dea th squad (death squads ) N‑COUNT Death squads are groups of people who operate illegally and carry out the killing of people such as their political opponents or criminals.
dea th taxes N‑PLURAL Death taxes were a tax which had to be paid on the money and property of someone who had died. This tax is now called inheritance tax . [AM ]
dea th throes also death-throes
1 N‑PLURAL [usu with poss] The death throes of something are its final stages, just before it fails completely or ends. [LITERARY ]
2 N‑PLURAL [oft in poss N ] If a person or animal is in their death throes , they are dying and making violent, uncontrolled movements, usually because they are suffering great pain.
dea th toll (death tolls ) also death-toll N‑COUNT The death toll of an accident, disaster, or war is the number of people who die in it.
dea th trap (death traps ) also death-trap N‑COUNT If you say that a place or vehicle is a death trap , you mean it is in such bad condition that it might cause someone's death. [INFORMAL ] □ Badly-built kit cars can be death traps.
dea th war|rant (death warrants ) also death-warrant
1 N‑COUNT A death warrant is an official document which orders that someone is to be executed as a punishment for a crime.
2 PHRASE If you say that someone is signing their own death warrant , you mean that they are behaving in a way which will cause their ruin or death. □ By accusing the King of murder, he signed his own death warrant.
dea th wish also death-wish N‑SING A death wish is a conscious or unconscious desire to die or be killed.
deb /de b/ (debs ) N‑COUNT A deb is the same as a debutante .
de|ba|cle /de I bɑː k ə l, [AM ] d I b-/ (debacles ) in BRIT, also use débâcle N‑COUNT A debacle is an event or attempt that is a complete failure. □ [+ of ] After the debacle of the war the world was never the same again.
de|bar /d I bɑː r , diː -/ (debars , debarring , debarred ) VERB [usu passive] If you are debarred from doing something, you are prevented from doing it by a law or regulation. [FORMAL ] □ [be V -ed + from ] If found guilty, she could be debarred from politics for seven years. [Also be V -ed from -ing]
de|base /d I be I s/ (debases , debasing , debased ) VERB To debase something means to reduce its value or quality. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] Politicians have debased the meaning of the word 'freedom'. ● de|based ADJ □ …the debased standards of today's media.
de|base|ment /d I be I smənt/ N‑UNCOUNT Debasement is the action of reducing the value or quality of something. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] …the debasement of popular culture.
de|bat|able /d I be I təb ə l/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you say that something is debatable , you mean that it is not certain. □ Whether we can stay in this situation is debatable. □ It is debatable whether or not antibiotics would make any difference.
de|bate ◆◆◇ /d I be I t/ (debates , debating , debated )
1 N‑VAR A debate is a discussion about a subject on which people have different views. □ An intense debate is going on within the Israeli government. □ [+ about ] There has been a lot of debate among scholars about this. [Also + on/over ]
2 N‑COUNT A debate is a formal discussion, for example in a parliament or institution, in which people express different opinions about a particular subject and then vote on it. □ There are expected to be some heated debates in parliament over the next few days. [Also + on/about ] ● de|bat|ing N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] □ …debating skills.
3 VERB If people debate a topic, they discuss it fairly formally, putting forward different views. You can also say that one person debates a topic with another person. □ [V n] The United Nations Security Council will debate the issue today. □ [V wh] Scholars have debated whether or not Yagenta became a convert. □ [V n + with ] He likes to debate issues with his friends. [Also V with n]
4 VERB If you debate whether to do something or what to do, you think or talk about possible courses of action before deciding exactly what you are going to do. □ [V wh] Taggart debated whether to have yet another coffee. □ [V v-ing] I debated going back inside, but decided against it.
5 PHRASE If you say that a matter is open to debate , you mean that people have different opinions about it, or it has not yet been firmly decided. □ Which of them has more musical talent is open to debate. COLLOCATIONS debate NOUN
1
noun + debate : election, independence, referendum; TV
adjective + debate : fierce, heated, lively, passionate, robust, vigorous; acrimonious, bitter, divisive, furious; considerable, much; ethical, political; ongoing
verb + debate : provoke, spark, trigger; reignite, reopen, revive; fuel, stimulate
2
adjective + debate : parliamentary; presidential VERB 3
debate + noun : issue, matter, question, subject, topic
debate + adverb : fiercely, heatedly, hotly, passionately, vigorously; earnestly, intensely; endlessly; openly, publicly SYNONYMS debate NOUN 1