de|liv|er|ance /d I l I vərəns/ N‑UNCOUNT Deliverance is rescue from imprisonment, danger, or evil. [LITERARY ] □ [+ from ] The opening scene shows them celebrating their sudden deliverance from war.
de|liv|ery ◆◇◇ /d I l I vəri/ (deliveries )
1 N‑VAR Delivery or a delivery is the bringing of letters, parcels, or other goods to someone's house or to another place where they want them. □ It is available at £108, including VAT and delivery. □ …the delivery of goods and resources.
2 N‑COUNT A delivery of something is the goods that are delivered. □ I got a delivery of fresh eggs this morning.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] A delivery person or service delivers things to a place. □ …a pizza delivery man.
4 N‑UNCOUNT [usu poss N ] You talk about someone's delivery when you are referring to the way in which they give a speech or lecture. □ His speeches were magnificently written but his delivery was hopeless.
5 N‑VAR Delivery is the process of giving birth to a baby. □ In the end, it was an easy delivery: a fine baby boy.
de|li v|ery room (delivery rooms ) N‑COUNT In a hospital, the delivery room is the room where women give birth to their babies.
dell /de l/ (dells ) N‑COUNT A dell is a small valley which has trees growing in it. [LITERARY ]
del|phin|ium /delf I niəm/ (delphiniums ) N‑COUNT A delphinium is a garden plant which has a tall stem with blue flowers growing up it.
del|ta /de ltə/ (deltas ) N‑COUNT [oft n N ] A delta is an area of low, flat land shaped like a triangle, where a river splits and spreads out into several branches before entering the sea. □ …the Mississippi delta.
de|lude /d I luː d/ (deludes , deluding , deluded )
1 VERB If you delude yourself , you let yourself believe that something is true, even though it is not true. □ [V pron-refl] The President was deluding himself if he thought he was safe from such action. □ [V pron-refl that] We delude ourselves that we are in control. □ [V pron-refl + into ] I had deluded myself into believing that it would all come right in the end.
2 VERB To delude someone into thinking something means to make them believe what is not true. □ [V n + into ] Television deludes you into thinking you have experienced reality, when you haven't. □ [be V -ed] He had been unwittingly deluded by their mystical nonsense. [Also V n]
de|lud|ed /d I luː d I d/ ADJ Someone who is deluded believes something that is not true. □ …deluded fanatics.
del|uge /de ljuːdʒ/ (deluges , deluging , deluged )
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A deluge of things is a large number of them which arrive or happen at the same time. □ [+ of ] A deluge of manuscripts began to arrive in the post. □ [+ of ] This has brought a deluge of criticism.
2 VERB [usu passive] If a place or person is deluged with things, a large number of them arrive or happen at the same time. □ [be V -ed + with/by ] During 1933, Papen's office was deluged with complaints.
3 N‑COUNT A deluge is a sudden, very heavy fall of rain. □ About a dozen homes were damaged in the deluge.
de|lu|sion /d I luː ʒ ə n/ (delusions )
1 N‑COUNT A delusion is a false idea. □ I was under the delusion that he intended to marry me.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Delusion is the state of believing things that are not true. □ This was not optimism, it was delusion.
3 PHRASE If someone has delusions of grandeur , they think and behave as if they are much more important or powerful than they really are. [DISAPPROVAL ]
deluxe /d I lʌ ks/ in BRIT, also use de luxe ADJ [ADJ n, n ADJ ] Deluxe goods or services are better in quality and more expensive than ordinary ones. □ …a rare, highly prized deluxe wine.
delve /de lv/ (delves , delving , delved )
1 VERB If you delve into something, you try to discover new information about it. □ [V + into ] Tormented by her ignorance, Jenny delves into her mother's past. □ [V adv] If you're interested in a subject, use the Internet to delve deeper.
2 VERB If you delve into something such as a cupboard or a bag, you search inside it. [WRITTEN ] □ [V prep/adv] She delved into her rucksack and pulled out a folder.
dema|gog|ic /de məgɒ dʒ I k/ ADJ If you say that someone such as a politician is demagogic , you are criticizing them because you think they try to win people's support by appealing to their emotions rather than using reasonable arguments. [FORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]
dema|gogue /de məgɒg, [AM ] -gɔːg/ (demagogues ) in AM, also use demagog N‑COUNT [oft adj N ] If you say that someone such as a politician is a demagogue you are criticizing them because you think they try to win people's support by appealing to their emotions rather than using reasonable arguments. [DISAPPROVAL ]
dema|gogy /de məgɒdʒi/ or demagoguery N‑UNCOUNT You can refer to a method of political rule as demagogy if you disapprove of it because you think it involves appealing to people's emotions rather than using reasonable arguments. [DISAPPROVAL ]
de|mand ◆◆◆ /d I mɑː nd, -mæ nd/ (demands , demanding , demanded )
1 VERB If you demand something such as information or action, you ask for it in a very forceful way. □ [V n + from ] Mr Byers last night demanded an immediate explanation from the Education Secretary. □ [V that] Russia demanded that Unita send a delegation to the peace talks. □ [V to-inf] The hijackers are demanding to speak to representatives of both governments. □ [V with quote] 'What did you expect me to do about it?' she demanded.