3 PHRASAL VERB If you dish out food, you serve it to people at the beginning of each course of a meal. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P n] Here in the dining hall the cooks dish out chicken à la king.
▸ dish up PHRASAL VERB If you dish up food, you serve it. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P n] They dished up a superb meal. □ [V P ] I'll dish up and you can grate the Parmesan. [Also V n P ] COLLOCATIONS dish NOUN 3
noun + dish : fish, meat, pasta, vegetable
adjective + dish : savoury, vegetarian
verb + dish : cook, prepare
dis|har|mo|ny /d I shɑː r məni/ N‑UNCOUNT When there is disharmony , people disagree about important things and this causes an unpleasant atmosphere. [FORMAL ] □ …racial disharmony.
dish|cloth /d I ʃklɒθ, [AM ] -klɔːθ/ (dishcloths )
1 N‑COUNT A dishcloth is a cloth used to dry dishes after they have been washed.
2 N‑COUNT A dishcloth is a cloth used for washing dishes, pans, and cutlery.
dis|heart|ened /d I shɑː r t ə nd/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you are disheartened , you feel disappointed about something and have less confidence or less hope about it than you did before. □ [+ by ] He was disheartened by their hostile reaction.
dis|heart|en|ing /d I shɑː r tən I ŋ/ ADJ If something is disheartening , it makes you feel disappointed and less confident or less hopeful.
di|shev|elled /d I ʃe v ə ld/ in AM, use disheveled ADJ If you describe someone's hair, clothes, or appearance as dishevelled , you mean that it is very untidy. □ She arrived flushed and dishevelled.
dis|hon|est /d I sɒ n I st/ ADJ If you say that a person or their behaviour is dishonest , you mean that they are not truthful or honest and that you cannot trust them. □ It would be dishonest not to present the data as fairly as possible. ● dis|hon|est|ly ADV [usu ADV with v] □ The key issue was whether the four defendants acted dishonestly.
dis|hon|es|ty /d I sɒ n I sti/ N‑UNCOUNT Dishonesty is dishonest behaviour. □ She accused the government of dishonesty and incompetence.
dis|hon|our /d I sɒ nə r / (dishonours , dishonouring , dishonoured ) in AM, use dishonor 1 VERB If you dishonour someone, you behave in a way that damages their good reputation. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] It would dishonour my family if I didn't wear the veil.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Dishonour is a state in which people disapprove of you and lose their respect for you. [FORMAL ] □ …a choice between death and dishonour.
3 VERB If someone dishonours an agreement, they refuse to act according to its conditions. □ [V n] We found that the bank had dishonoured some of our cheques.
dis|hon|our|able /d I sɒ nərəb ə l/ in AM, use dishonorable ADJ Someone who is dishonourable is not honest and does things which you consider to be morally unacceptable. □ Mark had done nothing dishonourable. ● dis|hon|our|ably /d I sɒ nərəbli/ ADV [ADV after v, ADV -ed] □ He could not bear to be seen to act dishonourably.
di sh tow|el (dish towels ) N‑COUNT A dish towel is a cloth used to dry dishes after they have been washed. [AM ] in BRIT, use tea towel
dish|washer /d I ʃwɒʃə r / (dishwashers ) N‑COUNT A dishwasher is an electrically operated machine that washes and dries plates, saucepans, and cutlery.
dish|water /d I ʃwɔːtə r / N‑UNCOUNT Dishwater is water that dishes, pans, and cutlery have been washed in.
dishy /d I ʃi/ (dishier , dishiest ) ADJ If you describe someone as dishy , you mean they are very good looking and attractive; used especially by women about men. [BRIT , INFORMAL ]
dis|il|lu|sion /d I s I luː ʒ ə n/ (disillusions , disillusioning , disillusioned )
1 VERB If a person or thing disillusions you, they make you realize that something is not as good as you thought. □ [V n] I'd hate to be the one to disillusion him.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Disillusion is the same as disillusionment . □ There is disillusion with established political parties.
dis|il|lu|sioned /d I s I luː ʒ ə nd/ ADJ If you are disillusioned with something, you are disappointed, because it is not as good as you had expected or thought. □ [+ with ] I've become very disillusioned with politics.
dis|il|lu|sion|ment /d I s I luː ʒ ə nmənt/ N‑UNCOUNT Disillusionment is the disappointment that you feel when you discover that something is not as good as you had expected or thought. □ [+ with ] …his growing disillusionment with his work.
dis|in|cen|tive /d I s I nse nt I v/ (disincentives ) N‑VAR A disincentive is something which discourages people from behaving or acting in a particular way. [FORMAL ] □ [+ to ] High marginal tax rates may act as a disincentive to working longer hours.
dis|in|cli|na|tion /d I s I nkl I ne I ʃ ə n/ N‑SING [usu N to-inf] A disinclination to do something is a feeling that you do not want to do it. [FORMAL ] □ They are showing a marked disinclination to pursue these opportunities.
dis|in|clined /d I s I nkla I nd/ ADJ [v-link ADJ , usu ADJ to-inf] If you are disinclined to do something, you do not want to do it. [FORMAL ] □ He was disinclined to talk about himself, especially to his students.
dis|in|fect /d I s I nfe kt/ (disinfects , disinfecting , disinfected ) VERB If you disinfect something, you clean it using a substance that kills germs. □ [V n] Chlorine is used to disinfect water.