English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

dissolved

verb

Past tense of "dissolve" — became mixed completely into a liquid, or came to an end.

dissolvent

adj

Able to turn into a liquid.

dissolver

noun

A person or thing that causes something to dissolve or disperse.

dissolving

verb

Present participle of "dissolve" — mixing completely into a liquid, or breaking apart/ending.

dissonance

noun

A harsh or unpleasant combination of sounds; lack of musical harmony.

dissuade

verb

To persuade someone not to do something.

dissuasion

noun

The act of persuading someone not to do something.

dissympathy

noun

A lack of sympathy or care for others.

distaff

noun

A tool that holds a bundle of fibres such as wool or flax so they can be pulled off little by little and spun into thread.

distal

adj

Located far from the point of attachment or origin, especially in anatomy.

distance

noun

The amount of space between two points or places.

distant

adj

Far away in space or time.

distantly

adv

In a way that shows physical or relational separation.

distaste

noun

A feeling of dislike or aversion toward something.

distasteful

adj

Unpleasant, offensive, or unappealing to one's sense of taste or propriety.

distemper

noun

A viral illness affecting animals, especially dogs and cats, causing fever, coughing and catarrh.

distend

verb

To swell or expand, usually because of pressure from inside.

distended

adj

Swollen or stretched out, especially from internal pressure.

distich

noun

A pair of lines of verse that together express a complete thought.

distil

verb

To ooze out in small drops, or to give off a vapour that forms droplets.

distill

verb

A US standard spelling of distil.

distillation

noun

The action of falling or being poured out in drops.

distilled

adj

Purified or concentrated through the process of distillation.

distillery

noun

A facility where alcoholic spirits are produced through distillation.

distinct

adj

Clearly different or separate from something else.

distinction

noun

A difference or contrast between two things.

distinctive

adj

Serving to mark something as different or recognizable; characteristic.

distinctively

adv

In a way that clearly marks something out as different.

distinctiveness

noun

The quality of being clearly different from other things.

distinctly

adverb

In a way that is clear and easy to make out; unmistakably.

distinctness

noun

How clearly separate or different something is.

distinguish

verb

To recognize the difference between two or more things.

distinguishable

adj

Easy to tell apart from other things.

distinguished

adjective

Well-known and respected because of notable achievements.

distinguishing

adjective

Serving to mark something as different from others.

distort

verb

To twist something out of its normal shape.

distorted

adjective

Twisted out of its normal or natural shape.

distorting

adjective

Having the effect of twisting something out of shape or misrepresenting it.

distortion

noun

A change that twists something out of its normal shape or meaning.

distract

verb

To pull someone's attention away from what they should be focusing on.

distracted

adjective

Unable to concentrate because attention is pulled elsewhere.

distractible

adj

Easily distracted.

distracting

adjective

Pulling attention away from what matters, making it hard to concentrate.

distraction

noun

Something that pulls your attention away from what you should be doing.

distraint

noun

(law) A landlord's right to seize a tenant's belongings if rent is not paid.

distraught

adjective

Extremely upset, worried, or overwhelmed with emotion.

distress

noun

Serious pain, suffering, or worry, especially of an urgent kind.

distressed

adjective

Very upset, anxious, or in pain.

distressing

adjective

Causing worry, sadness, or pain.

distressingly

adv

In a way that causes distress or worry.

distributary

noun

A stream, natural or man-made, that branches off from a larger river and flows away from it.

distribute

verb

To divide something up and hand it out to a number of people or places.

distributed

adjective

Spread out across a wide area rather than concentrated in one place.

distributee

noun

A person who receives a portion of something being shared out.

distribution

noun

The act of spreading or handing something out.

distributive

adj

Connected with distribution, the way something is shared out.

distributor

noun

A company or person that supplies goods from a manufacturer to shops or customers.

district

noun

An area defined for administrative, political, or geographic purposes.

districtual

adj

Relating to a district.

distrust

noun

A lack of trust or confidence in someone or something.

distrustful

adjective

Inclined to suspect or doubt others.

disturb

verb

To interrupt someone's peace, quiet, or concentration.

disturbance

noun

An interruption of calm or normal order, often noisy or unsettling.

disturbed

adjective

Showing signs of mental or emotional trouble.

disturbing

adjective

Causing worry, unease, or shock.

disulfoton

noun

A very poisonous chemical used to kill insects and mites.

disunification

noun

The breaking apart of something that was united.

disunion

noun

The breaking apart of something that was once united, or a division where unity is needed.

disunite

verb

To create conflict or a rift between people or groups.

disunity

noun

A state in which people or things do not act or fit together as one.

disuse

noun

The condition of no longer being used.

disused

adjective

No longer used; abandoned.

disutility

noun

The quality of being of no practical use.

dit

noun

In Morse code, the short signal represented by a dot (as opposed to a "dah").

dita

name

The name of a barangay in Cuenca, Batangas, Philippines.

ditch

noun

A long narrow trench dug in the ground, often for drainage.

ditched

adjective

Having a ditch alongside or around it.

ditching

noun

A deliberate emergency landing of an aircraft on water.

dither

verb

To quiver, shudder, or shake.

dithering

noun

The action of someone who dithers.

ditto

adverb

Used to mean "the same as what was just said," avoiding repetition.

ditty

noun

A short, simple, and often catchy song.

diuretic

noun

A substance that makes the kidneys produce more urine, used medically to reduce fluid build-up and lower blood pressure.

diurnal

adj

Taking place, or most active, during the day rather than at night.

div

noun

(computing) A function that gives the whole-number result of dividing one number by another.

diva

noun

A famous female singer or performer, especially in opera.

divagate

verb

To move around aimlessly with no fixed direction.

divagation

noun

A movement away from the expected path or route.

divan

noun

(history) A body of ministers in an Islamic state, especially the Ottoman Empire, that debated and put forward new laws to the ruler.

dive

verb

To plunge headfirst into water.

diver

noun

Someone who dives, especially underwater, whether for sport or work.

diverge

verb

To move apart or head in different directions.

divergence

noun

The fact, or the extent, of moving apart or becoming different.

divergent

adj

Moving further apart from each other.

divers

adjective

Various; several — an old-fashioned way of saying "a number of different."

diverse

adjective

Made up of many different kinds of people or things.

diversification

noun

The practice of spreading money across a number of different investments, industries, asset types or countries, so that the fortunes of the whole holding depend less on any single one of them.

diversified

adjective

Made more varied, often to spread out risk.

diversify

verb

To add variety to something, making it cover a wider range of forms or types.

diversion

noun

Something done to distract attention from what is really happening.

diversionary

adj

Intended to draw attention or effort away from the main issue or target.

diversionist

noun

A person who carries out actions meant to disrupt or undermine something.

diversity

noun

The quality of containing many different types or forms.

divert

verb

To change the direction or course of something.

diverted

adj

Redirected away from its original path or purpose.

divertimento

noun

A musical work made up of several brief movements, a form that composers began writing in the 1700s.

diverting

adj

Entertaining or amusing in a light, distracting way.

divertisement

noun

Something done purely for enjoyment or relaxation.

Dives

verb

Third-person singular form of "dive" — plunges headfirst or drops sharply.

divest

verb

To take something away from someone, such as a right or privilege.

divestiture

noun

(business) The sale of an asset, business, or investment.

divide

verb

To split something into two or more parts.

divided

adj

Split into separate parts or pieces.

dividend

noun

A payment made by a company to its shareholders out of its profits, usually on a regular schedule.

divider

noun

A person or thing that divides or separates something.

dividing

adj

Acting to separate one thing from another.

dividuality

noun

The condition of being dividual, or able to be divided.

divination

noun

The practice of trying to foretell the future or uncover hidden knowledge, typically through supernatural or ritual means.

divinator

noun

A person who practises, or claims to practise, telling the future by supernatural means.

divinatory

adj

Relating to divination.

divine

adj

Relating to or coming from God or a god.

divinely

adv

In a godlike or wonderfully excellent manner.

diviner

noun

A person who predicts what will happen in the future.

diving

noun

The sport of jumping into water, often with acrobatic movements.

divinity

noun

The quality or state of being a god, or of being godlike.

divisible

adj

Able to be divided or split into parts.

divisio

noun

(biology) A rank used in classifying living things, below kingdom and above class.

division

noun

The act of splitting something into separate parts, or one of those resulting parts.

divisional

adj

Relating to a division, whether military, corporate, or sporting.

divisions

noun

Plural of division — separate parts, groups, or units.

divisive

adj

Tending to cause disagreement or split opinion between people.

divisor

noun

In a division sum, the number that another number is being divided by.

divorce

noun

The legal ending of a marriage.

divorced

adj

No longer legally married, having ended a marriage through divorce.

divorcee

noun

A person who is divorced.

divulge

verb

To reveal information, especially something secret, so that it becomes known.

divulgence

noun

The act of revealing information that was secret or private.

divvy

verb

To split something up into shares among a group, usually informally.

Divya

name

An Indian feminine given name of Sanskrit origin, meaning "divine" or "heavenly."

Diwali

noun

A major Hindu festival of lights celebrated over several days each autumn, marking the victory of light over darkness and good over evil.

Dix

name

A surname of English or French origin, sometimes a shortened form of Dickson or Dixon.

Dixie

noun

An informal name for the southern United States, especially the states that once formed the Confederacy.

Dixieland

noun

An early style of jazz that developed in New Orleans, known for its lively collective improvisation.

Dixit

name

An Indian surname derived from the Sanskrit word for a learned scholar or teacher.

Dixon

name

A surname meaning "son of Dick," a diminutive of Richard.

DIY

adj

Made or done by yourself, without hiring a professional.

diya

noun

A small oil lamp, traditionally made of clay, with a cotton wick, used in South Asian homes and religious ceremonies.

dizz

verb

To make someone feel confused, dizzy, or amazed.

dizziness

noun

A spinning or unsteady sensation, often accompanied by feeling faint or off-balance.

dizzy

adj

Feeling unsteady, faint, or as though the surroundings are spinning.