neutral, as by eliminating reference to gender or sex.

deglamorize

To make less glamorous.

daresay

To think very likely or almost certain; suppose. Used in the first person singular present tense.

defenestrate

To throw out of a window.

deflect

To turn aside or cause to turn aside; bend or deviate.

defray

To undertake the payment of (costs or expenses); pay.

Dardic

Variant of Dard.

Da Nang

also called Danang. Formerly Tourane a city of central Vietnam on the South China Sea. It was the site of an important U.S. military base during the Vietnam War. Population: 382,674.

cyanamide

also cyanamid. 1. A caustic acidic crystalline compound, NHCNH, prepared by treating calcium cyanamide with sulfuric acid. 2. Calcium cyanamide.

cyclo-

also cycl-. prefix for circle, cycle. 2. A cyclic compound.

Dayak

also known as Dyak. A member of any of various Indonesian peoples inhabiting Borneo. 2. The language of the Dayak.

Demeter

The goddess of the harvest, daughter of Rhea and Cronus and moter of Persephone.

death's head

The human skull as a symbol of mortality or death.

cytoplast

The intact cytoplasm of a single cell.

cytoskeleton

The internal framework of a cell, composed largely of actin filaments and microtubules.

cutworm

The larva of various moths of the family Noctuidae that feed on and destroy a wide variety of plants. So called because many species eat through stems of plants.)

cysticercoid

The larval stage of certain tapeworms, resembling a cysticercus but having the scolex completely filling the enclosing cyst.

cysticercus

The larval stage of many tapeworms, consisting of a single invaginated scolex enclosed in a fluid-filled cyst.

dee

The letter d

curtesy

The life tenure that by common law is held by a man over the property of his deceased wife if children with rights of inheritance were born during the marriage.

decreolization

The loss of creole features in an original creole language as the result of contact with a major international language that was one of its ancestors.

cyberculture

The culture arising for the use of computer networks, as for communications, entertainment, work, and business.

daleth

The fourth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

d.

The fourth letter of the modern English alphabet. 2. Any of the speech sounds represented by the letter d.

deixis

The function of a deictic word in specifying its from deiknunai.

demagoguery

The practices or rhetoric of a demagogue.

degranulation

The process of losing granules.

deckle edge

The rough edge of handmade paper formed in a deckle. Also called featheredge.

dark reaction

The second stage of photosynthesis, not requiring light to occur, and during which energy released from ATP drives the production of organic molecules from carbon dioxide.

dado

The section of a pedestal between base and surbase. 2. The lower portion of the wall of a room, decorated differently from the upper section, as with paenls. 3a. A rectangular groove cut into a board so that a like piece may be fitted into it. 1. To furnish with a ____. 2a. to cut a ____ in. b. To fit into a ____.

deficit spending

The spending of public funds obtained by borrowing rather than by taxation.

dah

The spoken representation of a dash in radio and telegraph code.

dejection

The state of being dejected; low spirits. 2. Evacuation of the intestinal tract; defecation.

debility

The state of being weak or feeble. Infirmity.

D

The symbol for the isotope deuterium. 2. also the symbol for the roman numeral 500.

czarism

The system of of government in Russia under the czars.

denominationalism

The tendency to separate into religious denominations. 2. Advocacy of separation into religious denominations. 3. Strict adherence to a denomination; sectarianism.

cybernetics

The theoretical study of communication and control processes in biological, mechanical, and electronic systems, especially the comparison of these processes in biological and artificial systems.

dawn

The time each morning at which daylight first begins. 2. A first appearance; a beginning. 1. To begin to become light in the morning. 2. To begin to appear or develop; emerge. 3. To begin to be perceived or understood.

Dalai Lama

The traditional governmental ruler and highest priest of the dominant sect of Buddhism in Tibet and Mongolia, understood by Tibetans to be the living incarnation of the bodhsattva of compassion.

dactylology

The use of the fingers and hands to communicate and convey ideas, as in the manual alphabet used by hearing-impaired and speech-impaired people.

demeanor

The way in which a person behaves. deportment.

dauphine

The wife of a dauphin.

daughter-in-law

The wife of one's son.

definiens

The word or words serving to define another word or expression, as in a dictionary entry.

defilade

To arrange (fortifications) in such a way as to give protection from enfilading and other fire. 1. The act or procedure of __________. 2. A fortified position offering protection from enfilading and other fire.

demand

To ask for urgently or peremptorily. 2. To claim as just or due. 3. To ask to be informed of. 4. To require as useful, just, proper, or necessary; call for. 5. a. To summon to court. b. To claim formally; lay legal claim to. To make a demand. 1. The act of demanding. 2. Something demanded. 3. An urgent requirement or need. 4. The state of being sought after. 5. a. the desire to possess a commodity or make use of a service, combined with the ability to purchase it. b. The amount of a commodity or service that people are ready to buy for a given price. 6. A coding technique in which a command to read or write is initiated as the need for a new block of data occurs, thus eliminating the need to store data. 7. A formal claim. 8. An emphatic question or inquiry.

deflagrate

To burn or cause to burn with great heat and intense light.

defocus

To cause (a beam or a lens) to deviate from accurate focus. The act or result of causing a lens to deviate from accurate focus.

deindustrialize

To cause (a nation or area) to lose or be deprived of industrial capability or strength. To undergo or suffer loss of industrial infrastructure and potential.

decimalize

To change to a decimal system.

cutinize

To coat or impregnate with cutin. To become coated or impregnated with cutin.

demean

To conduct or behave (oneself) in a particular manner.

demean

To conduct or behave (onself) in a particular manner.

cybernate

To control (an industrial process) by computer.

cuss

To curse or curse at. 2. An odd or perverse person or creature.

deforest

To cut down and clear away the trees or forests from.

decapitate

To cut off the head of; behead.

deaminize

To deaminate.

decarburize

To decarbonize.

defend

To make or keep safe from danger, attack, or harm. 2. To attempt to prevent the opposition from scoring while playing in or near (a goal or area of a field, for example). b. To be responsible for guarding (an opposing player). c. To compete against a challenger in an attempt to retain (a championship). 3. To support or maintain, as by argument or action; justify. 4. To represent (a defendant in a civil or criminal action. b. To attempt to disprove or invalidate (an action or claim). 2. To o play defense.

defile

To march in single file or in files or columns. 1. A narrow gorge or pass that restricts lateral movement, as of troops. 2. A march in a line.

darn

To mend ( a garment, for example) by weaving thread or yarn across a gap or hole. To repair a hole, as in a garment, by weaving thread or yarn across it. A hole repaired by weaving thread or yarn across it.

defalcate

To misuse funds; embezzle.

dandle

To move (a small child) up and down on the knees or in the arms in a playful way. 2 To pamper or pet.

delay

To postpone until a later time; defer. 2. To cause to be later or slower than expected or desired. 3. The period of time during which one is delayed. 4. The interval of time between two events.

defer

To put off; postpone. 2. To postpone the induction of (one eligible for the military draft). 2. To postpone the induction of (one eligible for the military draft.) To procrastinate.

daven

To recite Jewish liturgical prayers.

demote

To reduce in grade, rank, or status.

decriminalize

To reduce or abolish criminal penalties for.

decongest

To relieve the congestion of (sinuses, for example).

demount

To remove (a motor, for example) from a position on a mounting or other support.

deaminate

To remove an amino group, NH2, from (an organic compound).

deaccession

To remove and sell (a work of art) from a museum's collection, especially in roder to purchase other works of art.

delete

To remove by striking out or canceling.

decalcify

To remove calcium or calcium compounds from (bones or teeth, for example). To lose calcium or calcium compounds.

decarbonate

To remove carbon dioxide or carbonic acid from.

decarbonize

To remove carbon from; decarburize.

defog

To remove condensed water vapor from.

defat

To remove fat from.

delist

To remove from a list especially from a list of securities that may be traded on a stock exchange.

degas

To remove gas from.

degrease

To remove grease from.

dehydrogenate

To remove hydrogen from.

defrost

To remove ice or frost from. 2. To cause to thaw. 1. To become free of ice or frost. 2. To become thawed.

deionize

To remove ions from (a solution) using an ion-exchange process.

demineralize

To remove minerals or mineral salts from (a liquid).

declassify

To remove official security classification from ( a document).

dealcoholize

To remove some or all of the alcohol from beverages.

deacidify

To remove the acid from or reduce the acid content of.

debone

To remove the bones from.

decolorize

To remove the color from.

defuel

To remove the fuel from.

dehorn

To remove the horns from. 2. To prevent growth in the horns of (cattle, for example), as by cauterization.

deactivate

To render inactive or ineffective. 2. To inhibit, block, or disrupt the action of (an enzyme or other biological agent). 3. To remove from active military status.

decertify

To revoke the certification of.

delegitimize

To revoke the legal or legitimate status of.

delouse

To rid (a person or an animal) of lice by physical or chemical means.

demythologize

To rid of mythological elements in order to discover the underlying meaning. 2. to remove the mysterious or mythical aspects from.

decrepitate

To roast or calcine until they emit a crackling sound or until crackling stops. To make a crackling sound when roasted.

debilitate

To sap the strength or energy of; enervate.

decollate

To separate the copies of (a multiple-copy computer printout, for example).

demarcate

To set the boundaries of; delimit. 2. To separate clearly as if by boundaries, distinguish.

dabble

To splash or spatter with or as if with a liquid. 1. To splash liquid gently and playfully. 2. To undertake something superficially or without serious intent. 3. To bob forward and under in shallow water so as to feed off the bottom

delaminate

To split into thin layers.

deig

To think it appropriate to one's dignity, condescend. To condescend to give or grant; vouchsafe.

deep

a. Extending far downward below a surface. b. Extending far inward from an outer surface. c. Extending far backward from front to rear. d. Extending far from side to side from a center. e. Far distant down or in. f. Coming from or penetrating to a depth. g. Located or taking place near the outer boundaries of the area of play. 2. Extending a specific distance in a given direction. 3. Far distant in time or space. 4a. Difficult to penetrate or understand; recondite. b. Of a mysterious or obscure nature. d. Exhibiting great cunning or craft. 5a. Of a grave or extreme nature. b. Very absorbed or involved. c. Profound in quality or feeling. 5. Rich and intense in shade. 7. Low in pitch; resonant. 8. Covered or surrounded to a designated degree. Often used in combination. 9. Large in quantity or size; big. 10 Having a sufficient number; of capable reserve players. 1. To a great depth; deeply. 2. well along in time; late. 3. close to the outer boundaries of the area of play. 1a. A deep place in land or in a body of water. b. A vast, immeasurable extent. 3. The most intense or extreme part. 4. The ocean. 5. A distance estimated in fathoms between successive marks on a sounding line.

DCL

abbr. 1. Doctor of Canon Law 2. Doctor of Civil Law.

CWO

abbr. 1. cash with order. 2. chief warrant officer.

CW

abbr. 1. chemical warfare 2. Continuous wave

DC

abbr. 1. da capo 2. direct current 3. or D.C. district of Columbia 4. Doctor of Chiropractic.

d.

abbr. 1. dam 2. date. 3. daughter 4. died. 5. dose. 6. penny (1/12 of a shilling).

D

abbr. 1. dative. 2. day. 3. Democrat. 4. down

dec.

abbr. 1. deceased. 2. declension. 3. declination. 4. decorated. 5. decrescendo.

DD

abbr. 1. demand draft. 2. dishonorable discharge. 3. Divinitatis Doctor (Doctor of Divinity).

dem.

abbr. 1. demonstrative. 2. demurrage

d.

abbr. 1. deuteron. 2. diameter. 3. differential 4. down quark

D & E

abbr. 1. dilation and evacuation. 2. dilation and extraction.

CZ

abbr. Canal Zone

.cv

abbr. Cape Verde (in Internet addresses)

.cy

abbr. Cyprus (internet address)

.cz

abbr. Czech Republic (in Internet addresses)

da capo

abbr. DC. From the beginning. Used as a direction to repeat a passage.

DBE

abbr. Dame Commander of the British Empire

Da.

abbr. Danish

Dec.

abbr. December

DE

abbr. Deleware.

Den.

abbr. Denmark.

DARE

abbr. Dictionary of American Regional English.

DAV

abbr. Disabled American Veterans.

DCM

abbr. Distinguished Conduct Medal.

DBA

abbr. Doctor of Business Administration. 2. doing business as.

DEd

abbr. Doctor of Education.

D.Bib.

abbr. Douay Bible

.de

abbr. Germany (in Internet addresses)

CY

abbr. calendar year.

CVA

abbr. cerebovascular accident

CVS

abbr. chorionic villus sampling.

cw.

abbr. clockwise.

cvt.

abbr. convertible

cv.

abbr. cultivar.

dat.

abbr. dative

DB

abbr. daybook

dag

abbr. decagram

dal

abbr. decaliter

dam

abbr. decameter.

decd.

abbr. deceased.

decl.

abbr. declension.

deg.

abbr. degree

DAGC

abbr. delayed automatic gain control.

dd.

abbr. delivered.

demon.

abbr. demonstrative.

dbh

abbr. diameter at breast height

DAT

abbr. digital audiotape.

D & C

abbr. dilation and curettage.

D & X

abbr. dilation and extraction.

DASD

abbr. direct access storage device.

CV

abbr. for 1. Cape Verde. 2. cardiovascular. 3. curriculum vitae.

DAR

abbr. for 1. Damage assessment routine. 2. Daughters of the American Revolution.

cwt

abbr. hundredweight

Davys

also Davis. 1550-1605. English navigator who explored the Arctic while searching for the Northwest Passage and later sailed to the South Seas. He discovered the Falkland Islands in 1592.

cyto

prefix for cell.

cyan

prefix variant of cyano-

cycl-

prefix variant of cyclo-.

cyst

prefix variant of cysto-

cyst-

prefix variant of cysto.

cytoplasm

the protoplasm of a cell excluding the nucleus

daytime

the time between sunrise and sunset. Occurring in or appropriate for use during the day.

day one

the very beginning; the first day.

Denis

third century A.d. Patron saint of France. Sent to minister to the Grauls as the first bishop of Paris, he suffered martyrdom by decapitation.

denounce

to condemn openly as being evil or reprehensible. Synonymous with criticize. 2. To accuse formally. 3. To give formal announcement of the ending of (a treaty).

deke

to deceive (a opponent) in ice hockey by a fake.

deconcentrate

to decentralize.

denaturalize

to make unnatural. 2. To deprive of the rights of citizenship.

dehumidify

to remove atmospheric moisture from.