Word list — D
Verdict: restricted
You can use dash for the character, but name the specific hyphen, minus, en dash, or em dash when the distinction matters.
Verdict: style
Use data as a singular mass noun.
data center
Section titled “data center”Verdict: style
Write data center as two words.
- Alternatives: datacenter
data flow
Section titled “data flow”Verdict: acceptable
Both forms are acceptable.
- Alternatives: dataflow
data source
Section titled “data source”Verdict: style
Write data source as two words.
- Alternatives: datasource
data type
Section titled “data type”Verdict: style
Write data type as two words.
datastore
Section titled “datastore”Verdict: style
Use datastore.
- Alternatives: data store
deep linking
Section titled “deep linking”Verdict: style
Write deep linking as two words.
deficient
Section titled “deficient”Verdict: restricted
Don’t use to refer to a person.
deformed
Section titled “deformed”Verdict: restricted
Don’t use to refer to a person.
demilitarized zone (DMZ)
Section titled “demilitarized zone (DMZ)”Verdict: avoid
Use perimeter network instead.
- Replacements: perimeter network
denigrate
Section titled “denigrate”Verdict: avoid
Use disparage instead.
- Replacements: disparage
denylist
Section titled “denylist”Verdict: prefer
Use denylist as a noun in place of blacklist. Don’t use it as a verb. Instead, rewrite it as blocked or added to the denylist.
- Alternatives: denylisted, denylisting
deprecate
Section titled “deprecate”Verdict: acceptable
Use deprecate for marking something for eventual removal.
deselect
Section titled “deselect”Verdict: restricted
Use clear for checkboxes. You can use deselect for other UI elements.
- Replacements: clear
desire
Section titled “desire”Verdict: avoid
Use want or need instead.
- Alternatives: desired
- Replacements: want, need
DevOps
Section titled “DevOps”Verdict: style
Use DevOps.
dialog
Section titled “dialog”Verdict: style
Use dialog, not dialogue, for the UI window.
directory
Section titled “directory”Verdict: acceptable
Use whichever term matches the interface label.
- Alternatives: folder
disable
Section titled “disable”Verdict: restricted
When possible, name the specific action, such as turning a setting off.
display
Section titled “display”Verdict: restricted · Form: verb
Use only as a transitive verb with an object, such as the console displays an error.
distributed denial-of-service (DDoS)
Section titled “distributed denial-of-service (DDoS)”Verdict: style
Spell out the full phrase on first use and pair it with the DDoS abbreviation, then use the abbreviation.
documentation set
Section titled “documentation set”Verdict: style
Use as two words for a collection of docs that ship together.
double-tap
Section titled “double-tap”Verdict: style
Always hyphenate double-tap.
- Alternatives: double tap
drop-down
Section titled “drop-down”Verdict: style
Name the control, such as drop-down list or drop-down menu.
- Replacements: drop-down list, drop-down menu