English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

dropout

noun

A person who leaves school or a course before finishing it.

dropped

adj

Let fall, or suddenly disconnected.

dropping

noun

The act of something falling, or a small piece of animal waste.

dropsical

adj

Relating to, or suffering from, oedema (dropsy).

dross

noun

Rubbish or unwanted, impure material.

drought

noun

A long period of unusually low rainfall causing water shortages.

droughty

adj

Having had little or no rain.

drove

noun

A herd of animals being driven together, or a large moving crowd of people.

drover

noun

Someone who drives herds of animals, often cattle or sheep, on foot over long distances.

drown

verb

To die, or to kill, by being unable to breathe underwater.

drowned

adj

Having died by drowning.

drowning

noun

An instance of dying, or nearly dying, from being submerged in water.

drowse

verb

To make someone or something feel sleepy.

drowsiness

noun

The state of feeling sleepy and not fully alert.

drowsy

adj

Sleepy or heavy-eyed; ready to fall asleep.

Dru

name

A diminutive of the given names Andrew or Drusilla, also used as a formal given name.

drub

noun

A type of shale containing carbon, or small bits of coal, slate, and other waste found with coal.

drubbing

noun

A hard physical beating.

drucilla

name

A female first name of Latin, variant of Drusilla origin.

drudge

noun

Someone doing low, servile work.

drudgery

noun

Hard, boring, and unrewarding work.

drug

noun

A substance taken for its effect on the body or mind, whether medicinal or intoxicating.

drugged

adj

Under the influence of, or secretly given, drugs.

druggie

noun

A person who habitually uses illegal drugs.

drugging

noun

The act of giving someone drugs, often secretly or without consent.

druggist

noun

A person who prepares and sells medicines; a pharmacist.

drugstore

noun

A shop selling medicines along with general goods such as toiletries and snacks.

druid

noun

A priest or wise figure among the ancient Celts, associated with nature and sacred groves.

druidcraft

noun

The knowledge and skill of Druids, including spell-casting and magic.

drum

noun

A percussion instrument with a tight skin stretched over a hollow body, played by striking.

drumbeat

noun

The sound made by striking a drum, or a steady rhythmic pulse.

drumbeater

noun

A person who plays a drum.

drumble

verb

To act in a slow, lazy way.

drummer

noun

A person who plays drums, especially in a band.

drumming

noun

The act or sound of beating a drum, or any similar rhythmic tapping noise.

Drummond

name

A Scottish surname, and the name of several towns and places worldwide.

drumroll

noun

A rapid, continuous beating of a drum, often used to build suspense before an announcement.

drumstick

noun

A stick used to strike a drum.

drunk

adj

Impaired by drinking too much alcohol.

drunkard

noun

A person who is habitually drunk.

drunken

adj

Intoxicated with alcohol; drunk.

drunkenly

adv

In a way that shows the effects of being drunk.

drunkenness

noun

The state of being drunk, or a habitual pattern of drinking too much.

drupe

noun

A drupe is a fruit with a fleshy outer layer surrounding a single hardened stone that protects the seed inside.

Drury

noun

(archaic) Romantic or sexual love, or a term of endearment for someone loved.

Drusilla

name

A feminine given name of Latin origin.

dry

adj

Free from moisture; not wet.

dryad

noun

In Greek mythology, a female spirit believed to inhabit a tree, often called a wood nymph.

Dryden

name

An English and Scottish habitational surname, notably borne by the poet John Dryden; also the name of several towns in North America.

drydock

noun

A dock that can be emptied of its water, allowing a ship inside it to be built or worked on.

Dryer

noun

A machine that removes moisture from clothes, hair, or other items by heat or airflow.

drying

noun

The process of removing moisture from something.

dryness

noun

The state of having little or no moisture.

drywall

noun

A building material made of gypsum board used for walls and ceilings.

DSA

abbreviation

Data structures and algorithms: the branch of computer science covering how data is organised in memory and the step-by-step methods used to process it, studied especially in preparation for technical interviews.

DSL

abbreviation

Digital subscriber line: a technology that carries broadband internet over ordinary copper telephone wires, allowing the line to be used for calls and data at the same time.

DSP

abbreviation

Digital signal processing: the mathematical manipulation of signals such as sound, images or radio waves after they have been converted into numbers, used for filtering, compression and noise reduction.

DTB

noun

Don't trust bitches: an internet and tattoo slang initialism expressing distrust of women, or more loosely of people in general after a betrayal.

DTC

abbreviation

Direct-to-consumer: describing a business that sells its own products straight to shoppers, usually online, without going through wholesalers or retail shops.

DTF

adjective

Willing to have casual sex, with no expectation of a relationship. Most often stated in dating app profiles and messages.

DTM

abbreviation

Doing too much: used to say that someone is overreacting, showing off or putting far more effort into something than it deserves.

DTR

abbreviation

Define the relationship: a conversation in which two people who have been dating agree on what they actually are to each other and whether they are exclusive.

Du

name

A Chinese surname.

duad

noun

Two things or people together.

dual

adj

Made up of two parts, or relating to two of something.

dualistic

adj

Relating to dualism.

duality

noun

The state of having two parts, often ones that seem opposed to each other.

duan

noun

A section of a long poem, especially in Scottish or Irish poetry; also, a poem or song in general.

Duane

noun

A male given name, from an Irish surname.

Duarte

noun

A surname of Spanish or Portuguese origin.

dub

verb

To give something a name or nickname.

Dubai

noun

A city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates, known for its skyscrapers and luxury developments.

dubash

noun

An Indian interpreter who also served as a household manager for British colonial rulers.

dubbed

adj

Given a nickname or title.

dubbing

noun

The process of replacing a film's original spoken audio with a translated or re-recorded track.

dubiety

noun

A feeling of doubt.

dubious

adj

Causing doubt or suspicion; of questionable quality or honesty.

dubiousness

noun

The quality of seeming doubtful or suspicious.

Dublin

noun

The capital city of Ireland.

dubnium

noun

A synthetic chemical element with the symbol Db and atomic number 105.

Dubois

noun

A surname of French origin.

Dubrovnik

noun

A historic walled port city on Croatia's Adriatic coast.

dubya

name

A nickname and abbreviation for George W. Bush.

duc

noun

A French duke.

ducal

adj

Relating to a duke or duchess, or to the land they rule.

duce

noun

An authoritarian leader, especially as a title used by Benito Mussolini.

Duchamp

name

A French surname, notably borne by the artist Marcel Duchamp.

duchess

noun

The wife or widow of a duke, or a woman who rules a duchy in her own right.

duchesse

noun

A duchess from France.

duchy

noun

A territory or state ruled by a duke or duchess.

duck

noun

A web-footed water bird, often kept domestically or hunted.

Duckburg

name

The fictional home city of Donald Duck and friends in Disney comics and cartoons.

ducking

noun

An instance of dropping down quickly to avoid something, or of dodging responsibility.

duckish

adj

Somewhat like a duck in appearance or behaviour.

duckling

noun

A young duck.

Duckman

noun

A person who raises ducks, especially for meat or eggs.

ducks

noun

Plural of duck; also, an informal term for two of something, especially in scoring.

Duckworth

noun

A surname of English origin.

ducky

noun

An affectionate word for a duck, especially a toy rubber duck.

duct

noun

A tube, pipe, or channel that carries a gas, liquid, or cable from one place to another.

ductile

adj

Able to be drawn out into thin wire without snapping.

ductility

noun

A material's ability to be stretched thinner without breaking under pulling force.

ductus

noun

The set of strokes used to form a written letter, including their order, direction and speed.

dud

noun

Something, especially a bomb or device, that fails to work as intended.

dude

noun

(informal) A man, especially a young man.

dudelet

noun

A young man seen as unmanly who tries hard to look fashionable; a dandy.

dudgeon

noun

A sense of anger or resentment, particularly proud indignation.

Dudley

name

A market town and borough in the West Midlands of England.

duds

noun

Clothes, especially plain, worn, or work clothing.

due

adj

Owed, or expected to arrive or happen at a particular time.

due diligence

noun

The careful investigation and checking a sensible person carries out before committing to something important, such as verifying facts, records and risks before a purchase or agreement.

due process

noun

The requirement that the state treat a person fairly and follow established legal procedures before depriving them of life, liberty or property, including fair notice of the charges and a chance to be heard.

due to the fact

phrase

Used with 'that' to introduce the reason or cause for something; it means the same as 'because'.

duel

noun

A prearranged fight between two people, historically to settle a matter of honor.

dueling

noun

The practice or act of fighting a duel.

dues

noun

Regular payments required to belong to a club, union, or organization.

duet

noun

A piece of music performed by two singers or instrumentalists.

duff

noun

A stiff, boiled or steamed pudding, often made with dried fruit.

duffel

noun

A thick, coarse woolen cloth with a heavy nap, or a bag made from sturdy material for carrying gear.

duffer

noun

An unskilled, clumsy, or incompetent person, especially at a sport.

Duffy

name

An Irish surname, also found in Scotland; also a suburb of Canberra, Australia.

dug

verb

The past tense and past participle of "dig".

Dugan

name

An Irish surname.

Duggan

name

An Irish surname, a variant of Dugan.

dugout

noun

A canoe made by hollowing out a single log.

duh

intj

Used to point out, often sarcastically, that something is obvious.

duke

noun

A male ruler of a duchy, or a nobleman holding the highest rank below a prince.

dukedom

noun

The territory governed by a duke or duchess.

dukes

noun

(slang) Fists, especially when raised to fight.

dulaney

name

A surname of Irish origin.

dulce

adj

Sweet (used especially in Spanish-influenced English, as in dessert names).

dulcify

verb

To make something taste sweeter.

dulcimer

noun

A stringed instrument, usually trapezoidal, played by plucking or striking the strings stretched across a sounding board.

dulcinea

noun

A sweetheart or beloved woman, especially an idealized one.

dulcorate

verb

To make something sweeter, in a real or figurative sense.

dull

adj

Boring; lacking interest or excitement.

dulled

adj

Made less sharp, bright, or intense.

dullen

verb

To make something dull, or more dull than before.

dullness

noun

A lack of quickness in understanding or grasping ideas.

dullwittedness

noun

The quality of not being very intelligent or quick-witted.

Duluth

name

A city and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, on Lake Superior.

duly

adv

In the proper, expected, or correct manner.

duly noted

phrase

Used to confirm that a comment, request or objection has been heard and properly recorded.

dum

adj

Cooked slowly by trapping steam inside a sealed pot, as in South Asian cuisine.

duma

noun

A Russian legislative assembly, especially the lower house of Russia's national parliament.

Dumas

name

A French surname, notably borne by the novelist Alexandre Dumas; also a city in Texas.

dumb

adj

Stupid or unintelligent; showing poor judgment.

dumbass

noun

(vulgar slang) A stupid or foolish person.

dumbbell

noun

A short handheld weight used for strength training, with a load on each end.

dumbfound

verb

To shock or confuse someone so much that they cannot speak.