Collins Primary Illustrated Dictionary. Collins Dictionaries

1 a home or hiding place of a wild animal

      2 a special place where you can do what you want without being disturbed

      denial denials

      NOUN 1 A denial of something is a statement that it is untrue.

      2 The denial of a request is the refusal to grant it.

      denim denims

      NOUN strong, cotton cloth used for making clothes, especially jeans

      [from French serge de Nîmes, meaning serge (a type of cloth) from Nîmes]

      denominator denominators

      NOUN In mathematics, the denominator is the bottom number of a fraction.

      dense denser, densest

      ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is dense contains a lot of things or people in a small area. • We cut our way through the dense forest.

      2 difficult to see through • The dense fog prevented us from enjoying the view over the hills.

      densely ADVERB

      density densities

      NOUN 1 thickness

      2 the proportion of mass to volume

      dent dents, denting, dented

      VERB 1 If you dent something, you damage its surface by hitting it.

      NOUN 2 a hollow in the surface of something

      dental

      ADJECTIVE to do with teeth

      dentist dentists

      NOUN a person who is qualified to treat people’s teeth

      dentures

      PLURAL NOUN false teeth

      deny denies, denying, denied

      VERB 1 If you deny something, you say that it is not true.

      2 If you are denied something, you are refused it.

      deodorant deodorants

      NOUN a substance used to hide or prevent the smell of sweat on your body

      depart departs, departing, departed

      VERB When you depart, you leave.

      departure NOUN

      department departments

      NOUN one of the sections into which a large shop or an organization is divided

      department store department stores

      NOUN a very large shop divided into departments, each selling different types of goods

      depend depends, depending, depended

      VERB 1 If one thing depends on another, it is influenced by it. • The cooking time depends on the size of the potato.

      2 If you depend on someone or something, you trust them and rely on them.

      dependable

      ADJECTIVE If someone is dependable, you can trust them to be helpful, sensible and reliable.

      depict depicts, depicting, depicted

      VERB If you depict someone or something, you paint, draw or describe them.

      deport deports, deporting, deported

      VERB If someone is deported from a country they are sent out of it, either because they have no right to be there, because they have done something wrong or because they did not ask permission to be there.

      deposit deposits, depositing, deposited

      VERB 1 If you deposit something, you put it down or leave it somewhere.

      NOUN 2 a sum of money given in part payment for goods or services

      depot depots

      NOUN 1 a place where supplies of food or equipment are stored until they are needed

      2 A bus depot is a bus station.

      depressed

      ADJECTIVE sad and gloomy

      depression depressions

      NOUN 1 a state of mind in which someone feels unhappy and has no energy or enthusiasm for anything

      2 a hollow in the ground or on any other surface

      3 a time when there is a lot of unemployment and poverty

      deprive deprives, depriving, deprived

      VERB If you deprive someone of something, you take it away from them or prevent them from having it.

      depth depths

      NOUN 1 the measurement or distance between the top and bottom of something, or the back and front of something • The depth of the swimming pool at the deep end is 1.5 m.

      PHRASE 2 In depth means thoroughly. • We studied the poem in depth.

      deputy deputies

      NOUN a person who helps someone in their job and acts on their behalf when they are away

      derail derails, derailed, derailing

      VERB If a train is derailed, it comes off the railway tracks.

      derivation derivations

      NOUN The derivation of something is where it has come from.

      derive derives, deriving, derived

      VERB 1 FORMAL If you derive something from someone or something, you get it from them. • He derives great pleasure from music.

      2 If something is derived from something else, it comes from that thing. • His name is derived from a Greek word.

      descant descants

      NOUN 1 The descant to a tune is another tune played at the same time but at a higher pitch.

      ADJECTIVE 2 A descant musical instrument plays the highest notes in a range of instruments. • a descant recorder

      descend descends, descending, descended

      VERB If someone or something descends, they move downwards. • We descended to the basement in the lift.

      ANTONYM: ascend

      descendant descendants

      NOUN A person’s descendants are all the people in later generations who are related to them.

      describe describes, describing, described

      VERB If you describe someone or something, you say what they are like.

      desert deserts, deserting, deserted

      Said “dez-ert” NOUN 1 an area of land, usually in a hot region, that has almost no water, rain, trees or plants • the Sahara Desert

      Said “de-zert” VERB 2 If someone deserts you, they leave you and no longer help or support you.

      deserted

      ADJECTIVE A deserted building or place is one that people have left and never come back to.

      deserve deserves, deserving, deserved

      VERB If you deserve something, you earn it or have a right to it.

      design designs, designing, designed

      VERB 1 If you design something new, you plan what it should be like.

      NOUN 2 a drawing from which something can be built or made

      3 a decorative pattern of lines or shapes

      desire desires, desiring, desired

      VERB 1 If you desire something, you want it.

      NOUN 2 a strong feeling of wanting