dis|so|lute /d I səluːt/ ADJ Someone who is dissolute does not care at all about morals and lives in a way that is considered to be wicked and immoral. [DISAPPROVAL ]
dis|so|lu|tion /d I səluː ʃ ə n/
1 N‑VAR [oft a N ] Dissolution is the act of breaking up officially an organization or institution, or of formally ending a parliament. [FORMAL ] □ Politicians say it could lead to a dissolution of parliament.
2 N‑VAR [oft a N ] Dissolution is the act of officially ending a formal agreement, for example a marriage or a business arrangement. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] …the statutory requirement for granting dissolution of a marriage.
dis|solve /d I zɒ lv/ (dissolves , dissolving , dissolved )
1 VERB If a substance dissolves in liquid or if you dissolve it, it becomes mixed with the liquid and disappears. □ [V ] Heat gently until the sugar dissolves. □ [V n] Dissolve the salt in a little boiled water.
2 VERB When an organization or institution is dissolved , it is officially ended or broken up. □ [be V -ed] The committee has been dissolved. □ [V n] The King agreed to dissolve the present commission.
3 VERB When a parliament is dissolved , it is formally ended, so that elections for a new parliament can be held. □ [be V -ed] The present assembly will be dissolved on April 30th. □ [V n] Kaifu threatened to dissolve the Parliament and call an election.
4 VERB [usu passive] When a marriage or business arrangement is dissolved , it is officially ended. □ [be V -ed] The marriage was dissolved in 1976.
5 VERB If something such as a problem or feeling dissolves or is dissolved , it becomes weaker and disappears. □ [V ] His new-found optimism dissolved. □ [V n] Lenny still could not dissolve the nagging lump of tension in his chest.
▸ dissolve into PHRASAL VERB If you dissolve into or dissolve in tears or laughter, you begin to cry or laugh, because you cannot control yourself. □ [V P n] She dissolved into tears at the mention of Munya's name.
dis|so|nance /d I sənəns/ N‑UNCOUNT Dissonance is a lack of agreement or harmony between things. [FORMAL ]
dis|suade /d I swe I d/ (dissuades , dissuading , dissuaded ) VERB If you dissuade someone from doing or believing something, you persuade them not to do or believe it. [FORMAL ] □ [V n + from ] Doctors had tried to dissuade patients from smoking. □ [V n] He considered emigrating, but his family managed to dissuade him.
dis|tance ◆◆◇ /d I stəns/ (distances , distancing , distanced )
1 N‑VAR The distance between two points or places is the amount of space between them. □ [+ between ] …the distance between the island and the nearby shore. □ Everything is within walking distance.
2 N‑UNCOUNT When two things are very far apart, you talk about the distance between them. □ The distance wouldn't be a problem.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] Distance learning or distance education involves studying at home and sending your work to a college or university, rather than attending the college or university in person. □ I'm doing a theology degree by distance learning.
4 N‑UNCOUNT When you want to emphasize that two people or things do not have a close relationship or are not the same, you can refer to the distance between them. [EMPHASIS ] □ [+ between ] There was a vast distance between psychological clues and concrete proof.
5 N‑SING If you can see something in the distance , you can see it, far away from you. □ We suddenly saw her in the distance.
6 N‑UNCOUNT Distance is coolness or unfriendliness in the way that someone behaves towards you. [FORMAL ] □ There were periods of sulking, of pronounced distance, of coldness.
7 VERB If you distance yourself from a person or thing, or if something distances you from them, you feel less friendly or positive towards them, or become less involved with them. □ [V pron-refl + from ] The author distanced himself from some of the comments in his book. □ [V n + from ] Television may actually be distancing the public from the war. ● dis|tanced ADJ [v-link ADJ ] □ [+ from ] Clough felt he'd become too distanced from his fans.
8 PHRASE If you are at a distance from something, or if you see it or remember it from a distance , you are a long way away from it in space or time. □ The only way I can cope with my mother is at a distance. □ Now I can look back on the whole tragedy from a distance of forty years.
9 PHRASE If you keep your distance from someone or something or keep them at a distance , you do not become involved with them. □ Jay had always tended to keep his girlfriends at a distance.
10 PHRASE If you keep your distance from someone or something, you do not get physically close to them. [OLD-FASHIONED ] □ He walked towards the doorway, careful to keep his distance. SYNONYMS distance NOUN 1
length: It is about a metre in length.
extent: Their commitment was to maintain the extent of forests, not their biodiversity.
space: The space underneath could be used as a storage area.
span: It is a very pretty butterfly, with a 2 inch wing span.