English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

DJ

noun

A disc jockey — someone who plays, mixes, and introduces recorded music, especially at clubs, parties, or on the radio.

Django

noun

A male given name, notably associated with the jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt.

DJs

name

The plural of DJ, referring to disc jockeys, and used as a stage-name element for many performers.

dl

noun

A downloaded file, or the act of downloading.

DLC

noun

Extra content for a video game that is released after the game itself and downloaded separately, such as new levels, characters, weapons or story chapters.

DM

verb

To send someone a private message on a social media or messaging platform.

DMG

noun

A macOS file that behaves like a disk: opening one makes its contents appear as a mounted drive on the desktop, from which software is usually installed by dragging the application into the Applications folder. Such files normally end in .dmg.

Dmitry

name

A Russian masculine given name derived from the Greek Demetrios, meaning "follower of Demeter."

DMV

name

An abbreviation for the Department of Motor Vehicles, the U.S. state agency that handles driver licensing and vehicle registration.

DNA

noun

The molecule inside almost every living cell that carries genetic instructions, arranged as a double helix of paired bases.

DND

abbreviation

Do not disturb: a setting on a phone, computer or messaging app that silences calls and notifications, or a sign asking people not to interrupt.

DNF

abbreviation

Did not finish: a result recorded for a competitor who starts a race or event but fails to complete it.

DNS

noun

The system that translates the web addresses people type, such as example.com, into the numeric addresses computers use to find each other on the internet.

do

verb

To perform or carry out an action or task.

DOA

abbreviation

Dead on arrival: describing a person who is already dead when brought to hospital or when emergency services reach them.

doable

adj

Able to be done; realistic and achievable.

dob

verb

To inform on someone; to report their wrongdoing to an authority (chiefly Australian/NZ).

dobb

name

A family name that began as a patronymic.

dobbie

name

A family name that began as a patronymic.

dobbin

noun

An old, worn-out or slow-moving horse, especially a workhorse.

dobbing

name

A family name that began as a patronymic.

dobbins

name

A family name that began as a patronymic.

dobbinson

name

A family name that began as a patronymic.

dobby

noun

A mechanism on a loom that weaves small geometric patterns into fabric, or the fabric produced this way.

Dobie

noun

Informal short form of "Dobermann," a breed of dog.

dobra

noun

The official currency of São Tomé and Príncipe, made up of 100 cêntimos.

Dobson

noun

The large aquatic larva of the dobsonfly, often used by anglers as fishing bait.

dobsonfly

noun

Any insect belonging to the subfamily Corydalinae, native to the Americas, whose males have long jaws and whose closest relative is the fishfly.

doc

noun

Informal short form of "doctor."

docent

adj

(formal) Having the quality of teaching, or giving instruction.

docile

adj

Easy to control, teach, or manage; gentle and compliant.

dock

noun

A structure at a harbour where ships load, unload, or are repaired.

dockage

noun

Docks taken together, or the space they occupy.

docker

noun

A person who loads and unloads ships at a port.

docket

noun

A schedule or list of cases to be heard in court, or more broadly, an agenda of matters to be dealt with.

dockhand

noun

A person employed to work at a dock.

docking

noun

The act of joining a ship or spacecraft to a dock or another craft.

docks

noun

Plural of "dock" — structures where ships load, unload, or are repaired, often with surrounding warehouses.

dockside

noun

The area close to a dock, or beside a ship that is docked.

dockworker

noun

Someone employed at a harbour or shipyard, mainly to load and unload cargo.

Docs

noun

Informal plural of "doc," meaning documents, or a brand nickname for Dr. Martens boots.

doctor

noun

A person trained and licensed to treat sick or injured people.

doctoral

adj

Relating to a doctorate or the degree of doctor.

doctorate

noun

The highest academic degree awarded by a university.

doctored

adj

Altered or tampered with, especially to mislead.

doctoring

noun

The practice of treating patients as a medical doctor.

doctrinaire

noun

Someone who clings rigidly to a belief or set of ideas, ignoring whether it is practical.

doctrinal

adj

Relating to or concerned with a doctrine.

doctrine

noun

A set of beliefs or principles held and taught by a religion, philosophy, or organization.

docufilm

noun

A film that presents real personal, social, political or historical events, often using archive footage, interviews and narration.

document

noun

A piece of written, printed, or electronic material that provides information or serves as proof.

documentary

noun

A film or program that presents facts about a real subject.

documentation

noun

Written material that explains, records, or proves something, such as instructions for software or supporting paperwork.

documents

noun

Plural of document: written, printed or digital items that record information, such as contracts, reports, certificates or files.

DOCX

noun

The standard file format for word-processed documents used by Microsoft Word since 2007, based on the Office Open XML standard. A .docx file is really a compressed package holding several smaller files that describe the text, the formatting and any pictures separately.

dod

verb

A dialect word meaning to clip or cut off, such as trimming wool or horns from livestock.

Dodd

noun

In northern English dialect, a rounded hilltop or a lower summit jutting from a larger hill.

dodder

verb

To tremble or shake while moving, especially as with old age or in a young child; to totter.

doddle

noun

(informal) Something very easy to do.

Dodds

name

An English and Scottish surname, a patronymic form of Dodd.

dodecagon

noun

A flat shape with twelve straight sides and twelve angles.

dodecahedron

noun

A solid shape with twelve faces, most familiarly the regular kind whose faces are all regular pentagons.

dodge

verb

To avoid something by moving quickly out of its way.

dodgeball

noun

A team game in which players try to hit opponents with a thrown ball while avoiding being hit themselves.

dodger

noun

Someone who avoids something, especially a duty or responsibility.

dodging

noun

The act of avoiding something by moving quickly or evasively.

dodgson

name

A family name that began as a patronymic.

dodgy

adj

Dishonest or unreliable; not to be trusted.

Dodie

noun

A baby's pacifier or dummy, used mainly in some regional and family dialects.

dodo

noun

A large flightless bird from Mauritius that became extinct in the 1600s.

dods

name

A family name that began as a patronymic.

Dodson

name

An English surname meaning "son of Dodd."

doe

noun

A female deer, or a female of certain other animals such as a rabbit, hare, or kangaroo.

doer

noun

Someone who takes action and gets things done, rather than just talking or planning.

doey

adj

Like a doe, or typical of one.

doff

verb

To take off something you are wearing or carrying, such as clothing or armour.

dog

noun

A domesticated mammal (Canis familiaris) kept as a pet or working animal, closely related to wolves.

dogback

noun

The back of a dog, especially seen as something to ride on.

doge

noun

The elected chief magistrate who historically led the republics of Venice or Genoa.

dogface

noun

(informal) A soldier who fights on foot, especially in the Second World War.

dogfight

noun

A close, fast-moving aerial battle between fighter aircraft.

Dogg

name

An alternative spelling of "dog," used as part of nicknames, especially in rap and hip-hop stage names.

dogged

adj

Persistent and determined, refusing to give up despite difficulty.

doggedness

noun

Firm determination to keep going despite difficulty; persistence and stubbornness.

dogger

noun

(historical) A Dutch fishing boat with two masts, used until about the 18th century.

doggerel

adj

Roughly or badly made, especially in verse.

Doggett

name

An English surname derived from a medieval given name related to Dodge or Roger.

dogging

noun

The act of following, harassing, or pursuing someone or something persistently.

doggo

adv

Used only in the set phrases lie doggo and play doggo.

doggone

adj

Used as a mild, old-fashioned way of expressing annoyance, similar to "damned."

doggy

noun

A childish or affectionate word for a dog.

doghole

noun

A mean, wretched dwelling considered suitable only for dogs.

doghouse

noun

A small outdoor shelter built for a pet dog.

dogi

noun

The uniform worn for judo or karate.

dogleg

noun

Something, such as a road or canyon, that has a sharp bend in it.

dogma

noun

A belief or principle put forward as absolute truth, expected to be accepted without question.

dogmatic

adj

(philosophy) Based only on ideas assumed to be true beforehand, rather than on evidence or reasoning.

dogmatism

noun

The tendency to state opinions as certain facts, in an arrogant way.

dogmatist

noun

Someone who states their opinions firmly and refuses to change them.

dogoodery

noun

(informal) Kind or charitable behaviour, especially when done regularly or apparently for show.

dogs

noun

British slang: feet, from Cockney rhyming slang ("dog's meat" = "feet").

dogsit

verb

To look after someone's dog while they are away.

dogsitter

noun

Someone who looks after a dog while its owner is away.

dogsled

noun

A sledge that dogs pull across snow and ice.

dogtooth

noun

Another word for a canine tooth, the pointed tooth next to the incisors.

doh

noun

The first note of the musical scale in solfège (do-re-mi).

Doherty

name

A surname of Irish origin, anglicized from Ó Dochartaigh, meaning "descendant of Dochartach."

dohyo

noun

The clay-packed ring in which a sumo wrestling bout takes place.

doily

noun

A small decorative mat, usually of lace, linen, or paper, placed under dishes or ornaments.

doing

noun

An action or deed, especially one someone is held responsible for.

doings

noun

The things a person has done, especially notable achievements.

dojigger

noun

(informal) An object whose name you cannot remember or do not know.

dojo

noun

A hall or room used for practicing martial arts, usually under an instructor.

dojocho

noun

The person in charge of a Japanese martial arts training hall.

dol

noun

A unit once proposed for measuring the intensity of pain.

Dolan

name

A surname of Irish origin.

doland

name

The name of a city in Spink County, South Dakota, United States.

Dolby

name

An English surname, notably borne by Ray Dolby, inventor of the Dolby noise-reduction audio system.

dolce

noun

A soft, mellow-toned organ stop used to give a gentle, muted quality to the sound.

doldrum

noun

A lazy or dull-witted person.

doldrums

noun

(usually 'the doldrums') A feeling of low mood, boredom or lack of energy.

dole

noun

British informal: state unemployment benefit payments.

doleful

adj

Looking or sounding very sad.

dolefulness

noun

The quality of seeming very sad.

dolesome

adj

Full of sadness and gloom.

doll

noun

A toy made in the likeness of a human figure, often a child's plaything.

dollar

noun

The main unit of currency in the United States, Canada, Australia, and several other countries, symbolized by $.

dollop

noun

A small, shapeless lump or spoonful of something soft, especially food.

dolly

noun

A wheeled platform or cart used to move heavy objects, or to move a camera smoothly during filming.

dollymop

noun

(historical) A woman in 19th-century London who worked as a prostitute now and then rather than full-time.

Dolores

name

A feminine given name of Spanish origin, meaning "sorrows," from Maria de los Dolores.

Dolph

name

A masculine given name, a short form of Adolph or Rudolph.

dolphin

noun

A highly intelligent, social marine mammal with a beak-like snout, known for its playfulness.

dolphinarium

noun

A large aquarium or pool complex built to house and display dolphins.

dolt

noun

A stupid or slow-witted person.

doltish

adj

Slow-witted and stupid.

dom

noun

Informal: the dominant partner in a BDSM relationship or sexual dynamic.

domain

noun

A field or area of activity, knowledge, or control.

dome

noun

A rounded, hemispherical roof or ceiling.

domestic

adj

Relating to the home or family life.

domesticate

verb

To turn something into a domestic thing or make it belong to home life.

domesticated

adj

Bred or adapted over generations to live alongside and be useful to humans.

domestication

noun

The act of domesticating, or accustoming to home; the action of taming wild animals or breeding plants.

domesticity

noun

Life centred around the home.

domesticize

verb

Another word for 'domesticate'.

domestique

noun

A cyclist who works to support their team's leader, for example by riding ahead to break the wind, rather than trying to win themselves.

domhnall

name

A male first name of Irish origin.

domicile

noun

A person's permanent home or legal place of residence.

domiciliary

noun

Someone whose official home is in a particular place.

domiciliate

verb

To settle somewhere and make it your permanent home.