de|cor /de I kɔː r , [AM ] de I kɔː r/ N‑UNCOUNT The decor of a house or room is its style of furnishing and decoration. □ The decor is simple–black lacquer panels on white walls.
deco|rate ◆◇◇ /de kəre I t/ (decorates , decorating , decorated )
1 VERB If you decorate something, you make it more attractive by adding things to it. □ [V n + with ] He decorated his room with pictures of all his favorite sports figures. □ [V n] Use shells to decorate boxes, trays, mirrors or even pots.
2 VERB If you decorate a room or the inside of a building, you put new paint or wallpaper on the walls and ceiling, and paint the woodwork. □ [V n] We decorated the guest bedroom in shades of white and cream. □ [V ] The boys are planning to decorate when they get the time. □ [have n V -ed] I had the flat decorated quickly so that Philippa could move in. ● deco|rat|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ I did a lot of the decorating myself. ● deco|ra|tion N‑UNCOUNT □ The renovation process and decoration took four months.
3 VERB [usu passive] If someone is decorated , they are given a medal or other honour as an official reward for something that they have done. □ [be V -ed] He was decorated for bravery in battle.
deco|ra|tion /de kəre I ʃ ə n/ (decorations )
1 N‑UNCOUNT [oft with poss] The decoration of a room is its furniture, wallpaper, and ornaments. □ The decoration and furnishings had to be practical enough for a family home.
2 N‑VAR Decorations are features that are added to something in order to make it look more attractive. □ The only wall decorations are candles and a single mirror.
3 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Decorations are brightly coloured objects such as pieces of paper and balloons, which you put up in a room on special occasions to make it look more attractive. □ Festive paper decorations had been hung from the ceiling.
4 N‑COUNT A decoration is an official title or honour which is given to someone, usually in the form of a medal, as a reward for military bravery or public service. □ He was awarded several military decorations.
5 → see also decorate
deco|ra|tive /de kərət I v/ ADJ Something that is decorative is intended to look pretty or attractive. □ The curtains are for purely decorative purposes and do not open or close.
deco|ra|tor /de kəre I tə r / (decorators )
1 N‑COUNT A decorator is a person whose job is to paint houses or put wallpaper up. [BRIT ]
2 N‑COUNT A decorator is a person who is employed to design and decorate the inside of people's houses. [AM ] in BRIT, use interior decorator
deco|rous /de kərəs/ ADJ Decorous behaviour is very respectable, calm, and polite. [FORMAL ] ● deco|rous|ly ADV □ He sipped his drink decorously.
de|co|rum /d I kɔː rəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Decorum is behaviour that people consider to be correct, polite, and respectable. [FORMAL ] □ I was treated with decorum and respect throughout the investigation.
de|cou|ple /diː kʌ p ə l/ (decouples , decoupling , decoupled ) VERB If two countries, organizations, or ideas that were connected in some way are decoupled , the connection between them is ended. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] …a conception which decouples culture and politics. □ [V n + from ] The issue threatened to decouple Europe from the United States.
de|coy /diː kɔ I / (decoys ) N‑COUNT If you refer to something or someone as a decoy , you mean that they are intended to attract people's attention and deceive them, for example by leading them into a trap or away from a particular place. □ He was booked on a flight leaving that day, but that was just a decoy.
de|crease (decreases , decreasing , decreased ) The verb is pronounced /d I kriː s/. The noun is pronounced /diː kriːs/. 1 VERB When something decreases or when you decrease it, it becomes less in quantity, size, or intensity. □ [V + by ] Population growth is decreasing by 1.4% each year. □ [V + from/to ] The number of independent firms decreased from 198 to 96. □ [V amount] Raw-steel production by the nation's mills decreased 2.1% last week. □ [V + in ] Since 1945 air forces have decreased in size. □ [V n] Gradually decrease the amount of vitamin C you are taking. □ [V -ing] We've got stable labor, decreasing interest rates, low oil prices.
2 N‑COUNT A decrease in the quantity, size, or intensity of something is a reduction in it. □ [+ in ] …a decrease in the number of young people out of work. □ [+ of ] Bank base rates have fallen from 10 per cent to 6 per cent–a decrease of 40 per cent.
de|cree /d I kriː / (decrees , decreeing , decreed )
1 N‑COUNT [oft by N ] A decree is an official order or decision, especially one made by the ruler of a country. □ In July he issued a decree ordering all unofficial armed groups in the country to disband.
2 VERB If someone in authority decrees that something must happen, they decide or state this officially. □ [V that] The U.N. Security Council has decreed that the election must be held by May. □ [V n] The king decreed a general amnesty.
3 N‑COUNT A decree is a judgment made by a law court. [mainly AM ] □ …court decrees.
de|cree a b|so|lute (decrees absolute ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] A decree absolute is the final order made by a court in a divorce case which ends a marriage completely.
de|cree nisi /d I kriː na I sa I / (decrees nisi ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] A decree nisi is an order made by a court which states that a divorce must take place at a certain time in the future unless a good reason is produced to prevent this.