demographic(DEM uh GRA fik) n. a vital statistic of human population, such
as age, income, sex, and so on, used mainly for marketing research
- Demographicsare a major concern to businesses.
- Before McDonald’s picks a location for a restaurant, they need to know
that the demographicsare such that there are many young couples with
children that have enough money to eat out a couple times a week.
denigrate(DEN ig RAYT) vt. 1. to blacken; 2. to defame; to disparage the char-
acter of - During an election campaign, it has become customary for one candidate
to attempt to denigratethe other’s reputation. - Negative advertising consists of denigratingone’s competitor’s product.
[-d, denigrating] [Syn. defame, disparage]
derelict(DER il ikt) adj.1. deserted by the owner; forsaken; abandoned;
- remiss in performance of duty; neglectful of duty; negligent —n. 1. an aban-
doned property; 2. a destitute person with no home or job
- The derelictboat bobbed up and down in the waves, just waiting to be
swamped. - The reason the burglars gained access was because the gate guard was
derelictin his duty. - The derelictbuilding was an eyesore and a haven for a swarm of rats.
- It is not unusual to see a derelictsleeping in a cardboard hovel by the side
of a building on the Bowery.
[-ion n.] [Syn. remiss, negligent]
desiccant(DES ik int) adj. drying —n. a substance that attracts water and is
packed with some goods to prevent water from damaging them - Silica gel is a desiccantoften packaged with pills in a plastic, ventilated tube
so that water doesn’t damage the pills. - Desiccantsare sometimes packed with clothing or paper goods in little
cloth bags.
[Syn. dryer]
desiccate(DES ik ayt) vt. 1. to completely dry; 2. to preserve food by freeze-
drying, or just drying it - Cranberries are completely washed and then dessicatedbefore they are
packaged for shipping. - Coffee dessicatedby freeze-drying is as popular as the brewed type in most
homes in the United States.
[-d, desiccating]
desultory(dis UHL ter ee) adj. 1. lacking connection; aimless; random; 2. lack-
ing in relevance - The professor’s lecture seemed desultory,having no connection to anything
the class was studying. - When Francine went to get her blood drawn for the test, the nurse’s asking
her to step on the scale seemed to be desultory.
[Syn. random]
D: GRE Words 269