1 VERB If you discontinue something that you have been doing regularly, you stop doing it. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] Do not discontinue the treatment without consulting your doctor. [Also V -ing]
2 VERB [usu passive] If a product is discontinued , the manufacturer stops making it. □ [be V -ed] This product was discontinued in 2016.
dis|con|ti|nu|ity /d I skɒ nt I njuː I ti, [AM ] -nuː -/ (discontinuities ) N‑VAR Discontinuity in a process is a lack of smooth or continuous development. [FORMAL ] □ There may appear to be discontinuities between broadcasts.
dis|con|tinu|ous /d I skənt I njuəs/ ADJ A process that is discontinuous happens in stages with intervals between them, rather than continuously.
dis|cord /d I skɔː r d/ N‑UNCOUNT Discord is disagreement and argument between people. [LITERARY ]
dis|cord|ant /d I skɔː r d ə nt/
1 ADJ Something that is discordant is strange or unpleasant because it does not fit in with other things. □ His agenda is discordant with ours.
2 ADJ A discordant sound or musical effect is unpleasant to hear.
dis|co|theque /d I skətek/ (discotheques ) N‑COUNT A discotheque is the same as a disco . [OLD-FASHIONED ]
dis|count ◆◇◇ (discounts , discounting , discounted ) Pronounced /d I skaʊnt/ for meanings 1 and 2 , and /d I skaʊ nt/ for meaning 3 . 1 N‑COUNT A discount is a reduction in the usual price of something. □ They are often available at a discount. □ Full-time staff get a 20 per cent discount.
2 VERB If a shop or company discounts an amount or percentage from something that they are selling, they take the amount or percentage off the usual price. □ [V n] This has forced airlines to discount fares heavily in order to spur demand.
3 VERB If you discount an idea, fact, or theory, you consider that it is not true, not important, or not relevant. □ [V n] However, traders tended to discount the rumor.
dis|count|er /d I skaʊntə r / (discounters ) N‑COUNT A discounter is a shop or organization which specializes in selling things very cheaply. Discounters usually sell things in large quantities, or offer only a very limited range of goods.
dis|cour|age /d I skʌ r I dʒ, [AM ] -kɜː r-/ (discourages , discouraging , discouraged )
1 VERB If someone or something discourages you, they cause you to lose your enthusiasm about your actions. □ [V n] It may be difficult to do at first. Don't let this discourage you. ● dis|cour|aged ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] □ She was determined not to be too discouraged. ● dis|cour|ag|ing ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] □ Today's report is rather more discouraging for the economy.
2 VERB To discourage an action or to discourage someone from doing it means to make them not want to do it. □ [V n/v-ing] …typhoons that discouraged shopping and leisure activities. □ [V n + from ] …a campaign to discourage children from smoking.
dis|cour|age|ment /d I skʌ r I dʒmənt, [AM ] -kɜː r-/ (discouragements )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Discouragement is the act of trying to make someone not want to do something. □ He persevered despite discouragement from those around him.
2 N‑COUNT A discouragement is something that makes you unwilling to do something because you are afraid of the consequences. □ Uncertainty is a discouragement to investment.
dis|course (discourses , discoursing , discoursed ) The noun is pronounced /d I skɔː r s/. The verb is pronounced /d I skɔː r s/. 1 N‑UNCOUNT Discourse is spoken or written communication between people, especially serious discussion of a particular subject. □ …a tradition of political discourse.
2 N‑COUNT A discourse is a serious talk or piece of writing which is intended to teach or explain something. [FORMAL ] □ [+ on ] Gates responds with a lengthy discourse on deployment strategy.
3 VERB If someone discourses on something, they talk for a long time about it in a confident way. [FORMAL ] □ [V prep] He discoursed for several hours on French and English prose. [Also V ]
4 → see also direct discourse , indirect discourse
dis|cour|teous /d I skɜː r tiəs/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you say that someone is discourteous , you mean that they are rude and have no consideration for the feelings of other people. [FORMAL ]
dis|cour|tesy /d I skɜː r t I si/ (discourtesies ) N‑VAR Discourtesy is rude and bad-mannered behaviour. [FORMAL ]
dis|cov|er ◆◆◇ /d I skʌ və r / (discovers , discovering , discovered )
1 VERB If you discover something that you did not know about before, you become aware of it or learn of it. □ [V that] She discovered that they'd escaped. □ [V wh] It was difficult for the inspectors to discover which documents were important. □ [V n] Haskell did not live to discover the deception. □ [be V -ed that] It was discovered that the files were missing. [Also be V -ed to-inf]
2 VERB If a person or thing is discovered , someone finds them, either by accident or because they have been looking for them. □ [be V -ed] A few days later his badly beaten body was discovered on a roadside outside the city. [Also V n]
3 VERB When someone discovers a new place, substance, scientific fact, or scientific technique, they are the first person to find it or become aware of it. □ [V n] …the first European to discover America. □ [V wh] They discovered how to form the image in a thin layer on the surface. [Also V that] ● dis|cov|er|er (discoverers ) N‑COUNT □ [+ of ] …the myth of Columbus as the heroic discoverer of the Americas 500 years ago.