English Words Starting With D

• dead man walking

  nounC1/C2 (low-frequency idiom, but widely understood)
  /ˌded mæn ˈwɔːkɪŋ/A person who is certain to die or be destroyed, often because they have been condemned to death or are in an inescapably dangerous situation.
• dead man's hand

  nounLow
  /ˌded mænz ˈhænd/A specific poker hand, traditionally a pair of aces and a pair of eights, associated with the hand held by Wild Bill Hickok when he was murdered.
• dead man's handle

  nounLow (C1-C2)
  /ˌded mænz ˈhændl̩/A safety mechanism, especially on a train, that requires continuous pressure to operate; if released, the machine stops automatically.
• dead march

  nounC1-C2
  /ˌded ˈmɑːtʃ/A slow, solemn piece of music, especially a funeral march, played at a funeral or during a funeral procession.
• dead matter

  nounLow
  /ˌded ˈmætə(r)/In printing and publishing: printed sheets that have been produced but are considered waste due to errors or obsolescence before they can be used or bound.
• dead meat

  nounMedium (common in informal contexts, rare in formal writing)
  /ˌded ˈmiːt/Literal meaning: flesh from an animal that has died and is often used for food.
• dead nettle

  nounLow
  /ˌded ˈnet.l̩/A plant of the genus Lamium, resembling stinging nettles but without stinging hairs.
• dead point

  nounC1-C2 / Low
  /ˌded ˈpɔɪnt/A moment or position where movement or progress stops, typically temporarily; a point of inaction or stagnation, especially in a mechanical cycle or a metaphorical process.
• dead president

  nounC1
  /ˌded ˈprɛzɪd(ə)nt/A banknote or piece of paper currency (slang, primarily U.S.).
• dead reckoning

  nounC1/C2
  /ˌded ˈrekənɪŋ/The process of calculating one's current position by using a previously determined position (a fix) and advancing that position based upon known or estimated speeds over elapsed time and course, without direct external observations.
• dead ringer

  nounC1/C2
  /ˌded ˈrɪŋ.ər/A person who looks exactly like another person.
• dead run

  nounMedium
  /ˈded ˈrʌn/A run at full speed or maximum effort, without hesitation or interruption.
• dead sea

  nounC1
  /ˌded ˈsiː/A large, extremely salty lake between Jordan and Israel/Palestine, with no outlet to the ocean, in which organic life cannot thrive.
• dead sea fruit

  nounVery Low / Literary
  /ˌdɛd siː ˈfruːt/A thing that appears beautiful or desirable from a distance but proves to be illusory, bitter, or worthless when obtained.
• dead sea scrolls

  plural-nounLow
  /ˌded siː ˈskrəʊlz/A collection of ancient Jewish religious manuscripts discovered in caves near the Dead Sea between 1947 and 1956, primarily dating from the 3rd century BCE to the 1st century CE.
• dead set

  adjectiveadverbinterjectionnounC1
  /ˌded ˈset/Completely determined, fixed, or resolute about something.
• dead soldier

  nounLow (primarily informal/slang)
  /ˌded ˈsəʊldʒə(r)/A slang term for an empty alcoholic beverage container, especially an empty beer bottle or can.
• dead spindle

  nounC2 (Very Low Frequency)
  /ˌded ˈspɪn.dəl/A spindle in a machine, such as a lathe, that is not driven by power and rotates freely, typically supporting the workpiece.
• dead spot

  nounC1
  /ˌded ˈspɒt/A small area where a signal (especially for radio, mobile phone, or Wi-Fi) cannot be received.
• dead stock

  nounC1
  /ˌded ˈstɒk/Merchandise or inventory that is not selling and has little prospect of being sold, often due to obsolescence, seasonality, or changing consumer demand; capital goods that are no longer used in production.

Showing 861–880 of 7181 words.