D Archives | Page 22 of 32

Deplane or disembark

To deplane is to get off of an airplane. It is a verb that is conjugated through all the tenses. It was coined in the 1920s and is an odd usage of the prefix de-. While it is used in some words to mean removal, such as dehumidify, in deplane it is not the plane that is being removed, but the person from the aircraft. Deplane is more commonly used inside the United States. A synonym for deplane is disembark, which means to get off of an aircraft or ship. But disembark also carries …

Diagram

by Grammarist

A diagram is an illustration that describes or explains. It is not simply a picture, but it carries instructions or conveys information about something. It is commonly used in science and mathematics. In British English, diagram may also mean a railway schedule. There are three adjective forms: diagrammable, diagrammatic, and diagrammatical. The middle form is the most common. Also, the adverb is diagrammatically. It can also be a verb. To diagram something is to teach a concept by drawing it out in a diagram. The past and progressive tenses may be spelled …

Dreidel or dreidl

by Grammarist

A dreidel is a spinning top that has four sides. On each side is written a Hebrew character. It is used to play the game dreidel during the Hebrew holiday of Hanukkah. Because the name is a translation from the Yiddish dreydl, the spelling is either dreidel or dreidl, which more closely matches the original. The common origin of the game is something that was played as Jews were hiding in caves from enemy soldiers. So that if they were found, they would be playing a simple game …

Donner or Donder

by Grammarist

The names of Santa’s eight (or nine) reindeer have been immortalized in song: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen. However, in the original version of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, which was titled A Visit from St. Nicholas, the last two reindeer were named Dunder and Blixem. The poem was published anonymously in a newspaper in 1823. The author, about which there is some debate, took bits and pieces from different mythologies about St. Nicholas and Santa Claus and …

Demagogue vs demigod

by Grammarist

A demagogue (pronounced \ˈde-mə-ˌgäg\ or dem ah gog) is a leader, usually political, who makes false promises and gains his or her popularity through feelings rather than logic. It may also be spelled demagog. Thought the vast preference is for the longer spelling. So much so that we could not find an acceptable example of the shorter spelling. The actions of a demagogue can be termed demagoguery or demagogy, both of which have multiple accepted pronunciations. It can also be a verb for a person who acts like …

Dietician vs. Dietitian – Meaning & Correct Spelling

by Danielle McLeod

The American language is full of words with more than one spelling, causing confusion (and occasionally irritation) when a less acceptable spelling is used. Dietician and dietitian are the perfect examples of spelling variations that create some annoyance in the professional nutrition field of study, so using the most acceptable spelling is essential. Let’s look at the variation of these spellings, so you understand the origin, meaning, use, and which spelling is the most appropriate. What’s the Difference Between Dietician …

Debark or disembark

by Grammarist

To debark is to disembark, which is to get off of an airplane or ship or other mode of transportation. Both can also be the act of removing someone or something from the same vessels. Both have noun forms of debarkation and disembarkation, which refer to the location the person debarked at. Additionally, one can debark a tree, or remove the bark from a tree. One would then be a debarker. Examples Four Smith County Jail trusties, equipped with chainsaws and straight-draw shave tools, which are used to debark felled …

Long in the tooth

by Grammarist

To be long in the tooth is to be old, either in age or simply out of date. This phrase originated with horses, whose teeth continue to grow and be worn down throughout their life, so that by looking at their teeth one can guess at the horses’ age. It is commonly used in the financial and technological worlds where items can be dated very quickly. A related phrase is don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, which means if someone is …

Diktat

by Grammarist

In the dictionary, a diktat is defined as an order that is harsh and unilaterally imposed on a people without their permission. It is usually used with the connotation of being issued to a defeated country or people. A dictate is simply a command or order, without the necessity of being harsh. The most common place to hear or read the word diktat is India, where it is used for orders which come from military or faith leaders. It still carries its pejorative connotation. …

Whirling dervish

by Grammarist

A dervish is a Muslim of particular religious order. They are known for their worship rituals which require the dervish to spin very fast causing his clothing to fan out in a circle. The men wear large circular skirts to capitalize on this effect. To call something a whirling dervish is to say that object or person resembles a spinning top or is wild in its movement. An object can also just be a dervish. The term twirling dervish is technically correct, as a dervish could be …

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