■ noun
1》 a shallow, flat-bottomed container for cooking or serving food.
↘( the ~es ) all the items used in the preparation, serving, and eating of a meal.
↘a shallow, concave receptacle: a soap ~.
↘(also ~ aerial ) a bowl-shaped radio aerial.
2》 a particular variety or preparation of food served as part of a meal.
3》 informal a sexually attractive person.
4》 ( the ~ ) informal information which is not generally known or available.
5》 concavity of a spoked wheel resulting from a difference in spoke tension.
■ verb
1》 ( ~ something out/up ) put food on to a plate or plates before a meal.
↘( ~ something out ) dispense something in a casual or indiscriminate way.
2》 informal, chiefly Brit. utterly destroy or defeat.
3》 N. Amer. informal gossip.
4》 [usu. as adjective ~ed ] make slightly concave.
Phrases
~ the dirt informal reveal scandal or gossip.
Derivatives
~ful noun ( plural ~fuls ).
Origin
OE disc 'plate, bowl', based on L. discus (see discus ).