Vocabulary - 2

=============================================================

 VOCAB LIST - 2

( C - D )

=============================================================

   {C}

=============================================================

** cabal

(n.) a group of persons joined by a secret

* The very idea that there could be a cabal cast suspicion on the whole operation.

=================================== 

** cache

(n.) stockpile; store; heap; hiding place for goods

* The cache for his jewelry was hidden under the bed.

===================================

** cacophonous

(adj.) sounding jarring

*The cacophonous sound from the bending metal sent shivers up our spines.

===================================

** cacophony

(n.) a harsh, inharmonious collection of sounds; dissonance

* The amateur band created more cacophony than beautiful sound.

===================================

** cajole

(v.) to coax with insincere talk

* To cajole the disgruntled employee, the manager coaxed him with lies and sweet talk.

===================================

** calamity

(n.) disaster

The fire in the apartment building was a great calamity.

===================================

** caliber

(n.) quality

* The caliber of talent at the show was excellent.

===================================

** callow

(adj.) being young or immature

* With the callow remark the young man demonstrated his age. 

===================================

** calumny

(n.) slander, a malicious statement

* I felt it necessary to speak against the calumny of the man’s good reputation.

===================================

** canard

(n.) a false statement or rumor

* The canard was reported in a scandalous tabloid.

===================================

** candid

(adj.) honest; truthful; sincere

* People trust her because she’s so candid.

===================================

** cant

(n.) insincere or hypocritical statements of high ideals; the jargon of a particular group or occupations

* The theater majors had difficulty understanding the cant of the computer scientists.

* The remarks by the doctor were cant and meant only for his associates.

=================================== 

** caprice

(n.) a sudden, unpredictable or whimsical change

* The caprice with which the couple approached the change of plans was evidence to their young age.

===================================

** capricious

(adj.) changeable; fickle

* The capricious bride-to-be has a different church in mind for her wedding every few days.

====================================

** captious

(adj.) disposed to find fault

* A captious attitude often causes difficulties in a relationship.

====================================

** carte blanche

(n.) unlimited authority

* The designer was given carte blanche to create a new line for the fall.

====================================

** cascade

(n.) waterfall;

(v.) pour; rush; fall

* (n.) The hikers stopped along the path to take in the beauty of the rushing cascade.

* (v.)The water cascaded down the rocks into the pool.

====================================

** castigate

(v.) to punish through public criticism

* The mayor castigated the police chief for the rash of robberies.

=====================================

** cataclysm

(n.) an extreme natural force

* The earthquake has been the first cataclysm in five years.

===================================== 

** catalyst

(n.) anything which creates a situation in which change
can occur

* The low pressure system was the catalyst for the nor’easter.

===================================== 

** catharsis

(n.) a purging or relieving of the body or soul

* He experienced a total catharsis after the priest absolved his sins. 

====================================

** caustic

(adj.) eating away at; sarcastic words

* The girl harmed her mother with her caustic remarks.

==================================== 

** cavil

(v.) to bicker

* The children are constantly caviling.

====================================

** censor

(v.) to examine and delete objectionable material

* The children were allowed to watch the adult movie only after it had been censored. 

====================================

** censure

(n.) a disapproval; an expression of disapproval

(v.) to criticize or disapprove of

* (n.) His remarks drew the censure of his employers. 

* (v.) Her parents censured her idea of dropping out of school.

====================================

** ceremonious

(adj.) very formal or proper

* The black-tie dinner was highly ceremonious.

====================================

** cessation

(n.)ceasing; a stopping

* The cessation of a bad habit is often difficult to sustain. 

====================================

** chafe

(v.) to annoy, to irritate; to wear away or make sore by rubbing

* He doesn’t wear pure wool sweaters because they usually chafe his skin.

====================================

** chaffing

(n.) banter; teasing

* The king was used to his jesters good-natured chaffing.

==================================== 

* chagrin

(n.) a feeling of embarrassment due to failure or disappointment

* She turned red-faced with chagrin when she learned that her son had been caught shoplifting.

====================================

** charisma

(n.) appeal; magnetism; presence

* She has such charisma that everyone likes her the first time they meet her.

===================================

** charlatan

(n.) a person who pretends to have knowledge; an impostor; fake

* It was finally discovered that the charlatan sitting on the throne was not the real king.

===================================

** chary

(adj.) cautious; being sparing in giving

* Be chary when driving at night.

====================================

** chaste

(adj.) virtuous; morally pure in conduct; virginal.

* Because the woman believed in being chaste, she would not let her boyfriend into the house.

* It is important for nuns to be chaste.

===================================

** chastise

(v.) to punish; discipline; admonish

* The dean chastised the first-year student for cheating on the exam.

===================================

** cherish

(v.) to feel love for

* The bride vowed to cherish the groom for life.

===================================

** chicanery

(n.) trickery or deception, dishonest practice, the use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money)

* The swindler (cheater) was trained in chicanery.

===================================

** chimera

(n.) an impossible fancy

* Perhaps he saw a flying saucer, but perhaps it was only a chimera.

===================================

** choleric

(adj.) cranky; cantankerous; easily moved to feeling displeasure

* Rolly becomes choleric when his views are challenged.

===================================

** chortle

(v.) to make a gleeful, chuckling sound

The chortles emanating from the audience indicated it wouldn’t be as tough a crowd as the stand-up comic had expected.

=================================== 

** churlishness

(n.) crude or surly behavior; behavior of a peasant

* The churlishness of the teenager caused his employer to lose faith in him. 

=================================== 

** circumlocution

(n.) a roundabout or indirect way of speaking; not to the point

* The man’s speech contained so much circumlocution that I was unsure of the point he was trying to make.

===================================

** circumlocutory

(adj.) being too long, as in a description or expression; a roundabout, indirect, or ungainly way of expressing something

* It was a circumlocutory documentary that could have been cut to half its running time to say twice as much.

===================================

** circumspect

(adj.) considering all circumstances

* A circumspect decision must be made when so many people are involved.

===================================

** citadel

(n.) a fortress set up high to defend a city

* A citadel sat on the hill to protect the city below.

====================================

** clandestine

(adj.) secret

* The clandestine plan must be kept between the two of us

====================================

** clemency

(n.) mercy toward an offender; mildness

* The governor granted the prisoner clemency. 

====================================

** cloture

(n.) a parliamentary procedure to end debate and begin to vote

* Cloture was declared as the parliamentarians readied to
register their votes.

=====================================

** cloying (adj.)

too sugary; too sentimental or flattering

* After years of marriage the husband still gave cloying gifts to his wife. 

=====================================

** coagulate

(v.) to become a semisolid, soft mass; to clot

* The liquid will coagulate and close the tube if left standing.

=====================================

** coalesce

(v.) to grow together

* The bride and groom coalesced their funds to increase their collateral.

=====================================

** coda

(n.) in music, a concluding passage

* By the end of the coda, I was ready to burst with excitement over the thrilling performance.

====================================

** coddle

(v.) to treat with tenderness

* A baby needs to be coddled.

====================================

** codify

(v.) to organize laws or rules into a systematic collection

* The intern codified all the city’s laws into a computerized filing system.

====================================

** coffer

(n.) a chest where money or valuables are kept

* The coffer that contained the jewels was stolen.

==================================== 

** cogent

(adj.) to the point; clear; convincing in its clarity and presentation

* He made a short, cogent speech which his audience easily understood.

====================================

** cogitate

(v.) to think hard; ponder; meditate

* It is necessary to cogitate on decisions which affect life goals. 

* The room was quiet while every student cogitated during the calculus exam. 

====================================

** cognate

(adj.) having the same family;

(n.) a person related through ancestry

* (adj.) English and German are cognate languages. 

* (n.) The woman was a cognate to the royal family.

==================================== 

** cognitive

(adj.) possessing the power to think or meditate; meditative; capable of perception

* Cognitive thought makes humans adaptable to a quickly changing environment.

* Once the toddler was able to solve puzzles, it was obvious that her cognitive abilities were developing.

====================================

** cognizant

(adj.) aware of; perceptive

* She became alarmed when she was cognizant of the man following her. 

* It was critical to establish whether the defendant was cognizant of his rights.

==================================== 

** coherent

(adj.) sticking together; connected; logical; consistent

* The course was a success due to its coherent information. 

* If he couldn’t make a coherent speech, how could he run for office?

====================================

** cohesion

(n.) the act of holding together

* The cohesion of the group increased as friendships were formed.

* The cohesion of different molecules forms different substances.

====================================

** cohort

(n.) a group; band

* The cohort of teens gathered at the athletic field.

===================================

** collaborate

(v.) to work together; cooperate

* The two builders collaborated to get the house finished.

=================================== 

** colloquial

(adj.) having to do with conversation; informal speech

* The colloquial reference indicated the free spirit of the group. 

* When you listen to the difference between spoken colloquial
conversation and written work, you realize how good an ear a novelist must have to write authentic dialogue.

====================================

** collusion

(n.) secret agreement for an illegal purpose

* The authority discovered a collusion between the director and treasurer. 

====================================

** comeliness

(n.) beauty; attractiveness in appearance or behavior

* The comeliness of the woman attracted everyone’s attention.

====================================

** commiserate

(v.) to show sympathy for

* The hurricane victims commiserated about the loss of their homes.

====================================

** commodious

(adj.) spacious and convenient; roomy

* The new home was so commodious that many new pieces of furniture needed to be purchased.

====================================

** communal

(adj.) shared or common ownership

* The communal nature of the project made everyone pitch in to help.

===================================

** compatible

(adj.) in agreement with; harmonious

* When repairing an automobile, it is necessary to use parts compatible with that make and model.

===================================

** complacent

(adj.) content; self-satisfied; smug

* The CEO worries regularly that his firm’s winning ways will make it complacent.

* The candidate was so complacent with his poll numbers that he virtually stopped campaigning. 

===================================

** complaisance

(n.) the quality of being agreeable or eager to please

* The complaisance of the new assistant made it easy for the managers to
give him a lot of work without worrying that he may complain.

===================================

* compliant

(adj.) complying; obeying; yielding

* Compliant actions should be reinforced.

* The slave was compliant with every order to avoid being whipped.

===================================

** comport

(v.) fitting in

* It was easy to comport to the new group of employees.

====================================

** comprehensive

(adj.) all-inclusive; complete; thorough

* It’s the only health facility around to offer comprehensive care.

====================================

** compromise

(v.) to settle by mutual adjustment

* Labor leaders and the automakers compromised by agreeing to a starting wage of $16 an hour in exchange for concessions on health-care premiums. 

====================================

** concede

(v.) to acknowledge; admit; to surrender; to abandon one’s position

* Satisfied with the recount, the mayor conceded graciously.

====================================

** conceit

(n.) an exaggerated personal opinion

* The man’s belief that he was the best player on the team was pure conceit.

===================================

** conciliation

(n.) an attempt to make friendly or placate

* Tanya used her womanly charm to conciliate an angry competitor.

===================================

** conciliatory

(adj.) to reconcile

* The diplomat sought to take a conciliatory approach to keep the talks going.

==================================

** concise

(adj.) in few words; brief; condensed

* The concise instructions were printed on two pages rather than the customary five. 

==================================

** conclave

(n.) any private meeting or closed assembly

* The conclave was to meet in the executive suite. 

==================================

** condescend

(v.) to come down from one’s position ordignity

* The arrogant, rich man was usually condescending towards his servants.

==================================

** condone

(v.) to overlook; to forgive

* The loving and forgiving mother condoned her son’s life of crime.

==================================

** confluence

(n.) a thing which is joined together

* Great cities often lie at the confluence of great rivers. 

==================================

** confound

(v.) to lump together, causing confusion; to damn

* The problem confounded our ability to solve it. 

==================================

** conglomeration

(n.) a collection or mixture of various things

* The soup was a conglomeration of meats and vegetables.

==================================

** conjoin

(v.) to combine

* The classes will conjoin to do the play.

==================================

** conjure

(v.) to call upon or appeal to; to cause to be, appear, come

* The smell of the dinner conjured images of childhood. 

==================================

** connivance

(n.) secret cooperation in wrongdoing

* With the guard’s connivance, the convict was able to make his escape. 

==================================

** connoisseur

(n.) expert; authority (usually refers to a wine or food expert)

* They allowed her to choose the wine for dinner since she was the connoisseur. 

==================================

** connotative

(adj.) containing associated meanings in addition to the primary one

* Along with the primary meaning of the word, there were two connotative meanings.

==================================

** consecrate

(v.) to declare sacred; to dedicate

* The park was consecrated to the memory of the missing soldier.

==================================

** consequential

(adj.) following as an effect; important

* His long illness and consequential absence set him behind in his homework.

==================================

** consort

(n.) a companion, spouse;

(v.) to associate

* (n.) An elderly woman was seeking a consort.

* (v.) They waited until dark to consort under the moonlight.

==================================

** conspicuous

(adj.) easy to see; noticeable

* The diligent and hardworking editor thought the obvious mistake was conspicuous. 

==================================

** consternation

(n.) amazement or terror that causes confusion

* The look of consternation on the child’s face caused her father to panic.

===================================

** constrain

(v.) to force, compel; to restrain

* The student was constrained to remain in her seat until the teacher gave her permission to leave.

======================================

** consummation

(n.) the completion; finish

* Following the consummation of final exams, most of the students graduated.

=====================================

** contemporary

(adj.) living or happening at the same time; modern

* Contemporary furniture will clash with your traditional sectional.

=====================================

** contempt

(n.) scorn; disrespect

* The greedy, selfish banker was often discussed with great contempt.

=====================================

** contentious

(adj.) quarrelsome

* The contentious student was asked to leave the classroom. 

====================================

** contest

(v.) to attempt to disprove or invalidate

* I will attempt to contest the criminal charges against me.

=====================================

** contiguous

(adj.) touching; or adjoining and close, but not touching

* There are many contiguous buildings in the city because there is no excess land to allow space between them. 

=====================================

** contravene

(v.) to act contrary to; to oppose or contradict

* The story of the accused contravened the story of the witness. 

======================================

** contrite

(adj.) regretful;sorrowful; having repentance

* Regretting his decision not to attend college, the contrite man did not lead a very happy life.

==================================

** contumacious

(adj.) resisting authority

* The man was put in jail for contumacious actions. 

==================================

** contusion

(n.) a bruise; an injury where the skin is not broken

* The man was fortunate to receive only contusions from the crash.

======================================

** conundrum

(n.) a puzzle or riddle

* I spent two hours trying to figure out the conundrum. 

======================================

** conventional

(adj.) traditional; common; routine

* The bride wanted a conventional wedding ceremony, complete with white dresses, many flowers, and a grand reception party. 
 
=====================================

** converge

(v.) to move toward one point 

* It was obvious that an accident was going to occur as the onlookers watched the two cars converge.

=====================================

** conviviality

(n.) a fondness for festiveness or joviality

* His conviviality makes him a welcome guest at any social gathering.

=====================================

** convoke

(v.) a call to assemble

* The teacher convoked her students in the auditorium to help prepare them for the play.

=====================================

** copious

(adj.) abundant; in great quantities

* Her copious notes touched on every subject presented in the lecture.

======================================

** corpulence

(n.) obesity

* The corpulence of the man kept him from fitting into the seat.

======================================

** correlate

(v.) to bring into mutual relation

* The service man was asked to correlate the two computer demonstration pamphlets.

======================================

** corroborate

(v.) to confirm the validity

* The witness must corroborate the prisoner’s story if she is to be set free. 

======================================

** coterie

(n.) a clique; a group who meet frequently, usually socially

* Every day after school she joins her coterie on the playground and they go out for a soda.

======================================

** covenant

(n.) a binding and solemn agreement

* With the exchange of vows, the covenant was complete.

=======================================

** covetous

(adj.) greedy; very desirous

* Lonnie, covetous of education, went to almost every lecture at the university.

=======================================

** cower

(v.) to huddle and tremble

* The tellers cowered in the corner as the bandit ransacked the bank.

======================================= 

** coy

(adj.) modest; bashful; pretending shyness to attract

* He’s not really that shy, he’s just being coy.

======================================= 

** crass

(adj.) stupid or dull; insensitive; materialistic

* My respect for the man was lowered when he made the crass remark.

=======================================

** craven

(n.) coward; abject person;

(adj.)cowardly

* (n.) While many fought for their rights, the craven sat shaking, off in a corner somewhere.

* (adj.) Craven men will not stand up for what they believe in.

=======================================

** culpable

(adj.) deserving blame; guilty

* The convicted criminal still denies that he is culpable for the robbery.

=======================================

** curb

(n.) a restraint or framework

* A curb was put up along the street to help drainage.

=======================================

** curmudgeon

(n.) an ill-tempered person

* The curmudgeon asked the children not to play near the house.

=======================================

** cursory

(adj.) hasty; slight

* The detective’s cursory examination of the crime scene caused him to overlook the lesser clues. 

=======================================

** cynic

(n.) one who believes that others are motivated entirely by selfishness. 

* The cynic felt that the hero saved the man to become famous.

===========================================================

   {D}

===========================================================

** dais

(n.) a raised platform at one end of a room

* The dais was lowered to make the speaker look taller.

========================================

** dally

(v.) to loiter; to waste time

* Please do not dally or we will miss our appointment.

========================================

** dank

(adj.) damp and chilly

* The cellar became very dank during the winter time.

=======================================

** dauntless

(adj.) fearless; not discouraged

* The dauntless ranger scaled the mountain to complete the rescue.

=======================================

** dearth

(n.) scarcity; shortage

* A series of coincidental resignations left the firm with a dearth of talent.

========================================

** debacle

(n.) disaster; collapse; a rout

* The Securities and Exchange Commission and the stock exchanges implemented numerous safeguards to head off another debacle on Wall Street.

=========================================

** debase

(v.) to make lower in quality

* The French are concerned that “Franglais,” a blending of English and French, will debase their language.

=========================================

** debauchery

(n.) indulgence in one’s appetites

* The preacher decried debauchery and urged charity.

=========================================

** debilitate

(v.) to enfeeble; to wear out

* The illness will debilitate the muscles in his legs. 

=========================================

** debonair

(adj.) having an affable manner; carefree; genial

Opening the door for another is a debonair action.

=========================================

** decadence

(n.) a decline in morals or art

* Some believe the decadence of Nero’s rule led to the fall of the empire.

=========================================

** deciduous

(adj.) shedding; temporary

* When the leaves began to fall from the tree we learned that it was deciduous.

========================================

** decisiveness

(n.) an act of being firm or determined

* Decisiveness is one of the key qualities of a successful executive.

========================================

** decorous

(adj.) showing decorum; propriety, good taste

* The decorous suit was made of fine material.

========================================

** decry

(v.) to denounce or condemn openly

* The pastor decried all forms of discrimination against any minority group.

========================================
 
** defamation

(n.) to harm a name or reputation; to slander

* The carpenter felt that the notoriousness of his former partner brought defamation to his construction business. 

========================================

** deference

(n.) a yielding of opinion; courteous respect for

* To avoid a confrontation, the man showed deference to his friend. 

=========================================

** deferential

(adj.) yielding to the opinion of another

* After debating students living in the Sixth Ward for months, the mayor’s deferential statements indicated that he had come to some understanding with them.

=========================================

** defunct

(adj.) no longer living or existing

* The man lost a large sum of money when the company went defunct.

=========================================

** deign

(v.) condescend; stoop

* He said he wouldn’t deign to dignify her statement with a response.

===========================================

** deleterious

(adj.) harmful; hurtful; noxious

* Deleterious fumes escaped from the overturned truck. 

===========================================

** deliberate

(v.);  to consider carefully; weigh in the mind;

(adj.) intentional

* (v.) The jury deliberated for three days before reaching a verdict. 

* (adj.) The brother’s deliberate attempt to get his sibling blamed for his mistake was obvious to all.

==========================================

** delineate

(v.) to outline; to describe

* She delineated her plan so that everyone would have a basic understanding of it.

=========================================

** deliquesce

(v.) to dissolve

* The snow deliquesced when the temperature rose.

=========================================

** delusion

(n.) a false belief or opinion

* The historian suffered from the delusion that he was Napoleon.

========================================

** demise

(n.) ceasing to exist as in death

* The demise of Gimbels followed years of decline.

========================================

** demur

(v.); to object;

(n.) objection; misgiving

* (v.) She hated animals, so when the subject of buying a cat came up, she demurred.

* (n.) She said yes, but he detected a demur in her voice.

=========================================  

** denigrate

(v.) to defame, to blacken or sully; to belittle

* Her attempt to denigrate the man’s name was not
successful.

========================================

** denounce

(v.) to speak out against; condemn

* A student rally was called to denounce the use of drugs on campus.

========================================

** depict

(v.) to portray; describe

* The mural depicts the life of a typical urban dweller.

========================================

** deplete

(v.) to reduce; to empty, exhaust

* Having to pay the entire bill will deplete the family’s savings.

========================================

** deposition

(n.) a removal from office or power; a testimony

* Failing to act lawfully could result in his deposition.  She met with her lawyer this morning to review her deposition.

========================================

** depravity

(n.) moral corruption; badness

* Drugs and money caused depravity throughout the once decorous community.

========================================

** deprecate

(v.) to express disapproval of; to protest against

* The organization will deprecate the opening of the sewage plant.

=========================================

** depredation

(n.) a plundering or laying waste

* The pharaoh’s once rich tomb was empty after centuries of depredation from grave robbers.

=========================================

** deride

(v.) to laugh at with contempt; to mock

* No matter what he said, he was derided.

=========================================

** derision

(n.) the act of mocking; ridicule, mockery

* Constant derision from classmates made him quit school.

=========================================

** derisive

(adj.) showing disrespect or scorn for

* The derisive comment was aimed at the man’s life long enemy.

=========================================

** derogatory

(adj.) belittling; uncomplimentary

* He was upset because his annual review was full of derogatory comments.

=========================================

** descant

(v.) lengthy talking or writing

* The man will descant on the subject if you give him too much speaking time.

=========================================

** desecrate

(v.) to profane; violate the sanctity of

* The teenagers’ attempt to desecrate the church disturbed the community.

=======================================

** desist

(v.) to stop or cease

* The judge ordered the man to desist from calling his ex-wife in the middle of the night.

========================================

** desolate

(adj.) to be left alone or made lonely

* Driving down the desolate road had Kelvin worried that he wouldn’t reach a gas station in time.

========================================

** despoil

(v.) to take everything; plunder

* The Huns despoiled village after village.

========================================

** despotism

(n.) tyranny; absolute power or influence

* The ruler’s despotism went uncontested for 30 years.

========================================

** destitute

(adj.) poor; poverty-stricken

* Many of the city’s sections are destitute.

========================================

** desultory

(adj.) moving in a random, directionless manner

* The thefts were occurring in a desultory manner making them difficult to track.

========================================

** detached

(adj.) separated; not interested; standing alone

* Detached from modern conveniences, the islanders live a simple, unhurried life.

========================================

** deter

(v.) to prevent; to discourage; hinder

* He deterred the rabbits by putting down garlic around the garden.

========================================

** determinate

(adj.) distinct limits

* The new laws were very determinate as far as what was allowed and what was not allowed.

=======================================

** devoid

(adj.) lacking; empty

* The interplanetary probe indicated that the planet was devoid of any atmosphere.

=======================================

** dexterous

(adj.) skillful, quick mentally or physically

* The dexterous gymnast was the epitome of grace on the balance beam.

=======================================

** diatribe

(n.) a bitter or abusive speech

* During the divorce hearings she delivered a diatribe full of the emotion pushing her away from her husband.

========================================

** dichotomy

(n.) a division into two parts or kinds

* The dichotomy within the party threatens to split it. 

========================================

** dictum

(n.) a formal statement of either fact or opinion

Computer programmers have a dictum: garbage in, garbage
out.

=========================================

** didactic

(adj.) instructive; dogmatic; preachy

* Our teacher’s didactic technique boosted our scores.

======================================

** diffidence

(n.) a hesitation in asserting oneself

* A shy person may have great diffidence when forced with a problem.

======================================

** diffident

(adj.) timid; lacking self-confidence

* The director is looking for a self-assured actor, not a diffident one. 

======================================

** digress

(v.) stray from the subject; wander from topic

* It is important to not digress from the plan of action.

=======================================

** dilettante

(n.) an admirer of the fine arts; a dabbler

* Though she played the piano occasionally, she was more of a dilettante.

=======================================

** diligence

(n.) hard work

* Anything can be accomplished with diligence and commitment. 

=======================================

** diminutive

(adj.) smaller than average;

(n.) a small person; a word, expressing smallness, formed when a suffix is added

* (adj.) They lived in a diminutive house.

* (n.) The diminutive woman could not see over the counter.

=========================================

** din

(n.) a noise which is loud and continuous

* The din of the jackhammers reverberated throughout the concrete canyon.

=========================================

** dint

(n.) strength

* The dint of the bridge could hold trucks weighing many tons. 

=========================================

** dirge

(n.) a hymn for a funeral; a song or poem expressing lament

* The mourners sang a traditional Irish dirge .

=========================================

** disapprobation

(n.) disapproval

* Her disapprobation of her daughter’s fiancZ’ divided the family.

=========================================

** disarray

(n.) (state of) disorder

* The thief left the house in disarray.

=========================================

** disavow

(v.) to deny; to refuse to acknowledge

* The actor has disavowed the rumor.

=========================================

** discerning

(adj.) distinguishing one thing from another; having good judgment

* He has a discerning eye for knowing the original from
the copy. 

=========================================

** discomfit

(v.) to frustrate the expectations of

* The close game discomfited the number one player.

=========================================

** discord

(n.) disagreement; lack of harmony

* There was discord amidst the jury, and therefore a decision could not be made. 

==============================================

** discourse

(v.) to converse; to communicate in an orderly fashion

* The interviewee discoursed so fluently, she was hired on the spot.

==============================================

** discreet

(adj.) showing good judgment in conduct; prudent

* We confided our secret in Mary because we knew she’d be discreet.

=============================================

** discrete

(adj.) separate; individually distinct; composed of distinct parts

* There were four discrete aspects to the architecture of the home.

====================================

** discriminate

(v.) distinguish; demonstrate bias

* Being a chef, he discriminated carefully among ingredients. 

===================================== 

** disdain

(n) intense dislike;

(v) look down upon; scorn

* (n) She showed great disdain toward anyone who did not agree with her.

* (v) She disdains the very ground you walk upon.

=====================================

** disentangle

(v.) to free from confusion

* We need to disentangle ourselves from the dizzying variety of choices.

=====================================

** disheartened

(adj.) discouraged; depressed

* After failing the exam, the student became disheartened and wondered if he would ever graduate.

======================================

** disingenuous

(adj.) not frank or candid; deceivingly simple (opposite: ingenious)

* He always gives a quick, disingenuous response; you never get a straight answer.

======================================

** disinterested

(adj.) neutral; unbiased

(alternate meaning; uninterested)

* He never takes sides; he’s always disinterested.

======================================

** disparage

(v.) to belittle; undervalue; to discredit

* After she fired him she realized that she had disparaged the value of his assistance.

======================================

** disparate

(adj.) unequal; dissimilar; different

* They came from disparate backgrounds, one a real estate magnate, the other a custodian.

=====================================

** disparity

(n.) difference in form, character, or degree

* There is a great disparity between a light snack and a great feast.

=====================================

** dispassionate

(adj.) lack of feeling; impartial

* She was a very emotional person and could not work with such a dispassionate employer.

======================================

** disperse

(v.) to scatter; separate

* The pilots dispersed the food drops over a wide area of devastation.

=======================================

** disputatious

(adj.) argumentative; inclined to disputes

* The child was so disputatious he needed to be removed from the room. 

=======================================

** dissemble

(v.) to pretend; to feign; to conceal by pretense

* Agent 007 has a marvelous ability to dissemble his real intentions.

======================================

** disseminate

(v.) to circulate; scatter

* He was hired to disseminate newspapers to everyone in the town.

======================================

** dissent

(v.) to disagree; differ in opinion

* They agreed that something had to be done, but dissented on how to do it. 

======================================

** dissonance

(n.) musical discord; a mingling of inharmonious sounds; nonmusical; disagreement; lack of harmony

* Much twentieth-century music is not liked by classical music lovers because of the dissonance it holds and the harmonies it lacks.

=====================================

** dissonant

(adj.) not in harmony; in disagreement

* Despite several intense rehearsals, the voices of the choir members continued to be dissonant.

=====================================

** distention

(n.) inflation or extension

* The bulge in the carpet was caused by the distention of the wood underneath.

===================================== 

** dither

(v.) to act indecisively;

(n.) a confused condition

* (v.) She dithered every time she had to make a decision. 

* (n.) Having to take two tests in one day left the student in a dither.

======================================

** diverge

(v.) separate, split

* The wide, long river diverged into two distinct separate rivers, never again to join.

=======================================

** divestiture

(n.) being stripped

* When it was found the team cheated, there was a divestiture of their crown.

=======================================

** docile

(adj.) manageable; obedient; gentle

* We needed to choose a docile pet because we hadn’t the patience for a lot of training.

======================================= 

** doggerel

(n.) verse characterized by forced rhyme and meter

* Contrary to its appearance, doggerel can contain some weighty messages.

=======================================

** dogma

(n.) a collection of beliefs

* The dogma of the village was based on superstition.

======================================*****

** dogmatic

(adj.) stubborn; biased; opinionated

* The student’s dogmatic presentation annoyed his classmates as well as his instructor.

======================================

** dormant

(adj.) as if asleep

* The animals lay dormant until the spring thaw.

======================================

** doughty

(adj.) brave and strong

* The doughty fireman saved the woman’s life.

======================================

** dowdy

(adj.) shabby in appearance

* The dowdy girl had no buttons on her coat and the threads were falling apart.

======================================
 
** dubious

(adj.) doubtful; uncertain; skeptical; suspicious

* The new information was dubious enough to re-open the case.

======================================

** duplicity

(n.) deception

* She forgave his duplicity but divorced him anyway.

======================================

** duress

(n.) imprisonment; the use of threats

* The policewoman put the man under duress in order to get a confession. 

===========================================================