Confusing Words Clarified: Group D; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, etc. +(lists of "D" sections that are organized into what for some people are confusing groups of words)The day-to-day arena of spoken and written communication has always been a perilous place, fraught with endless possibilities for embarrassing blunders by even the most wary. People may have a fine grasp of grammar, be proficient with spelling and syntax, and still occasionally find themselves in a quandary about which word to use. These days it seems that those of us who want to be precise are having a harder time than ever because there is so much which is working against us. For one thing, there is the constant bombardment of sloppy English that we are subjected to from what we hear and read; and not just what's overheard on the bus or read on the walls of buildings.
We are also subjected to the many errors audible on TV or radio and published in every conceivable kind of printed matter; especially, in blogs and other presentations on some internet sites. These are strong influences, and if we hear and see a word misused often enough, it takes on a certain "correctness". If you have any problems understanding the pronunciation symbols, go to this Pronunciation Chart for clarifications.Once again, we want you to know that efforts have been made to help you grasp the meanings of the following and the other word groups that may be confusing so you can utilize them with greater accuracy in your communication. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome by writing to: E-mail Contact (just click it for an e-mail form) or by typing, words@wordinfo.info, as the address in your e-mail heading. dope, dupe
dope (DOHP)
1. Any drug or narcotic: "The slick looking man on the street corner looked like he was selling dope."
2. Slang for someone who is not considered to be very intelligent: "When I lost the spelling bee, I felt like a complete dope." dupe (DOOP, DYOOP)
1. To deceive by trickery; to fool or to cheat: "The man in the hotel tried to dupe my friend into paying a high price for a cheap watch."
2. A person who is easily deceived or tricked: "He was an unwitting dupe in the scheme to dupe the woman out of $500." douse, dowse
douse (DOUS)
1. To wet thoroughly; to drench: "I will douse my hair with warm water before I shampoo it."
2. To put out (a light or fire); to extinguish: "Don't forget to douse your campfire before leaving the camp ground." dowse (DOUZ)
To use a divining rod to search for underground water or minerals: "He used a willow branch to dowse for water on the farmer's land."
dove, dove
dove (DUV)
A small wild bird that is related to pigeons: "There was a dove eating seeds in our back yard."
dove (DOHV)
1. The past tense of dive or having jumped into water with the arms and head having gone in first: "She dove into the swimming pool from the diving board."
2. To go underwater or to go down to a deeper level underwater: "The whale dove down deeper in to the ocean." 3. To suddenly jump toward something that is on or near the ground: "He dove for cover or to a safer more protected place." After hearing the wild cat creeping up through the dry leaves, the dove dove into the bushes. down, down, down, down, down
down (DOUN), adverbs
1. From a higher to a lower place or position: "The hill slopes down to the river which made it easier for us to hike down into the village."
2. In a low position or place: "Make sure you keep your head down as we go down into the cellar." 3. On or to the ground: "Our neighbor's house burned down." down (DOUN), adjectives
In a low place or position; on the ground or floor: "The window shades are down and a pile of dirty clothes are down on the floor, too."
down (DOUN), prepositions
From a higher to a lower part of something: "You could see sweat dropping down her neck as she ran down the hill."
down (DOUN), nouns
1. Fine, soft, fluffy feathers forming the first plumage of a young bird and underlying the contour feathers in certain adult birds: "She still had a pillow filled with goose down."
2. A covering of soft, short hairs, as on some leaves, fruit, insects, and some animal fur: "Ants have down, there are leaves with down, peaches have down, and there are humans with soft down on their faces; as well as some animals which have soft-fur down." down (DOUN), verbs
Something that is caused to fall to the ground: "Electrical storms can down aircraft and strong storms often down power lines."
draft, draught
draft (DRAFT)
1. An earlier type of something; such as, a document, that is made before it is completed in a final version: "She just completed a rough draft of her article which needs a lot of editing and rewriting."
2. Cool air moving in a closed space; such as, in a room: "It would be a good idea if the windows were closed so we can stop the draft." draught (DRAFT); chiefly a British variant of draft.
1. An act of drinking something or the amount swallowed at one time: "He took a big draught of beer."
2. In Britain, draughts (DRAFTS) is the name for a game of checkers: "He took a draught of beer while he was playing a game of draughts in the pub." draw, draw
draw (DRAW), as a verb
1. To make a picture, image, etc. by making lines on a surface usually with a pencil, pen, marker, chalk, etc.; but normally not with paint: "The children were trying to draw an illustration of their feelings about the accident which they witnessed."
2. To choose something from a group without knowing which one is being chosen: "She was about to draw the slip from the container indicating what the prize would be for the winner." 3. To cause someone to become involved or interested in something or someone: "A good writer knows how to draw readers in by making them them interested in the contents of the material." draw (DRAW), as a noun
1. Someone or something that causes people to go somewhere and to participate in certain activities: "The festival is always a big draw and that band is the main draw at the celebration."
2. The choice of someone for a prize: "There will be a draw for the winner of the money in a few minutes." dress, dress
dress, a verb (DRES)
To put clothes on; to clothe oneself or another person: "The children had to dress so they could get to school."
dress, a noun (DRES)
An outer garment for women or girls: "Her daughter wore a beautiful dress to the school prom."
You don't have to see her dress in order to see her dress. drill, drill
drill, a noun (DRIL)
1. An implement with cutting edges or a pointed end for boring holes in hard materials, usually by a rotating abrasion or repeated blows; a bit: "The carpenter used an electric drill to make holes in the wood so he could insert bolts to hold the structure together."
2. An exercise done to practice military skills or procedures: "During basic training, the recruits spent hours every day doing drills led by a drill sergeant." 3. A physical or mental activity that is done repeatedly in order to learn something, to become more skillful, etc.: "Her students will do a vocabulary drill every Monday and Wednesday to prepare them for the tests that will be given on the following Fridays." drill, a verb (DRIL)
1. To make a hole in something with a drill: "He had to drill a hole in the back of the cabinet and place a bolt in it so it wouldn't fall apart."
2. To teach or to train people by repeating a lesson or exercise again and again: "The teachers wanted to drill the children on their multiplication tables at least three times a week." "The commander gave orders to drill the troops by having them practice the specified military procedures and exercises until they got them right." We can all benefit by drilling or exercising our minds without drilling holes in our heads. droop, drupe
droop (DROOP)
To sink or to hang in a downward manner: "You can always tell when he is sad because his shoulders will droop."
drupe (DROOP)
A fruit or nut which has a single seed in the center and is surrounded either by a soft flesh (cherry) or by a hard flesh (almond shell): "When the drupe are ripe on the trees, it is always a contest of whether I will get to pick the cherries or if the birds will get them first."
dual, duel
dual (DOO uhl, DYOO uhl)
Twofold, double: "An umbrella has a dual purpose which is to protect me from the rain or to shade me from the sun."
duel (DOO uhl, DYOO uhl)
A combat between two people; to fight: "In the 19th century, pistols were often used in a duel to settle arguments."
Someone said he just saw a double sword fight, or a dual duel, yesterday in the gymnasium. ducked, duct
ducked (DUK't)
To lower the head or body quickly; especially, so as to avoid something; to dodge or to evade: "The people ducked so they wouldn't hit their heads on the lower than normal door frames."
duct (DUKT)
1. A tubular passage through which a substance; especially, a fluid, is conveyed: "The roofer installed a new rain duct along the edge of the roof."
2. A bodily passage, particularly one for secretion: "The duct from the kidney was blocked and it was very painful for the patient." dudgeon, dungeon
dudgeon (DUJ uhn)
A sullen, angry, or indignant humor: "She walked out of the meeting in high dudgeon."
dungeon (DUN juhn)
A dark, often underground chamber or cell used to confine prisoners: "The king threw the rebels into the dungeon located below the castle."
dump, dump
dump (DUMP)
As a verb, to empty (material) out of a container or vehicle: "We were able to dump the trash in a place specified by the city."
dump (DUMP)
As a noun, a place where waste, or trash, is taken and left: "We always take our trash to the town dump every Saturday."
dwarf, elf, gnome
dwarf (DWORF)
An individual of unusually small stature whose features are often out of proportion to the rest of the body: "The dwarf was a fine actor and appeared in many films."
elf (ELF)
A small, lively, often mischievous imaginary creature: "When we were young, we hoped that an elf would come and polish our shoes at night."
gnome (NOHM)
In folklore, a diminutive and often misshapen individual traditionally thought to guard underground hidden treasures: "A gnome looks like a little man and is often shown wearing a pointed hat."
dyeing, dying
dyeing (DIGH ing)
The act of coloring with a special solution: "My sister was dyeing her hair with a new color."
"Some people think women have been dyeing their hair for centuries." dying (DIGH ing)
About to pass on or the drawing to a close of one's life: "His mother was dying from pneumonia."
"Many people are dying from curable diseases for lack of medical attention."
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