De- is added to a verb in order to change the meaning of the verb to its opposite.
...becoming desensitized to the harmful consequences of violence.
...how to decontaminate industrial waste sites.
2. prefix
De- is added to a noun in order to make it a verb referring to the removal of the thing described by the noun.
I've defrosted the freezer.
The fires are likely to permanently deforest the land.
de in British English1
or De, before a voweld' or D' (də)
of; from: occurring as part of some personal names and originally indicating place of origin
Simon de Montfort
D'Arcy
de la Mare
Word origin
from Latin dē; see de-
de in British English2
the internet domain name for
Germany
DE in British English
abbreviation for
1.
(formerly in Britain) Department of Employment
2.
Delaware
de- in British English
prefix forming verbs and verbalderivatives
1.
removal of or from something specified
deforest
dethrone
2.
reversal of something
decode
decompose
desegregate
3.
departure from
decamp
Word origin
from Latin, from dē (prep) from, away from, out of, etc. In compound words of Latin origin, de- also means away, away from (decease); down (degrade); reversal (detect); removal (defoliate); and is used intensively (devote) and pejoratively (detest)
DE in American English
1. American Football
defensive end
: sometimes written de
2.
Delaware
de in American English
(də; di)
preposition
of or from
used in French or Spanish family names, originally indicating place of origin: also,esp. in French names, De
Word origin
Fr < L de: see de-
de- in American English
(di; dɪ; də)
1.
away from, off
debar, derail
2.
down
degrade, decline
3.
wholly, entirely
defunct
4.
reverse the action of; undo
defrost, decode
Word origin
L, a prefix signifying separation, cessation, intensification, or contraction; also< Fr dé- (< L de) or OFr des- (< L dis-): see di-1
Examples of 'de' in a sentence
de
Wednesday, 19th July 1944, Monserrate Gardens, Serra de Sintra, near Lisbon.