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dynamite
**du-ti-ful** /'dʒu:tfʊl||'du:-/ also **du-te-ous** /-tɪəs/ *fml* — *adj*
(of people and behaviour) showing proper respect and
obedience —**ly** *adv* —**ness** *n* [U]
**dut-i-ful-ly** /'dʒu:tfʊli||'du:-/ *adv* if you do something duti-
fully, you do it because you think it is the correct way to
behave: *I dutifully wrote down every word.*
**du-ty** /'dʒu:ti||'du:-/ *n* [C,U] **1** something that one does either
because it is part of one's job or because it is morally or
legally right that one should do it: *His duties include taking
letters to the post and making coffee.* | *to do one's duty as a
soldier* | *I feel it is my duty to help them.* | *It's the duty of a
lawyer to act in the best interests of his clients.* | *I'm (in) duty
bound* (=forced by my conscience) *to visit by old aunt.* | *He
writes to his ex-employer once a year but he's only acting out
of duty* (=not because he wants to). **2** also **duties** *pl.* any of
various types of tax: *Customs duties are paid on goods enter-
ing the country, death duties on property when the owner dies,
and stamp duty when one sells a house.* **3** on/off *duty* (espe-
cially of soldiers, nurses etc) at/not at work: *When I'm off
duty I play tennis.* | *I'm on night duty* (=working at night)
*this week.* ➔ see also HEAVY-DUTY; see TAX (USAGE)
**,duty-'free** *adj, adv* (of goods) allowed to come into the
country without tax: *You can bring in one bottle duty-free.* |
*the duty-free shop at the airport* (=which sells duty-free goods)
—**duty-free** *n*: *Don't forget to buy some duty-frees.*
**Du-val-ier, Fran·çois** /du:'vælie, dju:-|| du:va:l'je,
'frɑ:nswa:||frɑ:n'swa:/ (1907-71) the President of Haiti from
1957 to 1971. Known as 'Papa Doc', he ruled as a DICTATOR
and had a private army of soldiers called the Tontons
Macoutes, who helped him to prevent any opposition to his
government. He was famous for being very violent and
cruel.
**Duvalier, Jean-Claude** /ʒɑ̃ klod|ʒɑ:n-/ (1951-) the
President of Haiti from 1971 to 1986. Known as 'Baby Doc'
because he was the son of François Duvalier and only 20
when he became President, he also ruled as a DICTATOR until
he was forced to leave Haiti in 1986.
**du-vet** /'du:veɪ, 'dju:-||'du:veɪ/ also **continental quilt**
*BrE* — *n* a large bag filled with feathers or man-made material,
which is placed inside a removable washable cover, and is
used on a bed instead of a sheet and BLANKETS to keep one
warm
**DVD** /,di: vi: 'di:/ *n abbrev. for* digital versatile disk; a computer
disk which is similar to a CD-ROM but holds much more DATA
and is of higher quality: a *DVD player*
**DVLA, the** /,di: vi: el 'eI/ *abbrev. for* the Driver and Vehicle
Licensing Agency; the British government department that is
responsible for collecting road tax from people who own
vehicles, for giving driving tests, and for giving people their
DRIVING LICENCES
**DVLC, the** /,di: vi: el 'si:/ *abbrev. for* the Driver and Vehicle
Licensing Centre; a former British government department
**Dvo-řák, An-to-nín** /dvɔ:ʒæk, 'vɔ:-||'dvɔ:rɑ:k
'æntɔʊni:n/ (1841-1904) a Czech COMPOSER best known for
his ninth SYMPHONY, called *From the New World*
**DVT** /,di: vi: 'ti:/ *abbrev. for* DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS
**dwarf** /dwɔ:f||dwɔ:rf/ *pl.* **dwarfs** or **dwarves** /dwɔ:vz||
dwɔ:rvz/ **1** a small imaginary man-like creature
**CULTURAL NOTE** Dwarfs are often characters in children's
stories and European MYTHOLOGY. They are usually
described as small creatures that look like men with big
heads and long beards. The most famous FAIRY TALE that
has dwarfs in it is *Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.*
**2** a person, animal, or plant of much less than the usual size:
*a dwarf apple-tree*
**dwarf**² *v* [T] **1** to make (someone or something) appear
small by comparison: *The old cathedral is dwarfed by the
sky-scrapers that surround it.* **2** to prevent the proper
growth of: *Bonsai is the art of dwarfing trees.*
**dweeb** /dwi:b/ *n AmE slang* someone who is weak, slightly
strange, and unfashionable, and who is not liked by anyone
**dwell** /dwel/ *v* **dwelt** /dwelt/ or **dwelled** [I+adv/prep] **1** *lit* or *old*
use to live (in a place): *to dwell in the forest on an island* ➔
see LIVE (USAGE) **2** -**dweller** /dwelə/ a person or animal
that lives in the stated place: *city-dwellers* | *cave-dwellers*
**dwell on/upon** *sthg. phr v* [T] to think or speak a lot about,
especially in an unhealthy or annoying way: *Stope dwelling
on your problems and do something about them!* | *The book
dwells too much on the economic aspects of the problem.*
**dwell-ing** /'dwelɪŋ/ *n fml* or *humor* a house, flat etc where
people live: *Welcome to my humble dwelling!*
**'dwelling house** *n especially law* a house which is lived in
rather than being used as a shop, office etc
**DWI** /,di: dʌblju: 'aI/ *n* [U] *AmE abbrev. for* driving while
intoxicated; the crime of driving a car after drinking too
much alcohol. The expression is used mainly by the police.
➔ compare DRINK-DRIVING
**dwin-dle** /'dwɪndl/ *v* [{AWAY}] to become steadily fewer or
smaller: *The number of people who live on the island is
rapidly dwindling.* | *the island's dwindling population* | *Mem-
bership has dwindled to only 25.* | *Her hopes/money gradually
dwindled away.*
**Dwor-kin, An-dre-a** /'dwɔ:kɪn||'dwɔ:r-, 'ændriə/ (1946-
2005) a US writer and FEMINIST whose books are often about
the violence that women suffer. She is known for her strong
opinions about men, and for supporting laws against POR-
NOGRAPHY.
**DWP** /,di: ,dʌblju: 'pi:/ *abbrev. for* Department for Work and
Pensions, a government department in Britain
**Dyck, Sir Anthony Van** ➔ see VAN DYCK
**dye** /daɪ/ *n* [C,U] a vegetable or chemical substance, usually
in liquid form, used to change the colour of things espe-
cially by dipping ➔ compare PAINT
**dye**² *v* **dyes** or **dyed**, **dyeing** [T] to give a (different) colour to
(something) by means of dye: *She dyes her hair.* | [+obj+adj]
*She dyed the dress/shoes green.* | (*fig.*) *Sunset dyed the sky red.*
—**er** *n*
**,dyed-in-the-'wool** *adj often derog* impossible to change from
the stated quality; UNCOMPROMISING: *Charles is a dyed-in-the-
wool Republican.*
**Dyf-ed** /'dʌvɪd/ a former COUNTY in southwest Wales, next
to the Atlantic Ocean. In 1996 Dyfed was divided between
the counties of Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire, and Pem-
brokeshire. The port of Milford Haven, and the universities
of Aberystwyth and Lampeter are in Dyfed.
**dy-ing** /'daɪ-ɪŋ/ *present participle of* DIE
**dyke** /daɪk/ *n* **1** a DIKE **2** *slang* a LESBIAN; the word used to be
only *derog* but some Lesbians themselves now use it
**Dyke, Greg** /greg/ (1947-) a British JOURNALIST and broad-
caster who worked for several different television stations
before becoming Director-General of the BBC in 2000. In
2004, he decided to leave his job as Director-General after
the BBC was criticized by the Hutton Report. The report
examined the death of the British scientist Dr David Kelly. It
said that the BBC had not done enough to make sure that its
news stories were completely true.
**Dyl-an, Bob** /'dɪlən/ (1941-) a US singer and songwriter who
has had a great influence on popular songwriting. His early
songs, in the 1960s, were often PROTEST SONGS on the
subjects of war and the CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT in the US,
and they include *Mr. Tambourine Man, Blowin' in the Wind*
and *The Times They are A-Changin'*. He has continued to
perform and make records, but his music was most popular in
the 1960s and 1970s.
**dy-nam-ic** /daɪ'næmɪk/ *adj* **1** *often apprec* (especially of peo-
ple) full of activity, new ideas, the will to succeed etc;
forceful: *a dynamic young businessman* | *a dynamic period in
history* | *concert pianists Katia and Marielle Labeque, known
as the dynamic duo* ➔ compare STATIC **2** *tech* of force or
power that causes movement **3** *tech* (in grammar) being a
verb that describes an action or event rather than a state, e.g.
*watch* in *She is watching television* or *play* in: *They are playing
tennis* ➔ compare STATIVE —**ally** /-kli/ *adv*
**dy-nam-ics** /daɪ'næmɪks/ *n* [U] the science that deals with
objects or matter in movement ➔ compare KINETICS, STAT-
ICS
**dynamics** *n* [P] (in music) changes of loudness
**dy-na-mis-m** /'daɪnəmɪzəm/ *n* [U] (in a person) the quality
of being dynamic
**dy-na-mite** /'daɪnəmaɪt/ *n* [U] **1** a powerful explosive used
especially in MINING **2** *infml* something or someone that will