D

Source: Home Study Dictionary, a resetting in larger type of Annandale's Concise English Dictionary. Published by Peter Haddock Ltd.

Key to Abbreviations

A. Sax. = Anglo Saxon
Cog. = Cognate, Cognate With
Comp. = Compare
Contr. = Contraction, Contracted
D. = Dutch
Dan. = Danish
Dat. = Dative
Dial. = Dialect
Dim. = Diminutive
E. = English
Fris. = Frisian
G. = German
Gael. = Gaelic
Icel. = Icelandic
Ir. = Irish
L. = Latin
L.G. = Low German
L.L. = Late Latin
Lit. = Literally
Lith. = Lithuanian
M.H.G. = Middle High German
Mod. = Modern
O.D. = Old Dutch
O.E. = Old English
O.H.G. = Old High German
O. Fr. = Old French
O. Fris. = Old Frisian
O. Sax = Old Saxon
O. Sw. = Old Swedish
Per. = Persian
Pl. = Plural
Pp = Past Particible
Pret. = Preterite
Pron. = Pronunciation, Pronounced
Prov. = Provincial
Sc. = Scandinavian
Scan = Scandinavian
Slav. = Slavonic, Slavic
Superl. = Superlative
Sw = Swedish
W. = Welsh

Dairy From O.E. dey, a dairymaid = Sw. deja, a dairymaid, Icel. deigja, a maidservant, a dairymain; akin -dy in lady.

Daisy A. Sax. dæges-eáge, day's eye, because it opens and closes its flower with the daylight.

Dale A. Sax. dæl = Icel. Sw. Goth. &c. dal, G. thal, a valley.

Dam Same word as Sw. and G. damm, Dan. and D. dam (as in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, &c.)

Damp Same word as D. and Dan. damp, G. dampf, steam, vapour, fog, smoke.

Dangle Allied to Dan. dingle, Sw. and Icel. dingla, to swing.

Dapper Same word as D. dapper, Sw. and Dan. tapper, G. tapfer, brave.

Dapple Icel. depill, a spot; perhaps akin to dip, deep.

Dare A. Sax. ic dear, I dare, he dear, he dare, we durran, we dare; ic dorste, I durst; Goth. daursan, O.H.G. turran; cog. Gr. tharsein, Skr. dharsh, to be courageous.

Dark A. Sax. deorc; not found in the other Teutonic languages; comp. Gael. and Ir. dorch, dark, black.

Darling A. Sax. deórling - deóre, dear, and dim. Term. -ling.

Dash A Scandinavian word = Dan. daske, to slap, dask, a slap, Sw. daska, to beat.

Dastard Icel. dæstr, exhausted; akin to daze, the suffix being -ard.

Daughter A. Sax. dóhtor = D. dochter, Dan. dotter, Icel. dóttir, G. tochter, Gr. thygater, Per. doktarah, Skr. duhitri, Lith. duktê, Ir. dear - daughter.

Dawn A. Sax. dagain, to dawn or become day, from dæg.

Day A. Sax. dæg = D. Dan. and Sw. dag, Icel. dagr, Goth. dags, G. tag; not connected with L. dies, a day.

Daze The same word as Icel. dasa, to tire out; O.D. daesen, to be foolish; akin doze, dizzy.

Dead A. Sax. deád = D. dood, Dan. död, Icel. dauthr, Goth. dauths.

Deaf A. Sax. deáf = D. doof, Dan. döv. Icel. daufr, G. taub = deaf; akin Sc. daft, stupid, Icel. dofi, torpor.

Deal A. Sax. dael, a portion, a share = D. deel, a portion, a board or plank; Dan. deel, Sw. del, Goth. dails, G. theil, a part, a share. Dole, dale are akin.

Dear A. Sax. deóre, dýre, dear, beloved, high-priced; O.D. dier, Mod. D. duur, Icel. dýrr, Dan. and Sw. dyr, G. theuer, dear, beloved, high-priced, &c.

Death A. Sax. deáth = Goth. dauthus, L.G. and D. dood, Sw. and Dan. död, G. tod - death.

Deck Same word as D. dekken, Dan. dække,G. decken, to cover, with the nouns, D. dek, Dan. dæk, a cover, a ship's deck, G. decke, a cover, deck, a deck; closely akin to E. thatch (Sc. thack), the root being that of L. tego, to cover.

Decoy Properly duck-coy; coy being a provincial word from D. kooi, a cage, hence vogel-kooi, a bird-cage, an apparatus for entrapping water fowl.

Deed A. Sax. daed, a deed, from dón, to do = Icel. dád, D. and Dan. daad, Goth. deds, G. that, a deed.

Deem A. Sax. déman, to deem, to judge, from dóm, doom, judgement (same word as term. -dom); Icel. dæma, Dan. dömme, Goth. (ga)domjan, to judge; from root of do.

Deep A. Sax. deóp = D. diep, Dan. dyb, G. tief, deep; from root of dip, dive.

Deer A. Sax. deór, any wild animal, a deer = Goth. dius, D. dier, Dan. dyr, Icel. dyr, Sw. diur, G. thier, any animal or beast, especially a wild beast.

Deft A. Sax. dæft, fit, convenient, from (ge)dafan, to become, to befit; Goth. gadaban, to befit.

Delve A. Sax. defan = D. delven, to dig; probably connected with dell, a dale, Fris. dollen, to dig.

Den A. Sax. denn, a cave or lurking place; akin denu, E. dene, a valley.

Dene A. Sax. denu.

Dew A. Sax. deáw, D. dauw, Dan. dug, G. thau - dew; akin dazzle, dank.

Diddle A. Sax. dyderian, to deceive or delude, originally perhaps by rapid movements or slight of hand.

Die Not an A. Sax. word; closely allied to the O. Fris. deja, deya, Icel. deya, deyja, Dan. döe, to die; A. Sax. deád, dead, a kind of participial form, deáth, death.

Dig Probably connected with dike or dyke, ditch; A. Sax. díc, a dike or a ditch, dícian, Dan. dige, to make a ditch.

Dike, Dyke A. Sax. díc, D. dijk, Dan. dige, a bank of earth, a ditch, the ditch being excavated and the bank formed by the same operation. Ditch is a softened form of this.

Dill A. Sax. dil, Sw. dill, G. dill, dill: probably from its soothing qualities in dilling or dulling pain. Comp. prov. E. dill. Icel. dilla, to lull a child.

Dim A. Sax. dim, dark, obscure = O. Fris. dim, Icel, dimmr, dim; comp. Lith. tamsa, Skr. tamas, darkness.

Din A. Sax. dyn, dyne, noise, thunder; Icel. dynr, din, dynia, to resound; from the same root as Skr. dhvan, to sound.

Ding Icel. dengja, Dan. dænge, Sw. dänga, to knock, to beat.

Dint A. Sax. dynt, a blow, O.E. and Sc. dunt, Icel. dyntr, a stroke; perhaps akin to din and ding. Dent is the same word.

Dip A Sax. dippan, dyppan, to dip; Fris, dippe, D. doopen, G. taufen, to dip, to baptize, akin deep, dive.

Dirt Icel. drit, dirt, excrement, dríta, Sc. drite, A. Sax. (ge)drítan, to go to stool.

Distaff A. Sax. distæf, that is, dis- or dise-staff - dis-=O.E. dise, to put the flax on the distaff; allied to L.G. diesse, the flax on the distaff; G. dusse, town, oakum.

Dive A. Sax. dýfan, to dive = Icel. dýfa, to dip, to dive; akin deep, dip.

Dizzy A. Sax. dysig, foolish; akin to L.G. dusig, dösig, O.D. duysigh, Mod. D. daiselig, dizzy, Dan. dösig, drowsy, Allied are daze, dassie, dose.

Do A. Sax. dón, to do, dó, I do = D. doen, G. thun, to do, L. do in abdo, I put away, condo, I put together, Skr. dhâ, to place. From same stem are deed, deem, doom.

Dock A. Sax. docce, G. docke. - The common name of various species of perennial herbs, most of them troublesome weeds with stout rootstalks, erect stems, and broad leaves.

Dock Icel. dockr, a short tail; G. docke, a thick short piece; Fris. dok, a small bundle, bunch; comp. also W. toc, anything short, tociaw, to curtail.

Dock D. dok, G. docke, Sw. docka, a dock, Flem. docke, a kind of cage; perhaps from L. doga, a kind of vessel; from Gr. doche, receptacle, from dechomai, to receive.

Dodder Dan. dodder, Sw. dodra, G. dotter, of unknown derivation. - The name of certain slender, twining leafless pink or white parasitic plants.

Doe A. Sax. dá, Dan. daa.

Dog A. Sax. dogga (very rare), a dog; same as D. dog, Dan. doggr, Sw. dogg, a large kind of dog. Hound (A. Sax. hund) was originally and long the common English word for Dog.

Dollar D. Dan. and Sw. daler, from G. thaler, from thal, a dale because first coined in Joachim's-Thal in Bohemia, in 1518.

Doom A. Sax. dóm = O. Sax., O. Fris. dom, Goth. doms, Icel. dómr, the same word as the suffix -dom in kingdom, &c. and derived probably from verb to do, Akin deem.

Door A.. Sax. dór, dúru = O. Sax. dur, dor, Icel. dyr, Goth. daur, G. thür, L. fores, Gr. thura, Ir. dorus, Skr. dvâra, door.

Dot A. Sax. dott, a spot or speck (whence Sc. dottle, a small lump) : comp. L.G. dutte, a plug, a stopper; D. dot a small bundle.

Dough A. Sax. dág, dáh = D. deeg, Icel. and Dan. deig, Goth. daigs, G. teig, dough; akin Goth. deigan, to mould, to form.

Doughty A. Sax. dohtig, dyhtig, from dugan (Sc. dow) to be able; Dan. dygtig, G. tuchtig, able, fit.

Dove A. Sax. dúfa, dúfe, from dúfan, to dive, to dip, probably from its habit of ducking the head, or from its manner of flight; D. duif, Dan, due, Sc. doo, G. taube.

Down A. Sax. dún, a hill; L.G. dünen, Fris. dunen, D. duin, a dune; O.H.G. dûn, dûna, promontory, Sw. dial. dun, a hill; also W., Ir., and Gael. dun, a hill, hillock.

Down A. Sax. adúne, adown, for of-dúne, off or down the hill. Down, a hill.

Down Same word as Icel. dún, Dan. duun, G. daune, down.

Doze Akin to Dan. döse, to doze; dös drowsiness; G. döseln, doseln, to doze; Prov. G. dosen, to slumber; allied to dizzy and to daze.

Draff Icel. draf, D. draf, also drab, Dan. drav, dregs, hog's-wash; allied to drab, a slut.

Drag A. Sax. dragan, to drag, to draw; Icel. draga, to drag, to carry; Goth. dragan, to draw, to carry; D. dragen, G. tragen, to carry, to bear. Draw is another form of the same word, draggle, is a dim., and drawl, dray, dredge, are akin.

Drain Probably from A. Sax. drehnigean, to strain, and allied to drag.

Drake Contr. from a form enedrice, endrake (Icel. andrika, O.H.G. antrecho, antricho), a hypothetical masculine of A. Sax. ened, a duck, the termination ric, being the same as that in bishopric, and akin to Goth. reiks, ruling, G. reich, empire. Ened is cog. with L. anas, anatis, a duck.

Dray A. Sax. dræge, from dragan. Drag, Draw.

Dread A. Sax. draedan, on-drae-dan, to fear.

Dream A. Sax. dreám, joy, melody; O. Fris. drâm, D. droom, G. traum, O. Sax. drôm, dream.

Dreary A. Sax. dreórig, bloody, sad, sorrowful, dreór, blood, from dreósan (Goth. driusan), to fall, with common conversion of s into r; akin to G. traugrig, sad, trauern, to mourn.

Dregs Icel. dregg, Sw. drägg, dregs, lees; probably connected with drag, drain - the dregs being what remains after the liquor is drained off.

Drench A. Sax. drencan, drencean, to give to drink, to drench, from drincan, to drink.

Drift From drive; A. Sax. drífan = Icel. drift, a snow-drift; Dan. drift, impulse, drove; D. drift, drove, course. Drive, and comp. rive, rift; shrive, shrift; thrive, thrift.

Drink A. Sax. drincan = D. drinken, Icel. drekka, G. trinken, Goth. drighan, to drink. Hence drench and drown.

Drip A. Sax. drypan, to drip, to drop = Dan. dryppe, Icel. drjùpa, D. druipen, G. triefen. Akin drop.

Drive A. Sax. drifan = Goth. dreiban, D. drijven, Dan. drive, G. treiben, to drive, to urge or carry on. Drift and drove are derivatives.

Drizzle A dim. from A. Sax. dreósan, Goth. driusan, to fall; like Prov. G. drieseln, to drizzle.

Drone A. Sax. drán, the drone bee; L.G. and Dan. drone, Sw. dron, drönje, G. drohne, from the sound it makes; comp. humble-bee, G. hummel , and the verb hum.

Drop A. Sax. dropa, O. Sax. dropo, Icel. dropi, D. drop. G. tropfe, a drop; akin dribble, drip, droop.

Dross A. Sax. dros, drosn, from dreósan, to fall; D. droes, Icel. tros, rubbish; Sc. drush, dregs; Dan. drysse, to fall.

Drought Contr. from A. Sax. drugath, drugoth, from drige, dryge, dry; like D. droogte, from droog, dry.

Drove A. Sax. dráf, from drífan, to drive.

Drown A. Sax. druncnian, to sink in water, to be dunk, from druncen, pp. of drincan, to drink; Dan. drukne, to drown.

Drowse A. Sax. drúsan, drúsian, to be slow, to languish; allied to dreósan, to fall, to droop; D. droosen, to doze, to slumber.

Drub Prov. E. drab; akin to Icel. and Sw. drabba, to beat; G. treffen, to hit.

Drum Probably, like drone, a word of imitative origin; Dan. tromme, G. trommel, a drum, Dan. drum, a booming sound; Goth. drunjus, a sound.

Dry A. Sax. dryge, drige, drie (D. droog, G. trocken), dry, whence dryan, drigan, to dry. Drought and drug are derivatives.

Dub A. Sax. dubban, to strike, to dub knight; Icel. dubba, to dub.

Duck Same word as D. doek, Sw. duk, G. tuch, cloth.

Duck Same word as Dan. dukke, G. docke, a baby or puppet; or the name of the bird used as a term of endearment.

Duck Akin to D. duiken, to bend the head, duck, dive, Dan. dukke, to dive, G. tauchen, to dip, to dive.

Dull A. Sax. dol, dwol, erring, dull, from dwelan, to be torpid or dull; akin Goth. dvals, foolish; Icel. dul, foolishness; D. dol, L.G. dull, G. toll, mad.

Dumb A. Sax. dumb = Goth. dumbs, Dan. dum, G. dumm, dumb, stupid; allied to dim, and perhaps Goth. daubs, deaf.

Dun A. Sax. dunn, perhaps from W. dwn, Gael. donn, dun.

Dune A. Sax. dún.

Dung A. Sax. dung, G. dung. Sw. dynga; connected with verb to ding.

Dusk Probably akin to Sw. dusk, dull weather; Icel. doska, to dawdle; L.G. dusken, to slumber, perhaps also to dose.

Dust A. Sax. dust, dust; same word as Icel. and L.D. dust, D. duist, dust; akin to G. dunst, vapour.

Dutch G. deutsch, German, Germanic, pertaining to the Germanic or Teutonic race; O.H.G. diutisc, from diot, A. Sax. theod, Goth. thiuda, people. The word has latterly been narrowed from its original meaning. The term Low Dutch means Dutch or Low German (Plattdeutsch), as opposed to High Dutch (Hochdeutsch), or German proper.

Dwale A. Sax. dwala, dwola, error, from dwelian, to err, to be torpid or dull.

Dwarf A. Sax. dwerg, dweorg, D. dwerg, Sw. dwerg, dwerf, L.G. dwarf, a dwarf.

Dwell From A. Sax. dwellan, to deceive, prevent, hinder; Icel. dvelja, to hinder, to delay; Dan. dvæle, to loiter, delay, dwell; akin dull.

Dwindle Freq. from O.E. and Sc. dwine; A. Sax. dwínan, to pine, waste away = D. dwijnen, Icel. dvína, Dan. tvine, to pine.

Dye A. Sax. deâgan, dedgian, from deâg, dye, colour, perhaps akin to dew.