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dumb
due³ adv (before **north**, **south**, **east**, **and west**) directly;
exactly: *due north (of here)*
**due, date** *n* the date on which something is due to happen,
e.g. an amount of money must be paid
**du-el¹** /'dju:əl||'du:əl/ *n* a fight with hand guns or swords,
arranged (especially formerly) between two people to settle a
quarrel: *to fight a duel | (fig.) another duel between the company
and the union*
**duel²** *v* -ll- *BrE* || -l- *AmE* [l(with)] to fight a duel —**duellist,
dueller** *n*
**due 'process** *n* [U] *AmE law* the correct process that should
be followed in law and is designed to protect someone's
legal rights
**dues** /dju:z||du:z/ *n* [P] official charges or payments: *to pay
union dues | (fig.) Agassi had lost the match, but he had done
well, and had paid his dues.* ➔ **see also** TAX (USAGE)
**du-et** /dju'et||du'et/ **also duo** *n* a piece of music for two
performers ➔ **compare** SOLO¹
**duff** /dʌf/ *adj BrE infml* useless or worthless
**duf-fel bag, duffle bag** /'dʌfəl bæg/ *n* a bag about half a
metre in length, made of strong cloth, with a round bottom
and a string round the top, for carrying clothes and other
belongings ➔ **compare** KIT BAG
**duffel coat, duffle coat** *n BrE* a loose coat made of a rough
heavy woollen cloth, usually fastened with TOGGLES (=long
tubelike buttons) and often having a covering for the head
joined to the neck. These coats are often worn by school-
children.
**duf-fer** /'dʌfər/ *n old-fash infml* [(at)] a foolish person or slow
learner: *She's a duffer at games.*
**Du-fy, Ra-oul** /'du:fi||du:'fi:, ra:'u:l/ (1877-1953) a French
painter known especially for his brightly coloured paintings
of horseraces, beaches, and boats
**dug¹** /dʌg/ *past tense & participle of* DIG
**dug²** *n especially lit* an animal's UDDER or NIPPLE
**dug-out** /'dʌgaʊt/ *n* **1** a small light boat made by cutting
out a deep hollow space in a log: *a dugout canoe* **2** a (usually
military) shelter dug in the ground with an earth roof ➔
**compare** TRENCH **3** a low shelter at the side of a sports-
ground, especially a BASEBALL ground, where players and
team officials can sit
**duh** /dʌ/ *interj AmE* used as a reply to someone when you think
the question they have just asked or the thing they have just
said is stupid
**DUI** /ˌdi: ju: 'aɪ/ *n* [U] *AmE abbrev. for* driving under the
influence; the crime of driving when you have had too
much alcohol to drink: *a large number of DUI arrests on
New Year's Eve*
**Du-ka-kis, Michael** /du:'ka:kɪs/ (1933-) a US politician in
the Democratic Party who stood for president in 1988, but
lost to George BUSH
**duke** /dju:k||du:k/ *n often cap.* a nobleman of the highest
rank outside the royal family: *the Duke of Norfolk | He
became a duke on the death of his father.* ➔ **see also** DUCHESS
**Duke, David** (1950-) a former Grand Wizard of the KU KLUX
KLAN, who tried to win a seat in the US Senate in the 1990s
**Duke, Dor-is** /'dɔrɪs||'dɔ:-/ (1912-1993) a rich American
woman who travelled a lot and collected Islamic and South-
east Asian art. When she died, she left most of her money
and her art to the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
**duke-dom** /'dju:kdom||'du:k-/ *n* **1** the rank of a duke **2** the
lands of a duke; DUCHY
**Duke of 'Edinburgh, the** (1921-) also called Prince Philip.
The husband of the British queen, Elizabeth II. He is a
member of the royal family of Greece, but he became a
British citizen in 1947. He has no official position, but he
usually travels with the Queen, and he is involved in many
public organizations, including the one that gives the Duke
of Edinburgh's Award.
**Duke of ,Edinburgh's A'ward, the also ,Duke of
'Edinburgh's** *n* a special prize given to someone who has
successfully completed a number of activities in a pro-
gramme that was originally set up in the UK by the Duke of
Edinburgh. The programme is designed for young people,
and its aim is to encourage them to achieve difficult things
and do work that helps other people. The programme
includes physical activities such as climbing mountains,
camping, hiking, and other outdoor activities.
**Duke of 'Wellington, the** (1769-1852) a British soldier and
politician, born in Ireland, and sometimes called 'the Iron
Duke'. He was a very successful military leader, and is
remembered especially for defeating Napoleon at the Battle
of Waterloo in 1815. He later became Prime Minister (1828-
34).
**Duke of 'Westminster, the** (1951-) one of the richest
men in the UK, who is known for owning large amounts of
land and property, especially in central London
**Duke of 'Windsor, the** ➔ **see** EDWARD VIII
**Duke of 'York, the** ➔ **see** Prince ANDREW
**dukes** /dju:ks||du:ks/ *n* [P] *slang for* FISTS: *Put your dukes up
and fight!*
**dul-cet** /'dʌlsɪt/ *adj lit or humor* (especially of sounds) sweet
and calming: *She spoke in dulcet tones.*
**dul-ci-mer** /'dʌlsɪmər/ *n* **1** || usually **hammered dulcimer AmE**
a European and American musical instrument with up to
100 strings, played with light hammers **2** a small stringed
instrument popular in American FOLK MUSIC rested on the
player's LAP and plucked (PLUCK) with the fingers or a PICK
**dull¹** /dʌl/ *adj* **1** (of colours or surfaces) not bright; not
shining: *a dull grey* **2** not clear or sharp: *a dull knocking
sound somewhere in the house | a dull pain* **3** (of weather, the
sky etc) cloudy; not sunny; OVERCAST: *a dull day with show-
ers of rain* **4** uninteresting or unexciting; BORING: *an after-
noon of dull lectures | There's never a dull moment when
John comes to stay. (=there is always something interesting or
amusing happening)* **5** slow in thinking, learning, and
understanding **6** (of things with edges or points) not sharp;
BLUNT **7** (of trade) not active; SLUGGISH: *a dull day on the
stockmarket* **8** (as) **dull as ditchwater** *infml* very uninterest-
ing —**y** /'dʌl-i/ *adv* —**ness** *n* [U]
**dull²** *v* [T] to make dull: *Give me something to dull (=lessen or
make less sharp) the pain. | Her hearing was dulled by age.*
**dull-ard** /'dʌləd||-ərd/ *n* *becoming rare* a dull slow-thinking
person
**Dul-les** /'dʌlɪs/ an airport in the US, serving the Washing-
ton, D.C. area
**Dulles, John Foster** (1888-1959) a US lawyer and politician
in the REPUBLICAN PARTY, who was Secretary of State (=the
minister who deals with foreign policy and foreign govern-
ments) from 1953 to 1959. He is known for strongly influ-
encing the US's anti-Communist policy during the COLD
WAR. ➔ **see also** COLD WAR
**Du-lux** /'dju:lʌks||'du:-/ *trademark* a type of paint used for
painting the inside and outside of houses made by the British
company ICI. It is known for the OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOG (=a
large dog with long grey and white hair) that appears in its
advertisements, and this type of dog is sometimes called a
Dulux dog.
**du-ly** /'dju:lɪ||'du:lɪ/ *adv fml* in a proper manner, time, or
degree; as expected: *The taxi that he had ordered duly
arrived, and we drove off. | Your suggestion has been duly
noted. | I enclose the contract, duly signed.*
**Du-mas, Al-ex-an-dre** /'dju:mɑ:||du:'mɑ:, ˌælɪg'zɑ:ndə/
(1802-70) a French writer of novels and plays, known espe-
cially for his books *The Count of Monte Cristo* and *The Three
Musketeers*
**Du Mau-ri-er, Daphne** /du: 'mɔ:rɪə, dju:-||dɪ-/ (1907-89)
a British writer whose novels include *Rebecca* and *Jamaica
Inn*
**dumb¹** /dʌm/ *adj* **1** unable to speak (may be considered
offensive to people who are unable to speak): *dumb
animals | The terrible news struck us dumb.* **|** [also *n. the*+P]
**special schools for the deaf and dumb** **2** unwilling to speak;
silent: *The prisoner remained dumb throughout his
trial.* **3** *infml* especially *AmE* stupid: *That was a dumb thing to
say.* —**ly** *adv* —**ness** *n* [U]
**dumb²** *v*
**dumb sth ⇔ down** *phr v derog* to present news or informa-
tion in a simple and attractive way without many details so
that everyone can understand: *Have history textbooks been
dumbed down over the past decade?*