**dander** 348
CULTURAL NOTE Children in Britain often blow dandelion seeds into the air and pretend that they can tell what time it is by the number of times they need to blow to remove them all.**dan·der** /'dændə/ n **get one's/someone's dander up** *old-fash infml* to make oneself/someone angry: *Her stubborn attitude really got my dander up.***dan·di·fied** /'dændɪfaɪd/ *adj often derog* dressed like a dandy: *a dandified person/appearance*
**dan·dle** /'dændl/ v [T] to move (a baby or small child) up and down in one's arms or on one's knee in play
**Dan·do, Jill** /'dændəʊ, dʒɪl/ (1969-99) a well-known and very popular British television presenter who was murdered outside her home in London. She presented news and travel programmes, and *Crimewatch UK*. A man called Barry George was found guilty of the murder and put in prison.**dan·druff** /'dændrəf, -drʌf/ n [U] a common medical condition in which bits of dead skin form on the head and can be seen in the hair and on one's clothes
**dan·dy¹** /'dændi/ n *becoming rare* a man who spends a lot of time and money on his clothing and personal appearance**dandy²** *adj old-fash infml, especially AmE* very good: *a dandy idea*
**Dandy, The** trademark a British COMIC (= a magazine for children that tells stories using sets of drawings), whose best-known character is DESPERATE DAN**Dane** /deɪn/ n **1** someone from Denmark **2** a VIKING
**dan·ger** /'deɪndʒə/ n **1** [U(of, to)] the possibility of harm or loss: *The red flag means 'Danger!' | a danger signal | a place where children can play without danger | The patient's life is in danger. | The operation was a success and she is now out of danger. | He is in (great/real) danger of losing his job. | Climbing mountains is fraught with (=full of) danger.* **2** [C(of, to)] a case or cause of danger: *the dangers of smoking | This narrow bridge is a danger to traffic. | Violent criminals like that are a danger to society.***'danger list** n **1 on the danger list** so ill that death is possible **2 off the danger list** no longer so ill that death is possible**'danger ,money** n [U] additional pay for dangerous work
**dan·ger·ous** /'deɪndʒərəs/ adj able to or likely to cause danger: *a dangerous drug/animal/criminal | It's dangerous to go too near the edge of the cliff. | The situation is potentially very dangerous.* **--ly** *adv: He was driving dangerously. | She is dangerously ill.***dan·gle** /'dæŋgəl/ v **1** [I;T] to (cause to) hang or swing loosely: *keys dangling from a chain | He sat on the edge of the table dangling his legs.* **2** [T+obj+prep] to offer as an attraction: *They might do the job if you dangle a bonus in front of them.***Dan·iel** /'dænjəl/ in the Old Testament of the Bible, a Jewish man who was made a prisoner by King NEBUCHADNEZZAR of Babylon, and was put into a lions' DEN as a punishment for not changing his beliefs. The lions did not kill him, however, because God protected him. The phrase **in the lion's den** comes from this story, and is used to describe a difficult situation in which you are surrounded by people who are your enemies.**Dan·iels, Paul** /'dænjəlz/ (1938- ) a British MAGICIAN (=someone who performs magic tricks) who appears on television
**Da·nish¹** /'deɪnɪʃ/ n [U] **1** the language of Denmark **2** [C] *AmE* a Danish pastry**Danish²** *adj* connected with the people or language of Denmark
**‚Danish 'blue** n [U] a type of cheese made especially in Denmark which has blue marks in it and has a strong taste
**‚Danish 'pastry** also **‚Danish 'sweet roll** *AmE*-- n a sweet cake, often eaten at breakfast or with a cup of coffee, made of PASTRY with a lot of butter or fat in it, and usually containing dried fruit**dank** /dæŋk/ *adj* unpleasantly wet and usually cold: *an old house with a dark, dank cellar | The prison was cold and dank.* **--ness** n [U]**Dank·worth, John** /'dæŋkwəθ-wɜːθ/ (1927- ) a British writer of JAZZ music, who plays the SAXOPHONE and is the leader of a group of jazz musicians. He is known especially for his work with his wife, the singer Cleo Laine. His records include *Experiments with Mice* and *African Waltz*.**danse ma·ca·bre** /ˌdɑːns mə'kɑːbrə, -bər/ n *Fr FOR* DANCE OF DEATH
**Dan·te** /'dænti -teɪǁ'dɑːnteɪ/ (1265-1321) Dante Alighieri, an Italian poet who is known especially for writing *La Divina Commedia (The Divine Comedy)*, a long poem about a journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. It is one of the most important works of European literature.**‚Dante's In'ferno** the first part of DANTE's poem *The Divine Comedy*, in which he is led through different parts of HELL. The phrase 'Dante's Inferno' is sometimes used to describe a place where there is a lot of fire, destruction etc: *When the bombing finally stopped, the city looked like Dante's Inferno.***Dan·ton, Georges Jacques** /'dæntɒnǁ-tən, ʒɔːrʒ ʒækǁ ʒoːrʒ ʒɑːk/ (1759-94) a French politician who became one of the leaders of the FRENCH Revolution**Dan·ube, the** /'dænjuːb/ a long and important river in Eastern Europe. It starts in the Black Forest in Germany and runs through Austria, Hungary, and Romania into the Black Sea. $\rightarrow$ see also BLUE DANUBE**Daph·ne** /'dæfni/ in ancient Greek stories, a NYMPH whom the god APOLLO fell in love with. When he tried to have sex with her, she ran away, praying to the goddess of the Earth to save her, and so she was changed into a LAUREL tree.**Daph·nis and Chlo·e, Daphnis and Chloë** /ˌdæfnɪs ənd 'kləʊi/ **1** an ancient Greek love story about a boy and a girl who are found by SHEPHERDS. They grow up in the country, fall in love with each other, and finally get married. **2** a piece of BALLET music based on this story by Maurice RAVEL**Da Pon·te, Lo·ren·zo** /də 'pɒnteɪǁ-paːn-, lə'renzəʊ/ (1749-1838) an Italian writer and PRODUCER of OPERAS, known especially for writing the words for three of MOZART's greatest operas, *The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni* and *Così Fan Tutte***dap·per** /'dæpə/ *adj* **1** (especially of small men) very neat in appearance and quick in movements: *a dapper little salesman in a business suit* **2** *infml* nicely dressed**dap·pled** /'dæpəld/ *adj* marked with cloudy roundish spots of colour, or of sun and shadow: *a dappled horse | the dappled shade of a tree***‚dapple-'grey** n, adj (a horse that is) grey with spots of darker grey
**DAR, the** /ˌdiː eɪ 'ɑː/ *abbrev. for* DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
**Dar·by and Joan** /ˌdɑːbi ən 'dʒəʊnǁˌdɑːrbi-/ n [P] *old-fash BrE* **1** an old husband and wife who live happily together **2 Darby and Joan club** a club where old men and women can go and spend time together**Dar·cy, Mr** /'dɑːsiǁ'dɑːr-/ the main male character in the novel PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane AUSTEN. He is attractive, intelligent, and very rich, but he seems too proud of his wealth and his importance in society, and many people in the book dislike him because of this.**Dar·da·nelles, the** /ˌdɑːdə'nelzǁˌdɑːrdn'elz/ the long narrow area of sea between the Aegean Sea and the Sea of Marmara which separates the European and Asian parts of Turkey, and which was called the Hellespont in ancient times. The important World War I battle at GALLIPOLI took place in this area.**dare¹** /deə/ v **1** [I+to-v/H; not usually in progressive forms] to be brave enough or rude enough (to do something dangerous, difficult, or unpleasant): *How dare you accuse me of lying! | That is as much as I dare tell you. | I daren't tell you any more, because it's highly confidential. | The government would never dare (to) increase taxes so soon before the election.* $\rightarrow$ see NOT (USAGE) **2** [T+obj+to-v] to try to persuade (someone) to do something dangerous as a way of proving their bravery; CHALLENGE: *I dared her to jump. | They dared me to spend a night in the graveyard.* **3** [T] *fml* to be brave enough to face: *He dared the anger of the entire family.* **4 who dares wins** the official MOTTO of the SAS
