2 ADJ Something that is downy is covered with very fine hairs. □ …leaves that are often downy underneath.
dow|ry /daʊə ri/ (dowries ) N‑COUNT A woman's dowry is the money and goods which, in some cultures, her family gives to the man that she marries.
dowse /daʊ s/ (dowses , dowsing , dowsed )
1 VERB If someone dowses for underground water, minerals, or some other substance, they search for it using a special rod. □ He said that dowsing for water is complete nonsense. □ [V n] We dowse oil and ore in South America for big companies. □ [V -ing] …a dowsing rod.
2 → see also douse
doy|en /dɔ I ən, dɔ I e n/ (doyens ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you refer to a man as the doyen of a group or profession, you mean that he is the oldest and most experienced and respected member of it. [FORMAL , APPROVAL ] □ …the doyen of political interviewers.
doy|enne /dɔ I e n/ (doyennes ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you refer to a woman as the doyenne of a group or profession, you mean that she is the oldest and most experienced and respected woman in it. [FORMAL , APPROVAL ] □ …the doyenne of British fashion.
doze /doʊ z/ (dozes , dozing , dozed ) VERB When you doze , you sleep lightly or for a short period, especially during the daytime. □ [V ] For a while she dozed fitfully.
▸ doze off PHRASAL VERB If you doze off , you fall into a light sleep, especially during the daytime. □ [V P ] I closed my eyes for a minute and must have dozed off.
doz|en ◆◆◇ /dʌ z ə n/ (dozens ) The plural form is dozen after a number, or after a word or expression referring to a number, such as 'several' or 'a few'. 1 NUM If you have a dozen things, you have twelve of them. □ You will be able to take ten dozen bottles free of duty through customs. □ His chicken eggs sell for $22 a dozen.
2 NUM You can refer to a group of approximately twelve things or people as a dozen . You can refer to a group of approximately six things or people as half a dozen . □ In half a dozen words, he had explained the bond that linked them. □ The riot left four people dead and several dozen injured.
3 QUANT If you refer to dozens of things or people, you are emphasizing that there are very many of them. [EMPHASIS ] □ [+ of ] …a storm which destroyed dozens of homes and buildings. ● PRON You can also use dozens as a pronoun. □ Just as revealing are Mr Johnson's portraits, of which there are dozens.
dozy /doʊ zi/ (dozier , doziest )
1 ADJ If you are dozy , you are feeling sleepy and not very alert. □ Maybe I eat too much and that's what makes me dozy.
2 ADJ If you describe someone as dozy , you mean they are rather stupid and slow to understand things. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]
D Phil /diː f I l/ (D Phils ) in AM, use D. Phil. D Phil is an abbreviation for Doctor of Philosophy .
Dr ◆◆◇ (Drs ) in AM, use Dr. 1 Dr is a written abbreviation for doctor . □ …Dr John Hardy of St Mary's Medical School in London.
2 Dr is used as a written abbreviation for drive when it is part of a street name. □ …6 Queen's Dr.
drab /dræ b/ (drabber , drabbest )
1 ADJ If you describe something as drab , you think that it is dull and boring to look at or experience. □ …his drab little office. ● drab|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the dusty drabness of nearby villages.
2 → see also dribs and drabs
drach|ma /dræ kmə/ (drachmas ) N‑COUNT [num N ] The drachma was the unit of money that was used in Greece. In 2002 it was replaced by the euro. ● N‑SING The drachma was also used to refer to the Greek currency system. □ In April 1992 the Greek drachma was the only Community currency not yet part of the EMS exchange-rate mechanism.
dra|co|nian /drəkoʊ niən/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Draconian laws or measures are extremely harsh and severe. [FORMAL ] □ …draconian measures to lower U.S. healthcare costs.
draft ◆◇◇ /drɑː ft, dræ ft/ (drafts , drafting , drafted )
1 N‑COUNT A draft is an early version of a letter, book, or speech. □ I rewrote his rough draft, which was published under my name. □ I emailed a first draft of this article to him.
2 VERB When you draft a letter, book, or speech, you write the first version of it. □ [V n] He drafted a standard letter to the editors.
3 VERB [usu passive] If you are drafted , you are ordered to serve in the armed forces, usually for a limited period of time. [mainly AM ] □ [be V -ed + into ] During the Second World War, he was drafted into the U.S. Army.
4 VERB If people are drafted into a place, they are moved there to do a particular job. □ [be V -ed + in/into ] Extra police have been drafted into the town after the violence. □ [V n + in/into ] The manager will make a special plea to draft the player into his squad as a replacement. [Also be V -ed]
5 N‑SING The draft is the practice of ordering people to serve in the armed forces, usually for a limited period of time. [mainly AM ] □ …his effort to avoid the draft.
6 N‑COUNT [oft by N ] A draft is a written order for payment of money by a bank, especially from one bank to another. □ Ten days later Carmen received a bank draft for a plane ticket.