de|ity /de I I t I , [AM ] diː -/ (deities ) N‑COUNT A deity is a god or goddess. [FORMAL ]
déjà vu /de I ʒɑː vuː / N‑UNCOUNT Déjà vu is the feeling that you have already experienced the things that are happening to you now. □ The sense of déjà vu was overwhelming.
de|ject|ed /d I dʒe kt I d/ ADJ If you are dejected , you feel miserable or unhappy, especially because you have just been disappointed by something. □ Everyone has days when they feel dejected or down. ● de|ject|ed|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ Passengers queued dejectedly for the increasingly dirty toilets.
de|jec|tion /d I dʒe kʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT Dejection is a feeling of sadness that you get, for example, when you have just been disappointed by something. □ There was a slight air of dejection about her.
de jure /de I dʒʊə re I , [AM ] diː dʒʊ ri/ ADJ [ADJ n] De jure is used to indicate that something legally exists or is a particular thing. [LEGAL ] □ …politicians and kings, de jure leaders of men. ● ADV De jure is also an adverb. □ The Synod's declarations prevailed de jure but not de facto in the Roman Catholic Church down to the Reformation era.
de|lay ◆◆◇ /d I le I / (delays , delaying , delayed )
1 VERB If you delay doing something, you do not do it immediately or at the planned or expected time, but you leave it until later. □ [V n] For sentimental reasons I wanted to delay my departure until June. □ [V ] So don't delay, write in now for your chance of a free gift.
2 VERB To delay someone or something means to make them late or to slow them down. □ [V n] Can you delay him in some way? □ [V n] The passengers were delayed for an hour.
3 VERB If you delay , you deliberately take longer than necessary to do something. □ [V ] If he delayed any longer, the sun would be up.
4 N‑VAR If there is a delay , something does not happen until later than planned or expected. □ Although the tests have caused some delay, flights should be back to normal this morning.
5 N‑UNCOUNT Delay is a failure to do something immediately or in the required or usual time. □ We'll send you a quote without delay.
de|la yed a c|tion ADJ [ADJ n] A delayed action mechanism causes a delay on the device it is fitted to, so that it does not work as soon as you switch it on or operate it. □ …a type of delayed action parachute.
de|lay|er|ing /diːle I ər I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Delayering is the process of simplifying the administrative structure of a large organization in order to make it more efficient. [BUSINESS ]
de|la y|ing ta c|tic (delaying tactics ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Delaying tactics are things that someone does in order to deliberately delay the start or progress of something. □ Ministers are using delaying tactics to postpone the report yet again.
de|lec|table /d I le ktəb ə l/ ADJ If you describe something, especially food or drink, as delectable , you mean that it is very pleasant. □ …delectable desserts, cakes and puddings.
de|lec|ta|tion /diː lekte I ʃ ə n/ PHRASE If you do something for someone's delectation , you do it to give them enjoyment or pleasure. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] She makes scones and cakes for the delectation of visitors.
del|egate ◆◇◇ (delegates , delegating , delegated ) The noun is pronounced /de l I gət/. The verb is pronounced /de l I ge I t/. 1 N‑COUNT A delegate is a person who is chosen to vote or make decisions on behalf of a group of other people, especially at a conference or a meeting.
2 VERB If you delegate duties, responsibilities, or power to someone, you give them those duties, those responsibilities, or that power so that they can act on your behalf. □ [V n + to ] He plans to delegate more authority to his deputies. □ [V ] Many employers find it hard to delegate. [Also V n] ● del|ega|tion N‑UNCOUNT □ A key factor in running a business is the delegation of responsibility.
3 VERB [usu passive] If you are delegated to do something, you are given the duty of acting on someone else's behalf by making decisions, voting, or doing some particular work. □ [be V -ed to-inf] Officials have now been delegated to start work on a draft settlement.
del|ega|tion ◆◇◇ /de l I ge I ʃ ə n/ (delegations )
1 N‑COUNT A delegation is a group of people who have been sent somewhere to have talks with other people on behalf of a larger group of people. □ He was sent to New York as part of the Dutch delegation to the United Nations.
2 → see also delegate
de|lete /d I liː t/ (deletes , deleting , deleted ) VERB If you delete something that has been written down or stored in a computer, you cross it out or remove it. □ [V n] He also deleted files from the computer system. ● de|letion /d I liː ʃ ə n/ (deletions ) N‑VAR □ [+ of ] This involved the deletion of a great deal of irrelevant material.
del|eteri|ous /de l I t I ə riəs/ ADJ Something that has a deleterious effect on something has a harmful effect on it. [FORMAL ] □ Petty crime is having a deleterious effect on community life.
deli /de li/ (delis ) N‑COUNT A deli is a shop or part of a shop that sells food such as cheese and cold meat. Deli is an abbreviation for 'delicatessen'.
de|lib|er|ate ◆◇◇ (deliberates , deliberating , deliberated ) The adjective is pronounced /d I l I bərət/. The verb is pronounced /d I l I bəre I t/. 1 ADJ If you do something that is deliberate , you planned or decided to do it beforehand, and so it happens on purpose rather than by chance. □ Witnesses say the firing was deliberate and sustained. ● de|lib|er|ate|ly ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] □ It looks as if the blaze was started deliberately. □ Mr Christopher's answer was deliberately vague.