Collins Primary Illustrated Dictionary. Collins Dictionaries

3 When people debate something, they discuss it in a formal way.

      debit card debit cards

      NOUN a plastic card that allows someone to buy goods using the money in their bank account

      debris

      NOUN fragments or rubble left after something has been destroyed • After the eruption, volcanic debris was found scattered for miles.

      debt debts

      NOUN a sum of money that someone owes

      debut debuts

      NOUN a performer’s first public appearance

      decade decades

      NOUN a period of ten years

      decaffeinated

      ADJECTIVE Decaffeinated coffee or tea has had most of the caffeine removed.

      decathlon decathlons

      NOUN an athletic competition in which competitors take part in ten different events

      decay decays, decaying, decayed

      VERB When things decay, they rot or go bad.

      deceased

      ADJECTIVE FORMAL A deceased person is someone who has recently died.

      deceit

      NOUN behaviour that makes people believe something to be true that is not true

      deceive deceives, deceiving, deceived

      VERB If you deceive someone, you make them believe something that is not true.

      December

      NOUN the twelfth month of the year. December has 31 days.

      decent

      ADJECTIVE honest and respectable

      deception deceptions

      NOUN 1 something that is intended to trick or deceive someone

      2 the act of deceiving someone

      deceptive

      ADJECTIVE likely to make people believe that something is true when it is not

      decide decides, deciding, decided

      VERB If you decide to do something, you choose to do it, usually after thinking about it carefully.

      SYNONYM: make up one’s mind

      decision NOUN

      deciduous

      ADJECTIVE Deciduous trees lose their leaves in the autumn every year.

      decimal decimals

      ADJECTIVE 1 A decimal system involves counting in units of ten.

      NOUN 2 A decimal, or decimal fraction, is a fraction in which a dot, called a decimal point, separates the whole numbers on the left from tenths, hundredths and thousandths on the right. For example, 0.5 represents 5⁄10 (or ½); 0.05 represents 5⁄100 (or 1⁄20).

      decision decisions

      NOUN a choice or judgement that is made about something

      decisive

      ADJECTIVE 1 A decisive person is able to make decisions quickly.

      2 having an important influence on the result of something • The first goal was a decisive moment in the match.

      deck decks

      NOUN a downstairs or upstairs area on a bus or ship

      declare declares, declaring, declared

      VERB 1 If you declare something, you say it firmly and forcefully.

      SYNONYMS: announce, proclaim, state

      2 FORMAL If something is declared, it is announced publicly. • War was declared in 1939.

      decline declines, declining, declipned

      VERB 1 If something declines, it becomes smaller or weaker. • The number of students has declined this year.

      2 If you decline something, you politely refuse to accept it or do it.

      decode decodes, decoding, decoded

      VERB If you decode a coded message, you convert it into ordinary language.

      decompose decomposes, decomposing, decomposed

      VERB If something decomposes, it rots after it dies.

      decorate decorates, decorating, decorated

      VERB 1 If you decorate something, you make it more attractive by adding things to it.

      2 If you decorate a room or building, you paint or wallpaper it.

      decoy decoys

      NOUN something used to lead a person or animal into a trap

      decrease decreases, decreasing, decreased

      VERB If something decreases, or if you decrease it, it becomes less. • The number of children in the class decreased rapidly.

      decree decrees, decreeing, decreed

      NOUN 1 an official order by the government, church or the rulers of a country

      VERB 2 If someone decrees something, they announce formally that it will happen.

      dedicate dedicates, dedicating, dedicated

      VERB 1 If you dedicate yourself to something, you give your time and energy to it.

      2 If you dedicate a book or piece of music to someone, you say that it is written for them.

      deduct deducts, deducting, deducted

      VERB If you deduct an amount from a total, you take it away.

      deed deeds

      NOUN 1 something that is done • a good deed

      2 an important piece of paper or document that an agreement is written on

      deep deeper, deepest

      ADJECTIVE 1 going a long way down from the surface • a deep hole

      2 great or intense • deep affection

      3 a low sound • a deep voice

      deer

      NOUN a large, fast-running, graceful mammal with hooves, that lives wild in parts of Britain and other countries. Male deer have antlers.

      deface defaces, defacing, defaced

      VERB If you deface something, you damage its appearance in some way. • The gang defaced the walls with spray paint.

      defeat defeats, defeating, defeated

      VERB 1 If you defeat someone or something, you win a victory over them, or cause them to fail.

      NOUN 2 the state of being beaten or of failing • The team was downhearted after its defeat.

      defect defects, defecting, defected

      NOUN 1 a fault or flaw in something

      VERB 2 If someone defects, they leave their own country or organization and join an opposing one.

      defection NOUN defector NOUN

      defective

      ADJECTIVE Something that is defective is not perfect or has something wrong with it.

      defence defences

      NOUN 1 something that protects you against attack • She carried an alarm as a defence against muggers.

      2 A country’s defences are its armed forces and its weapons.

      defend defends, defending, defended

      VERB 1 If you defend someone or something, you protect them from harm or danger.

      2 If you