Collins Dictionaries - Collins Junior Illustrated Dictionary

dart darts, darting, darted

VERB 1 If a person or animal darts, they move suddenly and quickly.

NOUN 2 A dart is a short arrow that you throw in the game of darts.

dash dashes, dashing, dashed

VERB 1 If you dash somewhere, you run or go there quickly.

NOUN 2 A dash is the punctuation mark (–) which shows a change of subject, or which may be used instead of brackets.

See Punctuation on page 270

data NOUN

Data is information, usually in the form of facts or figures.

database databases NOUN

A database is a collection of information, often stored in a computer.

date dates

NOUN 1 If someone asks you the date, you tell them the day and the month.

NOUN 2 A date is a small brown sticky fruit which grows on palm trees.

daughter daughters NOUN

A girl is the daughter of her parents.

dawn NOUN

Dawn is the time of day when it first begins to get light.

day days NOUN

A day is the 24 hours between one midnight and the next.

daylight NOUN

Daylight is the light that there is during the day before it gets dark.

dazzle dazzles, dazzling, dazzled VERB

If a light dazzles you, it is so bright that you cannot really see for a while.

dead ADJECTIVE

A person, animal or plant that is dead is no longer living.

deaf deafer, deafest ADJECTIVE

Someone who is deaf cannot hear very well, or cannot hear at all.

deal deals, dealing, dealt

VERB 1 When you deal in a card game, you give cards to the players.

VERB 2 If you deal with something, you do what needs to be done with it.

dear dearer, dearest

ADJECTIVE 1 You use Dear at the beginning of a letter or message before the name of the person you are writing to.

ADJECTIVE 2 If something is dear, it costs a lot of money.

death NOUN

Death is the end of life, when an animal or person dies.

decade decades NOUN

A decade is a period of ten years.

decay decays, decaying, decayed VERB

When something like a plant or piece of meat decays, it becomes rotten.

deceive deceives, deceiving, deceived VERB

If someone deceives you, they make you believe something untrue.

December NOUN

December is the 12th month of the year. It has 31 days.

decide decides, deciding, decided VERB

If you decide to do something, you make up your mind to do it.

decimal decimals

ADJECTIVE 1 A decimal system involves counting in units of ten.

NOUN 2 A decimal or decimal fraction is written with a dot followed by numbers, such as 0·2, 8·35. The numbers after the dot represent tenths, hundredths and so on.

NOUN 3 A decimal point is the dot that comes between whole numbers and fractions.

NOUN 4 A decimal place is the position of a number after a decimal point.

decision decisions NOUN

A decision is a choice you make about what you think should be done.

deck decks NOUN

A deck is a floor on a ship or bus.

decorate decorates, decorating, decorated

VERB 1 If you decorate something, you add things to make it more attractive.

VERB 2 If someone decorates a room, they paper it or paint it.

decorations PLURAL NOUN

decrease decreases, decreasing, decreased VERB

If something decreases, or if you decrease it, it becomes less.

deep deeper, deepest ADJECTIVE

If something is deep, it goes a long way down. The river is very deep.

deer NOUN

A deer is a large hoofed animal. Male deer have horns called antlers.

defeat defeats, defeating, defeated VERB

If you defeat someone, you beat them in a game or battle.

defend defends, defending, defended VERB

If you defend someone or something, you do something to protect them against danger.

defence NOUN

define defines, defining, defined VERB

If you define something, you say what it is or what it means.

definite

ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is definite is unlikely to be changed. We have a definite date for the outing.

ADJECTIVE 2 Definite can also mean certain or true. Lots of stories were going round, but they heard nothing definite.

definitely ADVERB

definition definitions NOUN

A definition explains the meaning of a word.

degree degrees

NOUN 1 A degree is a unit of measurement of temperature, for example, 20°C.

NOUN 2 In maths, a degree is a unit of measurement of angles. For example, a right angle is 90°.

delay delays, delaying, delayed VERB

If something delays you, it causes you to slow down or be late.

delete deletes, deleting, deleted VERB

If you delete some writing, you cross it out or remove it.

deliberate ADJECTIVE

If you do something that is deliberate, you do it on purpose.

deliberately ADVERB

delicate

ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is delicate is small and graceful.

ADJECTIVE 2 Someone who is delicate becomes ill easily.

delicious ADJECTIVE

Food that is delicious tastes or smells very nice.

delight delights, delighting, delighted VERB

If something delights you, it gives you a lot of pleasure.

delighted ADJECTIVE

deliver delivers, delivering, delivered VERB

If you deliver something, you take it to someone and hand it to them.

demand demands, demanding, demanded VERB

If you demand something, you say strongly that is what you want.

demonstrate demonstrates, demonstrating, demonstrated

VERB 1 If someone demonstrates something, they show you how to do it.

VERB 2 If people demonstrate, they hold a public meeting or march to show they are strongly for or against something.

demonstration NOUN

den dens NOUN

A den is the home of some wild animals such as lions or foxes.

dense denser, densest ADJECTIVE

Something dense is hard to see through. They were in a dense forest.

dent dents, denting, dented VERB

If somebody dents something, they make a dip in it by hitting it.

dentist dentists NOUN

A dentist is someone who looks after people’s teeth.

deny denies, denying, denied VERB

If you deny something, you say that it is untrue.

depart departs, departing, departed VERB

When someone or something departs from a place, they leave it.

departure NOUN

depend depends, depending, depended

VERB 1 If you depend on someone, you need them.

VERB 2 If you can depend on someone, you know you can trust them.

depth NOUN

The depth of something is how deep it is.

descend descends, descending, descended VERB

To descend means to go down.

descending ADJECTIVE

When things are in descending order, each thing is lower than the one before it. The numbers 10, 9, 8 and 7 are in descending order.

describe describes, describing, described VERB

If you describe a person or thing, you say what they are like.

description NOUN

desert deserts NOUN

A desert is very dry land with very little plant life.

deserted ADJECTIVE

If a place is deserted, there are no people there.