dropper
A branch vein which drops off from, or leaves, the main lode.
Entries starting with D
483 entries.
dropping point
The temperature at which a grease passes from a semi-solid to a liquid state under specific test conditions.
drugged driving
nounAutomotive
The act of driving under the influence of mind-altering drugs (excluding alcohol).
drunk driving
nounAutomotive
The act of driving under the influence of alcohol.
drunken trees
(A stand of) trees displaced from their normal vertical alignment, especially due to thermokarst.
dry
adjectiveConstruction
Built without or lacking mortar.
dry blower
A machine that uses an air blower to blow away light fines to concentrate heavy fines and larger bits, from pay dirt. This concentrate can then go through further refinement.
dry heater
A torpedo engine powered by the burning of fuel with compressed air or oxygen, which does not inject water into the combustion chamber for engine cooling and extra power.
dry off
To cease milking a cow in preparation for calving.
dry sump
nounAutomotive
A type of engine sump where oil that flows down from the crankshaft, etc. is collected into an external reservoir.
dry well
nounConstruction
An underground structure (for example, a pit filled with gravel) that disposes of unwanted water (most commonly surface runoff and stormwater and in some cases greywater) by holding it and dissipating it into the groundwater.
drying time
nounConstruction
The time required for the loss of volatile components so that the material will no longer be adversely affected by weather conditions such as dew, rain or freezing.
DSC
Initialism of digital selective call, a feature that allows a VHF radio to call another VHF selectively (as opposed to a call that is repeated by all receivers that are on within the range of the caller).
DSL
Initialism of digital subscriber line.
DSN
Initialism of Deep Space Network.
DSP
Initialism of digital signal processing.
DTC
nounAutomotive
Initialism of diagnostic trouble code.
DTM
phraseTextile production
Initialism of dye(d) to match.
dtr
nounManufacturing
Abbreviation of double treble crochet.
dual-voltage
adjectiveRail equipment
Able to run using two different voltages, depending on the voltage supplied to the particular railway line, whether by third rail direct current or overhead wires.
dualize
To transform into a dual carriageway.
dually
nounAutomotive
A pickup truck with four wheels on the rear axle.
duckbill
A device used to force padlocks.
duckfoot
A relatively small, shallow share used in tillage, shaped like a duck's foot.
duckhead
Part of a tyre-changing device, designed to fit around the rim of the wheel so as to mount and demount the tyre.
duco
To paint with automotive paint.
ductile fracture
type of fracture with plastic deformation and ductile rupture
ductor
A device, usually in the form of an oscillating roller, for transferring ink from a source to the ink train rollers in a controlled manner.
Dudley
A miner's container for water for drinking.
dumpy level
nounSurveying
A level having a short telescope, usually an inverting one, rigidly fixed to a table capable only of rotatory movement in a horizontal plane.
dune buggy
nounAutomotive
A recreational vehicle with large tires, designed for use on beaches and sand dunes.
duobinary
adjectiveElectrical engineering
Being, or pertaining to, a bipolar encoding in which the ones are represented alternately by positive and negative voltages.
duodecimo
A size of paper, so called because it is originally made by folding and cutting a single sheet from a printing press into 12 leaves; (5 by 7¾ inches): 6.5 to 7.5 inches high, approximately 4.5 inches wide.
duplet
An empty box placed above the existing boxes of the beehive in order to allow the colony to expand or store additional honey.
duplex
adjectiveMetallurgy
Double; made up of two parts.
duplexer
A accessory of some printers that automatically flips pages to print on both sides.
duralumin
nounMetallurgy
An alloy of over 90% aluminium, 4% copper and traces of manganese, magnesium, iron and silicon, widely used in the aircraft industry.
dust jacket
The detachable paper cover of a book; used to protect the binding, and to provide a blurb.
duster
nounPaper and pulp
A revolving wire-cloth cylinder which removes the dust from rags, etc.
DUT
Initialism of device under test.
Dutch corner
nounConstruction
Laying bricks with a three-quarter brick closure at the corner.
Dutch oven
nounRail equipment
A protective cover for electrical contacts on a railway coupler, particularly but not exclusively used on the London Underground.
dutchman
nounCarpentry
A piece of wood or stone used to repair a larger piece, shaped such that it fills as exactly as possible a void or cavity that is to be repaired.
duty cycle
The ratio between the amount of time in which the clock's signal is high and the clock's period.
Duvetyn
nameManufacturing
A dense twill or sateen-woven fabric characterized by a velvetlike nap on one side and a matte finish with high opacity.
DVCS
Initialism of direct view camera system.
DVD drive
An optical drive used for reading data from and possibly writing data on a DVD.
DVT
nounRail equipment
Initialism of driving van trailer.
dwang
nounCarpentry
A horizontal timber (or steel) section used in the construction of a building.
DWD
Initialism of down woody debris.
dwell
A planned delay in a timed control program.
dwell time
The length of time that a thing or person remains in a given state.
DWM
Initialism of down woody material.
DWV
nounPlumbing
Initialism of drain-waste-vent.
dyeline
A system of printing using diazo dyes.
dyke
A fissure in a rock stratum filled with intrusive rock; a fault.
dynamic braking
nounRail equipment
Braking by the use of an electric traction motor as a generator when slowing a vehicle such as an electric or diesel-electric locomotive.
dynamic headroom
The ability of an amplifier to handle strong signals (or loud sounds) free from distortion.
dynamic ignition timing
nounAutomotive
A computational process that calculates the optimal ignition timing for an engine.
dynamic IP address
An IP address which changes periodically, when each time a user connects to their internet service provider.