Words of the Day
Direct speech n. Words actually spoken, not reported.Dirham n. Principal monetary unit of morocco and the united arab emirates. [arabic]Dirndl n. 1 dress with a close-fitting bodice and full skirt. 2 full skirt of this kind. [german]D�butante n. (us debutante) (usu. Wealthy) young woman making her social d�but.Dirty �adj. (-ier, -iest) 1 soiled, unclean. 2 causing dirtiness (dirty job). 3 sordid, lewd, obscene. 4 unpleasant, dishonourable, unfair (dirty trick). 5 (of weather) rough, squally. 6 (of colour) muddied, dingy. �adv. Slang 1 very (a dirty great diamond). 2 in a dirty manner (talk dirty; act dirty) (esp. In senses 3 and 4 of adj.). �v. (-ies, -ied) make or become dirty.  do the dirty on colloq. Play a mean trick on.  dirtily adv. Dirtiness n.Dirty weekend n. Colloq. Weekend spent with a lover.Dis- prefix forming nouns, adjectives, and verbs implying: 1 negation or direct opposite (dishonest; discourteous). 2 reversal (disengage; disorientate). 3 removal of a thing or quality (dismember; disable). 4 separation (distinguish). 5 completeness or intensification (disgruntled). 6 expulsion from (disbar). [french des- or latin dis-]Disabuse v. (-sing) (usu. Foll. By of) free from a mistaken idea; disillusion.Disaffected adj. Discontented (esp. Politically); no longer loyal.  disaffection n.Decade n. 1 period of ten years. 2 series or group of ten. [greek: related to *deca-]Debut n. (brit. D�but) first public appearance (as a performer etc.). [french]