dr -abbr

  1. debtor
  2. drachma
  3. dram
  4. drive
  5. drum

Dr -abbr

  1. doctor

DR -abbr

  1. dead reckoning
  2. dining room

drab ['drab] -n

  1. slattern
  2. prostitute
  3. to associate with prostitutes
  4. any of various cloths of a dull brown or gray color
  5. a light olive brown
  6. a dull, lifeless, or faded appearance or quality
  7. of the dull brown color of drab
  8. of the color drab
  9. characterized by dullness and monotony : cheerless
    • a drab life
  10. a small amount usu. used in the phrase dribs and drabs
    • receiving donations in dribs and drab s

dra·cae·na [drə-'sē-nə] -n

  1. any of two genera ( Dracaenaand Cordyline) of chiefly Old World tropical shrubs or trees of the agave family that have naked branches ending in tufts of sword-shaped leaves and include some used as houseplants

drachm ['dram] -n

  1. drachma
  2. dram

drach·ma ['drak-mə] -n

  1. any of various ancient Greek units of weight
  2. any of various modern units of weight
  3. dram
  4. an ancient Greek silver coin equivalent to six obols
  5. the basic monetary unit of Greece from circa 1831 to 2001

Dra·co ['drā-(,)kō] -n

  1. a northern circumpolar constellation within which is the north pole of the ecliptic

dra·co·ni·an [drā-'kō-nē-ən, drə-] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Draco or the severe code of laws held to have been framed by him
  2. cruel
  3. severe
    • draconian littering fines

dra·con·ic [drə-'kä-nik] -adj

  1. of or relating to a dragon
  2. draconian

dra·cun·cu·li·a·sis [drə-,kəŋ-kyə-'lī-ə-səs] -n

  1. a disease that is caused by infestation with the guinea worm and that has been eradicated in most regions except Africa called also guinea worm disease

draft ['draft, 'dräft] -n

  1. the act of drawing a net
  2. haul
  3. the act or an instance of drinking or inhaling
  4. the portion drunk or inhaled in one such act
  5. a portion poured out or mixed for drinking : dose
  6. the force required to pull an implement
  7. load or load-pulling capacity
  8. the act of moving loads by drawing or pulling : pull
  9. a team of animals together with what they draw
  10. delineation, representation
  11. scheme, design
  12. a preliminary sketch, outline, or version
    • the author's first draft
    • a draft treaty
  13. the act, result, or plan of drawing out or stretching
  14. the act of drawing (as from a cask)
  15. a portion of liquid so drawn
    • a draft of ale
  16. draft beer
    • a glass of draft
  17. the depth of water a ship draws esp. when loaded
  18. a system for or act of selecting individuals from a group (as for compulsory military service)
  19. an act or process of selecting an individual (as for political candidacy) without the individual's expressed consent
  20. a group of individuals selected esp. by military draft
  21. a system whereby exclusive rights to selected new players are apportioned among professional teams
  22. an order for the payment of money drawn by one person or bank on another
  23. the act or an instance of drawing from or making demands upon something : demand
  24. a current of air in a closed-in space
    • felt a draft
  25. a device for regulating the flow of air (as in a fireplace)
  26. angle, taper
  27. the taper given to a pattern or die so that the work can be easily withdrawn
  28. a pocket of reduced air pressure behind a moving object
  29. the use of such a draft to save energy
  30. used or adapted for drawing loads
    • draft horses
  31. being or having been on draft
    • drinking draft beer
  32. : to select for some purpose: as
  33. to conscript for military service
  34. to select (a professional athlete) by draft
  35. to draw the preliminary sketch, version, or plan of
    • draft legislation
  36. compose, prepare
    • draft a memo
  37. to draw off or away
    • water draft ed by pumps
  38. to stay close behind (another racer) so as to take advantage of the reduced air pressure created by the leading racer
  39. to practice draftsmanship
  40. to draft another racer (as in car or bike racing)

draft board -n

  1. a civilian board that registers, classifies, and selects men for compulsory military service

drafts·man ['draf(t)-smən, 'dräf(t)-] -n, adj

  1. a person who draws plans and sketches (as of machinery or structures)
  2. a person who draws legal documents or other writings
  3. an artist who excels in drawing

drafts·person ['draf(t)s-,pər-sᵊn] -n

  1. draftsman

drafty ['draf-tē, 'dräf-] -adj, adv, n

  1. exposed to or abounding in drafts of air
    • a drafty room

drag ['drag] -n

  1. something used to drag with
  2. a device for dragging under water to detect or obtain objects
  3. : something that is dragged, pulled, or drawn along or over a surface: as
  4. harrow
  5. a sledge for conveying heavy bodies
  6. conveyance
  7. : the act or an instance of dragging or drawing: as
  8. a drawing along or over a surface with effort or pressure
  9. motion effected with slowness or difficulty
  10. the condition of having or seeming to have such motion
  11. a draw on a pipe, cigarette, or cigar
  12. a draft of liquid
  13. a movement, inclination, or retardation caused by or as if by dragging
  14. influence securing special favor : pull
  15. something that retards motion, action, or advancement
  16. the retarding force acting on a body (as an airplane) moving through a fluid (as air) parallel and opposite to the direction of motion
  17. friction between engine parts
  18. retardation due to friction
  19. burden, encumbrance
    • the drag of population growth on living standards
  20. one that is boring or gets in the way of enjoyment
    • thinks studying is a drag
    • this sickly kid is going to be a social drag -- Edmund Morris
  21. an object drawn over the ground to leave a scented trail
  22. a clog fastened to a trap to prevent the escape of a trapped animal
  23. street, road
    • the main drag
  24. costume, outfit
    • in Victorian drag
  25. clothing typical of one sex worn by a person of the opposite sex often used in the phrase in drag
  26. drag race
  27. to draw slowly or heavily : haul
  28. to cause (as oneself) to move with slowness or difficulty
    • dragged myself up the stairs
  29. to cause to trail along a surface
    • wandered off dragging the leash
  30. to bring by or as if by force or compulsion
    • had to drag her husband to the opera
  31. to extract by or as if by pulling
  32. protract
    • drag a story out
  33. to pass a drag over
    • drag a field
  34. to explore with a drag
    • drag a pond
  35. to catch with a dragnet
  36. to hit (a drag bunt) while moving toward first base
  37. to move (items on a computer screen) esp. by means of a mouse
  38. to hang or lag behind
  39. to fish or search with a drag
  40. to trail along on the ground
  41. to move slowly because of fatigue
    • was dragging after the long trip
  42. to proceed or continue laboriously or tediously
    • the lawsuit dragged on for years
  43. draw
    • drag on a cigarette
  44. to make a plucking or pulling movement
  45. to participate in a drag race
  46. of, being, involving, or intended for a person in drag
    • a drag ball

draganddrop -adj

  1. of, relating to, or allowing movement of items on a computer screen by dragging them and fixing their new locations by releasing the mouse button
    • a draganddrop interface

drag bunt -n

  1. a bunt in baseball made by a left-handed batter by trailing the bat while moving toward first base
  2. a bunt made with the object of getting on base safely rather than sacrificing

drag coefficient -n

  1. a factor representing the drag acting on a body (as an automobile or airfoil)

dra·gee [dra-'zhā] -n

  1. a sugar-coated nut
  2. a small silver-colored ball for decorating cakes

drag·ger ['dra-gər] -n

  1. one that drags
  2. a fishing boat operating a trawl or dragnet

drag·gle ['dra-gəl] -vb

  1. to make wet and dirty by dragging
  2. to trail on the ground
  3. straggle

drag·gletail ['dra-gəl-,tāl] -n

  1. slattern

drag·gy ['dra-gē] -adj

  1. sluggish, dull

drag·line ['drag-,līn] -n

  1. a line used in or for dragging
  2. an excavating machine in which the bucket is attached by cables and operates by being drawn toward the machine
  3. a strong stiff strand of silk produced by a spider esp. to form the framework of its web and as a means of lowering itself from and returning to a height

drag·net ['drag-,net] -n

  1. a net drawn along the bottom of a body of water
  2. a net used on the ground (as to capture small game)
  3. a network of measures for apprehension (as of criminals)

drag·o·man ['dra-gə-mən] -n

  1. an interpreter chiefly of Arabic, Turkish, or Persian employed esp. in the Near East

drag·on ['dra-gən] -n, adj

  1. a huge serpent
  2. a mythical animal usu. represented as a monstrous winged and scaly serpent or saurian with a crested head and enormous claws
  3. a violent, combative, or very strict person
  4. draco
  5. something or someone formidable or baneful

drag·on·et [,dra-gə-'net, 'dra-gə-nət] -n

  1. a little dragon
  2. any of a family (Callionymidae) of small often brightly colored scaleless marine fishes
  3. a European fish ( Callionymus lyra) sometimes used as food

drag·on·fly ['dra-gən-,flī] -n

  1. any of a suborder (Anisoptera) of odonate insects that are larger and stouter than damselflies, hold the wings horizontal in repose, and have rectal gills during the naiad stage
  2. odonate

drag·on·head [-,hed] -n

  1. any of several mints (genus Dracocephalum) often grown for their showy flower heads
  2. a No. American plant ( D. parviflorum) with dense spikes of blue or violet flowers

dragon lady -n

  1. an overbearing or tyrannical woman
  2. a glamorous often mysterious woman

dragon's blood -n

  1. any of several resinous mostly dark-red plant products
  2. a resin from the fruit of a palm (genus Daemonorops) used for coloring varnish and in photoengraving

dragon's teeth -n pl

  1. seeds of strife
  2. wedge-shaped concrete antitank barriers laid in multiple rows

dra·goon [drə-'gün, dra-] -n

  1. a member of a European military unit formerly composed of heavily armed mounted troops
  2. cavalryman

dragoon -vt

  1. to subjugate or persecute by harsh use of troops
  2. to force into submission or compliance esp. by violent measures

drag queen -n

  1. a male homosexual who dresses as a woman esp. for comic or theatrical effect

drag race -n

  1. an acceleration contest between vehicles

drag·ster ['drag-stər] -n

  1. a vehicle built or modified for use in a drag race
  2. one who participates in a drag race

drag strip -n

  1. the site of a drag race
  2. a strip of pavement with a racing area at least mile long

drain ['drān] -vb, n

  1. filter
  2. to draw off (liquid) gradually or completely
    • drain ed all the water out
  3. to cause the gradual disappearance of
    • drain the region's wealth
  4. to exhaust physically or emotionally
    • feeling drain ed at the end of a long workday
  5. to make gradually dry
    • drain a swamp
  6. to carry away the surface water of
    • the river that drain s the valley
  7. to deplete or empty by or as if by drawing off by degrees or in increments
    • drain ed the country of its resources
  8. to empty by drinking the contents of
    • drain a mug of beer
  9. drop , sink
    • drain ed the putt
  10. to flow off gradually
  11. to disappear gradually : dwindle
  12. to become emptied or freed of liquid by its flowing or dropping
    • waiting for the tub to drain
  13. to discharge surface or surplus water
  14. a means (as a pipe) by which usu. liquid matter is drained
  15. the act of draining
  16. a gradual outflow or withdrawal : depletion
  17. something that causes depletion : burden
  18. an electrode in a field-effect transistor toward which charge carriers move

drain·age ['drā-nij] -n

  1. the act, process, or mode of draining
  2. something drained off
  3. a device for draining : drain
  4. a system of drains
  5. an area or district drained

drain·pipe ['drān-,pīp] -n

  1. a pipe for drainage

Draize test ['drāz-] -n

  1. a test for harmfulness of chemicals to the human eye that involves dropping the test substance into one eye of a rabbit without anesthesia using the other eye as a control called also Draize eye test

drake ['drāk] -n

  1. a male duck

dram ['dram] -n

  1. fluid dram
  2. a small portion of something to drink
  3. a small amount
  4. dramatic; dramatist

DRAM ['dram also 'dē-,ram] -n

  1. a type of RAM that must be continuously supplied with power in order to retain data

dra·ma ['drä-mə, 'dra-] -n

  1. a composition in verse or prose intended to portray life or character or to tell a story usu. involving conflicts and emotions through action and dialogue and typically designed for theatrical performance : play
  2. a movie or television production with characteristics (as conflict) of a serious play
  3. a play, movie, or television production with a serious tone or subject
    • a police drama
  4. dramatic art, literature, or affairs
  5. a state, situation, or series of events involving interesting or intense conflict of forces
  6. dramatic state, effect, or quality
    • the drama of the courtroom proceedings

Dram·a·mine ['dra-mə-,mēn] -trademark

  1. used for dimenhydrinate

drama queen -n

  1. a person given to often excessively emotional performances or reactions

dra·mat·ic [drə-'ma-tik] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to the drama
    • a dramatic actor
  2. suitable to or characteristic of the drama
    • a dramatic attempt to escape
  3. striking in appearance or effect
    • a dramatic pause
  4. having a powerful voice and a declamatory style

dramatic irony -n

  1. irony

dramatic monologue -n

  1. a literary work (as a poem) in which a speaker's character is revealed in a monologue usu. addressed to a second person

dra·mat·ics [drə-'ma-tiks] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. the study or practice of theatrical arts (as acting and stagecraft)
  2. dramatic behavior or expression

dramatic unities -n pl

  1. the unities of time, place, and action that are observed in classical drama

dra·ma·ti·sa·tion [,dra-mə-tə-'zā-shən, ,drä-] -n

(variant of dramatization)

  1. the action of dramatizing
  2. a dramatized version (as of a novel)

dra·ma·tis per·so·nae [,dra-mə-təs-pər-'sō-(,)nē, ,drä-, -,nī] -n pl

  1. the characters or actors in a drama
  2. a list of the characters or actors in a drama
  3. people who figure prominently in something (as an event)

dra·ma·tist ['dra-mə-tist, 'drä-] -n

  1. playwright

dra·ma·ti·za·tion [,dra-mə-tə-'zā-shən, ,drä-] -n

  1. the action of dramatizing
  2. a dramatized version (as of a novel)

dra·ma·tize ['dra-mə-,tīz, 'drä-] -vb, adj

  1. to adapt (as a novel) for theatrical presentation
  2. to present or represent in a dramatic manner
  3. to be suitable for dramatization
  4. to behave dramatically

dra·ma·turge ['dra-mə-,tərj, 'drä-] -n

  1. a specialist in dramaturgy

dra·ma·tur·gy ['dra-mə-,tər-jē, 'drä-] -n, adj, adv

  1. the art or technique of dramatic composition and theatrical representation

dra·me·dy ['drä-mə-dē, 'dra-] -n

  1. a comedy (as a film or television show) having dramatic moments

dram·mock ['dra-mək] -n

  1. raw oatmeal mixed with cold water

dram·shop ['dram-,shäp] -n

  1. barroom

drank ['driŋk] -vb

(variant of drink)

  1. swallow, imbibe
    • drink water
  2. to take in or suck up : absorb
    • drink ing air into his lungs
  3. to take in or receive avidly usu. used with in
    • drank in every word of the lecture
  4. to join in a toast to
    • I'll drink your good health
  5. to bring to a specified state by drinking alcoholic beverages
    • drank himself into oblivion
  6. to take liquid into the mouth for swallowing
  7. to receive into one's consciousness
  8. to partake of alcoholic beverages
    • has quit drink ing
  9. to make or join in a toast
    • I'll drink to that
  10. a liquid suitable for swallowing
  11. alcoholic beverages
  12. a draft or portion of liquid
  13. excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages
    • he took to drink when his business failed
  14. a sizable body of water used with the
    • landed in the drink

drape ['drāp] -vb, n, adj

  1. to cover or adorn with or as if with folds of cloth
  2. to cause to hang or stretch out loosely or carelessly
  3. to arrange in flowing lines or folds
  4. to become arranged in folds
    • this silk drape s beautifully
  5. arrangement in or of folds
  6. a drapery esp. for a window : curtain
  7. a sterile covering used in an operating room usu. used in pl.
  8. the cut or hang of clothing

drap·er ['drā-pər] -n

  1. a dealer in cloth and sometimes also in clothing and dry goods

drap·ery ['drā-p(ə-)rē] -n

  1. dry goods
  2. a decorative piece of material usu. hung in loose folds and arranged in a graceful design
  3. hangings of heavy fabric for use as a curtain
  4. the draping or arranging of materials

dras·tic ['dras-tik] -adj, adv

  1. acting rapidly or violently
    • a drastic purgative
  2. extreme in effect or action : severe
    • drastic measures

drat ['drat] -vb

  1. damn used as a mild oath

draught ['draft, 'dräft] -n

(variant of draft)

  1. the act of drawing a net
  2. haul
  3. the act or an instance of drinking or inhaling
  4. the portion drunk or inhaled in one such act
  5. a portion poured out or mixed for drinking : dose
  6. the force required to pull an implement
  7. load or load-pulling capacity
  8. the act of moving loads by drawing or pulling : pull
  9. a team of animals together with what they draw
  10. delineation, representation
  11. scheme, design
  12. a preliminary sketch, outline, or version
    • the author's first draft
    • a draft treaty
  13. the act, result, or plan of drawing out or stretching
  14. the act of drawing (as from a cask)
  15. a portion of liquid so drawn
    • a draft of ale
  16. draft beer
    • a glass of draft
  17. the depth of water a ship draws esp. when loaded
  18. a system for or act of selecting individuals from a group (as for compulsory military service)
  19. an act or process of selecting an individual (as for political candidacy) without the individual's expressed consent
  20. a group of individuals selected esp. by military draft
  21. a system whereby exclusive rights to selected new players are apportioned among professional teams
  22. an order for the payment of money drawn by one person or bank on another
  23. the act or an instance of drawing from or making demands upon something : demand
  24. a current of air in a closed-in space
    • felt a draft
  25. a device for regulating the flow of air (as in a fireplace)
  26. angle, taper
  27. the taper given to a pattern or die so that the work can be easily withdrawn
  28. a pocket of reduced air pressure behind a moving object
  29. the use of such a draft to save energy
  30. used or adapted for drawing loads
    • draft horses
  31. being or having been on draft
    • drinking draft beer
  32. : to select for some purpose: as
  33. to conscript for military service
  34. to select (a professional athlete) by draft
  35. to draw the preliminary sketch, version, or plan of
    • draft legislation
  36. compose, prepare
    • draft a memo
  37. to draw off or away
    • water draft ed by pumps
  38. to stay close behind (another racer) so as to take advantage of the reduced air pressure created by the leading racer
  39. to practice draftsmanship
  40. to draft another racer (as in car or bike racing)

draughts ['dräf(t)s] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. checkers

draughts·man ['draf(t)-smən, 'dräf(t)-] -n, adj

(variant of draftsman)

  1. a person who draws plans and sketches (as of machinery or structures)
  2. a person who draws legal documents or other writings
  3. an artist who excels in drawing

Dra·vid·i·an [drə-'vi-dē-ən] -n, adj

  1. a member of an ancient dark-skinned people of southern India
  2. dravidian languages

Dravidian languages -n pl

  1. a language family of India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan that includes Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam

draw ['drȯ] -vb, adj

  1. : to cause to move continuously toward or after a force applied in advance : pull
    • draw your chair up by the fire
    : as
  2. to move (as a covering) over or to one side
    • draw the drapes
  3. to pull up or out of a receptacle or place where seated or carried
    • draw water from the well
    • drew a gun
  4. to cause to come out of a container or source
    • draw water for a bath
    • the nurse drew a blood sample
    • the wound drew blood
  5. to cause to go in a certain direction (as by leading)
    • drew him aside
  6. to bring by inducement or allure : attract
    • honey draw s flies
  7. to bring in or gather from a specified group or area
    • a college that draw s its students from many states
  8. bring on, provoke
    • drew enemy fire
  9. to bring out by way of response : elicit
    • drew cheers from the audience
  10. to receive in the course of play
    • the batter drew a walk
    • draw a foul
  11. inhale
    • drew a deep breath
  12. to extract the essence from
    • draw tea
  13. eviscerate
    • plucking and draw ing a goose before cooking
  14. to derive to one's benefit
    • drew inspiration from the old masters
  15. to require (a specified depth) to float in
    • a ship that draw s 12 feet of water
  16. accumulate, gain
    • draw ing interest
  17. to take (money) from a place of deposit
  18. to use in making a cash demand
    • draw ing a check against his account
  19. to receive regularly or in due course
    • draw a salary
  20. to take (cards) from a stack or from the dealer
  21. to receive or take at random
    • drew a winning number
  22. to bend (a bow) by pulling back the string
  23. to cause to shrink, contract, or tighten
  24. to strike (a ball) so as to impart a backward spin
  25. to strike (a golf ball) so that a slight to moderate hook results
  26. to leave (a contest) undecided : tie
  27. to produce a likeness or representation of by making lines on a surface
    • draw a picture
    • draw a graph with chalk
  28. to give a portrayal of : delineate
    • a writer who draw s characters well
  29. to write out in due form
    • draw a will
  30. to design or describe in detail : formulate
    • draw comparisons
  31. to infer from evidence or premises
    • draw a conclusion
  32. to spread or elongate (metal) by hammering or by pulling through dies
  33. to shape (as plastic) by stretching or by pulling through dies
  34. to come or go steadily or gradually
    • night draw s near
  35. to move something by pulling
    • draw ing at the well
  36. to exert an attractive force
    • the play is draw ing well
  37. to pull back a bowstring
  38. to bring out a weapon
    • drew, aimed, and fired
  39. to produce a draft
    • the chimney draw s well
    • draw on a cigar
  40. to swell out in a wind
    • all sails draw ing
  41. to wrinkle or tighten up : shrink
  42. to change shape by pulling or stretching
  43. to cause blood or pus to localize at one point
  44. to create a likeness or a picture in outlines : sketch
  45. to come out even in a contest
  46. to make a written demand for payment of money on deposit
  47. to obtain resources (as of information)
    • draw ing from a common fund of knowledge
  48. : the act or process of drawing: as
  49. a sucking pull on something held with the lips
  50. a removal of a handgun from its holster
    • quick on the draw
  51. backward spin given to a ball by striking it below center
  52. : something that is drawn: as
  53. a card drawn to replace a discard in poker
  54. a lot or chance drawn at random
  55. the movable part of a drawbridge
  56. a contest left undecided or deadlocked : tie
  57. one that draws attention or patronage : attraction
  58. the distance from the string to the back of a drawn bow
  59. the force required to draw a bow fully
  60. a gully shallower than a ravine
  61. the deal in draw poker to improve the players' hands after discarding
  62. a football play that simulates a pass play so a runner can go straight up the middle past the pass rushers
  63. a slight to moderate and usu. intentional hook in golf

draw away -vi

  1. to move ahead (as of an opponent in a race)

draw·back ['drȯ-,bak] -n

  1. a refund of duties esp. on an imported product subsequently exported or used to produce a product for export
  2. an objectionable feature : disadvantage

draw back [drȯ-'bak] -vi

  1. to avoid an issue or commitment

draw·bar ['drȯ-,bär] -n

  1. a railroad coupler
  2. a beam across the rear of a vehicle (as a tractor) to which implements are hitched

draw·bridge [-,brij] -n

  1. a bridge made to be raised up, let down, or drawn aside so as to permit or hinder passage

draw·down [-,dau̇n] -n

  1. a lowering of a water level (as in a reservoir)
  2. the process of depleting
  3. reduction

draw down [,drȯ-'dau̇n] -vt

  1. to deplete by using or spending

draw·ee [drȯ-'ē] -n

  1. the party on which an order or bill of exchange is drawn

draw·er ['drȯ(-ə)r] -n

  1. : one that draws: as
  2. a person who draws liquor
  3. draftsman
  4. one that draws a bill of exchange or order for payment or makes a promissory note
  5. a sliding box or receptacle opened by pulling out and closed by pushing in
  6. an article of clothing (as underwear) for the lower body

draw in -vt

  1. to cause or entice to enter or participate
  2. to sketch roughly
  3. to draw to an end
    • the day drew in
  4. to shorten seasonally
    • the evenings are already drawing in
  5. to become more cautious or economical

draw·ing ['drȯ(-)iŋ] -n

  1. an act or instance of drawing
  2. the process of deciding something by drawing lots
  3. the art or technique of representing an object or outlining a figure, plan, or sketch by means of lines
  4. : something drawn or subject to drawing: as
  5. an amount drawn from a fund
  6. a representation formed by drawing : sketch

drawing account -n

  1. an account showing payments made to an employee in advance of actual earnings or for traveling expenses

drawing board -n

  1. a board used as a base for drafting on paper
  2. a planning stage
    • a project still on the drawing board

drawing card -n

  1. one that attracts attention or patronage

drawing pin -n

  1. thumbtack

drawing room -n

  1. a formal reception room
  2. a private room on a railroad passenger car with three berths and an enclosed toilet
  3. a formal reception

drawing table -n

  1. a table with a surface adjustable for elevation and angle of incline

draw·knife ['drȯ-,nīf] -n

  1. a woodworker's tool consisting of a blade with a handle at each end for use in shaving off surfaces

drawl ['drȯl] -vb, n, adv

  1. to speak slowly with vowels greatly prolonged
  2. to utter in a slow lengthened tone
  3. a drawling manner of speaking

drawn ['drȯ] -vb, adj

(variant of draw)

  1. : to cause to move continuously toward or after a force applied in advance : pull
    • draw your chair up by the fire
    : as
  2. to move (as a covering) over or to one side
    • draw the drapes
  3. to pull up or out of a receptacle or place where seated or carried
    • draw water from the well
    • drew a gun
  4. to cause to come out of a container or source
    • draw water for a bath
    • the nurse drew a blood sample
    • the wound drew blood
  5. to cause to go in a certain direction (as by leading)
    • drew him aside
  6. to bring by inducement or allure : attract
    • honey draw s flies
  7. to bring in or gather from a specified group or area
    • a college that draw s its students from many states
  8. bring on, provoke
    • drew enemy fire
  9. to bring out by way of response : elicit
    • drew cheers from the audience
  10. to receive in the course of play
    • the batter drew a walk
    • draw a foul
  11. inhale
    • drew a deep breath
  12. to extract the essence from
    • draw tea
  13. eviscerate
    • plucking and draw ing a goose before cooking
  14. to derive to one's benefit
    • drew inspiration from the old masters
  15. to require (a specified depth) to float in
    • a ship that draw s 12 feet of water
  16. accumulate, gain
    • draw ing interest
  17. to take (money) from a place of deposit
  18. to use in making a cash demand
    • draw ing a check against his account
  19. to receive regularly or in due course
    • draw a salary
  20. to take (cards) from a stack or from the dealer
  21. to receive or take at random
    • drew a winning number
  22. to bend (a bow) by pulling back the string
  23. to cause to shrink, contract, or tighten
  24. to strike (a ball) so as to impart a backward spin
  25. to strike (a golf ball) so that a slight to moderate hook results
  26. to leave (a contest) undecided : tie
  27. to produce a likeness or representation of by making lines on a surface
    • draw a picture
    • draw a graph with chalk
  28. to give a portrayal of : delineate
    • a writer who draw s characters well
  29. to write out in due form
    • draw a will
  30. to design or describe in detail : formulate
    • draw comparisons
  31. to infer from evidence or premises
    • draw a conclusion
  32. to spread or elongate (metal) by hammering or by pulling through dies
  33. to shape (as plastic) by stretching or by pulling through dies
  34. to come or go steadily or gradually
    • night draw s near
  35. to move something by pulling
    • draw ing at the well
  36. to exert an attractive force
    • the play is draw ing well
  37. to pull back a bowstring
  38. to bring out a weapon
    • drew, aimed, and fired
  39. to produce a draft
    • the chimney draw s well
    • draw on a cigar
  40. to swell out in a wind
    • all sails draw ing
  41. to wrinkle or tighten up : shrink
  42. to change shape by pulling or stretching
  43. to cause blood or pus to localize at one point
  44. to create a likeness or a picture in outlines : sketch
  45. to come out even in a contest
  46. to make a written demand for payment of money on deposit
  47. to obtain resources (as of information)
    • draw ing from a common fund of knowledge
  48. : the act or process of drawing: as
  49. a sucking pull on something held with the lips
  50. a removal of a handgun from its holster
    • quick on the draw
  51. backward spin given to a ball by striking it below center
  52. : something that is drawn: as
  53. a card drawn to replace a discard in poker
  54. a lot or chance drawn at random
  55. the movable part of a drawbridge
  56. a contest left undecided or deadlocked : tie
  57. one that draws attention or patronage : attraction
  58. the distance from the string to the back of a drawn bow
  59. the force required to draw a bow fully
  60. a gully shallower than a ravine
  61. the deal in draw poker to improve the players' hands after discarding
  62. a football play that simulates a pass play so a runner can go straight up the middle past the pass rushers
  63. a slight to moderate and usu. intentional hook in golf

drawn butter -n

  1. melted clarified butter

drawn·work ['drȯn-,wərk] -n

  1. decoration on cloth made by drawing out threads according to a pattern

draw off -vt

  1. remove, withdraw
  2. to move apart or ahead

draw on -vi

  1. approach
    • night draws on
  2. bring on, cause

draw out -vt

  1. remove, extract
  2. to extend beyond a minimum in time : protract
  3. to cause to speak freely
    • a reporter's ability to draw a person out

draw·plate ['drȯ-,plāt] -n

  1. a die with holes through which wires are drawn

draw play -n

  1. draw

draw poker -n

  1. poker in which each player is dealt five cards face down and after betting may get replacements for discards

draw·shave ['drȯ-,shāv] -n

  1. drawknife

draw shot -n

  1. a shot in billiards or pool made by hitting the cue ball with draw so it moves back after striking the object ball

draw·string ['drȯ-,striŋ] -n

  1. a string, cord, or tape inserted into hems or casings or laced through eyelets for use in closing a bag or controlling fullness in garments or curtains

draw·tube [-,tüb, -,tyüb] -n

  1. a telescoping tube (as for the eyepiece of a microscope)

draw up -vt

  1. to bring (as troops) into array
  2. to prepare a draft or version of
    • draw up plans
  3. to bring to a halt
  4. to straighten (oneself) to an erect posture esp. as an assertion of dignity or resentment
  5. to come to a halt
    • the car drew up at the door

dray ['drā] -n

  1. a vehicle used to haul goods
  2. a strong cart or wagon without sides
  3. to haul on a dray : cart

dray·age ['drā-ij] -n

  1. the work or cost of hauling by dray

dray horse -n

  1. a horse adapted for drawing heavy loads

dray·man ['drā-mən] -n

  1. one whose work is hauling by dray

dread ['dred] -vb

  1. to fear greatly
  2. to regard with awe
  3. to feel extreme reluctance to meet or face
  4. to be apprehensive or fearful
  5. great fear esp. in the face of impending evil
  6. extreme uneasiness in the face of a disagreeable prospect
    • dread of a social blunder
  7. awe
  8. one causing fear or awe
  9. dreadlock
  10. dreadlock
  11. causing great fear or anxiety
  12. inspiring awe

dread·ful ['dred-fəl] -adj, adv, n

  1. inspiring dread : causing great and oppressive fear
  2. inspiring awe or reverence
  3. extremely bad, distasteful, unpleasant, or shocking
  4. extreme
    • dreadful disorder

dreadful -n

  1. a cheap and sensational story or periodical

dread·lock ['dred-,läk] -n, adj

  1. a narrow ropelike strand of hair formed by matting or braiding
  2. a hairstyle consisting of dreadlocks

dread·nought ['dred-,nȯt, -,nät] -n

  1. a warm garment of thick cloth
  2. the cloth
  3. battleship
  4. one that is among the largest or most powerful of its kind

dream ['drēm] -n, adj, adv

  1. a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep
  2. : an experience of waking life having the characteristics of a dream: as
  3. a visionary creation of the imagination : daydream
  4. a state of mind marked by abstraction or release from reality : reverie
  5. an object seen in a dreamlike state : vision
  6. something notable for its beauty, excellence, or enjoyable quality
    • the new car is a dream to operate
  7. a strongly desired goal or purpose
    • a dream of becoming president
  8. something that fully satisfies a wish : ideal
    • a meal that was a gourmet's dream
  9. to have a dream
  10. to indulge in daydreams or fantasies
    • dream ing of a better future
  11. to appear tranquil or dreamy
    • houses dream in leafy shadows -- Gladys Taber
  12. to have a dream of
  13. to consider as a possibility : imagine
  14. to pass (time) in reverie or inaction
    • dream ing the hours away

dream·boat ['drēm-,bōt] -n

  1. one that is highly desirable
  2. a very attractive person

dream catcher -n

  1. a circular framed net with a hole in the center that is used by some American Indian peoples to help block bad dreams and catch good ones

dream·er ['drē-mər] -n

  1. one that dreams
  2. one who lives in a world of fancy and imagination
  3. one who has ideas or conceives projects regarded as impractical : visionary

dream·land ['drēm-,land] -n

  1. an unreal delightful country existing only in imagination or in dreams : never-never land

dream·scape ['drēm-,skāp] -n

  1. a dreamlike usu. surrealistic scene
  2. a painting of a dreamscape

dream team -n

  1. a team whose members are preeminent in a particular field
    • a legal dream team

dream·time [-,tīm] -n

  1. the time of creation in the mythology of the Australian aborigines

dream up -vt

  1. to form in the mind : devise, concoct

dream vision -n

  1. a usu. medieval poem having a framework in which the poet pictures himself as falling asleep and envisioning in his dream a series of allegorical people and events

dream·world ['drēm-,wərld] -n

  1. a world of illusion or fantasy

dreamy ['drē-mē] -adj, adv, n

  1. full of dreams
    • a dreamy night's sleep
  2. pleasantly abstracted from immediate reality
  3. given to dreaming or fantasy
  4. suggestive of a dream or dreamlike state
    • a dreamy smile
    • dreamy speculation
  5. quiet and soothing
  6. delightful, ideal

drear ['drir] -adj, n

  1. dreary

drea·ry ['drir-ē] -adj, adv, n

  1. feeling, displaying, or reflecting listlessness or discouragement
  2. having nothing likely to provide cheer, comfort, or interest : gloomy, dismal

dreck ['drek] -n

  1. trash, rubbish

dredge ['drej] -vb, n

  1. to dig, gather, or pull out with or as if with a dredge often used with up
  2. to deepen (as a waterway) with a dredging machine
  3. to bring to light by deep searching often used with up
    • dredging up memories
  4. to use a dredge
  5. to search deeply
  6. an apparatus usu. in the form of an oblong iron frame with an attached bag net used esp. for gathering fish and shellfish
  7. a machine for removing earth usu. by buckets on an endless chain or a suction tube
  8. a barge used in dredging
  9. to coat (food) by sprinkling (as with flour)

dree ['drē] -vt

  1. endure, suffer

dreg ['dreg] -n, adj

  1. sediment contained in a liquid or precipitated from it : lees usu. used in pl.
  2. the most undesirable part usu. used in pl.
    • the dreg s of society
  3. the last remaining part : vestige usu. used in pl.
    • the last dreg s of fuel

dreich ['drēk̲] -adj

  1. dreary

drei·del ['drā-dᵊl] -n

  1. a 4-sided toy marked with Hebrew letters and spun like a top in a game of chance
  2. a children's game of chance played esp. at Hanukkah with a dreidel

drench ['drench] -n

  1. a poisonous or medicinal drink
  2. a large dose of medicine mixed with liquid and put down the throat of an animal
  3. something that drenches
  4. a quantity sufficient to drench or saturate
  5. to force to drink
  6. to administer a drench to (an animal)
  7. to wet thoroughly (as by soaking or immersing in liquid)
  8. to soak or cover thoroughly with liquid that falls or is precipitated
  9. to fill or cover completely as if by soaking or precipitation
    • was drench ed in furs and diamonds -- Richard Brautigan

dress ['dres] -vb

  1. to make or set straight
  2. to arrange (as troops) in a straight line and at proper intervals
  3. to prepare for use or service
  4. to prepare for cooking or for the table
    • dress a salad
  5. to add decorative details or accessories to : embellish
  6. to put clothes on
    • dress a child
  7. to provide with clothing
    • feed and dress a growing family
  8. dress down
  9. to apply dressings or medicaments to
    • dress a wound
  10. to arrange (as the hair) by combing, brushing, or curling
  11. to groom and curry (an animal)
  12. to kill and prepare for market or for consumption often used with out
  13. cultivate, tend
  14. to apply manure or fertilizer to
    • dress a field
  15. to put through a finishing process
  16. to trim and smooth the surface of (as lumber or stone)
  17. to put on clothing
  18. to put on or wear formal, elaborate, or fancy clothes
    • dress for dinner
  19. to weigh after being dressed often used with out
  20. to align oneself with the next soldier in a line to make the line straight
  21. apparel, clothing
  22. an outer garment (as for a woman or girl) usu. consisting of a one-piece bodice and skirt
  23. covering, adornment, or appearance appropriate or peculiar to a particular time
  24. a particular form of presentation : guise
  25. suitable for a formal occasion
    • dress clothes
    • dress shoes
  26. requiring or permitting formal dress
    • a dress affair
  27. relating to or used for a dress
    • dress material

dres·sage [drə-'säzh, dre-] -n

  1. the execution by a trained horse of precision movements in response to barely perceptible signals from its rider

dress circle -n

  1. the first or lowest curved tier of seats above the main floor in a theater or opera house

dress code -n

  1. formally or socially imposed standards of dress

dress down -vt

  1. to reprove severely
  2. to dress casually esp. for reasons of fashion

dressdown day -n

  1. a day during which employees are allowed to wear casual attire at work

dress·er ['dre-sər] -n

  1. a table or sideboard for preparing and serving food
  2. a cupboard to hold dishes and cooking utensils
  3. a chest of drawers or bureau with a mirror

dresser -n

  1. one that dresses
    • a fashionable dresser

dresser set -n

  1. a set of toilet articles including hairbrush, comb, and mirror for use at a dresser or dressing table

dress·ing ['dre-siŋ] -n

  1. the act or process of one who dresses
  2. an instance of such act or process
  3. a sauce for adding to a dish (as a salad)
  4. a seasoned mixture usu. used as a stuffing (as for poultry)
  5. material (as ointment or gauze) applied to cover a lesion or wound
  6. fertilizing material (as manure or compost)

dres·singdown [,dre-siŋ-'dau̇n] -n

  1. a severe reprimand

dressing glass -n

  1. a small mirror set to swing in a standing frame and used at a dresser or dressing table

dressing gown -n

  1. a robe worn esp. while dressing or resting

dressing room -n

  1. a room used chiefly for dressing
  2. a room in a theater for changing costumes and makeup

dressing table -n

  1. a table often fitted with drawers and a mirror in front of which one sits while dressing and grooming oneself

dress·mak·er ['dres-,mā-kər] -n

  1. one that makes dresses

dressmaker -adj

  1. having softness, rounded lines, and intricate detailing
    • a dressmaker suit

dress rehearsal -n

  1. a full rehearsal (as of a play) in costume and with stage properties shortly before the first performance
  2. a practice exercise for something to come : dry run

dress shield -n

  1. a pad worn inside a part of the clothing liable to be soiled by perspiration (as at the underarm)

dress shirt -n

  1. a man's shirt esp. for wear with evening dress
  2. a shirt suitable for wear with a necktie

dress uniform -n

  1. a uniform for formal wear

dress up -vt

  1. to make more attractive, glamorous, or fancy
    • dress up a plain dessert with a rich chocolate sauce
  2. to attire in best or formal clothes
  3. to attire in clothes suited to a particular role
  4. to present in the most attractive or impressive light
    • a fiasco dressed up as a triumph
  5. to get dressed up

dressy ['dre-sē] -adj, n

  1. showy in dress
  2. stylish, smart
    • dressy clothes
  3. requiring or characterized by fancy or formal dress
    • a dressy affair

drew ['drȯ] -vb, adj

(variant of draw)

  1. : to cause to move continuously toward or after a force applied in advance : pull
    • draw your chair up by the fire
    : as
  2. to move (as a covering) over or to one side
    • draw the drapes
  3. to pull up or out of a receptacle or place where seated or carried
    • draw water from the well
    • drew a gun
  4. to cause to come out of a container or source
    • draw water for a bath
    • the nurse drew a blood sample
    • the wound drew blood
  5. to cause to go in a certain direction (as by leading)
    • drew him aside
  6. to bring by inducement or allure : attract
    • honey draw s flies
  7. to bring in or gather from a specified group or area
    • a college that draw s its students from many states
  8. bring on, provoke
    • drew enemy fire
  9. to bring out by way of response : elicit
    • drew cheers from the audience
  10. to receive in the course of play
    • the batter drew a walk
    • draw a foul
  11. inhale
    • drew a deep breath
  12. to extract the essence from
    • draw tea
  13. eviscerate
    • plucking and draw ing a goose before cooking
  14. to derive to one's benefit
    • drew inspiration from the old masters
  15. to require (a specified depth) to float in
    • a ship that draw s 12 feet of water
  16. accumulate, gain
    • draw ing interest
  17. to take (money) from a place of deposit
  18. to use in making a cash demand
    • draw ing a check against his account
  19. to receive regularly or in due course
    • draw a salary
  20. to take (cards) from a stack or from the dealer
  21. to receive or take at random
    • drew a winning number
  22. to bend (a bow) by pulling back the string
  23. to cause to shrink, contract, or tighten
  24. to strike (a ball) so as to impart a backward spin
  25. to strike (a golf ball) so that a slight to moderate hook results
  26. to leave (a contest) undecided : tie
  27. to produce a likeness or representation of by making lines on a surface
    • draw a picture
    • draw a graph with chalk
  28. to give a portrayal of : delineate
    • a writer who draw s characters well
  29. to write out in due form
    • draw a will
  30. to design or describe in detail : formulate
    • draw comparisons
  31. to infer from evidence or premises
    • draw a conclusion
  32. to spread or elongate (metal) by hammering or by pulling through dies
  33. to shape (as plastic) by stretching or by pulling through dies
  34. to come or go steadily or gradually
    • night draw s near
  35. to move something by pulling
    • draw ing at the well
  36. to exert an attractive force
    • the play is draw ing well
  37. to pull back a bowstring
  38. to bring out a weapon
    • drew, aimed, and fired
  39. to produce a draft
    • the chimney draw s well
    • draw on a cigar
  40. to swell out in a wind
    • all sails draw ing
  41. to wrinkle or tighten up : shrink
  42. to change shape by pulling or stretching
  43. to cause blood or pus to localize at one point
  44. to create a likeness or a picture in outlines : sketch
  45. to come out even in a contest
  46. to make a written demand for payment of money on deposit
  47. to obtain resources (as of information)
    • draw ing from a common fund of knowledge
  48. : the act or process of drawing: as
  49. a sucking pull on something held with the lips
  50. a removal of a handgun from its holster
    • quick on the draw
  51. backward spin given to a ball by striking it below center
  52. : something that is drawn: as
  53. a card drawn to replace a discard in poker
  54. a lot or chance drawn at random
  55. the movable part of a drawbridge
  56. a contest left undecided or deadlocked : tie
  57. one that draws attention or patronage : attraction
  58. the distance from the string to the back of a drawn bow
  59. the force required to draw a bow fully
  60. a gully shallower than a ravine
  61. the deal in draw poker to improve the players' hands after discarding
  62. a football play that simulates a pass play so a runner can go straight up the middle past the pass rushers
  63. a slight to moderate and usu. intentional hook in golf

Drey·fu·sard [,drī-f(y)ə-'sär(d), ,drā-, -'zär(d)] -n

  1. a defender or partisan of Alfred Dreyfus

DRG [,dē-(,)är-'jē] -n

  1. any of the payment categories that are used to classify patients and esp. Medicare patients for the purpose of reimbursing hospitals for each case in a given category with a fixed fee regardless of the actual costs incurred called also diagnosis related group

drib ['drib] -n

  1. a small amount usu. used in the phrase dribs and drabs

drib·ble ['dri-bəl] -vb, n

  1. to issue sporadically and in small bits
  2. to let or cause to fall in drops little by little
  3. to propel by successive slight taps or bounces with hand, foot, or stick
    • dribble a basketball
    • dribble a puck
  4. to hit (as a baseball) so as to cause a slow bouncing
  5. to fall or flow in drops or in a thin intermittent stream : trickle
  6. to let saliva trickle from the corner of the mouth : drool
  7. to come or issue in piecemeal or desultory fashion
  8. to dribble a ball or puck
  9. to proceed by dribbling
  10. to move with short bounces

dribble ['dri-b(ə-)lē] -n, adj

  1. a tiny or insignificant bit or quantity
  2. a small trickling stream or flow
  3. an act, instance, or manner of dribbling a ball or puck

drib·let ['drib-lət] -n

  1. a trifling or small sum or part
  2. a drop of liquid

driedup ['drīd-,əp, ,drīd-'] -adj

  1. being wizened and shriveled

drier ['drī] -adj, adv, n

(variant of dry)

  1. free or relatively free from a liquid and esp. water
  2. not being in or under water
  3. lacking precipitation or humidity
  4. characterized by exhaustion of a supply of liquid
    • a dry well
  5. devoid of running water
    • a dry ravine
  6. devoid of natural moisture
    • my throat was dry
  7. no longer sticky or damp
  8. not giving milk
    • a dry cow
  9. lacking freshness : stale
  10. anhydrous
  11. marked by the absence or scantiness of secretions
    • a dry cough
  12. not shedding or accompanied by tears
    • a dry sob
  13. involving no bloodshed or drowning
    • I would fain die a dry death -- Shak.
  14. marked by the absence of alcoholic beverages
    • a dry party
  15. prohibiting the manufacture or distribution of alcoholic beverages
    • a dry county
  16. served or eaten without butter or margarine
    • dry toast
  17. lacking sweetness : sec
    • dry champagne
  18. having all or most sugar fermented to alcohol
    • a dry wine
    • dry beer
  19. solid as opposed to liquid
    • dry groceries
  20. reduced to powder or flakes : dehydrated
    • dry milk
  21. functioning without lubrication
    • a dry clutch
  22. containing no recoverable hydrocarbon (as gasoline)
  23. requiring no liquid in preparation or operation
    • a dry photocopying process
  24. not showing or communicating warmth, enthusiasm, or tender feeling : severe
    • a dry style of painting
  25. wearisome, uninteresting
    • dry passages of description
  26. lacking embellishment : plain
  27. not yielding what is expected or desired : unproductive
    • a writer going through a dry spell
  28. having no personal bias or emotional concern
    • the dry light of reason
  29. reserved, aloof
  30. marked by matter-of-fact, ironic, or terse manner of expression
    • a dry wit
  31. lacking smooth sound qualities
    • a dry rasping voice
  32. being a dry run
    • a dry rehearsal
  33. to make dry
  34. to become dry
  35. the condition of being dry : dryness
  36. something dry
  37. a dry place
  38. prohibitionist

dri·er ['drī(-ə)r] -n

  1. something that extracts or absorbs moisture
  2. a substance that accelerates drying (as of oils, paints, and printing inks)
  3. a device for drying

driest ['drī] -adj, adv, n

(variant of dry)

  1. free or relatively free from a liquid and esp. water
  2. not being in or under water
  3. lacking precipitation or humidity
  4. characterized by exhaustion of a supply of liquid
    • a dry well
  5. devoid of running water
    • a dry ravine
  6. devoid of natural moisture
    • my throat was dry
  7. no longer sticky or damp
  8. not giving milk
    • a dry cow
  9. lacking freshness : stale
  10. anhydrous
  11. marked by the absence or scantiness of secretions
    • a dry cough
  12. not shedding or accompanied by tears
    • a dry sob
  13. involving no bloodshed or drowning
    • I would fain die a dry death -- Shak.
  14. marked by the absence of alcoholic beverages
    • a dry party
  15. prohibiting the manufacture or distribution of alcoholic beverages
    • a dry county
  16. served or eaten without butter or margarine
    • dry toast
  17. lacking sweetness : sec
    • dry champagne
  18. having all or most sugar fermented to alcohol
    • a dry wine
    • dry beer
  19. solid as opposed to liquid
    • dry groceries
  20. reduced to powder or flakes : dehydrated
    • dry milk
  21. functioning without lubrication
    • a dry clutch
  22. containing no recoverable hydrocarbon (as gasoline)
  23. requiring no liquid in preparation or operation
    • a dry photocopying process
  24. not showing or communicating warmth, enthusiasm, or tender feeling : severe
    • a dry style of painting
  25. wearisome, uninteresting
    • dry passages of description
  26. lacking embellishment : plain
  27. not yielding what is expected or desired : unproductive
    • a writer going through a dry spell
  28. having no personal bias or emotional concern
    • the dry light of reason
  29. reserved, aloof
  30. marked by matter-of-fact, ironic, or terse manner of expression
    • a dry wit
  31. lacking smooth sound qualities
    • a dry rasping voice
  32. being a dry run
    • a dry rehearsal
  33. to make dry
  34. to become dry
  35. the condition of being dry : dryness
  36. something dry
  37. a dry place
  38. prohibitionist

drift ['drift] -n, adj

  1. the act of driving something along
  2. the flow or the velocity of the current of a river or ocean stream
  3. : something driven, propelled, or urged along or drawn together in a clump by or as if by a natural agency: as
  4. wind-driven snow, rain, cloud, dust, or smoke usu. at or near the ground surface
  5. a mass of matter (as sand) deposited together by or as if by wind or water
  6. a helter-skelter accumulation
  7. drove, flock
  8. something (as driftwood) washed ashore
  9. rock debris deposited by natural agents
  10. a deposit of clay, sand, gravel, and boulders transported by a glacier or by running water from a glacier
  11. a general underlying design or tendency
    • perceiving the drift of the government's policies
  12. the underlying meaning, import, or purport of what is spoken or written
    • the drift of a conversation
  13. something (as a tool) driven down upon or forced into a body
  14. : the motion or action of drifting esp. spatially and usu. under external influence: as
  15. the lateral motion of an aircraft due to air currents
  16. an easy moderate more or less steady flow or sweep along a spatial course
  17. a gradual shift in attitude, opinion, or position
  18. an aimless course
  19. a foregoing of any attempt at direction or control
  20. a deviation from a true reproduction, representation, or reading
  21. a gradual change in the zero reading of an instrument or in any quantitative characteristic that is supposed to remain constant
  22. a nearly horizontal mine passageway driven on or parallel to the course of a vein or rock stratum
  23. a small crosscut in a mine connecting two larger tunnels
  24. an assumed trend toward a general change in the structure of a language over a period of time
  25. genetic drift
  26. a mass of planted flowers
  27. to become driven or carried along (as by a current of water, wind, or air)
    • a balloon drift ing in the wind
  28. to move or float smoothly and effortlessly
  29. to move along a line of least resistance
  30. to move in a random or casual way
  31. to become carried along subject to no guidance or control
    • the talk drift ed from topic to topic
  32. to accumulate in a mass or become piled up in heaps by wind or water
    • drift ing snow
  33. to become covered with a drift
  34. to vary or deviate from a set course or adjustment
  35. to cause to be driven in a current
  36. to drive (livestock) slowly esp. to allow grazing
  37. to pile in heaps
  38. to cover with drifts

drift·age ['drif-tij] -n

  1. drifted material

drift·er ['drif-tər] -n

  1. one that drifts
  2. one that travels or moves about aimlessly

drift fence -n

  1. a stretch of fence on rangeland esp. in the western U.S. for preventing cattle from drifting from their home range

drift net -n

  1. a fishing net often miles in extent arranged to drift with the tide or current and buoyed up by floats or attached to a boat

drift·wood ['drift-,wu̇d] -n

  1. wood drifted or floated by water
  2. flotsam

drill ['dril] -vb, n, adj

  1. to fix something in the mind or habit pattern of by repetitive instruction
    • drill pupils in spelling
  2. to impart or communicate by repetition
    • impossible to drill the simplest idea into some people
  3. to train or exercise in military drill
  4. to bore or drive a hole in
  5. to make by piercing action
    • drill a hole
  6. to shoot with or as if with a gun
  7. to propel (as a ball) with force or accuracy
    • drill ed a single to right field
  8. to hit with force
    • drill ed the batter with the first pitch
  9. to make a hole with a drill
  10. to engage in an exercise
  11. an instrument with an edged or pointed end for making holes in hard substances by revolving or by a succession of blows
  12. a machine for operating such an instrument
  13. the act or exercise of training soldiers in marching and in executing prescribed movements with a weapon
  14. a physical or mental exercise aimed at perfecting facility and skill esp. by regular practice
  15. a formal exercise by a team of marchers
  16. the approved, correct, or usual procedure for accomplishing something : routine
  17. a marine snail ( Urosalpinx cinerea) destructive to oysters by boring through their shells and feeding on the soft parts
  18. any of several mollusks related to the drill
  19. a drilling sound
  20. a western African baboon ( Mandrillus leucophaeussyn. Papio leucophaeus) having a black face and brown coat and closely related to the typical mandrills
  21. a shallow furrow or trench into which seed is sown
  22. a row of seed sown in such a furrow
  23. a planting implement that makes holes or furrows, drops in the seed and sometimes fertilizer, and covers them with earth
  24. to sow (seeds) by dropping along a shallow furrow
  25. to sow with seed or set with seedlings inserted in drills
  26. to distribute seed or fertilizer in by means of a drill
  27. a durable cotton twilled fabric

dril·ling ['dri-liŋ] -n

  1. drill

drill·mas·ter ['dril-,mas-tər] -n

  1. an instructor in military drill
  2. an instructor or director who maintains severe discipline and often stresses method and detail

drill press -n

  1. an upright drilling machine in which the drill is pressed to the work by a hand lever or by power

drill team -n

  1. an exhibition marching team that engages in precision drill

drink ['driŋk] -vb

  1. swallow, imbibe
    • drink water
  2. to take in or suck up : absorb
    • drink ing air into his lungs
  3. to take in or receive avidly usu. used with in
    • drank in every word of the lecture
  4. to join in a toast to
    • I'll drink your good health
  5. to bring to a specified state by drinking alcoholic beverages
    • drank himself into oblivion
  6. to take liquid into the mouth for swallowing
  7. to receive into one's consciousness
  8. to partake of alcoholic beverages
    • has quit drink ing
  9. to make or join in a toast
    • I'll drink to that
  10. a liquid suitable for swallowing
  11. alcoholic beverages
  12. a draft or portion of liquid
  13. excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages
    • he took to drink when his business failed
  14. a sizable body of water used with the
    • landed in the drink

drink·able ['driŋ-kə-bəl] -adj, n

  1. suitable or safe for drinking

drinkable -n

  1. a liquid suitable for drinking : beverage

drinkdriv·ing ['driŋk-'drī-viŋ] -n

  1. driving a vehicle while drunk

drink·er ['driŋ-kər] -n

  1. one that drinks
  2. a person who drinks alcoholic beverages esp. to a notable degree
    • a heavy drinker
  3. waterer

drinking fountain -n

  1. a fixture with nozzle that delivers a stream of water for drinking

drinking song -n

  1. a song on a convivial theme appropriate for a group engaged in social drinking

drip ['drip] -vb, n

  1. to let fall in drops
    • a brush dripping paint
  2. to let out or seem to spill copiously
    • her voice dripping sarcasm
    • trees dripping Spanish moss
  3. to let fall drops of moisture or liquid
    • wet clothes dripping onto the floor
  4. to overflow with or as if with moisture
    • stories dripping with pop-culture references
    • toast dripping with butter
  5. to fall in or as if in drops
    • let the excess drip off
  6. to waft or pass gently
  7. a part of a cornice or other member that projects to throw off rainwater
  8. an overlapping metal strip or an underneath groove for the same purpose
  9. a falling in drops
  10. liquid that falls, overflows, or is extruded in drops
    • a pan to catch drip s
  11. the sound made by or as if by falling drops
  12. a device for the administration of a fluid at a slow rate esp. into a vein
  13. a material so administered
  14. a dull or unattractive person
  15. of, relating to, or being coffee made by letting boiling water drip slowly through finely ground coffee
    • drip coffee
    • a drip pot

DRIP -abbr

  1. dividend reinvestment plan

dripdry ['drip-,drī] -vi

  1. to dry with few or no wrinkles when hung wet
  2. to hang (as wet clothing) to drip-dry
  3. made of a washable fabric that drip-dries

drip·less ['drip-ləs] -adj

  1. designed not to drip
    • dripless candles

drip·ping ['dri-piŋ] -n

  1. fat and juices drawn from meat during cooking often used in pl.

drip·py ['dri-pē] -adj

  1. characterized by dripping
  2. rainy, drizzly
  3. mawkish

drip·stone ['drip-,stōn] -n

  1. a stone drip (as over a window)
  2. calcium carbonate in the form of stalactites or stalagmites

drive ['drīv] -vb, n, adj

  1. to frighten or prod (as game or cattle) into moving in a desired direction
  2. to go through (an area) driving game animals
  3. to carry on or through energetically
    • drive s a hard bargain
  4. to impart a forward motion to by physical force
    • waves drove the boat ashore
  5. to repulse, remove, or cause to go by force, authority, or influence
    • drive the enemy back
  6. to set or keep in motion or operation
    • drive machinery by electricity
  7. to move quickly and forcefully down or along
    • drive the lane
    • drive the baseline
  8. to direct the motions and course of (a draft animal)
  9. to operate the mechanism and controls and direct the course of (as a vehicle)
    • drive a car
  10. to convey in a vehicle
    • his father drove me home
  11. to float (logs) down a stream
  12. to exert inescapable or coercive pressure on : force
    • driven by his passions
  13. to compel to undergo or suffer a change (as in situation or emotional state)
    • drove him crazy
    • drove her out of business
  14. to urge relentlessly to continuous exertion
    • the sergeant drove his recruits
  15. to press or force into an activity, course, or direction
    • the drug habit drive s addicts to steal
  16. to project, inject, or impress incisively
    • drove her point home
  17. to force (a passage) by pressing or digging
  18. to propel (an object of play) swiftly or forcefully
    • drove a long fly ball to the warning track
  19. to hit (a golf ball) from the tee esp. with a driver
  20. to drive a golf ball onto (a green)
  21. to cause (a run or runner) to be scored in baseball usu. used with in
  22. to give shape or impulse to
    • factors that drive the business cycle
    • the ideas that have driven history
  23. to dash, plunge, or surge ahead rapidly or violently
  24. to progress with strong momentum
    • the rain was driving hard
  25. to make a quick and forceful move in basketball
    • driving to the hoop
  26. to operate a vehicle
  27. to have oneself carried in a vehicle
  28. to drive a golf ball
  29. : an act of driving:
  30. a trip in a carriage or automobile
    • a short drive to the coast
  31. a collection and driving together of animals
  32. the animals gathered
  33. a driving of cattle or sheep overland
  34. a hunt or shoot in which the game is driven within the hunter's range
  35. the guiding of logs downstream to a mill
  36. the floating logs amassed in a drive
  37. the act or an instance of driving an object of play (as a golf ball)
  38. the flight of a ball
    • a high drive to left field
  39. a private road : driveway
  40. a public road for driving (as in a park)
  41. the state of being hurried and under pressure
  42. a strong systematic group effort
    • a fund-raising drive
  43. a sustained offensive effort
    • the drive ended in a touchdown
  44. the means for giving motion to a machine or machine part
  45. the means by which the propulsive power of an automobile is applied to the road
    • front wheel drive
  46. the means by which the propulsion of an automotive vehicle is controlled and directed
    • a left-hand drive
  47. an offensive, aggressive, or expansionist move
  48. a strong military attack against enemy-held terrain
  49. a quick and aggressive move toward the basket in basketball
  50. an urgent, basic, or instinctual need : a motivating physiological condition of an organism
    • a sexual drive
  51. an impelling culturally acquired concern, interest, or longing
    • the drive to succeed
  52. dynamic quality
  53. a device for reading or writing on magnetic or optical media (as tapes or disks)

driveby ['drīv-'bī] -adj

  1. carried out from a moving vehicle
    • a driveby shooting
  2. done or made in a quick or cursory manner
    • a driveby analysis
  3. a drive-by shooting

drivein ['drīv-,in] -n, adj

  1. an establishment (as a theater or restaurant) so laid out that patrons can be accommodated while remaining in their automobiles

driv·el ['dri-vəl] -vi, n

  1. to let saliva dribble from the mouth : slaver
  2. to talk stupidly and carelessly

drivel -n

  1. drool
  2. nonsense

drive·line ['drīv-,līn] -n

  1. drivetrain

driven ['dri-vən-nəs] -adj, n

  1. having a compulsive or urgent quality
    • a driven sense of obligation
  2. propelled or motivated by something used in combination
    • results- driven

driv·er ['drī-vər] -n, adj

  1. : one that drives: as
  2. coachman
  3. the operator of a motor vehicle
  4. an implement (as a hammer) for driving
  5. a mechanical piece for imparting motion to another piece
  6. one that provides impulse or motivation
    • a driver in this economy
  7. a golf wood with a nearly straight face used in driving
  8. an electronic circuit that supplies input to another electronic circuit
  9. loudspeaker
  10. a piece of computer software that controls input and output operations

driver ant -n

  1. army ant
  2. any of various African and Asian ants ( Dorylusor related genera) that move in vast numbers

driver's license -n

  1. a license issued under governmental authority that permits the holder to operate a motor vehicle

driver's seat -n

  1. the position of top authority or dominance

drive·shaft ['drīv-,shaft] -n

  1. a shaft that transmits mechanical power

drivethrough ['drīv-,thrü] -adj

  1. drive-up
  2. a drive-through establishment (as a restaurant or bank)
  3. the drive-through window at such an establishment

drive time -n

  1. a time during rush hour when radio audiences are swelled by commuters listening to car radios

drive·train ['drīv-,trān] -n

  1. the parts (as the universal joint and the driveshaft) that connect the transmission with the driving axles of an automobile
  2. power train
    • the drivetrain warranty

driveup ['drīv-,əp] -adj

  1. designed to allow patrons or customers to be served while remaining in their automobiles
    • a driveup window

drive·way [-,wā] -n

  1. a private road giving access from a public way to a building on abutting grounds

driving -adj

  1. communicating force
    • a driving wheel
  2. exerting pressure
    • a driving influence
  3. having great force
    • a driving rain
    • a driving beat
  4. acting with vigor : energetic
    • a hard- driving worker

driving range -n

  1. an area equipped with distance markers, clubs, balls, and tees for practicing golf shots

driz·zle ['dri-zəl] -n, adj

  1. a fine misty rain
  2. something that is drizzled
    • a drizzle of syrup

drizzle [-z(ə-)liŋ] -vb, adv

  1. to shed or let fall in minute drops or particles
  2. to make wet with minute drops : sprinkle
    • vegetables drizzled with olive oil
  3. to rain in very small drops or very lightly : sprinkle

drogue ['drōg] -n

  1. sea anchor
  2. a cylindrical or funnel-shaped device towed as a target by an airplane
  3. a small parachute for stabilizing or decelerating something (as an astronaut's capsule) or for pulling a larger parachute out of stowage
  4. a funnel-shaped device which is attached to the end of a long flexible hose suspended from a tanker airplane in flight and into which the probe of another airplane is fitted so as to receive fuel from the tanker

droit ['drȯit, 'drwä] -n

  1. a legal right

droit du sei·gneur [drwä-dᵫ-se-nʸœr] -n

  1. a supposed legal or customary right of a feudal lord to have sexual relations with a vassal's bride on her wedding night

droll ['drōl] -adj, n, adv

  1. having a humorous, whimsical, or odd quality
    • his dignified presence decorated our droll little quarters -- Gwendolyn Brooks
  2. an amusing person : jester, comedian
  3. to make fun : jest, sport

droll·ery ['drōl-rē, 'drō-lə-] -n

  1. something that is droll
  2. a comic picture or drawing
  3. the act or an instance of jesting or burlesquing
  4. whimsical humor

drom·e·dary ['drä-mə-,der-ē also 'drə-, -,de-rē] -n

  1. camel

drone ['drōn] -n

  1. the male of a bee (as the honeybee) that has no sting and gathers no honey
  2. one that lives on the labors of others : parasite
  3. an unmanned aircraft or ship guided by remote control
  4. drudge
  5. drudge
  6. to make a sustained deep murmuring, humming, or buzzing sound
    • droning bees
  7. to talk in a persistently dull or monotonous tone
    • droning on and on about his health
  8. to pass, proceed, or act in a dull, drowsy, or indifferent manner
    • the afternoon droned on
  9. to utter or pronounce with a drone
  10. to pass or spend in dull or monotonous activity or in idleness
  11. a deep sustained or monotonous sound : hum
  12. an instrument or part of an instrument (as one of the fixed-pitch pipes of a bagpipe) that sounds a continuous unvarying tone
  13. pedal point

dron·go ['dräŋ-(,)gō] -n

  1. any of a family (Dicruridae) of insectivorous passerine birds native to Africa, Asia, and Australia that usu. have glossy black plumage and long forked tails

drool ['drül] -vb

  1. to secrete saliva in anticipation of food
  2. drivel
  3. to make an effusive show of pleasure or often envious or covetous appreciation
  4. to talk nonsense
  5. to express sentimentally or effusively
  6. saliva trickling from the mouth
  7. nonsense

droop ['drüp] -vb, adv

  1. to hang or incline downward
  2. to sink gradually
  3. to become depressed or weakened : languish
  4. to let droop
  5. the condition or appearance of drooping

droopy ['drü-pē] -adj

  1. gloomy
  2. drooping or tending to droop

drop ['dräp] -n

  1. the quantity of fluid that falls in one spherical mass
  2. a dose of medicine measured by drops
    • eye drop s for dilating the pupil of the eye
  3. a minute quantity or degree of something nonmaterial or intangible
  4. a small quantity of drink
  5. the smallest practical unit of liquid measure
  6. : something that resembles a liquid drop: as
  7. a pendent ornament attached to a piece of jewelry
  8. an earring with such a pendant
  9. a small globular cookie or candy
  10. the act or an instance of dropping : fall
  11. a decline in quantity or quality
  12. a descent by parachute
  13. the people or equipment dropped by parachute
  14. a place or central depository to which something (as mail, money, or stolen property) is brought for distribution or transmission
  15. the act of depositing something at such a place
    • made the drop
  16. the distance from a higher to a lower level or through which something drops
  17. a decrease in electric potential
  18. a slot into which something is to be dropped
  19. : something that drops, hangs, or falls: as
  20. a movable plate that covers the keyhole of a lock
  21. an unframed piece of cloth stage scenery
  22. drop curtain
  23. a hinged platform on a gallows
  24. a fallen fruit
  25. the advantage of having an opponent covered with a firearm
  26. advantage, superiority usu. used in the phrase get the drop on
  27. a move back from the line of scrimmage (as in preparation for making a forward pass)
    • a quick drop
  28. to fall in drops
  29. to fall unexpectedly or suddenly
  30. to descend from one line or level to another
  31. to fall in a state of collapse or death
  32. to become played by reason of the obligation to follow suit
  33. to fall or roll into a hole or basket
  34. to enter or pass as if without conscious effort of will into some state, condition, or activity
    • dropped into sleep
  35. to cease to be of concern : lapse
    • let the matter drop
  36. to pass from view or notice : disappear often used with out
    • drop out of sight
  37. to become less
    • production dropped
    often used with off
  38. to move with a favoring wind or current usu. used with down
  39. to let fall : cause to fall
  40. give up , abandon
    • drop an idea
    • drop the charges
  41. discontinue
    • dropped what she was doing
  42. to break off an association or connection with : dismiss
    • drop a failing student
  43. to utter or mention in a casual way
    • drop a suggestion
    • drop names
  44. write
    • drop us a line soon
  45. to lower or cause to descend from one level or position to another
  46. to cause to lessen or decrease : reduce
    • dropped his speed
  47. to give birth to
  48. lose
    • dropped three games
    • dropped 50 in a poker game
  49. spend
    • drop 20 for lunch
  50. to get rid of
    • dropped 20 pounds
  51. to bring down with a shot or a blow
  52. to cause (a high card) to fall
  53. to toss or roll into a hole or basket
    • drop a putt
  54. to deposit or deliver during a usu. brief stop usu. used with off
    • drop the kids off at school
  55. air-drop
  56. to cause (the voice) to be less loud
  57. to leave (a letter representing a speech sound) unsounded
    • drop the g in running
  58. to leave out in writing : omit
  59. to draw from an external point
    • drop a perpendicular to the line
  60. to take (a drug) orally : swallow
    • drop acid

drop back -vi

  1. retreat
  2. to move straight back from the line of scrimmage
    • the quarterback drops back to pass

drop by -vi

  1. to pay a brief casual visit
  2. to visit casually or unexpectedly
    • drop by a friend's house

drop cloth -n

  1. a protective sheet (as of cloth or plastic) used esp. by painters to cover floors and furniture

drop curtain -n

  1. a stage curtain that can be lowered and raised

dropdead ['dräp-'ded] -adj, adv

  1. sensationally striking, attractive, or impressive
    • a dropdead evening gown

dropdown ['dräp-,dau̇n] -adj

  1. pull-down
    • a dropdown menu

dropforge ['dräp-,fȯrj] -vt, n

  1. to forge between dies by means of a drop hammer or punch press

drop front -n

  1. a hinged cover on the front of a desk that may be lowered to provide a surface for writing

drop hammer -n

  1. a power hammer raised and then released to drop (as on metal resting on an anvil or die)

drop·head ['dräp-,hed] -n

  1. a convertible automobile

dropin ['dräp-,in] -n

  1. a casual visit or brief stop
  2. one who drops in : a casual visitor

drop in -vi

  1. to pay an unexpected or casual visit often used with on

drop·kick [-,kik] -n

  1. a kick made by dropping a ball to the ground and kicking it at the moment it starts to rebound

dropkick [-,kik] -vi, n

  1. to make a dropkick
  2. to kick by means of a dropkick
    • dropkick a ball
    • dropkick a field goal

drop leaf -n

  1. a hinged leaf on the side or end of a table that can be folded down

drop·let ['dräp-lət] -n

  1. a tiny drop (as of a liquid)

drop·light ['dräp-,līt] -n

  1. an electric light suspended by a cord or on a portable extension

dropoff ['dräp-,ȯf] -n

  1. a very steep or perpendicular descent
  2. a marked dwindling or decline
    • a dropoff in attendance
  3. the act or an instance of making a usu. brief deposit or delivery
    • dropoff points along the route

drop off [,dräp-'ȯf] -vi

  1. to fall asleep

drop·out ['dräp-,au̇t] -n

  1. one who drops out of school
  2. one who drops out of conventional society
  3. one who abandons an attempt, activity, or chosen path
    • a corporate dropout
  4. a momentary defect on a magnetic tape or disk caused by a temporary loss of signal

drop out [,dräp-'au̇t] -vi

  1. to withdraw from participation or membership : quit
  2. to withdraw from conventional society

drop pass -n

  1. a pass in ice hockey in which the passer skates past the puck leaving it for a teammate following close behind

dropped -adj

  1. designed to extend or begin lower than normal
    • a dress with a dropped waist
    • dropped shoulders

dropped egg -n

  1. a poached egg

drop·per ['drä-pər] -n

  1. one that drops
  2. a short glass tube fitted with a rubber bulb and used to measure liquids by drops called also eyedropper medicine dropper

dropping -n

  1. something dropped
  2. dung

drop seat -n

  1. a hinged seat (as in a taxi) that may be dropped down
  2. a seat (as in an undergarment) that can be unbuttoned

dropship ['dräp-,ship] -vt

  1. to ship (goods) from a manufacturer or wholesaler directly to a customer instead of to the retailer who took the order
  2. to ship goods from a supplier directly to a customer

drop shot -n

  1. a delicately hit shot (as in tennis or squash) that drops quickly after crossing the net or dies after hitting a wall

drop·si·cal ['dräp-si-kəl] -adj

  1. turgid, swollen
  2. relating to or affected with dropsy

drop·sy ['dräp-sē] -n

  1. edema

drop tank -n

  1. an auxiliary fuel tank for airplanes that can be jettisoned (as when empty)

droptop ['dräp-,täp] -n

  1. a convertible automobile

drop volley -n

  1. a drop shot made on a volley in tennis

drop zone -n

  1. the area in which troops, supplies, or equipment are to be air-dropped
  2. the target on which a skydiver lands

drosh·ky ['dräsh-kē] -n

  1. any of various 2- or 4-wheeled carriages used esp. in Russia

dro·soph·i·la [drō-'sä-fə-lə] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Drosophila) of fruit flies used in genetic research

dross ['dräs, 'drȯs] -n, adj

  1. the scum that forms on the surface of molten metal
  2. waste or foreign matter : impurity
  3. something that is base, trivial, or inferior

drought ['drau̇t] -n, adj

  1. a period of dryness esp. when prolonged
  2. one that causes extensive damage to crops or prevents their successful growth
  3. a prolonged or chronic shortage or lack of something expected or desired

drove ['drōv] -n

  1. a group of animals driven or moving in a body
  2. a large number : crowd usu. used in pl. esp. with in
    • came in drove s

drove ['drīv] -vb, n, adj

(variant of drive)

  1. to frighten or prod (as game or cattle) into moving in a desired direction
  2. to go through (an area) driving game animals
  3. to carry on or through energetically
    • drive s a hard bargain
  4. to impart a forward motion to by physical force
    • waves drove the boat ashore
  5. to repulse, remove, or cause to go by force, authority, or influence
    • drive the enemy back
  6. to set or keep in motion or operation
    • drive machinery by electricity
  7. to move quickly and forcefully down or along
    • drive the lane
    • drive the baseline
  8. to direct the motions and course of (a draft animal)
  9. to operate the mechanism and controls and direct the course of (as a vehicle)
    • drive a car
  10. to convey in a vehicle
    • his father drove me home
  11. to float (logs) down a stream
  12. to exert inescapable or coercive pressure on : force
    • driven by his passions
  13. to compel to undergo or suffer a change (as in situation or emotional state)
    • drove him crazy
    • drove her out of business
  14. to urge relentlessly to continuous exertion
    • the sergeant drove his recruits
  15. to press or force into an activity, course, or direction
    • the drug habit drive s addicts to steal
  16. to project, inject, or impress incisively
    • drove her point home
  17. to force (a passage) by pressing or digging
  18. to propel (an object of play) swiftly or forcefully
    • drove a long fly ball to the warning track
  19. to hit (a golf ball) from the tee esp. with a driver
  20. to drive a golf ball onto (a green)
  21. to cause (a run or runner) to be scored in baseball usu. used with in
  22. to give shape or impulse to
    • factors that drive the business cycle
    • the ideas that have driven history
  23. to dash, plunge, or surge ahead rapidly or violently
  24. to progress with strong momentum
    • the rain was driving hard
  25. to make a quick and forceful move in basketball
    • driving to the hoop
  26. to operate a vehicle
  27. to have oneself carried in a vehicle
  28. to drive a golf ball
  29. : an act of driving:
  30. a trip in a carriage or automobile
    • a short drive to the coast
  31. a collection and driving together of animals
  32. the animals gathered
  33. a driving of cattle or sheep overland
  34. a hunt or shoot in which the game is driven within the hunter's range
  35. the guiding of logs downstream to a mill
  36. the floating logs amassed in a drive
  37. the act or an instance of driving an object of play (as a golf ball)
  38. the flight of a ball
    • a high drive to left field
  39. a private road : driveway
  40. a public road for driving (as in a park)
  41. the state of being hurried and under pressure
  42. a strong systematic group effort
    • a fund-raising drive
  43. a sustained offensive effort
    • the drive ended in a touchdown
  44. the means for giving motion to a machine or machine part
  45. the means by which the propulsive power of an automobile is applied to the road
    • front wheel drive
  46. the means by which the propulsion of an automotive vehicle is controlled and directed
    • a left-hand drive
  47. an offensive, aggressive, or expansionist move
  48. a strong military attack against enemy-held terrain
  49. a quick and aggressive move toward the basket in basketball
  50. an urgent, basic, or instinctual need : a motivating physiological condition of an organism
    • a sexual drive
  51. an impelling culturally acquired concern, interest, or longing
    • the drive to succeed
  52. dynamic quality
  53. a device for reading or writing on magnetic or optical media (as tapes or disks)

drov·er ['drō-vər] -n

  1. one who drives cattle or sheep

drown ['drau̇n] -vb

  1. to become drowned
  2. to suffocate by submersion esp. in water
  3. to submerge esp. by a rise in the water level
    • villages drown ed by the flooding river
  4. to soak, drench, or cover with a liquid
  5. to engage (oneself) deeply and strenuously
    • drown ed himself in work
  6. to cause (a sound) not to be heard by making a loud noise usu. used with out
  7. to drive out (as a sensation or an idea)
    • drown ed his sorrows in liquor
  8. overwhelm

drownd ['drau̇n] -vb

(variant of drown)

  1. to become drowned
  2. to suffocate by submersion esp. in water
  3. to submerge esp. by a rise in the water level
    • villages drown ed by the flooding river
  4. to soak, drench, or cover with a liquid
  5. to engage (oneself) deeply and strenuously
    • drown ed himself in work
  6. to cause (a sound) not to be heard by making a loud noise usu. used with out
  7. to drive out (as a sensation or an idea)
    • drown ed his sorrows in liquor
  8. overwhelm

drowse ['drau̇z] -vb

  1. to be inactive
  2. to fall into a light slumber
  3. to make drowsy or inactive
  4. to pass (time) drowsily or in drowsing
  5. the act or an instance of drowsing : doze

drowsy ['drau̇-zē] -adj, adv, n

  1. ready to fall asleep
    • the pills made her drowsy
  2. inducing or tending to induce sleep
    • drowsy music
  3. indolent, lethargic
    • drowsy bureaucrats
  4. giving the appearance of peaceful inactivity
    • a drowsy village

drub ['drəb] -vb, n

  1. to beat severely
  2. to berate critically
  3. to defeat decisively
  4. drum, stamp

drudge ['drəj] -vb, n

  1. to do hard, menial, or monotonous work
  2. to force to do hard, menial, or monotonous work
  3. one who is obliged to do menial work
  4. one whose work is routine and boring
  5. menial or tedious labor

drudg·ery ['drəj-rē, 'drə-jə-rē] -n

  1. dull, irksome, and fatiguing work : uninspiring or menial labor

drudg·ing ['drə-jiŋ] -adj, adv

  1. monotonous, tiring

drug ['drəg] -n, adj

  1. a substance used in dyeing or chemical operations
  2. a substance used as a medication or in the preparation of medication
  3. a substance recognized in an official pharmacopoeia or formulary
  4. a substance intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease
  5. a substance other than food intended to affect the structure or function of the body
  6. a substance intended for use as a component of a medicine but not a device or a component, part, or accessory of a device
  7. a commodity that is not salable or for which there is no demand used in the phrase drug on the market
  8. something and often an illegal substance that causes addiction, habituation, or a marked change in consciousness
  9. to affect with a drug
  10. to stupefy by a narcotic drug
  11. to administer a drug to
  12. to lull or stupefy as if with a drug
  13. to take drugs for narcotic effect

drug ['drag] -n

(variant of drag)

  1. something used to drag with
  2. a device for dragging under water to detect or obtain objects
  3. : something that is dragged, pulled, or drawn along or over a surface: as
  4. harrow
  5. a sledge for conveying heavy bodies
  6. conveyance
  7. : the act or an instance of dragging or drawing: as
  8. a drawing along or over a surface with effort or pressure
  9. motion effected with slowness or difficulty
  10. the condition of having or seeming to have such motion
  11. a draw on a pipe, cigarette, or cigar
  12. a draft of liquid
  13. a movement, inclination, or retardation caused by or as if by dragging
  14. influence securing special favor : pull
  15. something that retards motion, action, or advancement
  16. the retarding force acting on a body (as an airplane) moving through a fluid (as air) parallel and opposite to the direction of motion
  17. friction between engine parts
  18. retardation due to friction
  19. burden, encumbrance
    • the drag of population growth on living standards
  20. one that is boring or gets in the way of enjoyment
    • thinks studying is a drag
    • this sickly kid is going to be a social drag -- Edmund Morris
  21. an object drawn over the ground to leave a scented trail
  22. a clog fastened to a trap to prevent the escape of a trapped animal
  23. street, road
    • the main drag
  24. costume, outfit
    • in Victorian drag
  25. clothing typical of one sex worn by a person of the opposite sex often used in the phrase in drag
  26. drag race
  27. to draw slowly or heavily : haul
  28. to cause (as oneself) to move with slowness or difficulty
    • dragged myself up the stairs
  29. to cause to trail along a surface
    • wandered off dragging the leash
  30. to bring by or as if by force or compulsion
    • had to drag her husband to the opera
  31. to extract by or as if by pulling
  32. protract
    • drag a story out
  33. to pass a drag over
    • drag a field
  34. to explore with a drag
    • drag a pond
  35. to catch with a dragnet
  36. to hit (a drag bunt) while moving toward first base
  37. to move (items on a computer screen) esp. by means of a mouse
  38. to hang or lag behind
  39. to fish or search with a drag
  40. to trail along on the ground
  41. to move slowly because of fatigue
    • was dragging after the long trip
  42. to proceed or continue laboriously or tediously
    • the lawsuit dragged on for years
  43. draw
    • drag on a cigarette
  44. to make a plucking or pulling movement
  45. to participate in a drag race
  46. of, being, involving, or intended for a person in drag
    • a drag ball

drug·get ['drə-gət] -n

  1. a wool or partly wool fabric formerly used for clothing
  2. a coarse durable cloth used chiefly as a floor covering
  3. a rug having a cotton warp and a wool filling

drug·gie ['drə-gē] -n

  1. a person who habitually uses drugs

drug·gist ['drə-gist] -n

  1. : a person who sells or dispenses drugs and medicines: as
  2. pharmacist
  3. one who owns or manages a drugstore

drug·mak·er ['drəg-,mā-kər] -n

  1. a company that manufactures pharmaceuticals

drug·store [-,stȯr] -n

  1. a retail store where medicines and miscellaneous articles are sold : pharmacy

drugstore cowboy -n

  1. one who wears cowboy clothes but has had no experience as a cowboy
  2. one who loafs on street corners and in drugstores

dru·id ['drü-id] -n, adj

  1. one of an ancient Celtic priesthood appearing in Irish and Welsh sagas and Christian legends as magicians and wizards

dru·id·ism ['drü-ə-,di-zəm] -n

  1. the system of religion, philosophy, and instruction of the druids

drum ['drəm] -n, adj

  1. a percussion instrument consisting of a hollow shell or cylinder with a drumhead stretched over one or both ends that is beaten with the hands or with some implement (as a stick or wire brush)
  2. tympanic membrane
  3. the sound of a drum
  4. a sound similar to that of a drum
  5. any of various chiefly marine bony fishes (family Sciaenidae) that make a drumming or croaking noise using their air bladder and associated muscles
  6. : something resembling a drum in shape: as
  7. any of the cylindrical blocks that form the shaft of a column
  8. a round wall or structure that supports a dome
  9. a cylindrical machine or mechanical device or part
  10. a cylindrical container
  11. a large usu. metal container for liquids
    • a 55-gallon drum
  12. a disk-shaped magazine for an automatic weapon
  13. to make a succession of strokes or vibrations that produce sounds like drumbeats
  14. to beat a drum
  15. to throb or sound rhythmically
  16. to stir up interest : solicit
  17. to summon or enlist by or as if by beating a drum
    • were drummed into service
  18. to dismiss ignominiously : expel usu. used with out
  19. to drive or force by steady effort or reiteration
    • drummed the speech into her head
  20. to strike or tap repeatedly
  21. to produce (rhythmic sounds) by such action
  22. a long narrow hill or ridge
  23. drumlin

drum·beat ['drəm-,bēt] -n

  1. a stroke on a drum or its sound
  2. a series of such strokes
  3. vociferous advocacy of a cause
  4. drumfire

drum brake -n

  1. a brake that operates by the friction of usu. a pair of shoes pressing against the inner surface of the cylinder of a rotating drum

drum·fire ['drəm-,fī(-ə)r] -n

  1. artillery firing so continuous as to sound like a drumroll
  2. something suggestive of drumfire in intensity : barrage
    • a drumfire of publicity

drum·head [-,hed] -n

  1. the material (as skin or plastic) stretched over one or both ends of a drum
  2. the top of a capstan that is pierced with sockets for the levers used in turning it

drumhead courtmartial -n

  1. a summary court-martial that tries offenses on the battlefield

drum·lin ['drəm-lən] -n

  1. an elongate or oval hill of glacial drift

drum machine -n

  1. an electronic device that simulates the sound of drums

drum major -n

  1. the leader of a marching band

drum majorette -n

  1. a girl or woman who leads a marching band
  2. a baton twirler who accompanies a marching band

drum·mer ['drə-mər] -n

  1. one that plays a drum sometimes used figuratively in phrases denoting unconventional thought or action
    • march to a different drummer
  2. traveling salesman

drum·roll ['drəm-,rōl] -n

  1. a roll on a drum or its sound

drum·stick [-,stik] -n

  1. a stick for beating a drum
  2. the segment of a fowl's leg between the thigh and tarsus

drum up -vt

  1. to bring about by persistent effort
    • drum up some business
  2. invent, originate
    • drum up a new method

drunk ['driŋk] -vb

(variant of drink)

  1. swallow, imbibe
    • drink water
  2. to take in or suck up : absorb
    • drink ing air into his lungs
  3. to take in or receive avidly usu. used with in
    • drank in every word of the lecture
  4. to join in a toast to
    • I'll drink your good health
  5. to bring to a specified state by drinking alcoholic beverages
    • drank himself into oblivion
  6. to take liquid into the mouth for swallowing
  7. to receive into one's consciousness
  8. to partake of alcoholic beverages
    • has quit drink ing
  9. to make or join in a toast
    • I'll drink to that
  10. a liquid suitable for swallowing
  11. alcoholic beverages
  12. a draft or portion of liquid
  13. excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages
    • he took to drink when his business failed
  14. a sizable body of water used with the
    • landed in the drink

drunk·ard ['drəŋ-kərd] -n

  1. one who is habitually drunk

drunk·en ['drəŋ-kən] -adj, adv, n

  1. drunk
    • a drunken driver
  2. saturated with liquid
  3. given to habitual excessive use of alcohol
  4. of, relating to, or characterized by intoxication
    • they come from...broken homes, drunken homes -- P. B. Gilliam
  5. resulting from or as if from intoxication
    • a drunken brawl
  6. unsteady or lurching as if from alcoholic intoxication

drunk tank -n

  1. a large detention cell for arrested drunks

dru·pa·ceous [drü-'pā-shəs] -adj

  1. of or relating to a drupe
  2. bearing drupes

drupe ['drüp] -n

  1. a one-seeded indehiscent fruit having a hard bony endocarp, a fleshy mesocarp, and a thin exocarp that is flexible (as in the cherry) or dry and almost leathery (as in the almond)

drupe·let ['drü-plət] -n

  1. a small drupe
  2. one of the individual parts of an aggregate fruit (as the raspberry)

druth·ers ['drə-thərz] -n pl

  1. free choice : preference used esp. in the phrase if one had one's druthers

Druze ['drüz] -n

  1. a member of a religious sect originating among Muslims and centered in Lebanon and Syria

dry ['drī] -adj, adv, n

  1. free or relatively free from a liquid and esp. water
  2. not being in or under water
  3. lacking precipitation or humidity
  4. characterized by exhaustion of a supply of liquid
    • a dry well
  5. devoid of running water
    • a dry ravine
  6. devoid of natural moisture
    • my throat was dry
  7. no longer sticky or damp
  8. not giving milk
    • a dry cow
  9. lacking freshness : stale
  10. anhydrous
  11. marked by the absence or scantiness of secretions
    • a dry cough
  12. not shedding or accompanied by tears
    • a dry sob
  13. involving no bloodshed or drowning
    • I would fain die a dry death -- Shak.
  14. marked by the absence of alcoholic beverages
    • a dry party
  15. prohibiting the manufacture or distribution of alcoholic beverages
    • a dry county
  16. served or eaten without butter or margarine
    • dry toast
  17. lacking sweetness : sec
    • dry champagne
  18. having all or most sugar fermented to alcohol
    • a dry wine
    • dry beer
  19. solid as opposed to liquid
    • dry groceries
  20. reduced to powder or flakes : dehydrated
    • dry milk
  21. functioning without lubrication
    • a dry clutch
  22. containing no recoverable hydrocarbon (as gasoline)
  23. requiring no liquid in preparation or operation
    • a dry photocopying process
  24. not showing or communicating warmth, enthusiasm, or tender feeling : severe
    • a dry style of painting
  25. wearisome, uninteresting
    • dry passages of description
  26. lacking embellishment : plain
  27. not yielding what is expected or desired : unproductive
    • a writer going through a dry spell
  28. having no personal bias or emotional concern
    • the dry light of reason
  29. reserved, aloof
  30. marked by matter-of-fact, ironic, or terse manner of expression
    • a dry wit
  31. lacking smooth sound qualities
    • a dry rasping voice
  32. being a dry run
    • a dry rehearsal
  33. to make dry
  34. to become dry
  35. the condition of being dry : dryness
  36. something dry
  37. a dry place
  38. prohibitionist

dry·ad ['drī-əd, -,ad] -n

  1. wood nymph

dry·as·dust ['drī-əz-,dəst] -adj, n

  1. boring

dry cell -n

  1. a voltaic cell whose contents are not spillable called also dry battery

dryclean ['drī-,klēn] -vt, adj

  1. to subject to dry cleaning
  2. to undergo dry cleaning

dry cleaner -n

  1. one whose business is dry cleaning

dry cleaning -n

  1. the cleansing of fabrics with substantially nonaqueous organic solvents
  2. something that is dry-cleaned

drydock ['drī-,däk] -vt

  1. to place in a dry dock

dry dock -n

  1. a dock that can be kept dry for use during the construction or repairing of ships

dryerase board -n

  1. whiteboard

dry eye -n

  1. a condition associated with inadequate tear production and marked by redness, itching, and burning of the eye called also dry eye syndrome

dryeyed ['drī-,īd] -adj

  1. not moved to tears or to empathy
  2. marked by the absence of sentimentalism or romanticism

dry farming -n, vt

  1. farming on nonirrigated land with little rainfall that relies on moisture-conserving tillage and drought-resistant crops

dry fly -n

  1. an artificial angling fly designed to float

Dry·gas ['drī-,gas] -trademark

  1. used for fuel-line antifreeze for motor vehicles

dry goods ['drī-,gu̇dz] -n pl

  1. textiles, ready-to-wear clothing, and notions as distinguished esp. from hardware and groceries

dry heaves -n pl

  1. repeated involuntary retching unaccompanied by vomit

dry hole -n

  1. a well (as for gas or oil) that proves unproductive

dry ice -n

  1. solidified carbon dioxide

drying oil -n

  1. an oil (as linseed oil) that changes readily to a hard tough elastic substance when exposed in a thin film to air

dry·land ['drī-,land] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or being a relatively arid region
    • a dryland wheat state
  2. of, adapted to, practicing, or being agricultural methods (as dry farming) suited to such a region

dry·lot ['drī-,lät] -n

  1. an enclosure of limited size usu. bare of vegetation and used for fattening livestock

dry measure -n

  1. a series of units of capacity for dry commodities

dry mop -n

  1. a long-handled mop for dusting floors

drynurse -vt

  1. to act as dry nurse to
  2. to give unnecessary supervision to

dry nurse -n

  1. a nurse who takes care of but does not breast-feed another woman's baby

dryo·pith·e·cine [,drī-ō-'pi-thə-,sīn] -n, adj

  1. any of a subfamily (Dryopithecinae) of Miocene and Pliocene Old World anthropoid apes sometimes regarded as ancestors of both humans and modern anthropoids

dry out -vi

  1. to undergo an extended period of withdrawal from alcohol or drug use esp. at a special clinic

dry·point ['drī-,pȯint] -n

  1. an engraving made with a steel or jeweled point directly into the metal plate without the use of acid as in etching
  2. a print made from such an engraving

dryrot -vt

  1. to affect with dry rot
  2. to become affected with dry rot

dry rot -n

  1. a decay of seasoned timber caused by fungi that consume the cellulose of wood leaving a soft skeleton which is readily reduced to powder
  2. a fungal rot of plant tissue in which the affected areas are dry and often firmer than normal or more or less mummified
  3. a fungus causing dry rot
  4. decay from within caused esp. by resistance to new forces

dry run -n

  1. a practice exercise : rehearsal, trial
  2. a practice firing without ammunition

dry·salt·er ['drī-,sȯl-tər] -n

  1. a dealer in crude dry chemicals and dyes

dryshod ['drī-,shäd] -adj

  1. having dry shoes or feet

dry sink -n

  1. a cabinet with a tray top for holding a wash basin

dry·stone ['drī-,stōn] -adj

  1. constructed of stone without the use of mortar as an adhesive
    • a drystone wall

dry suit -n

  1. a close-fitting air-insulated waterproof suit for divers

dry up -vt

  1. to cut off the supply of
  2. to disappear as if by evaporation, draining, or cutting off of a source of supply
  3. to wither or die through gradual loss of vitality
  4. to stop talking

dry·wall ['drī-,wȯl] -n

  1. a board made of several plies of fiberboard, paper, or felt bonded to a hardened gypsum plaster core and used esp. as wallboard

dry wash -n

  1. wash

dry well -n

  1. a hole in the ground filled with gravel or rubble to receive drainage water and allow it to percolate away