* dam - n. a wall built across a river to hold back flowing water
* damage - v. to cause injury or destruction; n. harm; hurt or injury, usually to things
* dance - v. to move the body and feet to music; n. a series of steps, usually to music
* danger - n. a strong chance of suffering injury, damage or loss
* dark - ad. having little or no light ("The room was dark.")
* date - n. an expression of time; a day, month and year
* daughter - n. a person's female child
* day - n. twenty -four hours; the hours of sunlight
* dead - ad. not living
* deaf - ad. not able to hear
* deal - v. to have to do with ("The talks will deal with the problem of pollution."); to buy or sell ("Her company deals in plastic.")
* debate - v. to argue for or against something; n. a public discussion or argument
* debt - n. something that is owed; the condition of owing
* decide - v. to choose; to settle; to judge
* declare - v. to say; to make a statement
* decrease - v. to make less in size or amount
* deep - ad. going far down; a long way from top to bottom
* defeat - v. to cause to lose in a battle or struggle; n. a loss; the condition of having lost
* defend - v. to guard or fight against attack; to protect
* deficit - n. a shortage that results when spending is greater than earnings, or imports are greater than exports
* define - v. to give the meaning of; to explain
* degree - n. a measure of temperature
* delay - v. to decide to do something at a later time; to postpone; to cause to be late
* delegate - n. one sent to act for another; one who represents another
* demand - v. to ask by ordering; to ask with force
* democracy - n. the system of government in which citizens vote to choose leaders or to make other important decisions
* demonstrate - v. to make a public show of opinions or feelings ("The crowd demonstrated in support of human rights."); to explain by using examples ("The teacher demonstrated the idea with an experiment.")
* denounce - v. to accuse of being wrong or evil; to criticize severely
* deny - v. to declare that something is not true; to refuse a request
* depend - v. to need help and support
* deplore - v. to regret strongly; to express sadness
* deploy - v. to move forces or weapons into positions for action
* depression - n. severe unhappiness; a period of reduced business and economic activity during which many people lose their jobs
* describe - v. to give a word picture of something; to give details of something
* desert - n. a dry area of land
* design - v. to plan or create plans for
* desire - v. to want very much; to wish for
* destroy - v. to break into pieces; to end the existence of
* detail - n. a small part of something; a small piece of information
* detain - v. to keep or hold (“The police detained several suspects for questioning.”)
* develop - v. to grow; to create; to experience progress
* device - n. a piece of equipment made for a special purpose
* dictator - n. a ruler with complete power
* die - v. to become dead; to stop living; to end
* diet - n. usual daily food and drink
* different - ad. not the same
* difficult - ad. not easy; hard to do, make or carry out
* dig - v. to make a hole in the ground
* dinner - n. the main amount of food eaten at a usual time ("The family had its dinner at noon."); a special event that includes food ("The official dinner took place at the White House.")
* diplomat - n. a person who represents his or her government in dealing with another government
* direct - v. to lead; to aim or show the way ("He directed me to the theater."); ad. straight to something; not through some other person or thing ("The path is direct.")
* direction - n. the way (east, west, north, south); where someone or something came from or went to
* dirt - n. earth or soil
* disappear - v. to become unseen; to no longer exist
* disarm - v. to take away weapons; to no longer keep weapons; to make a bomb harmless by removing its exploding device
* disaster - n. an event causing widespread destruction or loss of life, such as an earthquake or plane crash
* discover - v. to find or learn something
* discrimination - n. unfair treatment or consideration based on opinions about a whole group instead of on the qualities of an individual. (“He was accused of discrimination against people from other countries.”)
* discuss - v. to talk about; to exchange ideas
* disease - n. a sickness in living things, often caused by viruses, germs or bacteria
* dismiss - v. to send away; to refuse to consider
* dispute - v. to oppose strongly by argument; n. an angry debate
* dissident - n. a person who strongly disagrees with his or her government
* distance - n. the amount of space between two places or objects ("The distance from my house to your house is two kilometers.")
* dive - v. to jump into water head first
* divide - v. to separate into two or more parts
* do - v. to act; to make an effort
* doctor - n. a person trained in medicine to treat sick people
* document - n. an official piece of paper with facts written on it, used as proof or support of something
* dog - n. a small animal that often lives with humans
* dollar - n. United States money, one hundred cents
* donate - v. to present something as a gift to an organization, country or cause. (“She donated money to the Red Cross to help survivors of the earthquake.”)
* door - n. an opening for entering or leaving a building or room
* double - v. to increase two times as much in size, strength or number
* down - ad. from higher to lower; in a low place
* dream - v. to have a picture or story in the mind during sleep; n. a picture or story in the mind during sleep; a happy idea about the future
* drink - v. to take liquid into the body through the mouth
* drive - v. to control a moving vehicle
* drop - v. to fall or let fall; to go lower
* drown - v. to die under water
* drug - n. anything used as a medicine or in making medicine; a chemical substance used to ease pain or to affect the mind
* dry - ad. not wet; without rain
* during - ad. through the whole time; while (something is happening)
* dust - n. pieces of matter so small that they can float in the air
* duty - n. one's job or responsibility; what one must do because it is right and just