English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

doss

verb

To sleep somewhere makeshift or temporary, especially not in one's own bed.

dosser

noun

Someone who avoids work and spends their time lazing about.

dossier

noun

A collection of documents gathered together on a particular person, case, or subject.

Dost

name

A German surname.

Dostoevsky

name

An English spelling of the Russian surname of the novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky, author of "Crime and Punishment" and "The Brothers Karamazov."

Dostoyevsky

name

An alternate English spelling of the Russian surname of the novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Dot

noun

A small, round mark or spot.

dotage

noun

The mental weakening, including poor judgement, that can come with old age.

dote

verb

To show excessive love or fondness for someone, often overlooking their faults.

doting

adj

Showing excessive, often uncritical, love and affection.

dots

noun

Plural of dot; also used for the punctuation mark of three dots (an ellipsis) showing an unfinished thought or omitted text.

dotted

adj

Marked or covered with dots, or made up of a line of dots.

dotterel

noun

A foolish, easily deceived person, especially an older one whose faculties have declined.

Dottie

name

A diminutive of the female given name Dorothy, also spelled Dotty.

dottle

noun

A stopper used to plug or close a container.

dotty

adj

Mildly eccentric or confused, especially due to old age.

double

adj

Twice the usual size, amount, or number, or consisting of two matching parts.

double check

verb

To check something a second time to be sure it is right or safe, especially when a mistake would matter.

double down

phrasal verb

To commit even more firmly to a position, strategy or claim, especially after it has been criticised or has started to go wrong.

doublehearted

adj

Dishonest and likely to betray someone's trust.

doubles

noun

A match or game played between two teams of two players each, especially in tennis or badminton.

doublespeak

noun

Language used deliberately to hide or twist its real meaning, often through vague or misleading wording.

doublet

noun

Two things of the same kind considered together as a pair.

doubling

noun

The act or process of making or becoming twice as large.

doubloon

noun

A former Spanish gold coin that was also used across Spain's American colonies.

doubly

adv

To an even greater degree; in two respects at once.

doubt

verb

To feel uncertain about something, or to believe it is unlikely to be true.

doubted

adj

Regarded with suspicion or uncertainty; not fully trusted.

doubter

noun

A person who has doubts or is skeptical about something.

doubtful

adjective

Not certain to happen or be true; uncertain.

doubtfully

adv

In a way that shows doubt or uncertainty.

doubtfulness

noun

The state of feeling unsure or uncertain about something.

doubting

adjective

Feeling or expressing uncertainty about something.

doubtless

adverb

Almost certainly; very probably.

doubtlessly

adv

Certainly, with no doubt at all.

douceur

noun

A pleasant, gentle and agreeable way of behaving.

douche

noun

A jet of water directed onto or into the body, especially for cleansing.

douchebag

noun

An obnoxious, arrogant, or unpleasant person (slang).

doucheburger

noun

(informal) Someone who behaves in a rude and unpleasant way.

douchecanoe

noun

(informal) A very annoying or objectionable person.

douchewad

noun

(informal) Someone who is unpleasant and irritating to be around.

douchewagon

noun

(informal) A person who acts in a nasty and unlikeable way.

Doug

name

A diminutive of the male given name Douglas.

Dougal

name

A male given name and surname of Scottish Gaelic origin.

dough

noun

A thick, soft mixture of flour and liquid used for baking bread, pastry, or similar foods.

doughboy

noun

An American infantry soldier, especially one who served in World War I.

doughnut

noun

A small, sweet, deep-fried piece of dough, usually ring-shaped or filled with jam or cream.

doughty

adj

Brave and determined.

Dougie

noun

A hip-hop dance style involving a loose shimmying motion, often with a hand passed near the head.

Douglas

name

A male given name and habitational surname of Scottish Gaelic origin, also the name of the capital of the Isle of Man and of many other places worldwide.

Douglass

name

A surname, a less common spelling of Douglas, notably borne by the abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

dour

adjective

Stern, unfriendly, and serious in manner or expression.

douse

verb

To drench something thoroughly with liquid.

dousing

noun

The act of soaking something, or throwing water over it.

douth

noun

(archaic) Goodness, greatness or wealth.

Dov

name

A male given name of Hebrew origin, meaning "bear".

Dove

noun

A bird, typically white or grey, closely related to the pigeon and often used as a symbol of peace.

dovecot

name

Refers to a suburb in the east of Liverpool, Merseyside, England (grid reference SJ4191).

dovecote

noun

A small house or box, often raised to a considerable height above the ground, and having compartments (pigeonholes), in which domestic pigeons breed; a dove house.

dovelike

adj

Looking or behaving like a dove.

Dover

name

A port town in Kent, England, the closest point to France, and the name of numerous other towns worldwide including the capital of Delaware.

dovetail

noun

A woodworking joint in which wedge-shaped projections on one piece interlock with matching slots on another.

dovish

adjective

In economics, favouring low interest rates and looser monetary policy, typically because supporting employment and growth is treated as more pressing than the risk of inflation.

dow

noun

Short for the Dow Jones Industrial Average, a widely followed US stock market index.

dowager

noun

A widow who holds property, wealth, or a title inherited from her late husband.

dowd

noun

A person, especially a woman, who dresses in a dull, unfashionable, or frumpy way.

dowdy

adjective

Old-fashioned and unattractive in style, especially of clothing.

dower

noun

The part of or interest in a deceased husband's property provided to his widow, usually in the form of a life estate.

Dowling

name

An Irish surname, and the name of several small communities in North America.

down

adverb

From a higher place to a lower one.

down-to-earth

adjective

Practical, sensible and realistic, without pretension or grand ideas.

downbeat

noun

(music) The strong first beat of a bar, shown by a conductor's downward hand movement.

downcast

adj

Looking down, usually because you feel sad, discouraged or shy.

downclock

verb

(computing) To lower the operating speed of something, such as a processor.

downcomer

noun

A pipe that carries something down from a higher point.

downed

adjective

Forced or knocked to the ground, especially by an attack or failure.

downer

noun

Something that makes people feel disappointed or depressed (informal).

Downey

name

A surname, and a city in Los Angeles County, California.

downfall

noun

A sudden loss of power, status, or success.

downgrade

noun

A lowering of an official rating, such as a firm's credit rating.

downgraded

adjective

Reduced in rank, quality, or rating.

downhearted

adj

Feeling sad and without hope.

downheartedness

noun

The state of feeling sad and without hope.

downhill

adverb

Towards the bottom of a slope.

downing

noun

The act of drinking something quickly, or of bringing something down.

downland

noun

A stretch of gently rolling hills, usually grass-covered land sitting on chalk or limestone.

downlift

noun

A drop in the level of the ground caused by movement in the earth's crust.

download

verb

To transfer data from a remote computer or server to your own device.

downloading

noun

The process of transferring a file from a remote source to your device.

downplay

verb

To make something seem less important than it really is.

downpour

noun

A sudden, very heavy fall of rain.

downright

adverb

Thoroughly or absolutely — used to intensify an adjective.

downrightly

adv

Clearly, plainly and directly; in a downright manner.

downriver

adverb

In the direction that a river flows, toward its mouth.

Downs

name

A surname, and the name of the South Downs, a range of chalk hills in southern England.

downside

noun

A disadvantage or negative aspect of something otherwise good.

downsizing

noun

The act of reducing the size of a company's workforce, often to cut costs.

downsome

adj

Sad and gloomy.

downstairs

adverb

On or to a lower floor of a building.

downstream

adj

Further along in the direction a river or fluid is flowing.

downswing

noun

The part of a curving movement that goes downward.

downtime

noun

A period when a system or machine is out of action, often due to a fault.

Downton

name

A surname, and the name of several villages and hamlets in England, made famous by the television series "Downton Abbey".

downtown

noun

A city's central business and shopping district.

downtrodden

adj

Treated unfairly and kept powerless by those in charge; oppressed.

downturn

noun

A decline in economic activity, business, or some other measurable trend.

downward

adv

Moving or pointing toward a lower position, level, or amount.

downwards

adv

Toward a lower place or position; downward.

downwind

adv

In the direction the wind is blowing toward.

downy

adj

Covered with soft, fine fluff or fine hair, like young feathers.

dowry

noun

Money or property a bride's family traditionally gives to the groom at marriage.

dowse

verb

To search for water or minerals underground using a special rod.

dox

verb

To publish someone's private personal information online without their consent, typically their home address, workplace, phone number or real name, so that others can harass them.

doxology

noun

A short hymn or words of praise to God, often sung during a Christian church service.

doxy

noun

A girlfriend, a prostitute, or a woman kept as a mistress.

doy

intj

Used sarcastically to point out that what someone just said was completely obvious.

doyen

noun

A military officer who commands a group of ten soldiers.

Doyle

noun

Slang for a foolish or stupid person.

doze

verb

To sleep lightly for a short time; to nap.

dozen

noun

A group of twelve.

dozens

noun

Many; a large but unspecified number (plural use of dozen).

dozer

noun

Short for bulldozer, a heavy machine used to push earth and debris.

dozing

verb

Sleeping lightly or briefly; napping (present participle of doze).

dozy

adj

Sleepy or drowsy.

DP

abbreviation

Display picture: the small profile photo shown beside your name on a messaging app or social network.

DR

noun

Abbreviation for "debit," used in accounting.

drab

adj

Dull and lacking in colour or interest.

drachm

noun

A small unit of weight: one sixteenth of an avoirdupois ounce (1.77 g, symbol ℨ or ʒ); one eighth of an apothecary ounce (3.89 g); a variant spelling of dirhem, a former Turkish weight of 1.5–3.5 g; or a variant spelling of drachma, a former Greek weight of about 4.3 g.

drachma

noun

Greece's currency in antiquity and again between 1832 and 2001, denoted by the symbol ₯, later succeeded by the euro.

draco

noun

A short-barrelled rifle built on the AK-pattern (Kalashnikov) design.

draconian

adj

Extremely harsh or severe, especially regarding laws or punishment.

draconic

adj

Connected with, or making you think of, dragons.

draconine

adj

Relating to dragons.

dracontine

adj

Connected with, or showing an image of, a dragon.

Dracula

name

Bram Stoker's fictional vampire, and the novel of the same name.

dracunculus

noun

A small fish, called a dragonet, from the Callionymidae or Draconettidae families.

draff

noun

The solid waste left over from brewing or distilling, often given to pigs or cattle as feed.

draft

noun

An early, unfinished version of a piece of writing.

drafted

adj

Called up for compulsory military service.

drafter

noun

Someone whose job is to prepare technical drawings and plans.

drafting

noun

The skill or profession of producing precise technical drawings for building, engineering, or manufacturing.

draftsman

noun

A US standard spelling of draughtsman.

draftsmanship

noun

The skill involved in producing technical drawings.

drafty

adj

Letting in unwanted currents of cold air.

drag

verb

To pull something heavy along a surface, often with effort.

dragger

noun

A thing that drags something else along.

dragging

adj

Slow-moving and tedious; feeling like it goes on too long.

draggy

adj

Slow-moving and boring, seeming to go on too long.

dragnet

noun

A large net dragged along a riverbed or seabed to catch fish or find objects.

Drago

name

An Italian surname.