| Term | Definition |
|---|
| deciduous | falling off at a specific season or stage of growth as of leaves; Ex._________ tree/teeth |
| decimate | kill (usually one out of ten or every tenth man); destroy or kill a large part of |
| decipher | decode; CF. in________able |
| declivity | downward slope |
| d\'ecollet\'e | (of a dress) having a low-cut neckline; low neckline (on a dress) |
| decree | authoritative order; edict; judgment of a court of law; V: order or judge by _______ |
| decomposition | decay; break and separate into simple parts |
| decorum | propriety; orderliness and good taste in manners; appropriateness of behavior or conduct |
| decoy | lure or bait; V. |
| decrepitude | state of collapse or weakness caused by illness or old age |
| decry | express strong disapproval of; condemn openly (something dangerous to the public); disparage; Ex._____ the violence of modern films |
| deducible | derived by reasoning; infer; derive by reasoning |
| deface | mar; disfigure |
| default | failure to act; failure to perform a task or be present; V. |
| defeatist | resigned to defeat or failure; accepting defeat or failure as a natural outcome; N. CF. ______ism |
| defection | desertion |
| defer | give in respectfully; submit; delay till later; exempt temporarily; |
| deference | courteous regard for another's wish; courteous yielding to another's wish or opinion (showing respect); ADJ. _______tial; OP. effrontery |
| defiance | refusal to yield; resistance; |
| defile | pollute; make filthy or dirty; corrupt morally; profane; desecrate; N: narrow passage or gorge through mountains |
| definitive | most reliable; authorative and complete; that cannot be improved; conclusive; decisive; Ex. ________ decision by the supreme court |
| deflect | turn aside; turn away from a straight course |
| defoliate | destroy leaves; deprive of leaves (by the use of chemicals); N. _________ant |
| defray | provide for the payment of; undertake the payment of; pay |
| defrock | strip/dismiss a priest or minister of church authority; |
| deft | neat; skillful |
| defunct | dead; no longer in use or existence |
| degenerate | become worse in quality; deteriorate; ADJ: having become worse; Ex. a _________ species; N: depraved or corrupt person |
| degradation | humiliation; debasement; debase; disgrace; demote (someone); reduce in rank |
| dehydrate | remove water from; dry out |
| deify | turn into a god; make a god of; idolize; Ex. The Romans used to ______ their emperors.; CF. deity |
| deign | condescend; stoop |
| delete | erase; strike out |
| deleterious | harmful |
| deliberate | consider; ponder; ADJ: done on purpose; slow |
| delineate | portray; depict; sketch; describe; |
| delirium | mental disorder marked by confusion; uncontrolled excitement; ADJ. _______ous |
| delta | flat plain of mud or sand between branches of a river |
| delude | deceive |
| deluge | flood; rush; V. |
| delusion | false belief; hallucination; Ex. _______ of grandeur; Ex. under the _____ that |
| delusive | deceptive; likely to delude; misleading; raising vain hopes; Ex. _______ promises |
| delve | dig; search deeply; investigate |
| demagogue | person who appeals to people's prejudice; false leader of people; |
| demean | disgrace; humiliate; debase in dignity; behave |
| demeanor | behavior; bearing |
| demented | insane |
| demise | death |
| demographic | related to population balance; statistical study of human population |
| demolition | destruction; |
| demoniac(demoniacal) | fiendish; cruel; evil supernatural being; devil |
| fiend | evil spirit; devil |
| demotic | of or pertaining to the people |
| demur(N & V) | object (because of doubts, scruples); raise an objection (showing qualms); hesitate; Ex. ______ at the idea of working on Sunday |
| demure | (of a woman or child) grave; quiet and serious; coy; pretending to be _______ |
| denigrate | blacken; defame |
| denizen | (animal, person, or plant) inhabitant or resident of a particular place; regular visitor |
| denotation | meaning; distinguishing by name; indicate; refer to directly; mean; CF. connotation |
| denouement | final outcome; final development of the plot of a play or other literary work; the end of a story when everything is explained |
| denounce | condemn; criticize; |
| depict | portray |
| deplete | reduce; exhaust |
| deplore | regret; express sorrow and severe disapproval for something bad; Ex. _______ their violent behavior; Ex. ______ble living condition |
| deploy | spread out (troops) in an extended though shallow battle line; distribute (persons or forces) systematically or strategically |
| depose | dethrone; remove from office; give a ________tion; testify |
| deposition | testimony under oath; deposing; dethroning |
| depravity | extreme corruption; wickedness; |
| deprecate | express disapproval of; deplore; protest against; belittle; |
| depreciate | lessen in value; belittle; represent as of little value |
| depredation | plundering; destruction |
| deranged | insane |
| derelict | negligent; (of someone) neglectful of duty; (of something) deserted by an owner; abandoned; N: abandoned property; homeless or vagrant person |
| dereliction | neglect of duty; abandonment |
| deride | ridicule; treat with contempt; make fun of; OP. respect |
| derision | ridicule; |
| derivative | unoriginal; obtained from another source; Ex. _______ prose style; N. |
| derivation | deriving; origin or source of something; Ex. the _____ of the word |
| dermatologist | one who studies the skin and its diseases |
| acne | skin disease (on the face) |
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