DPP, the
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**DPP, the** /,di: pi: 'pi:/ *n abbrev.* for DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS
**DQ** /,di: 'kju:/ *AmE infml abbrev.* for DAIRY QUEEN
**Dr** *BrE ||* **Dr.** *AmE* written abbrev. for **1** DOCTOR: *Dr Watson* **2** (in street names) DRIVE: *88 Park Dr*
**drab** /dræb/ *adj* UNINTERESTING; lacking brightness or colour; cheerless: *a drab green dress | Nothing ever brightened their drab lives.* **-ly** *adv* **-ness** *n [U]*
**Drab·ble, Margaret** /'dræbəl/ (1939-) a British writer, known for her NOVELS about MIDDLE-CLASS women and the problems that they have to deal with, such as trying to be successful in their jobs as well as looking after their children. Her novels include *The Needle's Eye, The Realms of Gold,* and *The Peppered Moth.*
**drabs** /dræbz/ *n* $\rightarrow$ see DRIBS
**drachm** /dræm/ *n* a DRAM
**drach·ma** /'drækmə/ *n pl.* **-mas** or **-mae** /-mi: / **1** the unit of money used in modern Greece until the introduction of the Euro in 2002 **2** an ancient Greek silver coin and weight
**dra·co·ni·an** /drə'kəʊniən/ *adj* very severe or cruel; HARSH: *draconian measures/legislation to deal with the problem of street crime*
**Drac·u·la** /'drækjʊlə/ a frightening character originally from the book *Dracula* by Bram STOKER, who has appeared in many HORROR FILMS. Count Dracula is a VAMPIRE (= a creature who drinks people's blood in order to stay alive) and lives in a castle in Transylvania. He wears a long black CAPE (= a type of coat that hangs loosely from your shoulders) and has two long sharp teeth which he uses to bite people's necks so that he can drink their blood.
**Dracula**
**draft$^1$** /drɑ:ft || dræft/ *n* **1** [C] the first rough and incomplete form of something written, drawn, or planned: *I’ve made a first draft of my speech for Friday, but it still needs a lot of work. | a draft proposal for a new law | a plan still only in draft form* **2** [C] a written order for money to be paid by a bank, especially from one bank to another: *a draft drawn on the Glasgow branch of our bank for £50 | to get money from Paris to Rome by (bank) draft* $\rightarrow$ *compare* CHEQUE **3 a)** [the] *AmE for* CONSCRIPTION **b)** [(the)U] *especially AmE* a group of people chosen by CONSCRIPTION **4** [C] *AmE for* DRAUGHT **5** a system in some American sports in which PROFESSIONAL teams pick college players for their teams: *He’s likely to be the number one draft choice for the Washington Redskins.*
**draft$^2$** *v [T]* **1** to make a draft of: *to draft a letter to the bank manager* **2** [(into)] *AmE for* CONSCRIPT **3** *AmE* to choose an ATHLETE to play for a professional sports team: *He was the first player drafted by the New England Patriots.*
**'draft ,board** *n AmE* the committee which decides who will be drafted into the armed forces
**'draft ,dodger** *n AmE* a person who deliberately and illegally takes action to avoid military CONSCRIPTION $\rightarrow$ see also VIETNAM WAR; *compare* CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR
**draft·ee** /drɑ:f'ti: || dræf-/ *n AmE for* CONSCRIPT
**drafts·man** /'drɑ:ftsmən || 'dræfts-/, **drafts·wom·an** /-,wʊmən/ *fem. - n pl.* **-men** /-mən/ **1** a person who puts a suggested law or a new law into proper words **2** *AmE for* DRAUGHTSMAN **3** *especially AmE for* DRAUGHTSMAN
**draft·y** /'drɑ:fti || 'dræfti/ *adj AmE for* DRAUGHTY
**drag$^1$** /dræg/ *v* **-gg- 1** [T] to pull (something heavy) along with great effort: *dragging a great branch along | The protesters were dragged away by the police.* | (*fig.*) *Why must you drag me out to a concert on a cold night like this?* **2** [I(ALONG)] to move along while touching the ground: *The bottom of her long dress dragged (along) in the dust.* **3** [I] to move along too slowly or with difficulty: *He dragged behind the others. | The play dragged a bit in the third act.* **4** [T(for)] to look for something by pulling a heavy net along the bottom of (water): *They're dragging the river for the body of the missing girl.* **5** **drag one's feet/heels** *infml* to act intentionally in a slow or ineffective way
**drag sbdy. $\leftrightarrow$ down** *phr v [T]* to cause to feel ill or low in spirits: *His unhappy marriage seems to be dragging him down.*
**drag sthg. $\leftrightarrow$ in** *phr v [T]* to introduce (something or someone unconnected with the main subject): *John and Mary were having an argument and I got dragged in. | He's always dragging politics into his conversation.*
**drag on** *phr v [I]* to continue for an unreasonable length of time: *The meeting dragged on for hours. | Their unhappy marriage dragged on because of family pressures.*
**drag out** *phr v [$\downarrow$T(= drag sthg. $\leftrightarrow$ out)]* to (cause to) last an unnecessarily long time: *They dragged out the meeting with long speeches.*
**drag sbdy./sthg. $\leftrightarrow$ up** *phr v [T] infml* **1** to draw attention to (a usually unpleasant subject or event that has been generally forgotten about) unnecessarily: *The newspapers keep dragging up the mistake he made ten years ago.* **2** *BrE* to bring up (a child) badly, especially without good manners
**drag$^2$** *n* **1** [C;U] the action or an act of dragging **2** [C(on, upon)] something or someone that makes it harder to advance towards a desired end: *He felt that his family was a drag on his success.* **3** [S] *slang* something or someone that is unexciting and uninteresting: *The party was a drag, so we left early. | Don't be such a drag! | 'We've got all these envelopes to address.' 'What a drag!'* **4** [C] *slang* an act of breathing in cigarette smoke: *He took a long drag on his cigar.* **5** [U] *slang* the clothing of one sex worn by the other: *in drag | a drag act (=a performance in which a man is dressed as a woman or a woman as a man) | a drag queen* **6** [S;U] the force of the air that acts against the forward movement of an aircraft or vehicle **7** [C usually sing.] *AmE slang* a street or road: *the main drag*
**drag·gled** /'drægəld/ *adj* BEDRAGGLED
**drag·gy** /'drægi/ *adj AmE infml* unpleasantly dull
**drag·net** /'drægnɛt/ *n* **1** a net that is pulled along the bottom of a river or lake, to bring up anything that may lie there **2** a system of connected actions and methods for catching criminals
**Dragnet** a US television programme from the 1950s about the Los Angeles police. The main character, Sgt Joe Friday, is known for saying 'Just the facts, ma'am'.
**drag·o·man** /'drægəmən, -gəʊ-/ *n pl.* **-mans** (in some countries of the Middle East, especially formerly) a person who is a guide and translator
**drag·on** /'drægən/ *n* **1** a large imaginary animal with wings and the power to breathe out fire **2** *infml* a fierce bad-tempered old woman: *We were really frightened of the maths teacher. She was a real dragon.* $\rightarrow$ *see also* **chase the dragon** (CHASE$^1$)
**drag·on·fly** /'drægənflaɪ/ *n* a large brightly-coloured insect with a long thin body and large thin wings $\rightarrow$ see picture at INSECT
**dra·goon$^1$** /drə'gu:n/ *n* a member of a European army group formerly consisting of heavily armed soldiers on horseback
**dragoon$^2$** *v*
**dragoon sbdy. into sthg.** *phr v [T]* to force into doing something by violent measures, threats, or other pressures: (*fig.*) *I was dragooned into helping with the children’s party.*
**'drag ,queen** *n* a HOMOSEXUAL man who dresses as a woman
**'drag ,race** *n AmE* a car race over a very short distance
**drag·ster** /'drægstə/ *n* a car used in DRAG RACES, which is long, narrow, and low to the ground
**drain$^1$** /dreɪn/ *v [I;T]* **1** [(AWAY, OFF, OUT)] to (cause to) flow off gradually or completely: *to drain all the oil from/out of the engine | Boil the vegetables for 20 minutes then drain off the water. | The rainwater drained off/away. | (*fig.*) These children drain my energy! | (*fig.*) This country is being drained of its best doctors. | (*fig.*) The old lady's strength is draining away.* **2** [(OFF, of)] to (cause to) become gradually dry, as water or other liquid is removed: *to drain a field/a flooded mine | Let the wet glasses drain a bit before you dry them up. | She was so afraid/angry that her face was drained of blood. | She*