du·al ['dü(-ə)l also 'dyü-əl] -adj, adv

  1. denoting reference to two
  2. consisting of two parts or elements or having two like parts : double
  3. having a double character or nature

dual -n

  1. the dual number of a language
  2. a linguistic form in the dual

dual carriageway -n

  1. a divided highway

dual citizenship -n

  1. the status of an individual who is a citizen of two or more nations

dualenergy Xray absorptiometry -n

  1. absorptiometry in which the density or mass of a material (as bone) is measured by comparing the material's absorption of X rays of two different energies and which is used esp. for determining the mineral content of bone

du·al·ism ['dü-ə-,li-zəm also 'dyü-] -n, adj, adv

  1. a theory that considers reality to consist of two irreducible elements or modes
  2. the quality or state of being dual or of having a dual nature
  3. a doctrine that the universe is under the dominion of two opposing principles one of which is good and the other evil
  4. a view of human beings as constituted of two irreducible elements (as matter and spirit)

du·al·i·ty [dü-'a-lə-tē also dyü-] -n

  1. dualism
  2. dichotomy

du·al·ize ['dü-ə-,līz also 'dyü-] -vt

  1. to make dual

dualpurpose -adj

  1. having breed characteristics that serve two purposes
    • dualpurpose cattle that supply milk and meat

dub ['dəb] -vt, n

  1. to confer knighthood on
  2. to call by a distinctive title, epithet, or nickname
  3. to trim or remove the comb and wattles of
  4. to hit (a golf ball or shot) poorly
  5. to execute poorly
    • a dubbed attempt
  6. one who is inept or clumsy
  7. pool, puddle
  8. to add (sound effects or new dialogue) to a film or to a radio or television production usu. used with in
  9. to provide (a motion-picture film) with a new sound track and esp. dialogue in a different language
  10. to make a new recording of (sound or videotape already recorded)
  11. to mix (recorded sound or videotape from different sources) into a single recording
  12. Jamaican popular music in which audio effects and spoken or chanted words are imposed on an instrumental reggae background

dub·bin ['də-bən] -n

  1. a dressing of oil and tallow for leather

du·bi·ety [du̇-'bī-ət-ē also dyü-] -n

  1. a usu. hesitant uncertainty or doubt that tends to cause vacillation
  2. a matter of doubt

du·bi·ous ['dü-bē-əs also dyü-] -adj, adv, n

  1. : giving rise to uncertainty: as
  2. of doubtful promise or outcome
    • a dubious plan
  3. questionable or suspect as to true nature or quality
    • the practice is of dubious legality
  4. unsettled in opinion : doubtful
    • I was dubious about the plan

du·bi·ta·ble ['dü-bə-tə-bəl also 'dyü-] -adj

  1. open to doubt or question

du·bi·ta·tion [,d(y)ü-bə-'tā-shən] -n

  1. doubt

Dub·lin Bay prawn ['də-blən-'bā-] -n

  1. langoustine

dub·ni·um ['düb-nē-əm, 'dəb-] -n

  1. a short-lived radioactive element produced artificially

du·cal ['dü-kəl also 'dyü-] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to a duke or dukedom

duc·at ['də-kət] -n

  1. a former European usu. gold coin
  2. ticket

du·ce ['dü-(,)chā] -n

  1. leader used esp. for the leader of the Italian Fascist party

Du·chenne muscular dystrophy [dü-'shen-, də-] -n

  1. a severe progressive X-linked muscular dystrophy of males with early childhood onset that is characterized by absence of the protein dystrophin called also Duchenne's muscular dystrophy

duch·ess ['də-chəs] -n

  1. the wife or widow of a duke
  2. a woman who holds the rank of duke in her own right

duchy ['də-chē] -n

  1. the territory of a duke or duchess : dukedom
  2. special domain

duck ['dək] -n

  1. any of various swimming birds (family Anatidae, the duck family) in which the neck and legs are short, the feet typically webbed, the bill often broad and flat, and the sexes usu. different from each other in plumage
  2. the flesh of any of these birds used as food
  3. a female duck
  4. darling often used in pl. but sing. in constr.
  5. person, creature
  6. to thrust under water
  7. to lower (as the head) quickly : bow
  8. avoid, evade
    • duck the issue
  9. to plunge under the surface of water
  10. to descend suddenly : dip
  11. to lower the head or body suddenly : dodge
  12. bow, bob
  13. to move quickly
  14. to evade a duty, question, or responsibility
  15. an instance of ducking
  16. a durable closely woven usu. cotton fabric
  17. light clothes and esp. trousers made of duck

duck·bill ['dək-,bil] -n

  1. platypus
  2. hadrosaur

duckbilled dinosaur -n

  1. hadrosaur

duckbilled platypus -n

  1. platypus

duck·board [-,bȯrd] -n

  1. a boardwalk or slatted flooring laid on a wet, muddy, or cold surface usu. used in pl.

duck call -n

  1. a device for imitating the calls of ducks

duck hook -n, vt

  1. a pronounced and unintended hook in golf

ducking stool -n

  1. a seat attached to a plank and formerly used to plunge culprits tied to it into water

duck·ling ['dək-liŋ, 'də-kliŋ] -n

  1. a young duck

duck·pin [-,pin] -n

  1. a small bowling pin shorter than a tenpin but proportionately wider at mid-diameter
  2. a bowling game using duckpins

ducks and drakes -n

  1. the pastime of skimming flat stones or shells along the surface of calm water

duck sauce -n

  1. a thick sauce in Chinese cuisine that contains fruits (as plums or apricots), vinegar, sweeteners, and seasonings

duck soup -n

  1. something easy to do

duck·tail ['dək-,tāl] -n

  1. a hairstyle in which the hair on each side is slicked back to meet in a ridge at the back of the head

duck·walk ['dək-,wȯk] -vi

  1. to walk while in a crouch or full squatting position

duck·weed ['dək-,wēd] -n

  1. a small floating aquatic monocotyledonous plant (family Lemnaceae, the duckweed family)

ducky ['də-kē] -adj

  1. darling, cute
    • a ducky little tearoom
  2. satisfactory, fine
    • everything is just ducky

duct ['dəkt] -n, adj

  1. a bodily tube or vessel esp. when carrying the secretion of a gland
  2. a pipe, tube, or channel that conveys a substance
  3. a pipe or tubular runway for carrying an electric power line, telephone cables, or other conductors
  4. a tube or elongated cavity (as a xylem vessel) in plant tissue
  5. a layer (as in the atmosphere or the ocean) which occurs under usu. abnormal conditions and in which radio or sound waves are confined to a restricted path
  6. to enclose in a duct
  7. to convey (as a gas) through a duct
  8. to propagate (as radio waves) through a duct

duc·tile ['dək-tᵊl, -,tī(-ə)l] -adj, n

  1. capable of being drawn out into wire or thread
    • ductile iron
  2. easily led or influenced
  3. capable of being fashioned into a new form

duct·ing ['dək-tiŋ] -n

  1. a system of ducts
  2. the material composing a duct

ductless gland -n

  1. endocrine gland

duct tape ['dək(t)-] -n

  1. a wide cloth adhesive tape orig. designed for sealing joints in heating or air-conditioning ducts

duct·ule ['dək-(,)chül] -n

  1. a small duct

duc·tus ar·te·ri·o·sus ['dək-təs-är-,tir-ē-'ō-səs] -n

  1. a short broad vessel in the fetus that connects the pulmonary artery with the aorta and conducts most of the blood directly from the right ventricle to the aorta bypassing the lungs

duct·work ['dəkt-,wərk] -n

  1. ducting

dud ['dəd] -n

  1. clothing
  2. personal belongings
  3. one that is ineffectual
  4. failure
    • a box-office dud
  5. misfit
  6. a bomb or missile that fails to explode
  7. of little or no worth : valueless
    • dud checks

dud·die ['də-dē] -adj

  1. ragged, tattered

dude ['düd also 'dyüd] -n, adj, adv

  1. a man extremely fastidious in dress and manner : dandy
  2. a city dweller unfamiliar with life on the range
  3. an Easterner in the West
  4. fellow, guy sometimes used informally as a term of address
    • hey, dude, what's up
  5. dress up usu. used with up

du·deen [dü-'dēn] -n

  1. a short tobacco pipe made of clay

dude ranch -n

  1. a vacation resort offering activities (as horseback riding) typical of western ranches

dud·geon ['də-jən] -n

  1. a wood used esp. for dagger hilts
  2. a dagger with a handle of dudgeon
  3. a haft made of dudgeon

dudgeon -n

  1. a fit or state of indignation often used in the phrase in high dudgeon

due ['dü, 'dyü] -adj, n

  1. owed or owing as a debt
  2. owed or owing as a natural or moral right
    • everyone's right to dissent...is due the full protection of the Constitution -- Nat Hentoff
  3. according to accepted notions or procedures : appropriate
    • with all due respect
  4. satisfying or capable of satisfying a need, obligation, or duty : adequate
    • giving the matter due attention
  5. regular, lawful
    • due proof of loss
  6. capable of being attributed : ascribable used with to
    • this advance is partly due to a few men of genius -- A. N. Whitehead
  7. having reached the date at which payment is required : payable
    • the rent is due
  8. required or expected in the prescribed, normal, or logical course of events : scheduled
    • the train is due at noon
  9. expected to give birth
  10. : something due or owed: as
  11. something that rightfully belongs to one
    • give him his due
  12. a payment or obligation required by law or custom : debt
  13. fees, charges
    • membership due s
  14. directly, exactly
    • due north
  15. duly

due diligence -n

  1. the care that a reasonable person exercises under the circumstances to avoid harm to other persons or their property
  2. research and analysis of a company or organization done in preparation for a business transaction (as a corporate merger or purchase of securities)

du·el ['dü-əl also 'dyü-] -n

  1. a combat between two persons
  2. a formal combat with weapons fought between two persons in the presence of witnesses
  3. a conflict between antagonistic persons, ideas, or forces
  4. a hard-fought contest between two opponents

duel ['dü-ə-list] -vb, n

  1. to fight a duel
  2. to encounter (an opponent) in a duel

du·el·lo [d(y)ü-'e-(,)lō] -n

  1. the rules or practice of dueling
  2. duel

du·en·de [dü-'en-(,)dā] -n

  1. the power to attract through personal magnetism and charm

du·en·na [dü-'e-nə, 'dyü-] -n

  1. an elderly woman serving as governess and companion to the younger ladies in a Spanish or a Portuguese family
  2. chaperone

due process -n

  1. a course of formal proceedings (as legal proceedings) carried out regularly and in accordance with established rules and principles called also procedural due process
  2. a judicial requirement that enacted laws may not contain provisions that result in the unfair, arbitrary, or unreasonable treatment of an individual called also substantive due process

du·et [dü-'et also dyü-] -n

  1. a composition for two performers

duet -vi

  1. to perform a duet

due to -prep

  1. as a result of : because of
    • due to the complaints of uptight parents...he lost his job -- Herbert Gold

duff ['dəf] -n

  1. a boiled or steamed pudding often containing dried fruit
  2. the partly decayed organic matter on the forest floor
  3. fine coal : slack
  4. buttocks
    • get off your duff
  5. inferior, worthless

duf·fel ['də-fəl] -n

  1. a coarse heavy woolen material with a thick nap
  2. transportable personal belongings, equipment, and supplies
  3. duffel bag
  4. duffle coat

duffel bag -n

  1. a soft oblong bag for personal belongings

duf·fer ['də-fər] -n

  1. a peddler esp. of cheap flashy articles
  2. something counterfeit or worthless
  3. an incompetent, ineffectual, or clumsy person
  4. a mediocre golfer
  5. a cattle rustler

duffle coat ['də-fəl-] -n

  1. a heavy usu. woolen medium-length coat with toggle fasteners and a hood

dufus ['dü-fəs, -fis] -n

(variant of doofus)

  1. a stupid, incompetent, or foolish person

dug ['dig] -vb

(variant of dig)

  1. to break up, turn, or loosen (as earth) with an implement
  2. to prepare the soil of
    • dig a garden
  3. to bring to the surface by digging : unearth
    • dig potatoes
  4. to bring to light or out of hiding
    • dig up facts
  5. to hollow out or form by removing earth : excavate
    • dig a hole
  6. to drive down so as to penetrate : thrust
  7. poke, prod
  8. to pay attention to : notice
    • dig that fancy hat
  9. understand, appreciate
    • couldn't dig the medical jargon
  10. like, admire
    • high school students dig short poetry -- David Burmester
  11. to turn up, loosen, or remove earth
  12. to work hard or laboriously
  13. to advance by or as if by removing or pushing aside material
  14. thrust, poke
  15. a cutting remark
  16. accommodations for living or working
  17. lodging, hotel
  18. an archaeological excavation site
  19. the excavation itself
  20. digest

du·gong ['dü-,gäŋ, -,gȯŋ] -n

  1. a sirenian mammal ( Dugong dugonof the family Dugongidae) of a monotypic genus that has a bilobed tail and in the male upper incisors altered into short tusks and that inhabits warm coastal waters chiefly of southern Asia, Australia, and northeastern Africa

dug·out ['dəg-,au̇t] -n

  1. a boat made by hollowing out a large log
  2. a shelter dug in a hillside
  3. a shelter dug in the ground and roofed with sod
  4. an area in the side of a trench for quarters, storage, or protection
  5. either of two low shelters on either side of and facing a baseball diamond that contain the players' benches

duh ['də, usu with prolonged ə] -interj

  1. used to express actual or feigned ignorance or stupidity
  2. used derisively to indicate that something just stated is all too obvious or self-evident

DUI [,dē-(,)yü-'ī] -n

  1. the act or crime of driving while affected by alcohol or drugs
    • was arrested for DUI
  2. a person who is arrested for or convicted of driving under the influence
  3. an arrest or conviction for driving under the influence

dui·ker ['dī-kər] -n

  1. any of several small African antelopes comprising two genera ( Cephalophusand Sylvicapra)

duit ['dȯit] -n

(variant of doit)

  1. an old Dutch coin equal to about stiver
  2. trifle

du jour [dü-'zhər, də-, -'zhu̇r, -'zhür] -adj

  1. made for a particular day used of an item not specified on the regular menu
    • soup du jour
  2. popular, fashionable, or prominent at a particular time
    • the buzzword du jour

duke ['dük also 'dyük] -n

  1. a sovereign male ruler of a continental European duchy
  2. a nobleman of the highest hereditary rank
  3. a member of the highest grade of the British peerage
  4. fist, hand usu. used in pl.
  5. fight

dul·cet ['dəl-sət] -adj, adv

  1. sweet to the taste
  2. pleasing to the ear
    • dulcet tones
  3. generally pleasing or agreeable
    • a dulcet smile

dul·ci·fy ['dəl-sə-,fī] -vt

  1. to make sweet
  2. to make agreeable : mollify

dul·ci·mer ['dəl-sə-mər] -n

  1. a stringed instrument of trapezoidal shape played with light hammers held in the hands
  2. an American folk instrument with three or four strings stretched over an elongate fretted sound box that is held on the lap and played by plucking or strumming

dul·ci·nea [,dəl-sə-'nē-ə, -'si-nē-ə] -n

  1. mistress, sweetheart

dull ['dəl] -adj, n, adv

  1. mentally slow : stupid
  2. slow in perception or sensibility : insensible
    • somewhat dull of hearing
  3. lacking zest or vivacity : listless
    • a dull performance
  4. slow in action : sluggish
  5. lacking in force, intensity, or sharpness
    • a dull ache
  6. not resonant or ringing
    • a dull booming sound
  7. lacking sharpness of edge or point
    • a dull knife
  8. lacking brilliance or luster
    • a dull finish
  9. low in saturation and low in lightness
  10. cloudy
    • dull weather
  11. tedious, uninteresting
    • dull lectures
  12. to make dull
    • dull a knife's edge
  13. to become dull

dull·ard ['də-lərd] -n

  1. a stupid or unimaginative person

dull·ish ['də-lish] -adj, adv

  1. somewhat dull

dulls·ville ['dəlz-,vil] -n

  1. something or some place that is dull or boring
    • the movie was dullsville

dulse ['dəls] -n

  1. any of several coarse red seaweeds (esp. Palmaria palmata) found esp. in northern latitudes and used as a food condiment

du·ly ['dü-lē also 'dyü-] -adv

  1. in a due manner or time : properly
    • a duly elected official
    • duly noted

du·ma ['dü-mə, -(,)mä] -n

  1. a representative council in Russia
  2. the principal legislative assembly in Russia from 1906 to 1917 and since 1993

dumb ['dəm] -adj, adv, n

  1. lacking the human power of speech
    • dumb animals
  2. lacking the ability to speak
  3. temporarily unable to speak (as from shock or astonishment)
    • struck dumb with fear
  4. not expressed in uttered words
    • dumb grief
  5. silent
  6. taciturn
  7. lacking some usual attribute or accompaniment
  8. having no means of self-propulsion
    • a dumb barge
  9. lacking intelligence : stupid
  10. showing a lack of intelligence
    • asking dumb questions
  11. requiring no intelligence
    • dumb luck
  12. not having the capability to process data
    • a dumb terminal
  13. to make silent : deaden
    • would lie around, dumb ed by the drugs -- Norman Mailer

dumb·bell ['dəm-,bel] -n

  1. a short bar with weights at each end that is used usu. in pairs for exercise
  2. a stupid person
  3. dummy

dumb cane -n

  1. dieffenbachia

dumb down -vt

  1. to lower the level of difficulty and the intellectual content of (as a textbook)
  2. to lower the general level of intelligence in
    • the dumbing down of society

dumb·found [,dəm-'fau̇nd, 'dəm-,] -vt, adv

  1. to confound briefly and usu. with astonishment

dumb·head ['dəm-,hed] -n

  1. a stupid person : blockhead

dumb show -n

  1. a part of a play presented in pantomime
  2. signs and gestures without words : pantomime

dumb·struck ['dəm-,strək] -adj

  1. made silent by astonishment

dumb·wait·er ['dəm-,wā-tər, ,dəm-'] -n

  1. a portable serving table or stand
  2. a small elevator used for conveying food and dishes from one story of a building to another

dum·dum ['dəm-,dəm] -n

  1. a bullet (as one with a hollow point) that expands more than usual upon hitting an object

dumdum ['dəm-,dəm] -n

  1. a stupid person : dummy

dum·ka ['du̇m-kə] -n

  1. an Eastern European folk ballad or lament usu. with alternating slow and fast sections

dumm·kopf ['du̇m-,kȯpf] -n

  1. blockhead

dum·my ['də-mē] -n

  1. a person who is incapable of speaking
  2. a person who is habitually silent
  3. a stupid person
  4. the exposed hand in bridge played by the declarer in addition to his or her own hand
  5. a bridge player whose hand is a dummy
  6. : an imitation, copy, or likeness of something used as a substitute: as
  7. mannequin
  8. a stuffed figure or cylindrical bag used by football players for tackling and blocking practice
  9. a large puppet usu. having movable features (as mouth and arms) manipulated by a ventriloquist
  10. pacifier
  11. one seeming to act independently but in reality controlled by another
  12. a mock-up of a proposed publication (as a book or magazine)
  13. a set of pages (as for a newspaper or magazine) with the position of text and artwork indicated for the printer

dummy -adj

  1. having the appearance of being real : artificial
    • dummy foods in the display case
  2. existing in name only : fictitious
    • dummy corporations
  3. apparently acting for oneself while really acting for or at the direction of another
    • a dummy director
  4. to make a dummy of (as a publication) often used with up
    • dummied up the front page

dummy up -vi

  1. to say nothing : clam up

dummy variable -n

  1. an arbitrary mathematical symbol or variable that can be replaced by another without affecting the value of the expression in which it occurs

du·mor·ti·er·ite [du̇-'mȯr-tē-ə-,rīt also dyu̇-] -n

  1. a bright esp. blue mineral consisting of a borosilicate of aluminum

dump ['dəmp] -vb

  1. to let fall in or as if in a heap or mass
    • dump ed his clothes on the bed
  2. to get rid of unceremoniously or irresponsibly
    • got dump ed by his girlfriend
  3. jettison
    • an airplane dump ing gasoline
  4. to knock down : beat
    • the man rushed out and dump ed him -- John Corry
  5. to sell in quantity at a very low price
  6. to sell abroad at less than the market price at home
  7. to copy (data in a computer's internal storage) to an external storage or output device
  8. to hit or throw short and softly
    • dump a pass to a running back
    • dump a bunt down the line
  9. to hit (a puck) deep into the opponent's zone in ice hockey
  10. to fall abruptly : plunge
  11. to dump refuse
  12. an accumulation of refuse and discarded materials
  13. a place where such materials are dumped
  14. a quantity of reserve materials accumulated at one place
  15. a place where such materials are stored
    • ammunition dump
  16. a disorderly, slovenly, or objectionable place
  17. an instance of dumping data stored in a computer
  18. an act of defecation usu. used with take

dump·er ['dəm-pər] -n

  1. : one that dumps: as
  2. dump truck
  3. a device used for unloading freight cars by tilting or dumping
  4. a state of collapse, failure, or ruin
    • the economy is in the dumper

dumper truck -n

  1. dump truck

dump·ing ['dəm-piŋ] -n

  1. the act of one that dumps
  2. the selling of goods in quantity at below market price
  3. the practice of refusing emergency medical care to poor or uninsured patients or of referring them to another hospital without that hospital's consent called also patient dumping

dumping ground -n

  1. a place to which unwanted people or things are sent

dump·ish ['dəm-pish] -adj

  1. sad, melancholy

dump·ling ['dəmp-liŋ] -n

  1. a small mass of leavened dough cooked by boiling or steaming
  2. a usu. baked dessert of fruit wrapped in dough
  3. something soft and rounded like a dumpling
  4. a short fat person or animal

dumps ['dəm(p)s] -n pl

  1. a gloomy state of mind : despondency
    • in the dumps

Dump·ster ['dəm(p)-stər] -trademark

  1. used for a large trash receptacle

dump truck -n

  1. an automotive truck for the transportation of bulk material that has a body which tilts to dump its contents

dumpy ['dəm-pē] -adj, adv, n

  1. being short and thick in build : squat
  2. shabby, dingy

dumpy level -n

  1. a surveyor's level with a short telescope rigidly fixed and rotating only in a horizontal plane

dun ['dən] -adj, n

  1. having the color dun
  2. having a grayish-yellow coat with black mane and tail
  3. marked by dullness and drabness
  4. a dun horse
  5. a variable color averaging a nearly neutral slightly brownish dark gray
  6. a subadult mayfly
  7. an artificial fly tied to imitate such an insect
  8. to make persistent demands upon for payment
  9. plague, pester
  10. a person who duns
  11. an urgent request
  12. a demand for payment

Dun·can Phyfe [,dəŋ-kən-'fīf] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or constituting furniture designed and built by or in the style of Duncan Phyfe

dunce ['dən(t)s] -n

  1. a slow-witted or stupid person

dunce cap -n

  1. a conical cap formerly used as a punishment for slow learners at school called also dunce's cap

dun·der·head ['dən-dər-,hed] -n, adj

  1. dunce, blockhead

dun·drea·ries [,dən-'drir-ēz] -n pl

  1. long flowing sideburns

dune ['dün also 'dyün] -n, adj

  1. a hill or ridge of sand piled up by the wind

dune buggy -n

  1. an off-road motor vehicle with oversize tires for use esp. on sand

dune·land ['dün-,land] -n

  1. an area having many dunes

dung ['dəŋ] -n, adj

  1. the feces of an animal : manure
  2. something repulsive
  3. to fertilize or dress with manure
  4. defecate

dun·ga·ree [,dəŋ-gə-'rē, 'dəŋ-gə-,] -n, adj

  1. a heavy coarse durable cotton twill woven from colored yarns
  2. blue denim
  3. clothes made usu. of blue denim

dung beetle -n

  1. a beetle (as a tumblebug) that rolls balls of dung in which to lay eggs and on which the larvae feed

Dunge·ness crab [,dən-jə-,nes-] -n

  1. a large edible crab ( Cancer magister) of the Pacific coast of No. America from Alaska to California

dun·geon ['dən-jən] -n

  1. donjon
  2. a dark usu. underground prison or vault

dung·hill ['dəŋ-,hil] -n

  1. a heap of dung
  2. something (as a situation or condition) that is repulsive or degraded

du·nite ['dü-,nīt, 'də-] -n, adj

  1. a granular igneous rock consisting chiefly of olivine

dunk ['dəŋk] -vb

  1. to dip (as a piece of bread) into a beverage while eating
  2. to dip or submerge temporarily in liquid
  3. to throw (a basketball) into the basket from above the rim
  4. to submerge oneself in water
  5. to make a dunk shot in basketball
  6. the act or action of dunking
  7. dunk shot

dunk·er ['dəŋ-kər] -n

  1. one that dunks
  2. a basketball player who makes dunk shots

Dun·ker ['dəŋ-kər] -n

  1. a member of the Church of the Brethren or any of several other orig. German Baptist denominations practicing trine immersion and love feasts and refusing to take oaths or to perform military service

Dun·kirk ['dən-,kərk, ,dən-'] -n

  1. a retreat to avoid total defeat
  2. a crisis situation that requires a desperate last effort to forestall certain failure
    • a Dunkirk for U.S. foreign policy -- Time

dunk shot -n

  1. a shot in basketball made by jumping high into the air and throwing the ball down through the basket

dun·lin ['dən-lən] -n

  1. a small widely distributed sandpiper ( Calidris alpina) largely cinnamon to rusty brown above and white below

Dun·lop ['dən-,läp, ,dən-'] -n

  1. a Scottish cheese similar to cheddar

dun·nage ['də-nij] -n

  1. loose materials used to support and protect cargo in a ship's hold
  2. padding in a shipping container
  3. baggage

duo ['dü-(,)ō also 'dyü-] -n

  1. duet
  2. pair

duo- -comb form

  1. two
    • duo logue

duo·dec·i·mal [,dü-ə-'de-sə-məl, ,dyü-] -adj, n

  1. of, relating to, or proceeding by twelve or the scale of twelves

duo·dec·i·mo [-,mō] -n

  1. twelvemo

du·o·de·num [,dü-ə-'dē-nəm, du̇-'ä-də-nəm also (,)dyü-] -n, adj

  1. the first part of the small intestine extending from the pylorus to the jejunum

duo·logue ['dü-ə-,lȯg, -,läg also 'dyü-] -n

  1. a dialogue between two persons

duo·mo ['dwȯ-(,)mō] -n

  1. cathedral

du·op·o·ly [du̇-'ä-pə-lē also dyu̇-] -n, adj

  1. an oligopoly limited to two sellers
  2. preponderant influence or control by two political powers

dup ['dəp] -vt

  1. open
  2. duplex
  3. duplicate

dupe ['düp also 'dyüp] -n

  1. one that is easily deceived or cheated : fool
  2. to make a dupe of
  3. duplicate

dup·ery ['dü-pə-rē also 'dyü-] -n

  1. the condition of being duped
  2. the act or practice of duping

du·ple ['dü-pəl also 'dyü-] -adj

  1. having two elements
  2. marked by two or a multiple of two beats per measure of music
    • duple time
  3. consisting of a meter based on disyllabic feet

du·plex ['dü-,pleks also 'dyü-] -adj

  1. having two principal elements or parts : double, twofold
  2. having two complementary polynucleotide strands of DNA or of DNA and RNA
  3. allowing telecommunication in opposite directions simultaneously

duplex -vt

  1. to make duplex
  2. : something duplex: as
  3. a 2-family house
  4. duplex apartment
  5. a duplex molecule of DNA or of RNA and DNA

duplex apartment -n

  1. an apartment having rooms on two floors

du·plex·er ['dü-,plek-sər also 'dyü-] -n

  1. a switching device that permits alternate transmission and reception with the same radio antenna

du·pli·cate ['dü-pli-kət also 'dyü-] -adj

  1. consisting of or existing in two corresponding or identical parts or examples
    • duplicate invoices
  2. being the same as another
    • duplicate copies
  3. to make double or twofold
  4. to make a copy of
    • a cell duplicate s itself when it divides
  5. to produce something equal to
    • trying to duplicate last year's success
  6. to do over or again often needlessly
    • duplicated effort
  7. to become duplicated
  8. repeat
  9. either of two things exactly alike and usu. produced at the same time or by the same process
  10. an additional copy of something (as a book or stamp) already in a collection
  11. one that resembles or corresponds to another : counterpart
  12. two identical copies used in the phrase in duplicate

duplicate bridge -n

  1. a tournament form of contract bridge in which identical deals are played in order to compare individual scores

du·pli·ca·tion [,dü-pli-'kā-shən also ,dyü-] -n

  1. the act or process of duplicating
  2. the quality or state of being duplicated
  3. duplicate, counterpart
  4. a part of a chromosome in which the genetic material is repeated
  5. the process of forming a duplication

du·pli·ca·tor ['dü-pli-,kā-tər also 'dyü-] -n

  1. one that duplicates
  2. a machine for making copies of graphic matter

du·plic·i·tous [du̇-'pli-sə-təs also dyu̇-] -adj, adv

  1. marked by duplicity
  2. deceptive in words or action

du·plic·i·ty [du̇-'pli-sə-tē also dyu̇-] -n

  1. contradictory doubleness of thought, speech, or action
  2. the belying of one's true intentions by deceptive words or action
  3. the quality or state of being double or twofold
  4. the technically incorrect use of two or more distinct items (as claims, charges, or defenses) in a single legal action

du·ra·ble ['du̇r-ə-bəl also 'dyu̇r-] -adj, n, adv

  1. able to exist for a long time without significant deterioration
  2. designed to be durable
    • durable goods

durable press -n

  1. permanent press

du·ra·bles ['du̇r-ə-bəlz also 'dyu̇r-] -n pl

  1. consumer goods (as vehicles and household appliances) that are typically used repeatedly over a period of years called also durable goods

du·ral·u·min [du̇-'ral-yə-mən also dyu̇-] -n

  1. a light strong alloy of aluminum, copper, manganese, and magnesium

du·ra ma·ter ['du̇r-ə-,mā-tər, 'dyu̇r-, -,mä-] -n

  1. the tough fibrous membrane that envelops the brain and spinal cord external to the arachnoid and pia mater

du·rance ['du̇r-ən(t)s also 'dyu̇r-] -n

  1. endurance
  2. restraint by or as if by physical force usu. used in the phrase durance vile

du·ra·tion [du̇-'rā-shən also dyu̇-] -n

  1. continuance in time
  2. the time during which something exists or lasts

du·ra·tive ['du̇r-ə-tiv, 'dyu̇r-] -adj, n

  1. continuative

dur·bar ['dər-,bär, ,dər-'] -n

  1. court held by an Indian prince
  2. a formal reception held by an Indian prince or an African ruler

du·ress [du̇-'res also dyu̇-] -n

  1. forcible restraint or restriction
  2. compulsion by threat
  3. unlawful constraint

Dur·ham ['dər-əm, 'də-rəm, 'du̇r-əm] -n

  1. shorthorn

Durham Rule -n

  1. a legal hypothesis under which a person is not judged responsible for a criminal act that is attributed to a mental disease or defect

du·ri·an ['du̇r-ē-ən, -ē-,än also 'dyu̇r-] -n

  1. a large oval tasty but foul-smelling fruit with a prickly rind
  2. an East Indian tree ( Durio zibethinus) of the silk-cotton family that bears durians

dur·ing ['du̇r-iŋ also 'dyu̇r-] -prep

  1. throughout the duration of
    • swims every day during the summer
  2. at a point in the course of
    • was offered a job during a visit to the capital

dur·mast oak ['dər-,mast-] -n

  1. a European oak ( Quercus petraea) valued esp. for its dark heavy tough elastic wood and for its tannin-rich bark

durn ['därn] -vb, n

(variant of darn)

  1. to mend with interlacing stitches
  2. to embroider by filling in with long running or interlacing stitches
  3. to do darning
  4. a place that has been darned
    • a sweater full of darn s
  5. damned
  6. damn
  7. damn

du·ro ['du̇r-(,)ō] -n

  1. a Spanish or Spanish American peso or silver dollar

du·roc ['du̇r-,äk also 'dyu̇r-] -n

  1. any of a breed of large vigorous red American hogs

du·rom·e·ter [du̇-'rä-mə-tər also dyu̇-] -n

  1. an instrument for measuring hardness

dur·ra ['du̇r-ə] -n

  1. any of several grain sorghums widely grown in warm dry regions

durst ['der] -vb, n

(variant of dare)

  1. to be sufficiently courageous to
    • no one dared say a word
    • she dare not let herself love -- G. B. Shaw
  2. to have sufficient courage
    • try it if you dare
  3. to challenge to perform an action esp. as a proof of courage
    • dared him to jump
  4. to confront boldly : defy
    • dared the anger of his family
  5. to have the courage to contend against, venture, or try
    • the actress dared a new interpretation of this classic role
  6. an act or instance of daring : challenge
    • foolishly took a dare
  7. imaginative or vivacious boldness : daring

du·rum wheat ['du̇r-əm-, 'dyu̇r-, 'dər-əm-, 'də-rəm-] -n

  1. a wheat ( Triticum durum) that yields a glutenous flour used esp. in pasta called also durum

dusk ['dəsk] -adj

  1. dusky
  2. to become dark
  3. to make dark or gloomy
  4. the darker part of twilight esp. at night
  5. darkness or semidarkness caused by the shutting out of light

dusky ['dəs-kē] -adj, adv, n

  1. somewhat dark in color
  2. having dark skin
  3. marked by slight or deficient light : shadowy

dust ['dəst] -n, adj

  1. fine particles of matter (as of earth)
  2. the particles into which something disintegrates
  3. something worthless
  4. a state of humiliation
  5. the earth esp. as a place of burial
  6. the surface of the ground
  7. a cloud of dust
  8. confusion, disturbance
  9. a single particle (as of earth)
  10. refuse ready for collection
  11. to make dusty
  12. to make free of dust
    • dust the living room
  13. to sprinkle with fine particles
    • a cake dust ed with sugar
  14. to sprinkle in the form of dust
  15. to throw a fastball close to (a batter)
  16. brush back often used with off
  17. to defeat badly (as in a race)
  18. to work dust into the feathers
  19. to remove dust
  20. to give off dust

dust·bin ['dəs(t)-,bin] -n

  1. a can for trash or garbage
  2. dustheap

dust bowl -n

  1. a region that suffers from prolonged droughts and dust storms

dust bunny -n

  1. an aggregate of dust
    • swept the dust bunnies from under the bed

dust·cov·er [-,kə-vər] -n

  1. a cover (as of cloth or plastic) used to protect furniture or equipment from dust
  2. dust jacket

dust devil -n

  1. a small whirlwind containing sand or dust

dust·er ['dəs-tər] -n

  1. one that removes dust
  2. a long lightweight overgarment to protect clothing from dust
  3. a long coat cut like a duster called also duster coat
  4. a dress-length housecoat
  5. one that scatters fine particles
  6. a device for applying insecticidal or fungicidal dusts to crops
  7. dust storm

dust·heap ['dəst-,(h)ēp] -n

  1. a pile of refuse
  2. a category of forgotten items
    • the dustheap of history -- New Republic

dust jacket -n

  1. a paper cover for a book

dust·man ['dəs(t)-mən] -n

  1. a collector of trash or garbage

dust mite -n

  1. any of various mites (esp. family Pyroglyphidae) commonly found in house dust

dust mop -n

  1. dry mop

dust off -vt

  1. to bring out or back to use again
    • dusted off his golf clubs when he retired

dust·pan ['dəs(t)-,pan] -n

  1. a shovel-shaped pan for sweepings

dust storm -n

  1. a dust-laden whirlwind that moves across an arid region and is usu. associated with hot dry air and marked by high electrical tension
  2. strong winds bearing clouds of dust

dust·up ['dəst-,əp] -n

  1. row, fight

dust wrapper -n

  1. dust jacket

dusty ['dəs-tē] -adj, adv, n

  1. covered or abounding with dust
  2. consisting of dust : powdery
  3. resembling dust
  4. lacking vitality : dry
    • dusty scholarship
  5. unsatisfactory used esp. in the phrases dusty answer and not so dusty

dusty miller -n

  1. any of several plants having ashy-gray or white tomentose leaves
  2. an herbaceous artemisia ( Artemisia stelleriana) with grayish foliage found esp. along the eastern coast of the U.S.

dutch ['dəch] -adv

  1. with each person paying his or her own way
    • went dutch to the movies

Dutch ['dəch] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or in any of the Germanic languages of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Low Countries
  2. of, relating to, or in the Dutch of the Netherlands
  3. of or relating to the Germanic peoples of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Low Countries
  4. of or relating to the Netherlands or its inhabitants
  5. german
  6. of or relating to the Pennsylvania Dutch or their language
  7. any of the Germanic languages of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Low Countries
  8. german
  9. the Germanic language of the Netherlands and Belgium
  10. the Germanic peoples of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Low Countries
  11. germans
  12. the people of the Netherlands
  13. pennsylvania dutch
  14. dander
    • her Dutch is up
  15. disfavor, trouble
    • in Dutch with the boss

Dutch cheese -n

  1. cottage cheese

Dutch clover -n

  1. white clover

Dutch Colonial -adj

  1. characterized by a gambrel roof with overhanging eaves

Dutch courage -n

  1. courage artificially stimulated esp. by drink
  2. drink taken for courage

Dutch door -n

  1. a door divided horizontally so that the lower or upper part can be shut separately

Dutch elm disease -n

  1. a disease of elms caused by an ascomycetous fungus ( Ceratocystis ulmi) and characterized by yellowing of the foliage, defoliation, and death

Dutch hoe -n

  1. scuffle hoe

dutch·man ['dəch-mən] -n

  1. a member of any of the Germanic peoples of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Low Countries
  2. a native or inhabitant of the Netherlands
  3. a person of Dutch descent
  4. german
  5. a device for hiding or counteracting structural defects

Dutch·man'sbreech·es [,dəch-mənz-'bri-chəz] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. a spring-flowering herb ( Dicentra cucullaria) of the fumitory family occurring in the eastern U.S. and having finely divided leaves and cream-white double-spurred flowers

Dutchman'spipe [-'pīp] -n

  1. a vine ( Aristolochia duriorsyn. A. macrophylla) of the birthwort family with large leaves and early summer flowers having the tube of the calyx curved like the bowl of a pipe

Dutch oven -n

  1. a metal shield for roasting before an open fire
  2. a brick oven in which cooking is done by the preheated walls
  3. a cast-iron kettle with a tight cover that is used for baking in an open fire
  4. a heavy pot with a tight-fitting domed cover

Dutch roll -n

  1. a combination of directional and lateral oscillation of an airplane

dutch treat -n

  1. a meal or other entertainment for which each person pays his or her own way
  2. dutch
    • go dutch treat

Dutch uncle -n

  1. one who admonishes sternly and bluntly

du·te·ous ['dü-tē-əs also 'dyü-] -adj

  1. dutiful, obedient

du·ti·able ['dü-tē-ə-bəl also 'dyü-] -adj

  1. subject to a duty

du·ti·ful ['dü-ti-fəl also 'dyü-] -adj, adv, n

  1. filled with or motivated by a sense of duty
    • a dutiful child
  2. proceeding from or expressive of a sense of duty
    • a dutiful effort

du·ty ['dü-tē also 'dyü-] -n

  1. conduct due to parents and superiors : respect
  2. obligatory tasks, conduct, service, or functions that arise from one's position (as in life or in a group)
  3. assigned service or business
  4. active military service
  5. a period of being on duty
  6. a moral or legal obligation
  7. the force of moral obligation
  8. tax
  9. a tax on imports
  10. work
  11. the service required (as of an electric machine) under specified conditions
  12. functional application : use
    • got double duty out of the trip
  13. use as a substitute
    • making the word do duty for the thing -- Edward Sapir

duty -adj

  1. done as a duty
  2. being on duty : assigned to specified tasks or functions
    • the duty officer

dutyfree [,dü-tē-'frē, ,dyü-, 'dü-tē-,] -adj or adv

  1. without payment of customs duties : free from duties
    • imported dutyfree
    • dutyfree goods
  2. relating to or selling duty-free goods
    • a dutyfree shop

du·um·vir [du̇-'əm-vər also dyu̇-] -n

  1. one of two Roman officers or magistrates constituting a board or court
  2. one of two people jointly holding power

du·vet [d(y)ü-'vā, 'd(y)ü-,] -n

  1. comforter

duve·tyn ['dü-və-,tēn, 'dyü-, 'dəv-,tēn] -n

  1. a smooth lustrous velvety fabric

dux·elles [,dük-'sel, (,)dü-'sel] -n

  1. a garnish or stuffing made esp. of finely chopped sauteed mushrooms