“That’s why I love pepper,” said Uri, finishing his desultory speech extolling the
merits of salt. “De salt, Uri!” yelled his debate teacher.
deter
to prevent or discourage from happening
Nothing could deter Mike Trout from hitting a home run for the Angels.
devoid
completely lacking; void; empty; without
Avoid diving into swimming pools that are devoid of water; you could hurt
yourself and that would suck.
dexterous
adroit or skillful in the use of hands or body
Houdini was dexterous; he could escape from a straitjacket.
Are you remembering to do the mnemonic thing? Picture yourself watching nine
acrobats wearing banners across their chests that say dexterous. Each contorts
into the shape of a letter to spell out the word dexterous. They are all named
Dexter, except for one, who is named Poindexter. You lean over to your friend
and say, “Wow, are they dexterous! I’ve never seen anyone so dexterous. I love
dexterous people!” Then she looks at you like you’re an idiot.
discern
to detect by the use of the senses
The watchman dis-earned his pay by not discerning the thieves.
discord
lack of harmony
“I won’t use dis chord ’cause it would create discord,” said Mozart.
disparage
to belittle; to reduce in esteem
“Dis porridge is too hot,” Goldilocks disparaged.
disseminate
to dispense objects, such as seeds, newspapers; to distribute