Du tch cou r|age N‑UNCOUNT Dutch courage is the courage that you get by drinking alcoholic drinks. [INFORMAL ]
Dutch|man /dʌ tʃmən/ (Dutchmen ) N‑COUNT A Dutchman is a man who is a native of the Netherlands.
du|ti|ful /djuː t I fʊl, [AM ] duː -/ ADJ If you say that someone is dutiful , you mean that they do everything that they are expected to do. □ The days of the dutiful wife, who sacrifices her career for her husband, are over. ● du|ti|ful|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ The inspector dutifully recorded the date in a large red book.
duty ◆◆◇ /djuː ti, [AM ] duː ti/ (duties )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Duty is work that you have to do for your job. □ Staff must report for duty at their normal place of work. □ My duty is to look after the animals.
2 N‑PLURAL Your duties are tasks which you have to do because they are part of your job. □ I carried out my duties conscientiously.
3 N‑SING [oft with poss] If you say that something is your duty , you believe that you ought to do it because it is your responsibility. □ I consider it my duty to write to you and thank you.
4 N‑VAR Duties are taxes which you pay to the government on goods that you buy. □ Import duties still average 30%. □ …customs duties.
5 PHRASE If someone such as a police officer or a nurse is off duty , they are not working. If someone is on duty , they are working. □ I'm off duty. □ Extra staff had been put on duty. COLLOCATIONS duty NOUN
2
adjective + duty : heavy, light, onerous; day-to-day, normal
verb + duty : carry out, discharge, perform
4
noun + duty : customs, excise, import
verb + duty : owe, pay
du ty-bou nd also duty bound ADJ If you say you are duty-bound to do something, you are emphasizing that you feel it is your duty to do it. [FORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ I felt duty bound to help.
du ty-free ADJ Duty-free goods are sold at airports or on planes or ships at a cheaper price than usual because you do not have to pay import tax on them. □ …duty-free perfume.
du ty-free shop (duty-free shops ) N‑COUNT A duty-free shop is a shop, for example at an airport, where you can buy goods at a cheaper price than usual, because no tax is paid on them.
du|vet /duː ve I , [AM ] duːve I / (duvets ) N‑COUNT A duvet is a large cover filled with feathers or similar material which you put over yourself in bed instead of a sheet and blankets. [BRIT ] in AM, use comforter
DVD /diː viː diː / (DVDs ) N‑COUNT A DVD is a disc on which a film or music is recorded. DVD discs are similar to compact discs but hold a lot more information. DVD is an abbreviation for 'digital video disc' or 'digital versatile disc'. □ …a DVD player.
D VD burn|er (DVD burners ) N‑COUNT A DVD burner is a piece of computer equipment that you use for copying data from a computer onto a DVD. [COMPUTING ]
DVD-R /diː viː diː ɑː r / (DVD-Rs ) N‑COUNT A DVD-R is a DVD which is capable of recording sound and images, for example from another DVD or from the internet. DVD-R is an abbreviation for 'digital video disc recordable' or 'digital versatile disc recordable'.
DVD-RW /diː viː diː ɑː r dʌ b ə ljuː/ (DVD-RWs ) N‑COUNT A DVD-RW is a DVD which is capable of recording sound and images, for example from another DVD or from the internet. DVD-RW is an abbreviation for 'digital video disc rewritable' or 'digital versatile disc rewritable'.
D VD writ|er (DVD writers ) N‑COUNT A DVD writer is the same as a DVD burner . [COMPUTING ]
DVT /diː viː tiː / (DVTs ) N‑VAR DVT is a serious medical condition caused by blood clots in the legs moving up to the lungs. DVT is an abbreviation for 'deep vein thrombosis'. [MEDICAL ]
dwarf /dwɔː r f/ (dwarfs or dwarves , dwarfs , dwarfing , dwarfed )
1 VERB If one person or thing is dwarfed by another, the second is so much bigger than the first that it makes them look very small. □ [be V -ed] His figure is dwarfed by the huge red McDonald's sign. □ [V n] The U.S. air travel market dwarfs that of Britain.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Dwarf is used to describe varieties or species of plants and animals which are much smaller than the usual size for their kind. □ …dwarf shrubs.
3 N‑COUNT In children's stories, a dwarf is an imaginary creature that is like a small man. Dwarfs often have magical powers.
4 N‑COUNT In former times, people who were much smaller than normal were called dwarfs . [OFFENSIVE , OLD-FASHIONED ]
dwa rf pla n|et (dwarf planets ) N‑COUNT A dwarf planet is an object in space that is like a small planet but does not completely fit the technical description of a planet. □ Pluto, Eris and the largest asteroid, Ceres, are all dwarf planets.
dweeb /dwiː b/ (dweebs ) N‑COUNT If you call someone, especially a man or a boy, a dweeb , you are saying in a rather unkind way that you think they are stupid and weak. [AM , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]
dwell /dwe l/ (dwells , dwelling , dwelt or dwelled )
1 VERB If you dwell on something, especially something unpleasant, you think, speak, or write about it a lot or for quite a long time. □ [V + on/upon ] I'd rather not dwell on the past.
2 VERB If you dwell somewhere, you live there. [FORMAL ] □ [V prep/adv] They are concerned for the fate of the forest and the Indians who dwell in it.