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doormat
but does not feel guilty about his immoral behaviour. At the end of the opera he is taken down to HELL by the GHOST of the man he murdered. 2 another name for DON JUAN
**Don Ju·an** /,dɒn 'hwɑːn, -'wɑːn, -'dʒuːənll,dɑːn-/ *n* [C] **1** a man who is good at persuading women to have sex with him $\rightarrow$ compare CASANOVA **2** a NOBLEMAN in old Spanish stories who has sex with many women. He persuades a young woman to have sex with him and then kills her father, but is then sent to hell. The story appears in many books and poems, and most famously in Mozart's OPERA *Don Giovanni*.
**don·key** /'dɒŋkill'dɑːŋki/ *n* **1** a grey or brown animal like a horse, but smaller and with longer ears; ASS: *a photograph of Susan having a donkey ride at the seaside*
CULTURAL NOTE People often think about donkeys as being STUBBORN (=they are determined to do what they want and it is difficult to make them do anything else). People also think that donkeys are strong and hard working because they can carry heavy loads for long distances over rough ground. A traditional activity in some UK SEASIDE towns such as Blackpool is for children to go on a ride on a donkey along the beach. In the US, the Democratic Party has a donkey as its party symbol. $\rightarrow$ see Cultural Note at SEASIDE
**2** a foolish slow-thinking person
**'donkey,derby** *n BrE* a race on donkeys done for amusement, e.g. at a village FETE or on a BEACH
**'donkey jacket** *n BrE* a thick coat, usually very dark blue, reaching down to the top of the legs, and usually with a piece of leather or plastic across the shoulders. Donkey jackets are usually worn by people with outdoor jobs, such as LABOURERS.
**'donkey's years** *n* [U] *BrE slang* a very long time: *That was donkey's years ago. I haven't seen him for donkey's years.*
**'donkey work** *n* [U] *infml, especially BrE* the hard uninteresting part of a piece of work: *Why do I always have to do the donkey work?*
**Donne, John** /dʌn/ (?1571–1631) an English poet known for his love poetry, and for being the greatest writer of METAPHYSICAL poetry, which combines strong feelings with clever arrangements of words and ideas
**don·nish** /'dɒnɪʃ\|'dɑːnɪʃ/ *adj especially BrE* typical of a university DON, especially in being more interested in ideas than in real life; BOOKISH **---ly** *adv*
**do·nor** /'dəʊnə/ *n* **1** a person who gives or DONATES something **2** (often in comb.) someone who gives part of their body to be put into someone else for medical purposes: *a blood/kidney donor*
**'donor card** *n* a card carried by people who agree that when they die parts of their body, such as their eyes or KIDNEYS can be used by doctors, e.g. by being put into the body of another person
**Don Quix·ote** /,dɒn 'kwɪksət, -ki'həʊti\|l,dɑːn-/ the main character in the humorous book *Don Quixote de la Mancha* (1605–15) by Miguel de CERVANTES. Don Quixote wants to be a KNIGHT like the characters he admires in old stories about CHIVALRY but when he tries to copy their adventures and behaviour, he makes many stupid mistakes. His friend Sancho Panza goes everywhere with him. One of the most famous scenes in the book is when he attacks WINDMILLS because he imagines that they are dangerous GIANTS. $\rightarrow$ see also tilt at windmills (TILT)
**don't** /dəʊnt/ *abbrev.* for **1** do not: *Don't worry! I You know him, don't you?* $\rightarrow$ see also dos and don'ts (DO$^3$) **2** *nonstandard, especially AmE* does not: *She don't like it.*
**do·nut** /'dəʊnʌt/ *n AmE* DOUGHNUT
**doo·dah** /'duːdɑː/ *BrE* || **doo·dad** /'duːdæd/ *AmE* --- *n infml* often humor a small object whose name one has forgotten or does not know; THINGAMAJIG; WHATSIT: *Pass us that doodah, will you? What's this little doodad? Have you got the doodad that goes with this?* $\rightarrow$ see also DOOHICKEY, WHATCHAMACALLIT
**doo·dle** /'duːdl/ *v* [I] to draw lines, figures etc while thinking about something else: *I always doodle when I'm making phone calls.* **---doodle** *n*: *His notebook was covered in doodles.*
**doo·dle·bug** /'duːdlbʌɡ/ *n* a V-1
**doo·fus** /'duːfəs/ *n* [C] *AmE infml* a silly or stupid person
**doo·hick·ey** /'duːhɪki/ *n AmE infml, humor* a small object whose name one has forgotten or does not know; a small bit of machinery: *Press this button and twist that doohickey to turn it on.*
**doo·lal·ly** /duː'læli/ *adj infml crazy*
**Doo·lit·tle, E·li·za** /duː'lɪtl, ɪ'laɪzə/ a character in the play PYGMALION by George Bernard SHAW. She is a WORKING CLASS London flower seller who is taught by Professor Henry HIGGINS how to speak and behave like a woman of the highest social class. $\rightarrow$ see also MY FAIR LADY
**doom$^1$** /duːm/ *n* [C usually sing.; U] **1** a terrible fate; unavoidable destruction or death: *to meet one's doom I to go to one's doom* **2 doom and gloom** *infml* sad and discouraging thoughts; hopelessness: *The new economic forecast is full of doom and gloom.*
**doom$^2$** *v* [T(to) usually pass.] to cause to suffer something unavoidable and terrible, such as death or destruction: *The plan was doomed (to failure) from the start. I We saw the doomed aircraft just before it crashed. I [+obj+to-v] They were doomed to die.*
**'doom-,laden** *adj BrE* saying or making you feel that something very bad is going to happen soon: *documentaries full of doom-laden predictions*
**Dooms·day** /'duːmzdeɪ/ *n* [S] **1 till/until Doomsday** *infml* forever: *You could wait till Doomsday and he'd never show up.* **2** the last day of the Earth's existence
**'Doomsday ,Book, The** another spelling of the DOMESDAY BOOK
**Doones·bu·ry** /'duːnzbəri/ a humorous US CARTOON STRIP (=a set of drawings that tell a story in a newspaper or magazine) about politics and life in the US
**door** /dɔː/ *n* **1** a movable flat or panelled (PANEL) surface that opens and closes the entrance to a building, room, vehicle, or piece of furniture: *to open/shut the door \| I can hear someone knocking at the door. \| the cupboard door/kitchen door/car door \| If you can't get in the front door, go to the back door. \| Will you answer the door? (=open it to let someone in) I Goodbye, Mr Carter -- my secretary will show you to the door. (=take you to the main door) I When he became drunk and aggressive his host showed him the door. (=made it clear he was not welcome and should leave) \| (fig.) This agreement opens the door to/shuts the door on improved relations between our two countries.* **I** (*fig.*) *Discussions have been going on* **behind closed doors.** (=in secret) $\rightarrow$ compare GATE **2** an opening for a door; DOORWAY: *She came through the door.* **3** (in certain fixed phrases) a house or building: *My sister lives only two doors away/a few doors away. \| Our house is next door to the paper shop.* **\| The journey takes about six hours (from) door to door.** **\| We went from door to door collecting money for charity.* **4 be on the door** to have some duty at the entrance to a theatre, club etc, such as collecting tickets **5 lay something at someone's door** to blame something on someone **6 out of doors** in the open air; OUTDOORS **7 shut the door in someone's face** to refuse to listen to or deal with someone: *We offered the management a compromise but they just shut the door in our face.* $\rightarrow$ see also BACK DOOR, FRONT DOOR, NEXT DOOR, at death’s door (DEATH)
**door·bell** /'dɔːbel\|'dɔːr-/ *n* a bell that visitors to a house can ring for attention
**door·keep·er** /'dɔː, kiːpə\|'dɔːr-/ *n* a person who guards the main door of a large building and lets people in and out $\rightarrow$ compare DOORMAN
**door·knob** /'dɔːnɒb\|'dɔːrnɑːb/ *n* a usually round handle on a door to open it with
**door·knock·er** /'dɔːnɒkə\|'dɔːrnɑː-/ *n* a metal instrument fixed to a door and used by visitors for knocking at it
**door·man** /'dɔːmæn, -mən\|'dɔːr-/ *n pl* **-men** /-men, -mən/ a man in a hotel, theatre etc, who watches the door, helps people to find taxis, sometimes lets people in and out, and usually wears a uniform $\rightarrow$ compare DOORKEEPER
**door·mat** /'dɔːmæt\|'dɔːr-/ *n* a mat placed in front of or inside a door for cleaning one's shoes on: (*fig.*) *She's been*