Collins Primary Illustrated Dictionary. Collins Dictionaries

ideas, you argue in support of them.

      defendant defendants

      NOUN a person in a court of law who is accused of a crime

      defer defers, deferring, deferred

      VERB If you defer something, you put off doing it until later.

      defiant

      ADJECTIVE If you are defiant, you behave in a way that shows you are not willing to obey someone.

      defiance NOUN defiantly ADVERB

      deficient

      ADJECTIVE lacking in something

      deficiency NOUN

      define defines, defining, defined

      VERB If you define something, you say what it is or what it means.

      definite

      ADJECTIVE 1 clear and unlikely to be changed • We must arrange a definite date for the party.

      2 true rather than being someone’s guess or opinion

       There is no a in definite.

      definitely

      ADVERB OR EXCLAMATION certainly; without doubt • I am definitely going on holiday next week.

      definition definitions

      NOUN a statement explaining the meaning of a word or an idea

      deflate deflates, deflating, deflated

      VERB If you deflate something, such as a tyre or balloon, you let all the air or gas out of it.

      ANTONYMS: inflate, blow up

      deforestation

      NOUN the cutting down or the destruction of all the trees in an area

      deformed

      ADJECTIVE disfigured or abnormally shaped

      defrost defrosts, defrosting, defrosted

      VERB 1 If you defrost frozen food, you let it thaw out.

      2 If you defrost a freezer or refrigerator, you remove the ice from it.

      defuse defuses, defusing, defused

      VERB 1 If someone defuses a bomb, they remove its fuse or detonator so that it cannot explode.

      2 If you defuse a dangerous or tense situation, you make it less dangerous or tense.

      defy defies, defying, defied

      VERB If you defy a person or a law, you openly refuse to obey.

      degree degrees

      NOUN 1 a unit of measurement for temperatures, angles, and longitude and latitude, written as ° after a number • The temperature was 20 °C. • A right angle is a ninety-degree angle.

      2 an amount of a feeling or quality • As captain you have a high degree of responsibility.

      3 a university qualification gained after completing a course of study there

      dehydrated

      ADJECTIVE If someone is dehydrated, they are weak or ill because they have lost too much water from their body.

      deity deities

      NOUN a god or goddess

      dejected

      ADJECTIVE If you are dejected, you are sad and gloomy.

      dejection NOUN

      delay delays, delaying, delayed

      VERB 1 If you delay doing something, you put it off until later.

      SYNONYM: postpone

      2 If something delays you, it makes you late or slows you down.

      NOUN 3 If there is a delay, something does not happen until later than planned or expected.

      delete deletes, deleting, deleted

      VERB If you delete something written, you cross it out or remove it.

      deliberate

      ADJECTIVE 1 done on purpose or planned in advance

      2 slow and careful in speech and action • deliberate movements

      deliberately ADVERB

      delicate

      ADJECTIVE 1 light and attractive • a delicate perfume

      2 fragile and needing to be handled carefully • a delicate china cup

      3 precise or sensitive • delicate instruments

      delicately ADVERB

      delicatessen delicatessens

      NOUN a shop selling unusual or imported foods

      delicious

      ADJECTIVE Delicious food or drink has an extremely pleasant taste.

      SYNONYMS: delectable, scrumptious

      delight delights, delighting, delighted

      NOUN 1 great pleasure or joy

      VERB 2 If something delights you, or if you are delighted by it, it gives you a lot of pleasure.

      delighted ADJECTIVE

      delinquent delinquents

      NOUN a young person who commits minor crimes

      delinquency NOUN

      delirious

      ADJECTIVE 1 unable to speak or act in a rational way because of illness or fever

      2 wildly excited and happy

      deliriously ADVERB

      deliver delivers, delivering, delivered

      VERB 1 If you deliver something to someone, you take it and give it to them.

      2 If someone delivers a baby, they help the woman who is giving birth.

      delta deltas

      NOUN a triangular piece of land at the mouth of a river where it divides into separate streams

      deluge deluges

      NOUN a sudden, heavy downpour of rain

      demand demands, demanding, demanded

      VERB 1 If you demand something, you ask for it forcefully.

      NOUN 2 If there is demand for something, a lot of people want to buy it or have it.

      democracy democracies

      NOUN a system of government in which the people choose their leaders by voting for them in elections

      democratic ADJECTIVE

      demolish demolishes, demolishing, demolished

      VERB If someone demolishes a building, they knock it down.

      demolition NOUN

      demon demons

      NOUN a devil or an evil spirit

      demonstrate demonstrates, demonstrating, demonstrated

      VERB 1 If you demonstrate something to somebody, you show them how to do it or how it works.

      2 If people demonstrate, they march or gather together to show that they oppose or support something.

      demonstration demonstrations

      NOUN 1 If someone gives a demonstration, they show how to do something or how something works.

      2 a march or a gathering of people to show publicly what they think about something

      den dens