Ed. Abbr. Diploma in education.

- —v. (-pp-) 1 put or lower briefly into liquid etc.; immerse.

- a go below a surface or level. B (of income, activity, etc.) Decline slightly, esp. Briefly.

- slope or extend downwards (road dips).

- go under water and emerge quickly.

- (foll. By into) look cursorily into (a book, subject, etc.).

- a (foll. By into) put a hand, ladle, etc., into (a container) to take something out. B use part of (one's resources) (dipped into our savings).

- lower or be lowered, esp. In salute.

- lower the beam of (headlights) to reduce dazzle.

- colour (a fabric) by immersing it in dye. 10 wash (sheep) in disinfectant. —n. - dipping or being dipped.

- liquid for dipping.

prefix forming nouns, adjectives, and verbs implying: 1 negation or direct opposite (dishonest; discourteous).

- reversal (disengage; disorientate).

- removal of a thing or quality (dismember; disable).

- separation (distinguish).

- completeness or intensification (disgruntled).

- expulsion from (disbar). [french des- or latin dis-]

abbr. Do-it-yourself.

abbr. Deoxyribonucleic acid, esp. Carrying genetic information in chromosomes.

abbr. Department of the environment.

- n. (pl. Same or -s) female fallow deer, reindeer, hare, or rabbit. [old english]

days n.pl. Hottest period of the year.

- in the manger n. Person who stops others using a thing for which he or she has no use.

- —n. - four-legged flesh-eating animal akin to the fox and wolf, and of many breeds.

- male of this, or of the fox or wolf.

- colloq. A despicable person. B person of a specified kind (lucky dog).

- mechanical device for gripping.

- (in pl.; prec. By the) colloq. Greyhound-racing. —v. (-gg-) follow closely; pursue, track. go to the dogs slang deteriorate, be ruined. Like a dog's dinner colloq. Smartly or flashily (dressed etc.). Not a dog's chance no chance at all. [old english]

abbr. Department of health.

- n. (also do) mus. First note of a major scale. [italian do]

n. Title of some roman catholic dignitaries, and benedictine and carthusian monks. [latin dominus master]

- suffix forming nouns denoting: 1 condition (freedom).

- rank, domain (earldom; kingdom).

- class of people (or associated attitudes etc.) Regarded collectively (officialdom). [old english]

juan n. Seducer of women.

- n. - university teacher, esp. A senior member of a college at oxford or cambridge.

- (don) spanish title prefixed to a forename. [spanish from latin dominus lord]

- v. (-nn-) put on (clothing). [= do on]

abbr. Department of transport.

- —n. - a small spot or mark. B this as part of i or j, or as a decimal point etc.

- shorter signal of the two in morse code. —v. (-tt-) 1 a mark with dot(s). B place a dot over (a letter).

- (often foll. By about) scatter like dots.

- partly cover as with dots (sea dotted with ships).

- slang hit. dot the i's and cross the t's colloq. - be minutely accurate.

- add the final touches to a task etc. On the dot exactly on time. The year dot colloq. Far in the past. [old english]