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decline
**dec·imal¹** /'desɪməl/ *adj* **1** based on the number 10: *decimal currency* **2 go decimal** to start using a DECIMAL SYSTEM e.g. of COINAGE: *Britain went decimal in 1971.* **—ly** *adv***decimal²** *also* ,**decimal 'fraction** *n* a PROPER FRACTION expressed by a system of counting based on the number ten. The first number following the dot in a decimal represents TENTHS, the second represents HUNDREDTHS, the THIRD THOUSANDTHS etc. So for example, the fraction 25/100 is written 0.25 as a decimal. $\rightarrow$ compare INTEGER, VULGAR FRACTION**dec·i·mal·ize** *also* **-ise** *BrE* /'desɪməlaɪz||'desəmə-/ *v* [I;T] to change to a decimal system of money, measurements etc **—ization** /ˌdesɪməlaɪ'zeɪʃən||ˌdesəmələ-/ *n* [U]
,**decimal 'point** *n* the dot at the left of a DECIMAL: *That's 10.6 (=ten point six) not 106; you've forgotten the decimal point!***'decimal ,system** *n* a system of counting based on the number ten
**dec·i·mate** /'desɪmeɪt/ *v* [T] to destroy a large part of: *Disease decimated the population.* **—mation** /ˌdesɪ'meɪʃən/ *n* [U]
**de·ci·pher** /dɪ'saɪfə$r/ *v* [T] to read or find the meaning of (something difficult or secret, especially a CODE): *I can't decipher his handwriting.* $\rightarrow$ compare CIPHER²; see also INDECIPHERABLE**de·ci·sion** /dɪ'sɪʒən/ *n* **1** [C;U] (a) choice or judgment; (an) act of deciding: [*+to-v*] *Who made the decision to go there?* | *Whose decision was it?* | *The judge will give his decision tomorrow.* | *The committee expects to come to/reach/make a decision soon.* | *a bad decision* | *Decision is difficult in these cases.* **2** [U] the quality of being able to make choices or judgments quickly and to act on them with firmness; RESOLUTION $\rightarrow$ opposite INDECISION **3 Decisions! Decisions!** a phrase used humorously when making an unimportant decision**de'cision-,maker** *n* [C usually plural] a person in a large organization who is responsible for making important decisions: *the corporation's key decision-makers***de·ci·sive** /dɪ'saɪsɪv/ *adj* **1** showing determination and firmness; RESOLUTE: *You'll have to be more decisive if you want to do well in business.* **2** leading to a clear result; putting an end to doubt: *They won the war after a decisive battle.* **3** unquestionable: *a decisive advantage* $\rightarrow$ opposite INDECISIVE **—ly** *adv* **—ness** *n* [U]**deck¹** /dek/ *n* **1** a floor built across a ship over all or part of its length: *Let's go up on deck and sit in the sunshine.* | *Our cabin is on the lower deck.* **2** a floor or level of a bus that has more than one **3** *especially AmE* a set of playing cards; PACK: *She cut the deck.* **4** *AmE* a roofless raised wooden entrance built out from the back or side of a house $\rightarrow$ compare PATIO, PORCH **5 on deck** *AmE* (especially in BASEBALL) ready to be the next person who BATS **6 -decker** /'dekə$r/ having a stated number of floors, levels, or thicknesses: *a double-decker bus* | *a three-decker sandwich* $\rightarrow$ see also TAPE DECK, clear the decks (CLEAR³), hit the deck (HIT¹)**deck²** *v* **1** [T(out)] to decorate, especially with colourful or pretty things: [*+obj+in*] *The street was decked out in flags for the royal wedding.* | [*+obj+with*] *The Christmas tree was decked with gifts.* **2** [T] *slang* to knock (someone) down: *He made me mad so I decked him.***deck·chair** /'dektʃeə$r/ *n* a folding chair with a long seat made of cloth (usually brightly coloured CANVAS), used out of doors. They are used especially on beaches: *sitting on deckchairs on the beach* $\rightarrow$ see picture at CHAIR**deck·hand** /'dekhænd/ *n* a man or boy who does unskilled work on a ship
**'deck ,tennis** *n* [U] a game, played especially on a ship, in which the players throw a rubber ring over a net stretched across the DECK**de·claim** /dɪ'kleɪm/ *v* [I;T] *fml*, sometimes derog to speak loudly and clearly about (something), often using pauses and hand movements to increase the effect of the words: *She was declaiming against the waste of the taxpayers' money.***dec·la·ma·tion** /ˌdeklə'meɪʃən/ *n fml sometimes derog* [C;U] the act or art of declaiming **—tory** /dɪ'klæmətəri||-tɔ:ri/ *adj*
**dec·la·ra·tion** /ˌdeklə'reɪʃən/ *n* **1** [C;U] the act of declaring: *These events led to the declaration of war.* **2** [C] a statement giving official information: *Please make a written declaration of all the goods you bought abroad.***Decla,ration of Inde'pendence, the** *also* **the American Declaration of Independence** *especially BrE* the document written in 1776, in which the thirteen British colonies (COLONY) in America officially stated that they were an independent nation and would no longer agree to be ruled by Britain. The most famous part of it is: *We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.* $\rightarrow$ see picture on page A48**CULTURAL NOTE** The Declaration of Independence is one of the most important documents in the western world. Its most famous lines officially state that all people are equal and that no government has the right to treat its citizens cruelly or prevent them from having happy lives. Because the Declaration of Independence was formally accepted in Congress on July 4, 1776, the people of the US celebrate that day as their national holiday, called the Fourth of July or Independence Day.**de·clar·a·tive** /dɪ'klærətɪv/ *adj tech* (especially in grammar) making a statement or having the form of a statement: *a declarative sentence* $\rightarrow$ compare IMPERATIVE, INTERROGATIVE**de·clare** /dɪ'kleə$r/ *v* **1** [T] to make known publicly or officially, according to rules, custom etc: *Britain declared war on Germany in 1914.* | [*+obj+n/adj*] *Jones was declared the winner of the fight.* | *I now declare this meeting open.* | *The medical examiner declared me fit.* **2** [T] to state or show with great force so that there is no doubt about the meaning: *He declared his loyalty to the government/his total opposition to the plan.* | [*+(that)*] *She declared (that) she knew nothing about the robbery.* | [*+obj+n/adj*] *She declared herself (to be) a supporter of the cause.* | *The police declared themselves (to be) completely puzzled by the lack of evidence.* **3** [T] to make a full statement of (property for which tax may be owed to the government): *The customs officer asked me if I had anything to declare.* **4** [I] (of the captain of a cricket team) to end the team's INNINGS before all its members have been put out **5** [I;T] (in a card game) to say which type of card will be played as TRUMPS **6 I declare!** *old-fash* (an expression of slight surprise or slight anger) **7 I have nothing to declare but my genius** *quote* a phrase which is believed to have been used by Oscar Wilde, the Irish writer, when going through CUSTOMS **—clarable** *adj*: *Have you any declarable goods?* **—claratory** /dɪ'klærətəri||-tɔ:ri/ *adj*
**declare against** sbdy./sthg. *phr v* [T] to state one's opposition to**declare for** sbdy./sthg. *phr v* [T] to state one's support for
**de·clared** /dɪ'kleəd||-r'kleərd/ *adj* openly admitted as: *a declared supporter of the government* | *It's their declared intention to increase taxes.***de·clas·si·fy** /ˌdi:'klæsɪfaɪ/ *v* [T] to declare (especially political and military information) to be no longer secret **—fication** /ˌdi:klæsɪfɪ'keɪʃən/ *n* [U]**de·clen·sion** /dɪ'klenʃən/ *n tech* (in some languages) a class of nouns and/or adjectives that DECLINE in the same way: *There are five declensions in Latin.* $\rightarrow$ compare CONJUGATION**dec·li·na·tion** /ˌdeklɪ'neɪʃən/ *n* **1** *tech* the angle of a COMPASS needle, east or west, from true north: *a declination of 15 degrees* **2** *rare* a formal refusal**de·cline¹** /dɪ'klaɪn/ *v* **1** [I] to go from a better to a worse position, or from higher to lower; DETERIORATE: *His influence declined as he grew older.* | *The government's declining popularity* | *Do you think standards of morality have declined in recent years?* | *The old lady wants to spend her declining years by the sea.* **2** [I] *fml or lit* to slope downwards: *About two miles east, the land begins to decline towards the river.* **3** [I;T] to refuse (a request or offer), usually politely; express unwillingness: *We asked them to come to our party, but they declined (the invitation).* | [*+to-v*] *The official at first declined to make a statement, but later she agreed.* $\rightarrow$ see REFUSE (USAGE) **4** [I;T] *tech* **a)** (of a noun, PRONOUN, or adjective) to have different grammatical forms according to its position or purpose in a sentence **b)** to list or state the different grammatical forms of (a noun, PRONOUN, or adjective) $\rightarrow$ compare CONJUGATE, INFLECT
