dy -abbr

  1. delivery
  2. deputy
  3. duty

Dy -symbol

  1. dysprosium

dy- -comb form

  1. two
    • dy archy

dy·ad ['dī-,ad, -əd] -n, adj, adv

  1. pair
  2. two individuals (as husband and wife) maintaining a sociologically significant relationship
  3. a meiotic chromosome after separation of the two homologous members of a tetrad
  4. a mathematical operator indicated by writing the symbols of two vectors without a dot or cross between (as AB)

dy·ad·ic [dī-'a-dik] -n

  1. a mathematical expression formed by addition or subtraction of dyads

dy·ar·chy ['dī-,är-kē] -n

  1. a government in which power is vested in two rulers or authorities

dyb·buk ['di-bək] -n

  1. a wandering soul believed in Jewish folklore to enter and control a living body until exorcised by a religious rite

dye ['dī] -n

  1. color from dyeing
  2. a soluble or insoluble coloring matter
  3. to impart a new and often permanent color to esp. by impregnating with a dye
  4. to impart (a color) by dyeing
  5. to take up or impart color in dyeing

dyedinthewool [,dīd-ᵊn-thə-'wu̇l] -adj

  1. thoroughgoing, uncompromising
    • a dyedinthewool conservative

dye·stuff ['dī-,stəf] -n

  1. dye

dye·wood [-,wu̇d] -n

  1. a wood (as logwood or fustic) from which coloring matter is extracted for dyeing
  2. lesbian

dynam -abbr

  1. dynamics

dy·nam·ic [dī-'na-mik] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to physical force or energy
  2. of or relating to dynamics
  3. marked by usu. continuous and productive activity or change
  4. energetic, forceful
    • a dy*nam*ic personality
  5. requiring periodic refreshment of charge in order to retain data

dynamic -n

  1. a dynamic force
  2. dynamics
  3. an underlying cause of change or growth

dynamic range -n

  1. the ratio of the strongest to the weakest sound intensity that can be transmitted or reproduced by an audio or broadcasting system

dy·nam·ics [dī-'na-miks] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. a branch of mechanics that deals with forces and their relation primarily to the motion but sometimes also to the equilibrium of bodies
  2. a pattern or process of change, growth, or activity
    • population dy*nam*ics
  3. variation and contrast in force or intensity (as in music)

dy·na·mism ['dī-nə-,mi-zəm] -n, adj

  1. a theory that all phenomena (as matter or motion) can be explained as manifestations of force
  2. dynamics
  3. a dynamic or expansionist quality

dy·na·mite ['dī-nə-,mīt] -n, adj

  1. an explosive that is made of nitroglycerin absorbed in a porous material and that often contains ammonium nitrate or cellulose nitrate
  2. an explosive (as a mixture of ammonium nitrate and nitrocellulose) that contains no nitroglycerin
  3. one that has a powerful effect
    • an actress who's dy*na*mite at the box office
  4. something that has great potential to cause trouble or conflict
    • an issue regarded as political dy*na*mite

dynamite -vt, n

  1. to blow up with dynamite
  2. to cause the failure or destruction of
  3. terrific, wonderful
    • a dynamite performance

dy·na·mo ['dī-nə-,mō] -n

  1. generator
  2. a forceful energetic individual

dy·na·mom·e·ter [,dī-nə-'mä-mə-tər] -n, adj

  1. an instrument for measuring mechanical force
  2. an apparatus for measuring mechanical power (as of an engine)

dy·na·mo·tor ['dī-nə-,mō-tər] -n

  1. a motor generator combining the electric motor and generator

dy·nast ['dī-,nast, -nəst] -n

  1. ruler

dy·nas·ty ['dī-nə-stē also -,nas-tē, esp Brit 'di-nə-stē] -n, adj, adv

  1. a succession of rulers of the same line of descent
  2. a powerful group or family that maintains its position for a considerable time

dy·na·tron ['dī-nə-,trän] -n

  1. a vacuum tube in which the secondary emission of electrons from the plate results in a decrease in the plate current as the plate voltage increases

dyne ['dīn] -n

  1. the unit of force in the centimeter-gram-second system equal to the force that would give a free mass of one gram an acceleration of one centimeter per second per second

dy·nein ['dī-,nēn, -,nē-ən] -n

  1. an ATPase that is associated esp. with microtubules involved in the movement of cellular organelles and structures (as cilia, flagella, and chromosomes)

dy·node ['dī-,nōd] -n

  1. an electrode in an electron tube that functions to produce secondary emission of electrons

dys- -prefix

  1. abnormal
    • dys plasia
  2. difficult
    • dys phagia
  3. impaired
    • dys function
  4. bad
    • dys logistic

dys·ar·thria [di-'sär-thrē-ə] -n

  1. difficulty in articulating words due to disease of the central nervous system

dys·cra·sia [dis-'krā-zh(ē-)ə] -n

  1. an abnormal condition of the body and esp. the blood

dys·en·ter·ic [,di-sᵊn-'ter-ik] -adj

  1. of or relating to dysentery

dys·en·tery ['di-sᵊn-,ter-ē, -,te-rē] -n

  1. a disease characterized by severe diarrhea with passage of mucus and blood and usu. caused by infection
  2. diarrhea

dys·func·tion [(,)dis-'fəŋ(k)-shən] -n, adj

  1. impaired or abnormal functioning
    • gastrointestinal dys*func*tion
  2. abnormal or unhealthy interpersonal behavior or interaction within a group
    • family dys*func*tion

dys·gen·e·sis [(,)dis-'je-nə-səs] -n

  1. defective development esp. of the gonads (as in Klinefelter's syndrome)

dys·gen·ic [(,)dis-'je-nik] -adj

  1. tending to promote survival of or reproduction by less well-adapted individuals (as the weak or diseased) esp. at the expense of well-adapted individuals (as the strong or healthy)
    • the dys*gen*ic effect of war
  2. biologically defective or deficient

dys·ki·ne·sia [,dis-kə-'nē-zh(ē-)ə, -kī-] -n, adj

  1. impairment of voluntary movements resulting in fragmented or jerky motions (as in Parkinson's disease)

dys·lex·ia [dis-'lek-sē-ə] -n, adj or n

  1. a variable often familial learning disability involving difficulties in acquiring and processing language that is typically manifested by a lack of proficiency in reading, spelling, and writing

dys·lo·gis·tic [,dis-lə-'jis-tik] -adj, adv

  1. uncomplimentary

dys·men·or·rhea [(,)dis-,me-nə-'rē-ə] -n, adj

  1. painful menstruation

dys·mor·phic [dis-'mȯr-fik] -adj

  1. characterized by malformation
    • mildly dys*mor*phic ears
    • dys*mor*phic cells

dys·pep·sia [dis-'pep-shə, -sē-ə] -n, adj or n, adv

  1. indigestion
  2. ill humor : disgruntlement

dys·pha·gia [dis-'fā-j(ē-)ə] -n

  1. difficulty in swallowing

dys·pha·sia [dis-'fā-zh(ē-)ə] -n, n or adj

  1. loss of or deficiency in the power to use or understand language as a result of injury to or disease of the brain

dys·phe·mism ['dis-fə-,mi-zəm] -n, adj

  1. the substitution of a disagreeable, offensive, or disparaging expression for an agreeable or inoffensive one
  2. an expression so substituted

dys·pho·nia [dis-'fō-nē-ə] -n

  1. defective use of the voice

dys·pho·ria [dis-'fȯr-ē-ə] -n, adj

  1. a state of feeling unwell or unhappy

dys·pla·sia [dis-'plā-zh(ē-)ə] -n, adj

  1. abnormal growth or development (as of organs or cells)
  2. abnormal anatomical structure due to such growth

dys·pnea ['dis(p)-nē-ə] -n, adj

  1. difficult or labored respiration

dys·pro·si·um [dis-'prō-zē-əm, -zh(ē-)əm] -n

  1. an element of the rare-earth group that forms highly magnetic compounds

dys·rhyth·mia [dis-'rith-mē-ə] -n, adj

  1. an abnormal rhythm
  2. a disordered rhythm exhibited in a record of electrical activity of the brain or heart

dys·thy·mia [dis-'thī-mē-ə] -n, adj or n

  1. a mood disorder characterized by chronic mildly depressed or irritable mood often accompanied by other symptoms (as eating and sleeping disturbances, fatigue, and poor self-esteem) called also dysthymic disorder

dys·to·cia [dis-'tō-sh(ē-)ə] -n

  1. slow or difficult labor or delivery

dys·to·nia [dis-'tō-nē-ə] -n, adj

  1. any of various conditions (as Parkinson's disease and torticollis) characterized by abnormalities of movement and muscle tone

dys·to·pia [(,)dis-'tō-pē-ə] -n, adj

  1. an imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives
  2. anti-utopia

dys·tro·phic [dis-'trō-fik] -adj

  1. relating to or caused by faulty nutrition
  2. relating to or affected with a dystrophy
    • a dys*tro*phic patient
  3. brownish with much dissolved humic matter, a sparse bottom fauna, and a high oxygen consumption

dys·tro·phin ['dis-trə-,fin] -n

  1. a protein that is associated with a transmembrane complex of skeletal muscle cells and that is absent in Duchenne muscular dystrophy and deficient or defective in Becker muscular dystrophy

dys·tro·phy ['dis-trə-fē] -n

  1. a condition produced by faulty nutrition
  2. any myogenic atrophy
  3. muscular dystrophy

dys·uria [dis-'yu̇r-ē-ə, dish-] -n

  1. difficult or painful discharge of urine