Collins Primary Illustrated Dictionary

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 something

SYNONYMS: longing, want, wish

desk desks

NOUN a piece of furniture with a flat or sloping top, which you sit at to write, read or work

desktop

ADJECTIVE small enough to be used at a desk • a desktop computer

desolate

ADJECTIVE 1 deserted and bleak • a desolate mountain top

2 lonely, very sad, and without hope

desolation NOUN

despair despairs, despairing, despaired

NOUN 1 a total loss of hope

VERB 2 If you despair, you lose hope.

desperate

ADJECTIVE 1 If you are desperate, you are in such a bad situation that you will try anything to change it.

2 A desperate situation is extremely dangerous or serious.

despicable

ADJECTIVE Something that is despicable is nasty, cruel or evil.

despise despises, despising, despised

VERB If you despise someone or something, you have a very low opinion of them.

despite

PREPOSITION If you do something despite some difficulty, you manage to do it anyway.

dessert desserts

NOUN a sweet food that you eat at the end of a meal

destination destinations

NOUN the place you are going to

destined

ADJECTIVE meant to happen • They were destined to meet.

destiny destinies

NOUN Your destiny is your fate: the things that will happen to you in the future.

destitute

ADJECTIVE without money or possessions, and therefore in great need

destitution NOUN

destroy destroys, destroying, destroyed

VERB If you destroy something, you damage it so much that it is completely ruined.

SYNONYMS: demolish, ruin, wreck

destruction NOUN

destructive

ADJECTIVE Something that is destructive can cause great damage, harm or injury.

SYNONYM: damaging

detach detaches, detaching, detached

VERB If you detach something, you remove or unfasten it.

detachable ADJECTIVE

detached

ADJECTIVE separate or standing apart • It was a detached house, standing alone at the top of the hill.

detail details

NOUN 1 an individual fact or feature of something • I remember every detail of that film.

PLURAL NOUN 2 Details about something are information about it. For example, your details might be your name and address.

detain detains, detaining, detained

VERB If you detain someone, you keep them from going somewhere or doing something.

detect detects, detecting, detected

VERB If you detect something, you notice or find it. • X-rays can detect broken bones.

detective detectives

NOUN a person, usually a police officer, whose job is to investigate crimes

detector detectors

NOUN an instrument used to detect the presence of something • a metal detector

detention

NOUN 1 a form of punishment in which a pupil is made to stay in school for extra time when other children do not have to

2 arrest or imprisonment

deter deters, deterring, deterred

VERB If you deter someone from doing something, you persuade them not to do it or try to stop them in some way.

detergent detergents

NOUN a chemical substance used for washing or cleaning things

deteriorate deteriorates, deteriorating, deteriorated

VERB If something deteriorates, it gets worse.

deterioration NOUN

determination

NOUN a great strength and will to do something

determined

ADJECTIVE having your mind firmly made up • She was determined to pass her exams.

deterrent deterrents

NOUN something that prevents people from doing something, usually by making them afraid to do it • We have a car alarm as a deterrent to car thieves.

detest detests, detesting, detested

VERB If you detest someone or something, you dislike them intensely.

[from Latin detestari meaning to curse]

detestable ADJECTIVE

detonate detonates, detonating, detonated

VERB If someone detonates a bomb or mine, they cause it to explode.

detonation NOUN detonator NOUN

detour detours

NOUN If you make a detour on a journey, you go by a longer or less direct route.

devastate devastates, devastating, devastated

VERB A place that has been devastated has been severely damaged or destroyed.

devastation NOUN

develop develops, developing, developed

VERB 1 When something develops, it grows or becomes more advanced.

2 If you develop photographs or film, you produce a visible image from them.

development developments

NOUN gradual growth or progress • There have been great developments in technology over the past fifty years.

device devices

NOUN a machine or tool that is used for a particular purpose

devil devils

NOUN an evil spirit

devious

ADJECTIVE Devious people behave in an underhand, nasty and secretive way.

devise devises, devising, devised

VERB If you devise something, you invent it or design it.

devoted

ADJECTIVE very loving and loyal

devour devours, devouring, devoured

VERB 1 If you devour food, you eat it quickly and greedily.

2 If one creature devours another, it eats it.

3 If you devour a book, you read it very quickly.

devout

ADJECTIVE very deeply religious

dew

NOUN drops of moisture that form on the ground and other cool surfaces at night

diabetes

NOUN a condition in which a person has too much sugar in their blood

diabetic NOUN OR ADJECTIVE

diagnose diagnoses, diagnosing, diagnosed

VERB If someone diagnoses an illness or problem, they identify what is wrong.

diagonal diagonals

NOUN 1 a straight line that slopes from one corner of a shape to another

ADJECTIVE 2 in a slanting direction • a diagonal line

[from Greek diagonios meaning from angle to angle]

diagram diagrams

NOUN a drawing that shows or explains something • Carroll or Venn diagram

dial dials, dialling, dialled

NOUN 1 the part of a clock or meter where the time or a measurement is shown

VERB 2 If you dial a telephone number, you press the buttons to select the number you want.

dialect dialects

NOUN the form of a language spoken in a particular area

dialogue dialogues

NOUN In a novel, play or film, dialogue is conversation.

diameter diameters

NOUN the length of a straight line drawn across a circle through its centre

diamond diamonds

NOUN 1 a precious stone made of pure carbon

2 a shape with four straight sides of equal length that are not at right angles to each other

See rhombus

diarrhoea

NOUN an illness that attacks your bowels so that you can’t stop going to the lavatory

diary diaries

NOUN a notebook with a separate space or page for each day of the year

dice dices, dicing, diced

NOUN 1 a small cube with dots on each of its six faces

VERB 2 If you dice food, you cut it into small cubes.

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