| D.C.2 |
abbreviation of "District of Columbia," a federal area on the Maryland side of the Potomac River that encompasses only the U.S. capital city of Washington (often used informally to refer to the city.) |
| D.C.1 |
abbreviation of "da capo," from the beginning (used in music as a direction to repeat a passage). |
| D.D. |
abbreviation of "Doctor of Divinity." |
| D-day |
the day, kept secret, on which a military attack or other important action is scheduled to take place. [2 definitions] |
| DDR |
abbreviation of "Deutsche Demokratische Republik;" German Democratic Republic; formerly, East Germany. |
| D.D.S. |
abbreviation of "Doctor of Dental Surgery." |
| DDT |
a powerful pesticide, insoluble in water, currently restricted in the United States because of adverse effects on the environment; dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane. |
| DE |
abbreviation of "Delaware," an eastern U.S. state between Maryland and New Jersey. |
| de- |
away from; from; off. [4 definitions] |
| deacon |
in certain Christian churches, a clergyman just below a priest in rank. [3 definitions] |
| deaconess |
in certain Protestant churches, a woman selected to assist the ministry, esp. in social services. |
| deactivate |
to make inactive or inoperative. [2 definitions] |
| dead |
lacking normal life functions; not alive. [16 definitions] |
| dead as a doornail |
definitely dead, or beyond hope of revitalizing. |
| deadbeat |
(informal) one who avoids paying debts or expenses. |
| dead center |
the exact center. [2 definitions] |
| dead duck |
(informal) a person or thing that is too deteriorated or ruined to be helped or saved, or that is sure to suffer ruin or failure. |
| deaden |
to make the nerves insensitive to. [3 definitions] |
| dead end |
a street, alley, or conduit that is closed at one end, offering no through passage. [2 definitions] |
| dead-end |
having one end or outlet closed. [2 definitions] |
| deadening |
material used to dull or deaden, esp. to muffle sound. [2 definitions] |