dec

Everyday

1. Short for December, the twelfth and last month of the year (Dec). tree →
2. (maths) Short for decimal (as in «2 dec. places»). tree →
3. Short for decrease, or for decreased/deceased in lists and records (dec. = deceased in family records). tree →
4. A fragment of longer words beginning dec-, such as decide or decorate. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life: calendars and forms write months short (Dec). In maths and science: «round to 2 d.p.» or «2 dec. places». In records: «dec.» next to a name means the person has died. It is not a word on its own in speech.

Examples

• Write Dec as short for December. tree →
• Round your answer to 2 dec. places. tree →
• The bill said «Dec» at the top. tree →
• In the family tree, «dec.» means deceased. tree →
• The graph label «dec» meant decrease. tree →
• Christmas falls in Dec. tree →

Note

Not a full word; say the full word aloud. Capital D for the month (Dec), usually lower case for maths (dp or dec. pl.). Check the context to know which word is meant.