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| DISCUS | | n. (pl. -cuses) heavy thick-centred disc thrown in athletic events. [latin from greek] | |
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| DISMAL | | adj. - gloomy; miserable.
- dreary; sombre.
- colloq. Feeble, inept (dismal attempt). dismally adv. [medieval latin dies mali unlucky days] | |
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| DISMAY | | —n. Intense disappointment or despair. —v. Fill with dismay. [french from germanic: related to *dis-, *may] | |
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| DISOWN | | v. Deny or give up any connection with; repudiate. | |
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| DISPEL | | v. (-ll-) drive away; scatter (fears etc.). [latin pello drive] | |
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| DISTIL | | v. (us distill) (-ll-) 1 purify or extract the essence from (a substance) by vaporizing and condensing it and collecting the resulting liquid.
- extract the essential meaning of (an idea etc.).
- make (whisky, essence, etc.) By distilling raw materials.
- fall or cause to fall in drops. distillation n. [latin: related to *de-, stillo drip] | |
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| DISUSE | | —n. Disused state. —v. (-sing) cease to use. | |
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| DITHER | | —v. - hesitate; be indecisive.
- tremble; quiver. —n. Colloq. State of agitation or hesitation. ditherer n. Dithery adj. [var. Of didder *dodder1] | |
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| DIVERS | | adj. Archaic various; several. [latin: related to *diverse] | |
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| DIVERT | | v. - a turn aside; deflect. B distract (attention).
- (often as diverting adj.) Entertain; amuse. [latin: related to *diverse] | |
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