5 letter word starting with d

Words	Parts of Speech	Meaning/Definition/Similar Words
dadle	verb i.	To toddle; to walk unsteadily, like a child or an old man; hence, to do anything slowly or feebly.
daddy	noun	Diminutive of Dad.
dagos	plural	of Dago
dagon		The national god of the Philistines, represented with the face and hands and upper part of a man, and the tail of a fish., A slip or piece.
daily	adjective	Happening, or belonging to, each successive day; diurnal; as, daily labor; a daily bulletin., A publication which appears regularly every day; as, the morning dailies., Every day; day by day; as, a thing happens daily.
daint	noun	Something of exquisite taste; a dainty., Dainty.
dairy	noun	The place, room, or house where milk is kept, and converted into butter or cheese., That department of farming which is concerned in the production of milk, and its conversion into butter and cheese., A dairy farm.
daisy	noun	A genus of low herbs (Bellis), belonging to the family Compositae. The common English and classical daisy is B. prennis, which has a yellow disk and white or pinkish rays., The whiteweed (Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum), the plant commonly called daisy in North America; — called also oxeye daisy. See Whiteweed.
daker	noun	Alt. of Dakir
dakir	noun	A measure of certain commodities by number, usually ten or twelve, but sometimes twenty; as, a daker of hides consisted of ten skins; a daker of gloves of ten pairs.
dally	verb i.	To waste time in effeminate or voluptuous pleasures, or in idleness; to fool away time; to delay unnecessarily; to tarry; to trifle., To interchange caresses, especially with one of the opposite sex; to use fondling; to wanton; to sport., To delay unnecessarily; to while away.
daman	noun	A small herbivorous mammal of the genus Hyrax. The species found in Palestine and Syria is Hyrax Syriacus; that of Northern Africa is H. Brucei; — called also ashkoko, dassy, and rock rabbit. See Cony, and Hyrax.
damar	noun	See Dammar.
dampy	adjective	Somewhat damp., Dejected; gloomy; sorrowful.
dance	verb i.	To move with measured steps, or to a musical accompaniment; to go through, either alone or in company with others, with a regulated succession of movements, (commonly) to the sound of music; to trip or leap rhythmically., To move nimbly or merrily; to express pleasure by motion; to caper; to frisk; to skip about., To cause to dance, or move nimbly or merrily about, or up and down; to dandle., The leaping, tripping, or measured stepping of one who dances; an amusement, in which the movements of the persons are regulated by art, in figures and in accord with music., A tune by which dancing is regulated, as the minuet, the waltz, the cotillon, etc.
dancy	adjective	Same as Dancette.
dandi	noun	A boatman; an oarsman.
dandy	noun	One who affects special finery or gives undue attention to dress; a fop; a coxcomb., A sloop or cutter with a jigger on which a lugsail is set., A small sail carried at or near the stern of small boats; — called also jigger, and mizzen., A dandy roller. See below.
dansk	adjective	Danish.
darby	noun	A plasterer’s float, having two handles; — used in smoothing ceilings, etc.
durst	imp.	of Dare, of Dare. See Dare, v. i.
dared		of Dare, of Dare, of Dare
darer	noun	One who dares or defies.
daric	noun	A gold coin of ancient Persia, weighing usually a little more than 128 grains, and bearing on one side the figure of an archer., A silver coin of about 86 grains, having the figure of an archer, and hence, in modern times, called a daric., Any very pure gold coin.
darky	noun	A negro.
daroo	noun	The Egyptian sycamore (Ficus Sycamorus). See Sycamore.
dashy	adjective	Calculated to arrest attention; ostentatiously fashionable; showy.
daswe	verb i.	See Dasewe
dated	imp. & past participle	of Date
dater	noun	One who dates.
datum	noun	Something given or admitted; a fact or principle granted; that upon which an inference or an argument is based; — used chiefly in the plural., The quantities or relations which are assumed to be given in any problem.
dauby	adjective	Smeary; viscous; glutinous; adhesive.
daunt	verb t.	To overcome; to conquer., To repress or subdue the courage of; to check by fear of danger; to cow; to intimidate; to dishearten.
davit	noun	A spar formerly used on board of ships, as a crane to hoist the flukes of the anchor to the top of the bow, without injuring the sides of the ship; — called also the fish davit., Curved arms of timber or iron, projecting over a ship’s side of stern, having tackle to raise or lower a boat, swing it in on deck, rig it out for lowering, etc.; — called also boat davits.
dazed	imp. & past participle	of Daze
deads	noun pl.	The substances which inclose the ore on every side.
dealt	imp. & past participle	of Deal
deare		variant of Dere, v. t. & n.
dearn	adjective	Secret; lonely; solitary; dreadful., Same as Darn.
deary	noun	A dear; a darling.
death	verb i.	The cessation of all vital phenomena without capability of resuscitation, either in animals or plants., Total privation or loss; extinction; cessation; as, the death of memory., Manner of dying; act or state of passing from life., Cause of loss of life., Personified: The destroyer of life, — conventionally represented as a skeleton with a scythe., Danger of death., Murder; murderous character., Loss of spiritual life., Anything so dreadful as to be like death.
deave	verb t.	To stun or stupefy with noise; to deafen.
debar	verb t.	To cut off from entrance, as if by a bar or barrier; to preclude; to hinder from approach, entry, or enjoyment; to shut out or exclude; to deny or refuse; — with from, and sometimes with of.
debel	verb t.	To conquer.
debit	noun	A debt; an entry on the debtor (Dr.) side of an account; — mostly used adjectively; as, the debit side of an account., To charge with debt; — the opposite of, and correlative to, credit; as, to debit a purchaser for the goods sold., To enter on the debtor (Dr.) side of an account; as, to debit the amount of goods sold.
debut	noun	A beginning or first attempt; hence, a first appearance before the public, as of an actor or public speaker.
deca-		A prefix, from Gr. de`ka, signifying ten; specifically (Metric System), a prefix signifying the weight or measure that is ten times the principal unit.
decad	noun	A decade.
decay	verb i.	To pass gradually from a sound, prosperous, or perfect state, to one of imperfection, adversity, or dissolution; to waste away; to decline; to fail; to become weak, corrupt, or disintegrated; to rot; to perish; as, a tree decays; fortunes decay; hopes decay., To cause to decay; to impair., To destroy., Gradual failure of health, strength, soundness, prosperity, or of any species of excellence or perfection; tendency toward dissolution or extinction; corruption; rottenness; decline; deterioration; as, the decay of the body; the decay of virtue; the decay of the Roman empire; a castle in decay., Destruction; death., Cause of decay.
decil	noun	Alt. of Decile
decoy	verb t.	To lead into danger by artifice; to lure into a net or snare; to entrap; to insnare; to allure; to entice; as, to decoy troops into an ambush; to decoy ducks into a net., Anything intended to lead into a snare; a lure that deceives and misleads into danger, or into the power of an enemy; a bait., A fowl, or the likeness of one, used by sportsmen to entice other fowl into a net or within shot., A place into which wild fowl, esp. ducks, are enticed in order to take or shoot them., A person employed by officers of justice, or parties exposed to injury, to induce a suspected person to commit an offense under circumstances that will lead to his detection.
decry	verb t.	To cry down; to censure as faulty, mean, or worthless; to clamor against; to blame clamorously; to discredit; to disparage.
decyl	noun	A hydrocarbon radical, C10H21, never existing alone, but regarded as the characteristic constituent of a number of compounds of the paraffin series.
deedy	adjective	Industrious; active.
deess	noun	A goddess.
defer	verb t.	To put off; to postpone to a future time; to delay the execution of; to delay; to withhold., To put off; to delay to act; to wait., To render or offer., To lay before; to submit in a respectful manner; to refer; — with to., To yield deference to the wishes of another; to submit to the opinion of another, or to authority; — with to.
defix	verb t.	To fix; to fasten; to establish.
defly	adverb	Deftly.
deify	verb t.	To make a god of; to exalt to the rank of a deity; to enroll among the deities; to apotheosize; as, Julius Caesar was deified., To praise or revere as a deity; to treat as an object of supreme regard; as, to deify money., To render godlike.
deign	verb t.	To esteem worthy; to consider worth notice; — opposed to disdain., To condescend to give or bestow; to stoop to furnish; to vouchsafe; to allow; to grant., To think worthy; to vouchsafe; to condescend; – – followed by an infinitive.
deism	noun	The doctrine or creed of a deist; the belief or system of those who acknowledge the existence of one God, but deny revelation.
deist	noun	One who believes in the existence of a God, but denies revealed religion; a freethinker.
deity	noun	The collection of attributes which make up the nature of a god; divinity; godhead; as, the deity of the Supreme Being is seen in his works., A god or goddess; a heathen god.
deka-		A prefix signifying ten. See Deca-.
dekle	noun	See Deckle.
delay	verb	A putting off or deferring; procrastination; lingering inactivity; stop; detention; hindrance., To put off; to defer; to procrastinate; to prolong the time of or before., To retard; to stop, detain, or hinder, for a time; to retard the motion, or time of arrival, of; as, the mail is delayed by a heavy fall of snow., To allay; to temper., To move slowly; to stop for a time; to linger; to tarry.
deled	imp. & past participle	of Dele
delft	noun	Same as Delftware.
delit	noun	Delight.
deloo	noun	The duykerbok.
delph	noun	Delftware., The drain on the land side of a sea embankment.
delta	noun	A tract of land shaped like the letter delta (/), especially when the land is alluvial and inclosed between two or more mouths of a river; as, the delta of the Ganges, of the Nile, or of the Mississippi.
delve	verb t.	To dig; to open (the ground) as with a spade., To dig into; to penetrate; to trace out; to fathom., To dig or labor with a spade, or as with a spade; to labor as a drudge., A place dug; a pit; a ditch; a den; a cave.
demi-		A prefix, signifying half.
demit	verb t.	To let fall; to depress., To yield or submit; to humble; to lower; as, to demit one’s self to humble duties., To lay down, as an office; to resign.
demon	noun	A spirit, or immaterial being, holding a middle place between men and deities in pagan mythology., One’s genius; a tutelary spirit or internal voice; as, the demon of Socrates., An evil spirit; a devil.
demur	verb i.	To linger; to stay; to tarry., To delay; to pause; to suspend proceedings or judgment in view of a doubt or difficulty; to hesitate; to put off the determination or conclusion of an affair., To scruple or object; to take exception; as, I demur to that statement., To interpose a demurrer. See Demurrer, 2., To suspend judgment concerning; to doubt of or hesitate about., To cause delay to; to put off., Stop; pause; hesitation as to proceeding; suspense of decision or action; scruple.
denay	verb t.	To deny., Denial; refusal.
denim	noun	A coarse cotton drilling used for overalls, etc.
dense	adjective	Having the constituent parts massed or crowded together; close; compact; thick; containing much matter in a small space; heavy; opaque; as, a dense crowd; a dense forest; a dense fog., Stupid; gross; crass; as, dense ignorance.
depot	noun	A place of deposit for the storing of goods; a warehouse; a storehouse., A military station where stores and provisions are kept, or where recruits are assembled and drilled., The headquarters of a regiment, where all supplies are received and distributed, recruits are assembled and instructed, infirm or disabled soldiers are taken care of, and all the wants of the regiment are provided for., A railway station; a building for the accommodation and protection of railway passengers or freight.
depth	noun	The quality of being deep; deepness; perpendicular measurement downward from the surface, or horizontal measurement backward from the front; as, the depth of a river; the depth of a body of troops., Profoundness; extent or degree of intensity; abundance; completeness; as, depth of knowledge, or color., Lowness; as, depth of sound., That which is deep; a deep, or the deepest, part or place; the deep; the middle part; as, the depth of night, or of winter., The number of simple elements which an abstract conception or notion includes; the comprehension or content., A pair of toothed wheels which work together.
deray	noun	Disorder; merriment.
derby	noun	A race for three-old horses, run annually at Epsom (near London), for the Derby stakes. It was instituted by the 12th Earl of Derby, in 1780., A stiff felt hat with a dome-shaped crown.
derma	noun	See Dermis.
derne	adjective	To hide; to skulk.
derre	adjective	Dearer.
derth	noun	Dearth; scarcity.
deter	verb t.	To prevent by fear; hence, to hinder or prevent from action by fear of consequences, or difficulty, risk, etc.
dette	noun	Debt.
detur	noun	A present of books given to a meritorious undergraduate student as a prize.
deuce	noun	Two; a card or a die with two spots; as, the deuce of hearts., A condition of the score beginning whenever each side has won three strokes in the same game (also reckoned “40 all”), and reverted to as often as a tie is made until one of the sides secures two successive strokes following a tie or deuce, which decides the game., The devil; a demon.
deuse	adjective	Alt. of Deused
deut-		A prefix which formerly properly indicated the second in a regular series of compound in the series, and not to its composition, but which is now generally employed in the same sense as bi-or di-, although little used.
devex	adjective	Bending down; sloping., Devexity.
devil	noun	The Evil One; Satan, represented as the tempter and spiritual of mankind., An evil spirit; a demon., A very wicked person; hence, any great evil., An expletive of surprise, vexation, or emphasis, or, ironically, of negation., A dish, as a bone with the meat, broiled and excessively peppered; a grill with Cayenne pepper., A machine for tearing or cutting rags, cotton, etc., To make like a devil; to invest with the character of a devil., To grill with Cayenne pepper; to season highly in cooking, as with pepper.
devon	noun	One of a breed of hardy cattle originating in the country of Devon, England. Those of pure blood have a deep red color. The small, longhorned variety, called North Devons, is distinguished by the superiority of its working oxen.
devow	verb t.	To give up; to devote., To disavow; to disclaim.
dewed	imp. & past participle	of Dew
dhole	noun	A fierce, wild dog (Canis Dukhunensis), found in the mountains of India. It is remarkable for its propensity to hunt the tiger and other wild animals in packs.
dhony	noun	A Ceylonese boat. See Doni.
diana	noun	The daughter of Jupiter and Latona; a virgin goddess who presided over hunting, chastity, and marriage; — identified with the Greek goddess Artemis.
diary	noun	A register of daily events or transactions; a daily record; a journal; a blank book dated for the record of daily memoranda; as, a diary of the weather; a physician’s diary., lasting for one day; as, a diary fever.
diced	imp. & past participle	of Dice
dicer	noun	A player at dice; a dice player; a gamester.
dicky	noun	A seat behind a carriage, for a servant., A false shirt front or bosom., A gentleman’s shirt collar.
dicta	noun pl.	See Dictum., of Dictum
didal	noun	A kind of triangular spade.
didos	plural	of Dido
didst		the 2d pers. sing. imp. of Do.
didym	noun	See Didymium.
dying	present participle & vb. noun	of Die, In the act of dying; destined to death; mortal; perishable; as, dying bodies., Of or pertaining to dying or death; as, dying bed; dying day; dying words; also, simulating a dying state., The act of expiring; passage from life to death; loss of life.
dight	imp. & past participle	of Dight, To prepare; to put in order; hence, to dress, or put on; to array; to adorn., To have sexual intercourse with.
digit	noun	One of the terminal divisions of a limb appendage; a finger or toe., A finger’s breadth, commonly estimated to be three fourths of an inch., One of the ten figures or symbols, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, by which all numbers are expressed; — so called because of the use of the fingers in counting and computing., One twelfth part of the diameter of the sun or moon; — a term used to express the quantity of an eclipse; as, an eclipse of eight digits is one which hides two thirds of the diameter of the disk., To point at or out with the finger.
digne	adjective	Worthy; honorable; deserving., Suitable; adequate; fit., Haughty; disdainful.
digue	noun	A bank; a dike.
diked	imp. & past participle	of Dike
diker	noun	A ditcher., One who builds stone walls; usually, one who builds them without lime.
dildo	noun	A burden in popular songs., A columnar cactaceous plant of the West Indies (Cereus Swartzii).
dilly	noun	A kind of stagecoach.
dimit	verb t.	To dismiss, let go, or release.
dimly	adverb	In a dim or obscure manner; not brightly or clearly; with imperfect sight.
dimmy	adjective	Somewhat dim; as, dimmish eyes.
dimya	noun pl.	Alt. of Dimyaria
dinar	noun	A petty money of accounts of Persia., An ancient gold coin of the East.
dined	imp. & past participle	of Dine
diner	noun	One who dines.
dingy	noun	Alt. of Dinghy, Soiled; sullied; of a dark or dusky color; dark brown; dirty.
dingo	noun	A wild dog found in Australia, but supposed to have introduced at a very early period. It has a wolflike face, bushy tail, and a reddish brown color.
diota	noun	A vase or drinking cup having two handles or ears.
dirge	adjective	A piece of music of a mournful character, to accompany funeral rites; a funeral hymn.
dirty	superl.	Defiled with dirt; foul; nasty; filthy; not clean or pure; serving to defile; as, dirty hands; dirty water; a dirty white., Sullied; clouded; — applied to color., Sordid; base; groveling; as, a dirty fellow., Sleety; gusty; stormy; as, dirty weather., To foul; to make filthy; to soil; as, to dirty the clothes or hands., To tarnish; to sully; to scandalize; — said of reputation, character, etc.
disci	plural	of Discus
disme	noun	A tenth; a tenth part; a tithe.
ditch	noun	A trench made in the earth by digging, particularly a trench for draining wet land, for guarding or fencing inclosures, or for preventing an approach to a town or fortress. In the latter sense, it is called also a moat or a fosse., Any long, narrow receptacle for water on the surface of the earth., To dig a ditch or ditches in; to drain by a ditch or ditches; as, to ditch moist land., To surround with a ditch., To throw into a ditch; as, the engine was ditched and turned on its side., To dig a ditch or ditches.
ditto	noun	The aforesaid thing; the same (as before). Often contracted to do., or to two “turned commas” (“), or small marks. Used in bills, books of account, tables of names, etc., to save repetition., As before, or aforesaid; in the same manner; also.
ditty	verb t.	A saying or utterance; especially, one that is short and frequently repeated; a theme., A song; a lay; a little poem intended to be sung., To sing; to warble a little tune.
divan	noun	A book; esp., a collection of poems written by one author; as, the divan of Hafiz., In Turkey and other Oriental countries: A council of state; a royal court. Also used by the poets for a grand deliberative council or assembly., A chief officer of state., A saloon or hall where a council is held, in Oriental countries, the state reception room in places, and in the houses of the richer citizens. Cushions on the floor or on benches are ranged round the room., A cushioned seat, or a large, low sofa or couch; especially, one fixed to its place, and not movable., A coffee and smoking saloon.
dived	imp. & past participle	of Dive
divel	verb t.	To rend apart.
diver	noun	One who, or that which, dives., Fig.: One who goes deeply into a subject, study, or business., Any bird of certain genera, as Urinator (formerly Colymbus), or the allied genus Colymbus, or Podiceps, remarkable for their agility in diving.
dives	noun	The name popularly given to the rich man in our Lord’s parable of the “Rich Man and Lazarus” (Luke xvi. 19-31). Hence, a name for a rich worldling.
divet	noun	See Divot.
divot	noun	A thin, oblong turf used for covering cottages, and also for fuel.
dixie	noun	A colloquial name for the Southern portion of the United States, esp. during the Civil War.
dizen	verb t.	To dress; to attire., To dress gaudily; to overdress; to bedizen; to deck out.
dizzy	superl.	Having in the head a sensation of whirling, with a tendency to fall; vertiginous; giddy; hence, confused; indistinct., Causing, or tending to cause, giddiness or vertigo., Without distinct thought; unreflecting; thoughtless; heedless., To make dizzy or giddy; to give the vertigo to; to confuse.
doing	present participle & vb. noun	of Do, Anything done; a deed; an action good or bad; hence, in the plural, conduct; behavior. See Do.
doand	present participle	Doing.
dodge	verb i.	To start suddenly aside, as to avoid a blow or a missile; to shift place by a sudden start., To evade a duty by low craft; to practice mean shifts; to use tricky devices; to play fast and loose; to quibble., To evade by a sudden shift of place; to escape by starting aside; as, to dodge a blow aimed or a ball thrown., Fig.: To evade by craft; as, to dodge a question; to dodge responsibility., To follow by dodging, or suddenly shifting from place to place., The act of evading by some skillful movement; a sudden starting aside; hence, an artful device to evade, deceive, or cheat; a cunning trick; an artifice.
dogal	adjective	Of or pertaining to a doge.
dogma	noun	That which is held as an opinion; a tenet; a doctrine., A formally stated and authoritatively settled doctrine; a definite, established, and authoritative tenet., A doctrinal notion asserted without regard to evidence or truth; an arbitrary dictum.
doily	noun	A kind of woolen stuff., A small napkin, used at table with the fruit, etc.; — commonly colored and fringed.
dolce	adverb	Alt. of Dolcemente
doled	imp. & past participle	of Dole
dolly	noun	A contrivance, turning on a vertical axis by a handle or winch, and giving a circular motion to the ore to be washed; a stirrer., A tool with an indented head for shaping the head of a rivet., In pile driving, a block interposed between the head of the pile and the ram of the driver., A small truck with a single wide roller used for moving heavy beams, columns, etc., in bridge building., A compact, narrow-gauge locomotive used for moving construction trains, switching, etc., A child’s mane for a doll.
dolor	noun	Pain; grief; distress; anguish.
dolus	noun	Evil intent, embracing both malice and fraud. See Culpa.
domal	adjective	Pertaining to a house.
domed	adjective	Furnished with a dome; shaped like a dome.
donat	noun	A grammar.
donax	noun	A canelike grass of southern Europe (Arundo Donax), used for fishing rods, etc.
donee	noun	The person to whom a gift or donation is made., Anciently, one to whom lands were given; in later use, one to whom lands and tenements are given in tail; in modern use, one on whom a power is conferred for execution; — sometimes called the appointor.
donet	noun	Same as Donat. Piers Plowman.
donna	noun	A lady; madam; mistress; — the title given a lady in Italy.
donor	noun	One who gives or bestows; one who confers anything gratuitously; a benefactor., One who grants an estate; in later use, one who confers a power; — the opposite of donee.
doole	noun	Sorrow; dole.
dooly	noun	A kind of litter suspended from men’s shoulders, for carrying persons or things; a palanquin.
doree	noun	A European marine fish (Zeus faber), of a yellow color. See Illust. of John Doree.
doric	adjective	Pertaining to Doris, in ancient Greece, or to the Dorians; as, the Doric dialect., Belonging to, or resembling, the oldest and simplest of the three orders of architecture used by the Greeks, but ranked as second of the five orders adopted by the Romans. See Abacus, Capital, Order., Of or relating to one of the ancient Greek musical modes or keys. Its character was adapted both to religions occasions and to war., The Doric dialect.
doris	noun	A genus of nudibranchiate mollusks having a wreath of branchiae on the back.
dorse	noun	Same as dorsal, n., The back of a book., The Baltic or variable cod (Gadus callarias), by some believed to be the young of the common codfish.
dosed	imp. & past participle	of Dose
dosel	noun	Same as Dorsal, n.
dotal	adjective	Pertaining to dower, or a woman’s marriage portion; constituting dower, or comprised in it.
doted	imp. & past participle	of Dote, Stupid; foolish., Half-rotten; as, doted wood.
doter	noun	One who dotes; a man whose understanding is enfeebled by age; a dotard., One excessively fond, or weak in love.
douar	noun	A village composed of Arab tents arranged in streets.
doubt	verb i.	To waver in opinion or judgment; to be in uncertainty as to belief respecting anything; to hesitate in belief; to be undecided as to the truth of the negative or the affirmative proposition; to b e undetermined., To suspect; to fear; to be apprehensive., To question or hold questionable; to withhold assent to; to hesitate to believe, or to be inclined not to believe; to withhold confidence from; to distrust; as, I have heard the story, but I doubt the truth of it., To suspect; to fear; to be apprehensive of., To fill with fear; to affright., A fluctuation of mind arising from defect of knowledge or evidence; uncertainty of judgment or mind; unsettled state of opinion concerning the reality of an event, or the truth of an assertion, etc.; hesitation., Uncertainty of condition., Suspicion; fear; apprehension; dread., Difficulty expressed or urged for solution; point unsettled; objection.
douce	adjective	Sweet; pleasant., Sober; prudent; sedate; modest.
dough	noun	Paste of bread; a soft mass of moistened flour or meal, kneaded or unkneaded, but not yet baked; as, to knead dough., Anything of the consistency of such paste.
doupe	noun	The carrion crow.
doura	noun	A kind of millet. See Durra.
douse	verb t.	To plunge suddenly into water; to duck; to immerse; to dowse., To strike or lower in haste; to slacken suddenly; as, douse the topsail., To fall suddenly into water., To put out; to extinguish.
dowdy	superl.	Showing a vulgar taste in dress; awkward and slovenly in dress; vulgar-looking., An awkward, vulgarly dressed, inelegant woman.
dowel	noun	A pin, or block, of wood or metal, fitting into holes in the abutting portions of two pieces, and being partly in one piece and partly in the other, to keep them in their proper relative position., A piece of wood driven into a wall, so that other pieces may be nailed to it., To fasten together by dowels; to furnish with dowels; as, a cooper dowels pieces for the head of a cask.
dower	noun	That with which one is gifted or endowed; endowment; gift., The property with which a woman is endowed, That which a woman brings to a husband in marriage; dowry., That portion of the real estate of a man which his widow enjoys during her life, or to which a woman is entitled after the death of her husband.
dowle	noun	Feathery or wool-like down; filament of a feather.
downy	adjective	Covered with down, or with pubescence or soft hairs., Made of, or resembling, down. Hence, figuratively: Soft; placid; soothing; quiet., Cunning; wary.
dowry	noun	A gift; endowment., The money, goods, or estate, which a woman brings to her husband in marriage; a bride’s portion on her marriage. See Note under Dower., A gift or presents for the bride, on espousal. See Dower.
dowse	verb t.	To plunge, or duck into water; to immerse; to douse., To beat or thrash., To use the dipping or divining rod, as in search of water, ore, etc., A blow on the face.
dowst	noun	A dowse.
dowve	noun	A dove.
doyly	noun	See Doily.
dozed	imp. & past participle	of Doze
dozen	plural	of Dozen, A collection of twelve objects; a tale or set of twelve; with or without of before the substantive which follows., An indefinite small number.
dozer	noun	One who dozes or drowses.
draco	noun	The Dragon, a northern constellation within which is the north pole of the ecliptic., A luminous exhalation from marshy grounds., A genus of lizards. See Dragon, 6.
draff	noun	Refuse; lees; dregs; the wash given to swine or cows; hogwash; waste matter., The act of drawing; also, the thing drawn. Same as Draught., A selecting or detaching of soldiers from an army, or from any part of it, or from a military post; also from any district, or any company or collection of persons, or from the people at large; also, the body of men thus drafted., An order from one person or party to another, directing the payment of money; a bill of exchange., An allowance or deduction made from the gross veight of goods., A drawing of lines for a plan; a plan delineated, or drawn in outline; a delineation. See Draught., The form of any writing as first drawn up; the first rough sketch of written composition, to be filled in, or completed. See Draught., A narrow border left on a finished stone, worked differently from the rest of its face., A narrow border worked to a plane surface along the edge of a stone, or across its face, as a guide to the stone-cutter., The slant given to the furrows in the dress of a millstone., Depth of water necessary to float a ship. See Draught., A current of air. Same as Draught.
draft	adjective	Pertaining to, or used for, drawing or pulling (as vehicles, loads, etc.). Same as Draught., Relating to, or characterized by, a draft, or current of air. Same as Draught., To draw the outline of; to delineate., To compose and write; as, to draft a memorial., To draw from a military band or post, or from any district, company, or society; to detach; to select., To transfer by draft.
drail	verb t. & i.	To trail; to draggle.
drain	verb t.	To draw off by degrees; to cause to flow gradually out or off; hence, to cause the exhaustion of., To exhaust of liquid contents by drawing them off; to make gradually dry or empty; to remove surface water, as from streets, by gutters, etc.; to deprive of moisture; hence, to exhaust; to empty of wealth, resources, or the like; as, to drain a country of its specie., To filter., To flow gradually; as, the water of low ground drains off., To become emptied of liquor by flowing or dropping; as, let the vessel stand and drain., The act of draining, or of drawing off; gradual and continuous outflow or withdrawal; as, the drain of specie from a country., That means of which anything is drained; a channel; a trench; a water course; a sewer; a sink., The grain from the mashing tub; as, brewers’ drains.
drake	noun	The male of the duck kind., The drake fly., A dragon., A small piece of artillery., Wild oats, brome grass, or darnel grass; — called also drawk, dravick, and drank.
drama	noun	A composition, in prose or poetry, accommodated to action, and intended to exhibit a picture of human life, or to depict a series of grave or humorous actions of more than ordinary interest, tending toward some striking result. It is commonly designed to be spoken and represented by actors on the stage., A series of real events invested with a dramatic unity and interest., Dramatic composition and the literature pertaining to or illustrating it; dramatic literature.
drank	imp.	of Drink., Wild oats, or darnel grass. See Drake a plant., of Drink
drape	verb t.	To cover or adorn with drapery or folds of cloth, or as with drapery; as, to drape a bust, a building, etc., To rail at; to banter., To make cloth., To design drapery, arrange its folds, etc., as for hangings, costumes, statues, etc.
drave		old imp. of Drive., of Drive
drawn	past participle	of Draw, See Draw, v. t. & i.
drawl	verb t.	To utter in a slow, lengthened tone., To speak with slow and lingering utterance, from laziness, lack of spirit, affectation, etc., A lengthened, slow monotonous utterance.
dread	verb t.	To fear in a great degree; to regard, or look forward to, with terrific apprehension., To be in dread, or great fear., Great fear in view of impending evil; fearful apprehension of danger; anticipatory terror., Reverential or respectful fear; awe., An object of terrified apprehension., A person highly revered., Fury; dreadfulness., Doubt; as, out of dread., Exciting great fear or apprehension; causing terror; frightful; dreadful., Inspiring with reverential fear; awful’ venerable; as, dread sovereign; dread majesty; dread tribunal.
dream	noun	The thoughts, or series of thoughts, or imaginary transactions, which occupy the mind during sleep; a sleeping vision., A visionary scheme; a wild conceit; an idle fancy; a vagary; a revery; — in this sense, applied to an imaginary or anticipated state of happiness; as, a dream of bliss; the dream of his youth., To have ideas or images in the mind while in the state of sleep; to experience sleeping visions; — often with of; as, to dream of a battle, or of an absent friend., To let the mind run on in idle revery or vagary; to anticipate vaguely as a coming and happy reality; to have a visionary notion or idea; to imagine., To have a dream of; to see, or have a vision of, in sleep, or in idle fancy; — often followed by an objective clause.
drear	adjective	Dismal; gloomy with solitude., Sadness; dismalness.
drein	verb i.	To drain.
drent	past participle	Drenched; drowned.
drest		of Dress, of Dress.
dress	verb t.	To direct; to put right or straight; to regulate; to order., To arrange in exact continuity of line, as soldiers; commonly to adjust to a straight line and at proper distance; to align; as, to dress the ranks., To treat methodically with remedies, bandages, or curative appliances, as a sore, an ulcer, a wound, or a wounded or diseased part., To adjust; to put in good order; to arrange; specifically: (a) To prepare for use; to fit for any use; to render suitable for an intended purpose; to get ready; as, to dress a slain animal; to dress meat; to dress leather or cloth; to dress or trim a lamp; to dress a garden; to dress a horse, by currying and rubbing; to dress grain, by cleansing it; in mining and metallurgy, to dress ores, by sorting and separating them., To cut to proper dimensions, or give proper shape to, as to a tool by hammering; also, to smooth or finish., To put in proper condition by appareling, as the body; to put clothes upon; to apparel; to invest with garments or rich decorations; to clothe; to deck., To break and train for use, as a horse or other animal., To arrange one’s self in due position in a line of soldiers; — the word of command to form alignment in ranks; as, Right, dress!, To clothe or apparel one’s self; to put on one’s garments; to pay particular regard to dress; as, to dress quickly., That which is used as the covering or ornament of the body; clothes; garments; habit; apparel., A lady’s gown; as, silk or a velvet dress., Attention to apparel, or skill in adjusting it., The system of furrows on the face of a millstone.
dreul	verb i.	To drool.
dreye	adjective	Dry.
dried	imp. & past participle	of Day. Also adj.; as, dried apples., of Dry
drier	noun	One who, or that which, dries; that which may expel or absorb moisture; a desiccative; as, the sun and a northwesterly wind are great driers of the earth., Drying oil; a substance mingled with the oil used in oil painting to make it dry quickly., Alt. of Driest
drift	noun	A driving; a violent movement., The act or motion of drifting; the force which impels or drives; an overpowering influence or impulse., Course or direction along which anything is driven; setting., The tendency of an act, argument, course of conduct, or the like; object aimed at or intended; intention; hence, also, import or meaning of a sentence or discourse; aim., That which is driven, forced, or urged along, Anything driven at random., A mass of matter which has been driven or forced onward together in a body, or thrown together in a heap, etc., esp. by wind or water; as, a drift of snow, of ice, of sand, and the like., A drove or flock, as of cattle, sheep, birds., The horizontal thrust or pressure of an arch or vault upon the abutments., A collection of loose earth and rocks, or boulders, which have been distributed over large portions of the earth’s surface, especially in latitudes north of forty degrees, by the agency of ice., In South Africa, a ford in a river., A slightly tapered tool of steel for enlarging or shaping a hole in metal, by being forced or driven into or through it; a broach., A tool used in driving down compactly the composition contained in a rocket, or like firework., A deviation from the line of fire, peculiar to oblong projectiles., A passage driven or cut between shaft and shaft; a driftway; a small subterranean gallery; an adit or tunnel., The distance through which a current flows in a given time., The angle which the line of a ship’s motion makes with the meridian, in drifting., The distance to which a vessel is carried off from her desired course by the wind, currents, or other causes., The place in a deep-waisted vessel where the sheer is raised and the rail is cut off, and usually terminated with a scroll, or driftpiece., The distance between the two blocks of a tackle., The difference between the size of a bolt and the hole into which it is driven, or between the circumference of a hoop and that of the mast on which it is to be driven., To float or be driven along by, or as by, a current of water or air; as, the ship drifted astern; a raft drifted ashore; the balloon drifts slowly east., To accumulate in heaps by the force of wind; to be driven into heaps; as, snow or sand drifts., to make a drift; to examine a vein or ledge for the purpose of ascertaining the presence of metals or ores; to follow a vein; to prospect., To drive or carry, as currents do a floating body., To drive into heaps; as, a current of wind drifts snow or sand., To enlarge or shape, as a hole, with a drift., That causes drifting or that is drifted; movable by wind or currents; as, drift currents; drift ice; drift mud.
drill	verb t.	To pierce or bore with a drill, or a with a drill; to perforate; as, to drill a hole into a rock; to drill a piece of metal., To train in the military art; to exercise diligently, as soldiers, in military evolutions and exercises; hence, to instruct thoroughly in the rudiments of any art or branch of knowledge; to discipline., To practice an exercise or exercises; to train one’s self., An instrument with an edged or pointed end used for making holes in hard substances; strictly, a tool that cuts with its end, by revolving, as in drilling metals, or by a succession of blows, as in drilling stone; also, a drill press., The act or exercise of training soldiers in the military art, as in the manual of arms, in the execution of evolutions, and the like; hence, diligent and strict instruction and exercise in the rudiments and methods of any business; a kind or method of military exercises; as, infantry drill; battalion drill; artillery drill., Any exercise, physical or mental, enforced with regularity and by constant repetition; as, a severe drill in Latin grammar., A marine gastropod, of several species, which kills oysters and other bivalves by drilling holes through the shell. The most destructive kind is Urosalpinx cinerea., To cause to flow in drills or rills or by trickling; to drain by trickling; as, waters drilled through a sandy stratum., To sow, as seeds, by dribbling them along a furrow or in a row, like a trickling rill of water., To entice; to allure from step; to decoy; — with on., To cause to slip or waste away by degrees., To trickle., To sow in drills., A small trickling stream; a rill., An implement for making holes for sowing seed, and sometimes so formed as to contain seeds and drop them into the hole made., A light furrow or channel made to put seed into sowing., A row of seed sown in a furrow., A large African baboon (Cynocephalus leucophaeus)., Same as Drilling.
drily	adverb	See Dryly.
drunk		of Drink, of Drink, Intoxicated with, or as with, strong drink; inebriated; drunken; — never used attributively, but always predicatively; as, the man is drunk (not, a drunk man)., Drenched or saturated with moisture or liquid., A drunken condition; a spree.
drink	verb i.	To swallow anything liquid, for quenching thirst or other purpose; to imbibe; to receive or partake of, as if in satisfaction of thirst; as, to drink from a spring., To quaff exhilarating or intoxicating liquors, in merriment or feasting; to carouse; to revel; hence, to lake alcoholic liquors to excess; to be intemperate in the /se of intoxicating or spirituous liquors; to tipple., To swallow (a liquid); to receive, as a fluid, into the stomach; to imbibe; as, to drink milk or water., To take in (a liquid), in any manner; to suck up; to absorb; to imbibe., To take in; to receive within one, through the senses; to inhale; to hear; to see., To smoke, as tobacco., Liquid to be swallowed; any fluid to be taken into the stomach for quenching thirst or for other purposes, as water, coffee, or decoctions., Specifically, intoxicating liquor; as, when drink is on, wit is out.
dript		of Drip
drove	imp.	of Drive, of Drive., A collection of cattle driven, or cattle collected for driving; a number of animals, as oxen, sheep, or swine, driven in a body., Any collection of irrational animals, moving or driving forward; as, a finny drove., A crowd of people in motion., A road for driving cattle; a driftway., A narrow drain or channel used in the irrigation of land., A broad chisel used to bring stone to a nearly smooth surface; — called also drove chisel., The grooved surface of stone finished by the drove chisel; — called also drove work.
drive	verb t.	To impel or urge onward by force in a direction away from one, or along before one; to push forward; to compel to move on; to communicate motion to; as, to drive cattle; to drive a nail; smoke drives persons from a room., To urge on and direct the motions of, as the beasts which draw a vehicle, or the vehicle borne by them; hence, also, to take in a carriage; to convey in a vehicle drawn by beasts; as, to drive a pair of horses or a stage; to drive a person to his own door., To urge, impel, or hurry forward; to force; to constrain; to urge, press, or bring to a point or state; as, to drive a person by necessity, by persuasion, by force of circumstances, by argument, and the like., To carry or; to keep in motion; to conduct; to prosecute., To clear, by forcing away what is contained., To dig Horizontally; to cut a horizontal gallery or tunnel., To pass away; — said of time., To rush and press with violence; to move furiously., To be forced along; to be impelled; to be moved by any physical force or agent; to be driven., To go by carriage; to pass in a carriage; to proceed by directing or urging on a vehicle or the animals that draw it; as, the coachman drove to my door., To press forward; to aim, or tend, to a point; to make an effort; to strive; — usually with at., To distrain for rent., Driven., The act of driving; a trip or an excursion in a carriage, as for exercise or pleasure; — distinguished from a ride taken on horseback., A place suitable or agreeable for driving; a road prepared for driving., Violent or rapid motion; a rushing onward or away; esp., a forced or hurried dispatch of business., In type founding and forging, an impression or matrix, formed by a punch drift., A collection of objects that are driven; a mass of logs to be floated down a river.
drock	noun	A water course.
droil	verb i.	To work sluggishly or slowly; to plod., A drudge., Mean labor; toil.
droit	noun	A right; law in its aspect of the foundation of rights; also, in old law, the writ of right.
droll	superl.	Queer, and fitted to provoke laughter; ludicrous from oddity; amusing and strange., One whose practice it is to raise mirth by odd tricks; a jester; a buffoon; a merry-andrew., Something exhibited to raise mirth or sport, as a puppet, a farce, and the like., To jest; to play the buffoon., To lead or influence by jest or trick; to banter or jest; to cajole., To make a jest of; to set in a comical light.
drome	noun	The crab plover (Dromas ardeola), a peculiar North African bird, allied to the oyster catcher.
drone	verb i.	The male of bees, esp. of the honeybee. It gathers no honey. See Honeybee., One who lives on the labors of others; a lazy, idle fellow; a sluggard., That which gives out a grave or monotonous tone or dull sound; as: (a) A drum. [Obs.] Halliwell. (b) The part of the bagpipe containing the two lowest tubes, which always sound the key note and the fifth., A humming or deep murmuring sound., A monotonous bass, as in a pastoral composition., To utter or make a low, dull, monotonous, humming or murmuring sound., To love in idleness; to do nothing.
drony	adjective	Like a drone; sluggish; lazy.
drool	verb i.	To drivel, or drop saliva; as, the child drools.
droop	verb i.	To hang bending downward; to sink or hang down, as an animal, plant, etc., from physical inability or exhaustion, want of nourishment, or the like., To grow weak or faint with disappointment, grief, or like causes; to be dispirited or depressed; to languish; as, her spirits drooped., To proceed downward, or toward a close; to decline., To let droop or sink., A drooping; as, a droop of the eye.
dropt		of Drop, imp. & p. p. of Drop, v.
dross	noun	The scum or refuse matter which is thrown off, or falls from, metals in smelting the ore, or in the process of melting; recrement., Rust of metals., Waste matter; any worthless matter separated from the better part; leavings; dregs; refuse.
drovy	adjective	Turbid; muddy; filthy.
drown	verb i.	To be suffocated in water or other fluid; to perish in water., To overwhelm in water; to submerge; to inundate., To deprive of life by immersion in water or other liquid., To overpower; to overcome; to extinguish; — said especially of sound.
druid	noun	One of an order of priests which in ancient times existed among certain branches of the Celtic race, especially among the Gauls and Britons., A member of a social and benevolent order, founded in London in 1781, and professedly based on the traditions of the ancient Druids. Lodges or groves of the society are established in other countries.
drupe	noun	A fruit consisting of pulpy, coriaceous, or fibrous exocarp, without valves, containing a nut or stone with a kernel. The exocarp is succulent in the plum, cherry, apricot, peach, etc.; dry and subcoriaceous in the almond; and fibrous in the cocoanut.
druse	noun	A cavity in a rock, having its interior surface studded with crystals and sometimes filled with water; a geode., One of a people and religious sect dwelling chiefly in the Lebanon mountains of Syria.
drusy	adjective	Alt. of Drused
druxy	adjective	Having decayed spots or streaks of a whitish color; — said of timber.
dryad	noun	A wood nymph; a nymph whose life was bound up with that of her tree.
dryas	noun	A dryad.
dryer	noun	See Drier.
dryly	adverb	In a dry manner; not succulently; without interest; without sympathy; coldly.
dryth	noun	Alt. of Drith
drith	noun	Drought.
ducal	adjective	Of or pertaining to a duke.
ducat	noun	A coin, either of gold or silver, of several countries in Europe; originally, one struck in the dominions of a duke.
duchy	noun	The territory or dominions of a duke; a dukedom.
duelo	noun	A duel; also, the rules of dueling.
duea	noun	See Doa.
dulce	verb t.	To make sweet; to soothe.
dulia	noun	An inferior kind of veneration or worship, given to the angels and saints as the servants of God.
dully	adverb	In a dull manner; stupidly; slowly; sluggishly; without life or spirit.
dulse	noun	A seaweed of a reddish brown color, which is sometimes eaten, as in Scotland. The true dulse is Sarcophyllis edulis; the common is Rhodymenia. [Written also dillisk.]
dumal	adjective	Pertaining to, or set with, briers or bushes; brambly.
dummy	adjective	Silent; mute; noiseless; as a dummy engine., Fictitious or sham; feigned; as, a dummy watch., One who is dumb., A sham package in a shop, or one which does not contain what its exterior indicates., An imitation or copy of something, to be used as a substitute; a model; a lay figure; as, a figure on which clothing is exhibited in shop windows; a blank paper copy used to show the size of the future book, etc., One who plays a merely nominal part in any action; a sham character., A thick-witted person; a dolt., A locomotive with condensing engines, and, hence, without the noise of escaping steam; also, a dummy car., The fourth or exposed hand when three persons play at a four-handed game of cards., A floating barge connected with a pier.
dumpy	superl.	Short and thick; of low stature and disproportionately stout., Sullen or discontented.
dunce	noun	One backward in book learning; a child or other person dull or weak in intellect; a dullard; a dolt.
dungy	adjective	Full of dung; filthy; vile; low.
dunny	adjective	Deaf; stupid.
duomo	noun	A cathedral. See Dome, 2.
duped	imp. & past participle	of Dupe
duper	noun	One who dupes another.
duple	adjective	Double.
dural	adjective	Pertaining to the dura, or dura mater.
durga	noun	Same as Doorga.
durio	noun	A fruit tree (D. zibethinus, the only species known) of the Indian Archipelago. It bears the durian.
durra	noun	A kind of millet, cultivated throughout Asia, and introduced into the south of Europe; a variety of Sorghum vulgare; — called also Indian millet, and Guinea corn.
dusky	adjective	Partially dark or obscure; not luminous; dusk; as, a dusky valley., Tending to blackness in color; partially black; dark-colored; not bright; as, a dusky brown., Gloomy; sad; melancholy., Intellectually clouded.
dusty	superl.	Filled, covered, or sprinkled with dust; clouded with dust; as, a dusty table; also, reducing to dust., Like dust; of the color of dust; as a dusty white.
dutch	adjective	Pertaining to Holland, or to its inhabitants., The people of Holland; Dutchmen., The language spoken in Holland.
dwale	adjective	The deadly nightshade (Atropa Belladonna), having stupefying qualities., The tincture sable or black when blazoned according to the fantastic system in which plants are substituted for the tinctures., A sleeping potion; an opiate.
dwang	noun	A piece of wood set between two studs, posts, etc., to stiffen and support them., A kind of crowbar., A large wrench.
dwarf	noun	An animal or plant which is much below the ordinary size of its species or kind; especially, a diminutive human being., To hinder from growing to the natural size; to make or keep small; to stunt., To become small; to diminish in size.
dwaul	verb i.	Alt. of Dwaule
dwelt		of Dwell, of Dwell.
dwell	verb i.	To delay; to linger., To abide; to remain; to continue., To abide as a permanent resident, or for a time; to live in a place; to reside., To inhabit.
dwine	verb i.	To waste away; to pine; to languish.
dyaks	noun pl.	The aboriginal and most numerous inhabitants of Borneo. They are partially civilized, but retain many barbarous practices.
dynam	noun	A unit of measure for dynamical effect or work; a foot pound. See Foot pound.