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Dartington Hall
dare² n an invitation to do something dangerous as a way of
proving one's bravery; CHALLENGE: She jumped off the bridge
for a dare.
Dare, Dan → see DAN DARE
dare·dev·il /'deədevɪl||'deər-/ n a person who is prepared
to take dangerous risks, especially in a very careless way: a
daredevil motorcyclist
daren't /deənt||deərnt/ BrE short for dare not: I daren't ask
him.
dare·say /,deə'seɪ, ||'deərseɪ/ v I daresay especially BrE I
suppose (that); perhaps: I daresay you're right.
Dar-es-Sa·laam /,dɑːr es sə'lɑːm/ the former capital of
Tanzania and its main port, on the Indian Ocean. It is also
the main port for Zambia.
Dar·in, Bobby /'dærɪn/ (1936–73) a US singer of popular
music who had many successful songs in the 1960s, includ-
ing Dream Lover
dar·ing¹ /'deərɪŋ/ adj showing bravery and a willingness to
take risks: a daring rescue attempt | a daring escape from
prison | a daring crime | a daring film (=unusual and perhaps
shocking) ——ly adv: a film that's daringly different
daring² n [U] adventurous bravery or willingness to take
risks: a person/a plan of great daring
Dar·jee·ling /də:'dʒi:lɪŋ||dɑ:r-/ n 1 a city in the mountains
of northeast India 2 a delicate tea grown on the hills
around Darjeeling
dark¹ /dɑːk||dɑːrk/ adj 1 partly or completely without light:
too dark to read | In winter it gets dark here early. | a dark
room | a dark, badly-lit street → opposite LIGHT¹ 2 tending
towards black: a dark green dress 3 having brown or black
hair 4 having a skin which is browner than usual for a
white person 5 having a brown or black skin 6 sad; without
much hope; GLOOMY: dark days ahead | Don't always look on
the dark side of things. 7 having an evil or threatening
quality; SINISTER: There's a dark side to his character. | She
gave me a dark look. | He had an obsession with dark
forces. 8 secret; hidden: Keep it dark—don't tell anybody! →
see also tall, dark, and handsome (TALL) ——ly adv: 'We'll
see,' he said darkly. ——ness n [U]
dark² n 1 [the] the absence of light; darkness: Can cats see in
the dark? | Some children are afraid of the dark. 2 [U] the
time of day when there is no light: We don't go out after
dark. 3 in the dark without knowledge; in a state of IGNO-
RANCE: They kept the public in the dark about the new mis-
siles. → see also a shot in the dark (SHOT¹)
'Dark ,Ages, the n the period in European history from
about AD 500, after the end of the Roman Empire, to about
1000. It is generally thought of as a time when European
society was not very developed in art, education, literature
etc. The Dark Ages were followed by the Middle Ages. People
sometimes mention the Dark Ages when they are talking
about attitudes or behaviour which seem very old-fashioned
and no longer acceptable in the modern world: 'She lost her
job because she was pregnant.' 'What? I thought we'd moved
out of the Dark Ages!'
,Dark 'Continent, the a name given to Africa by Europe-
ans in the 19th century. The name suggests that Africa was
then an unknown area (to Europeans), but it is now consid-
ered an offensive name.
dark·en /'dɑːkən||'dɑːr-/ v [I;T] 1 to (cause to) become dark:
The sky darkened as the storm began. | Darken the green paint
by adding black. | As he read the report his face darkened with
anger. → compare LIGHTEN¹ 2 Never darken my door/
these doors again! humor or pomp Don't come back here
again!
,dark 'glasses n [pl.] GLASSES with dark glass to reduce the
amount of light that enters the eyes, worn in strong sun-
shine
,dark 'horse n 1 BrE a person who tends to keep their
activities, feelings, or intentions secret, and who may have
unexpected qualities or abilities: I never know what he's
thinking—he's such a dark horse. 2 (especially in politics) a
person in a competition about whom little is known and
who surprises others by winning: Tsongas was the dark horse
of the Democratic candidates.
'dark ,meat n [U] the darker meat from some parts of a
cooked bird, such as that on the leg
Dark·ness, The /'dɑːknəs||'dɑːrk-/ a British ROCK GROUP
whose songs include I Believe in a Thing called Love and
Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End). The main singer is
Justin Hawkins.
dark·room /'dɑːkrum, -rʊm||'dɑːrk-/ n a dark room in
which photographs can be developed
,dark Sa,tanic 'mills a phrase from William Blake's HYMN
Jerusalem, used to suggest the unpleasant appearance and
poor working conditions of the industrial buildings in the
north of England in the past: I was invited back to my old
school, set among the once dark Satanic mills of Oldham in
Lancashire.
dark·y, darkey, darkie /'dɑːki||'dɑːrki/ n taboo derog a
black man or woman (considered extremely offensive)
dar·ling¹ /'dɑːlɪŋ||'dɑːr-/ n 1 (used when speaking to some-
one you love or to a member of your family): Hurry up,
darling, or we'll be late. 2 (used informally as a friendly
form of address, especially by or to a woman; said e.g. by a
person working in a shop or restaurant): What can I get you,
darling? 3 a person who is very lovable or much liked: My
granddaughter is a little darling. | He used to be the darling of
the Establishment until he fell from power.