Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary 1908/Distune Dragoon

Distune, dis-tūn′, v.t. to put out of tune.

Disturb, dis-turb′, v.t. to throw into confusion: to agitate: to disquiet: to interrupt.—n. ', agitation: tumult: interruption: perplexity.—adj. and n. ', disturbing.—adjs. '; '.—n. . [O. Fr. distourber—L. disturbāre, dis, asunder, turbāre, to agitate—turba, a crowd.]

Distyle, dis′til, n. a portico with two columns. [Gr. distylos—di-, two, and stylos, column.]

Disulphate, dī-sul′fāt, n. a sulphate containing one atom of hydrogen replaceable by a base.—n. ', a sulphide containing two atoms of sulphur to the molecule—also '.—adj. , containing two sulphuric-acid radicals.

Disuniform, dis-ū′ni-form, adj. not uniform.—n. .

Disunion, dis-ūn′yun, n. want of union: breaking up of union or concord: separation.—n. , promoter of disunion.

Disunite, dis-ū-nīt′, v.t. to separate what is united: to sever or sunder.—v.i. to fall asunder: to part.—n. , state of disunion.

Disuse, dis-ūs′, or dis′ūs, n. cessation or giving up of use or custom.—v.t. to cease to use or practise.—n. Disusage  gradual cessation of use or custom.

Disvalue, dis-val′ū, v.t. (Shak.) to diminish in value, disparage.

Disvouch, dis-vowch′, v.t. (Shak.) to discredit, contradict.

Diswarren, dis-wor′en, v.t. to deprive of the character of a warren.

Disweapon, dis-wep′un, v.t. to disarm.

Disyllable. See Dissyllable.

Disyoke, dis-yōk′, v.t. (Tenn.) to free from the yoke.

Dit, dit, n. (Spens.) a ditty. [See Ditty.]

Dital, dit′al, n. a digital key for raising the pitch of a guitar a semitone. [It.,—L. digitus, a finger.]

Ditch, dich, n. a trench dug in the ground: any long narrow receptacle for water.—v.i. to make a ditch or ditches.—v.t. to dig a ditch in or around: to drain by ditches.—ns. ' (Shak.), a dead dog rotting in a ditch; ', a ditch-maker. [A corr. of dike.]

Dite, dīt, v.t. (Spens.). Same as Dight.

Ditetragonal, dī-tet-rag′o-nal, adj. twice tetragonal.

Ditetrahedral, dī-tet-ra-hē′dral, adj. twice tetrahedral.

Ditheism, dī′thē-izm, n. the doctrine of the existence of two supreme gods.—n. '.—adjs. ', . [Gr. di-, two, and theos, a god.]

Dithyramb, dith′i-ram, n. an ancient Greek hymn sung in honour of Bacchus: a short poem of a like character.—adj. , of or like a dithyramb: enthusiastic: wild and boisterous. [L.,—Gr. dithyrambos, a hymn in honour of Bacchus.]

Ditokous, dit′ō-kus, adj. producing two at a birth. [Gr. di-, two, tiktein, to bring forth.]

Ditone, dī′tōn, n. an interval containing two tones, a major third.

Ditrichotomous, dī-tri-kot′ō-mus, adj. divided into twos and threes.

Ditriglyph, dī-trī′glif, n. a space for two triglyphs in the entablature between columns.—adj. .

Ditrochee, dī-trō′kē, n. a trochaic dipody.—adj. .

Dittander, di-tan′dėr, n. pepperwort: dittany.

Dittany, dit′a-ni, n. a genus of aromatic perennial plants, formerly much used medicinally as a tonic. [O. Fr. dictame—L. dictamnus—Gr. diktamnos; prob. from Mt. Diktē in Crete.]

Dittay, dit′ā, n. (Scots law) an indictment, charge. [O. Fr. ditté—L. dictātum. Cf. Ditty, Dictate.]

Dittied, dit′id, adj. (Milt.) sung, as a ditty.

Ditto, dit′ō, contracted Do., n. that which has been said: the same thing.—adv. as before, or aforesaid: in like manner.—n.pl. , a suit of clothes of the same colour throughout. [It. ditto—L. dictum, said, pa.p. of dicĕre, to say.]

Dittography, di-tog′ra-fi, n. mechanical repetition of letters or words in copying a manuscript. [Gr. dittos, double, graphein, to write.]

Dittology, di-tol′o-ji, n. a double reading. [Gr. dittologia—dittos, double, graphein, to write.]

Ditty, dit′i, n. a song: a little poem to be sung. [O. Fr. ditie—L. dictātum, neut. of dictātus, perf. part. of dictāre, to dictate.]

Ditty-bag, dit′i-bag, n. a sailor's bag for needles, thread, &c.—Also .

Diuretic, dī-ū-ret′ik, adj. promoting the discharge of urine.—n. a medicine causing this discharge.—n. , the excessive discharge of urine. [Fr.,—Gr. diourētikos—dia, through, ouron, urine.]

Diurnal, dī-ur′nal, adj. daily: relating to or performed in a day.—n. a service-book containing the day hours, except matins (a night-office): a diary, journal.—n. ', a journalist.—adv. '. [L. diurnālis—dies, a day. See Journal.]

Diuturnal, dī-ū-tur′nal, adj. lasting long.—n. .

Div, dīv, n. an evil spirit of Persian mythology.

Diva, dī′va, n. a popular female singer: a prima-donna. [It.,—L. diva, fem. of divus, divine.]

Divagation, dī-va-gā′shun, n. a digression, deviation.—v.i. ', to wander about.—adv. '. [L. divagāri, to wander.]

Divan, di-van′, n. the Turkish council of state: a court of justice: used poetically of any council or assembly: a council-chamber with cushioned seats: a sofa: a smoking-room: a collection of poems. [Ar. and Pers. díwán, a long seat.]

Divaricate, dī-var′i-kāt, v.i. to part into two branches, to fork: to diverge.—v.t. to divide into two branches.—adj. widely divergent, spreading apart.—n. . [L. divaricāre, -ātum—dis, asunder, varicāre, to spread the legs—varus, bent apart.]

Dive, dīv, v.i. to dip or plunge into water: to go headlong into a recess, forest, &c.: to plunge or go deeply into any matter.—n. a plunge into water: a swoop.—n. , one who dives: a pearl-diver: one who works from a diving-bell or in a diving-dress beneath water: a bird expert at diving—specifically, the genus diver or loon of northern seas—loosely, auks, grebes, penguins, &c.: (slang) a pickpocket. [A.S. dýfan, dúfan; Ice. dýfa. See Dip.]

Divellent, dī-vel′ent, adj. drawing asunder.

Divellicate, dī-vel′i-kāt, v.t. to pull in pieces.

Diverge, di-vėrj′, v.i. to incline or turn apart: to tend from a common point in different directions: to vary from the standard.—ns. '; ', ', a tendency to recede from one point.—adj. '.—adv. . [L. dis, asunder, vergĕre, to incline.]

Divers, dī′vėrz, adj. sundry: several: more than one: (B.) same as Diverse. [See Divert.]

Diverse, dī′vėrs, or div-ėrs′, adj. different: unlike: multiform: various.—adv. ', or '.

Diversify, di-vėr′si-fī, v.t. to make diverse or different: to give variety to:—pr.p. pa.p. —adj. '.—n. '.—adj. , of diverse or various forms. [Fr.,—Low L. diversificāre—diversus, diverse, facĕre, to make.]

Diversion, di-vėr′shun, n. act of diverting or turning aside: that which diverts: amusement, recreation: something done to turn the attention of an enemy from the principal point of attack.

Diversity, di-vėr′si-ti, n. state of being diverse: difference: unlikeness: variety.

Divert, di-vėrt′, v.t. to turn aside: to change the direction of: to turn the mind from business or study: to amuse.—n. ' (obs.), diversion: (mus.) a ballet-interlude.—adj. '.—adv. '.—n. ', diversion: a short ballet between the acts of a play.—adj. , tending to divert. [Fr.,—L. divertĕre, diversum—dis, aside, vertĕre, to turn.]

Diverticle, di-ver′ti-kl, n. (anat.) a diverticulum, cæcum, or blind tubular process.—adjs. ', '.

Dives, dī′vēs (L. 'the rich man'), n. a name used as if a proper name for the rich man at whose gate Lazarus lay (Luke, xvi. 19): a rich and luxurious person.—n. , condition of being rich.

Divest, di-vest′, v.t. to strip or deprive of anything.—adj. '.—ns. ',  (rare). [L. devestīre—dis, neg., vestīre, to clothe—vestis, a garment.]

Divide, di-vīd′, v.t. to part asunder: to part among, to allot, &c.: to set at variance: to separate into two parts (as in voting).—v.i. to part or open: to break friendship: to vote by separating into two bodies.—n. (coll.) the act of dividing: (esp. in U.S.) a watershed.—adj. ' (rare), divisible: (Shak.) divided.—adv. '.—n. ', that which divides: a kind of compasses for dividing lines, &c.—adj. ', separating.—n. separation.—n. ', an instrument for graduating the scales of scientific apparatus.—adjs. ' (Milt.), shared in common with others; , special, accidental. [L. dividĕre, divisum—dis, asunder, root vid, to separate.]

Dividend, div′i-dend, n. that which is to be divided: the share of a sum divided that falls to each individual, by way of interest or otherwise.—Declare a dividend, to announce the sum per cent. a trading concern is prepared to pay its shareholders. [L. dividendum—dividĕre.]

Dividivi, div′i-div-i, n. the curved pods of the leguminous tree, Cæsalpinia coriaria, imported for tanning and dyeing. [Native name.]

Divine, di-vīn′, adj. belonging to or proceeding from God: devoted to God's service: holy: sacred: excellent in the highest degree.—n. one skilled in divine things: a minister of the gospel: a theologian.—v.t. to foresee or foretell as if divinely inspired: to guess or make out.—v.i. to profess or practise divination: to have forebodings.—ns. ', the act or practice of divining: instinctive prevision: prediction: conjecture; ', ', one who divines or professes divination: a conjecturer:—fem. '.—adjs. ', ', relating to divination, conjectural.—adv. '.—ns. '; ', a rod, usually of hazel, used by those professing to discover water or metals under ground.—vs.t. ', , to treat as divine. [Fr.,—L. divinus, from divus, deus, a god.]

Diving, dīv′ing, n. the action of the verb to dive.—adj. that dives.



Diving-bell, dīv′ing-bel, n. a hollow vessel or chamber, originally bell-shaped, open at the bottom and supplied with air by a tube from above, in which one may descend into and work under water.—n. , the water-tight costume of a diver, with special provision for receiving air, &c. [See Dive.]

Divinity, di-vin′i-ti, n. godhead: the nature or essence of God: God: a celestial being: any god: the science of divine things: theology.—Divinity Hall (Scot.), a theological college, or the theological department in a university. [See Divine.]

Division, di-vizh′un, n. act of dividing: state of being divided: that which divides: a partition: a barrier: the portion divided or separated: part of an army or military force: separation: difference in opinion, &c.: disunion: (arith.) the rule or process of finding how many times one number is contained in another.—n. '.—adj. ', capable of being divided or separated.—adv. '.—adjs. ', ', pertaining to or marking a division or separation; ', forming division or separation: creating discord.—ns. '; ' (arith.), the number which divides the dividend.

Divorce, di-vors′, n. the legal separation of husband and wife: the sentence by which a marriage is dissolved.—v.t. to separate: to sunder: to dissolve the marriage-contract of: to put away.—adj. '.—ns. ', a divorced person; ' (B.), divorce; '.—adj. , having power to divorce. [Fr.,—L. divortium—divortĕre, another form of divertĕre. See Divert.]

Divot, div′ot, n. (Scot.) a piece of turf.—Feal and divot (Scots law), a right of cutting sods and turfs for certain purposes. [Origin unknown.]

Divoto, dē-vō′tō, adj. (mus.) devout, solemn. [It.]

Divulge, di-vulj′, v.t. to spread abroad among the vulgar or the people: to make public: to reveal.—v.t. ', to publish.—n. '. [Fr.,—L. divulgāre—dis, among, vulgāre, vulgus, the common people. See Folk.]

Divulsion, di-vul′shun, n. act of pulling or rending asunder or away.—adj. , tending to pull asunder. [L. divulsion-em, divellĕre, divulsum—dis, asunder, vellĕre, vulsum, to pull.]

Dizain, di-zān′, n. a poem in ten stanzas. [Fr.,—dix, ten—L. decem, ten. Cf. Dozen.]

Dizen, dī′zn, or diz′n, v.t. to dress gaudily: (obs.) to dress: to deck. [From an Eng. form found also in Low Ger. diesse, the bunch of flax on the distaff.]

Dizzard, diz′ard, n. a blockhead.

Dizzy, diz′i, adj. giddy: confused: causing giddiness.—v.t. to make dizzy: to confuse.—adv. '.—n. ', giddiness.—p.adj. , making dizzy. [A.S. dysig, foolish, allied to dwaes, stupid; cf. Dan. dösig; drowsy; also Daze, Doze.]

Djereed. See Jereed.

Do, dōō, v.t. to perform any action: to bring about or effect: to accomplish or finish: to prepare: to put or bring into any form or state: to cheat, swindle.—v.i. to act or behave:—pr.p. pa.t. did; pa.p. done (dun).—In 'Do come,' 'I do love him,' Do is intensive; Do serves as substitute for other verbs to save repeating them (as in 'I didn't mean to speak, but if I do,' &c.).—n. endeavour, duty: a trick, hoax.—n. ', a factotum.—p.adj. ', active (as in 'Up and doing').—Do away with, to abolish, destroy; Do brown, to cook or roast to brownness: (slang) to make a fool of; Do for, to suit: to provide for: to ruin: (vulg.) to kill; Do into, to translate; Do Macbeth, &c., to represent that part in a play; Do one proud (coll.), to make one feel flattered; Do over, to do again: to cover over, as with paint; Do the city, to visit the sights of the city; Do to death, to murder; Do up, put up, make tidy, arrange, tie up, dress (linen): to utterly fatigue; Do well (to be angry), to be justified in being angry, &c.: to prosper; Do with, to make use of: to meddle with: to get on with; Do without, not to be dependent on, to dispense with.—Be done for, to be defeated or ruined.—Have done, desist; Have done with, to cease interest in; Have to do with, to have a connection with.—What's to do? what is the matter? [A.S. dón, dyde, gedón; Dut. doen, Ger. thun; conn. with Gr. tithenai, to put, place.]

Do, dōō, v.i. to fare or get on, as to health: to succeed: to suffice: to suit or avail (cf. 'This will do,' 'This will never do,' 'This will do for me well enough'). [Prov. Eng. dow, to avail, to be worth; from A.S. dugan, to be worth; Ger. taugen, to be strong, to be worth. See Doughty.]

Do, dō, n. the syllable or name for the first tone or keynote of the musical scale—the others being re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, initial syllables of lines in an old Latin hymn in honour of John the Baptist.

Do, dōō, n. same as Ado: (slang) a swindle.

Doab, do′äb, n. in India, land between two rivers. [Hind. doāb, duāb.]

Doable, dōō′a-bl, adj. (rare) that can be done.

Doat, dōt, v.i. same as Dote.—n. , darling.

Dobbin, dob′bin, n. a workhorse. [Fr. Dobbin, a form like Robin for Robert. Cf. Dicky, Jackass.]

Dobby, Dobbie, dob′i, n. a dotard: a brownie: an attachment to a loom for weaving small figures.

Dobchick, dob′chik, n. Same as Dabchick.

Dobhash, dō′bash, n. an interpreter. [Hind. dobhashī.]

Docent. See Privat docent.

Docetism, do-sē′tizm, n. a 2d-century heresy, which denied the human nature of Christ, affirming that His body was only a semblance.—n.pl. '.—adjs. ', '.—ns. '; . [Gr. dokētai, those of this belief—dokein, to seem.]

Doch-an-doris, doch′an-dō′ris, n. a stirrup-cup, a parting-cup.—Also Doch-an-dorach, Deuch-an-doris. [Gael., deoch, drink, an, the, doruis, gen. of dorus, door.]

Docile, dō′sīl, or dos′il, adj. teachable: ready to learn: easily managed—(obs.) '.—ns. ', ', teachableness.—adj. ' (U.S.).—n. . [Fr.,—L. docilis—docēre, to teach.]

Docimasy, dos′i-ma-si, n. the art by which the nature and proportions of an ore are determined: assaying: examination of poisons.—n. ', a genus of humming-birds with enormously long beak.—adj. '—n. , a treatise on the art of assaying. [Gr. dokimasia, examination—dokimazein, to test—dechesthai, to take, approve.]

Dock, dok, n. a troublesome weed with large leaves and a long root.—n. , the nipplewort. [A.S. docce; perh. from Gael. dogha, a burdock.]

Dock, dok, v.t. to cut short: to curtail: to cut off: to clip.—n. the part of a tail left after clipping. [Prob. W. tocio, to cut short; or Old Ice. dockr, a stumpy tail.]

Dock, dok, n. an enclosure or artificial basin near a harbour or river, for the reception of vessels: the box in court where the accused stands: in a railway station, the place of arrival and departure of a train.—v.t. to place in a dock.—ns. ', accommodation in docks for ships: dock-dues; ', one who works in the docks; ', the person superintending a dock; ', a warehouse receipt; ', a naval establishment with docks, building-slips, stores, &c.; ', a dock which can be laid dry by dock-gates, pumping, &c.—also called ', because suitable for cleaning or graving the sides and bottoms of ships; ', a dock which floats in the water, but can by pumping out its hollow sides be raised high in the water with any ship that has been floated into it, and then emptied of water by further pumping; , a dock maintaining a level nearly uniform with that of high water. [Old Dut. dokke; perh. from Low L. doga, a canal—Gr. dochē, a receptacle—dechesthai, to receive.]

Docket, dok′et, n. a summary of a larger writing: a bill or ticket affixed to anything: a label: a list or register of cases in court.—v.t. to make a summary of the heads of a writing: to enter in a book: to mark the contents of papers on the back:—pr.p. pa.p.  [Dim. of dock, to curtail; sometimes docquet, as if French.]

Doctor, dok′tur, n. one who has received from a university the highest degree in a faculty: a physician: a medical practitioner: a cleric especially skilled in theology or ecclesiastical law.—v.t. to treat as a doctor does: to adulterate: to make alterations on: to falsify: to address as doctor: to create a doctor.—v.i. to take physic: to practise medicine.—adj. '.—ns. ', '; ', , a female physician.—Doctors' Commons, before the establishment of the Divorce Court and Probate Court in 1857, the college of the doctors of civil law in London, incorporated by royal charter in 1768; Doctor's stuff, medicine. [L., 'a teacher'—docere, to teach.]

Doctrinaire, doc′tri-nār, n. an unpractical theorist, disposed to carry principles to logical but unworkable extremes: in France, in 1815-30, one of a school who desired a constitution like that of Britain.—adj. theorist.—ns. ', one given to theory; ', blind adhesion to one-sided principles. [Fr.,—Late L. doctrinarius.]

Doctrine, dok′trin, n. a thing taught: a principle of belief: what the Scriptures teach on any subject: (B.) act or manner of teaching.—adj. ', relating to or containing doctrine: relating to the act of teaching.—adv. '. [Fr.,—L. doctrīna, docēre, to teach.]

Document, dok′ū-ment, n. a paper containing information or the proof of anything.—v.t. to furnish with documents: to support or prove by documents.—adjs. ', ', relating to or found in documents.—n. , preparation or use of documentary evidence and authorities—used in realistic fiction by the school of Zola of faithful reproduction of the records, real or supposed, of actual lives (the so-called document humain).—Documentary hypothesis, the hypothesis that the Pentateuch consists of two or more originally distinct documents. [Fr.,—L. documentum—docēre, to teach.]

Dod, dod, v.t. (prov.) to clip, poll, lop.—p.adj. ', polled, hornless.—ns. ', a pollard; , a cow without horns.

Doddart, dod′art, n. (obs.) hockey.

Dodder, dod′ėr, n. a leafless, twining, pale-coloured parasitic plant.—p.adj. , overgrown with dodder. [A.S. dodder; Ger. dotter.]

Dodder, dod′ėr, v.t. or v.i. to shake, tremble.—p.adj. , trembling: pottering. [Cf. Toddle.]

Doddy, dod′i, adj. (Scot.) crabbed.

Dodecagon, dō-dek′a-gon, n. a plane figure having twelve equal angles and sides. [Gr. dōdeka, twelve, gōnia, an angle.]

Dodecagynia, dō-dek-a-jin′i-a, n. a Linnæan order of plants having twelve styles.—adjs. ', '.



Dodecahedron, dō-dek-a-hē′dron, n. a solid figure, having twelve equal pentagonal bases or faces.—adj. . [Gr. dōdeka, twelve, hedra, a base, a side.]

Dodecandria, dō-de-kan′dri-a, n. a Linnæan class of plants having twelve stamens.—adj. . [Gr. dōdeka, twelve, anēr, andros, a man.]

Dodecapetalous, dō-dek-a-pet′a-lus, adj. having twelve petals. [Gr. dōdeka, twelve, petalon, a petal.]

Dodecastyle, dō′dek-a-stīl, adj. (archit.) having twelve columns in front.—n. a portico with such.

Dodecasyllable, dō-dek-a-sil′a-bl, n. a word of twelve syllables.—adj. .

Dodge, doj, v.i. to start aside or shift about: to evade or use mean tricks: to shuffle or quibble.—v.t. to evade by a sudden shift of place: to trick.—n. an evasion: a trick: a quibble.—ns. '; ', trickery.—adj. . [Cf. dodder, toddle, diddle; Scot. daddle, doddle.]

Dodipoll, Doddypoll, dod′i-pōl, n. a blockhead.

Dodkin, dod′kin, n. a doit.—Also .

Dodman, dod′man, n. (prov.) a snail.

Dodo, dō′dō, n. a large clumsy bird, about the size of a turkey, and without the power of flight—it was once found in Mauritius and Madagascar, but became extinct about the end of the 17th century. [Port. doudo, silly.]

Dodonæan, dō-dō-nē′an, adj. pertaining to Dodona in Epirus, or its oracle sacred to Zeus, situated in a grove of oaks.—Also .

Doe, dō, n. John Doe and Richard Roe, names of an imaginary plaintiff and opponent in the old legal action for ejectment, and proverbial term for a legal action.

Doe, dō, n. the female of the fallow-deer or buck.—n. , the skin of a doe: a smooth, close-woven woollen cloth. [A.S. dá; Dan. daa, a deer.]

Doer, dōō′ėr, n. one who does anything; one who habitually performs: an agent.

Does, duz, 3d pers. sing. pres. indic. of Do.

Doff, dof, v.t. to do or take off: to rid one's self of. [A contr. of do off.]

Doffer, dof′ėr, n. the part of a carding-machine which strips the cotton from the cylinder when carded.

Dog, dog, n. a domestic quadruped of the same genus as the wolf, and akin to the fox, varying in size from small terriers to huge Newfoundlands, mastiffs, and St Bernards: a mean scoundrel: a term of contempt: a fellow (as a jolly dog): one of two constellations of stars: an andiron: an iron hook for holding logs of wood: a dogfish: a cock, as of a gun.—adj. male (opposed to bitch), as in dog-fox, dog-ape.—v.t. to follow as a dog: to follow and watch constantly: to worry with importunity:—pr.p. pa.p. dogged.—ns. ', a plant with an intensely bitter root, valued for its medicinal properties, said to be poisonous to dogs; ', a drone; ', a broad leather belt round the waist for drawing dans or sledges in the low workings of coal-mines; ', biscuit made for dogs, sometimes containing scraps of meat; ' (obs.), a contemptible fellow; ', the part of a railway wagon in which dogs are carried; ', the brier dogrose; ', a two-wheeled carriage with seats back to back, so called from sporting-dogs being originally carried inside the box.—adj. ', very cheap.—n. ', a collar for dogs: a kind of stiff collar on a woman's dress: a close-fitting clerical collar.—adj. '.—ns. ', one who has a fancy for, or who deals in dogs; ', a popular name for various small species of shark, common on British and American coasts; ', a male fox; '.—adj. ', like a dog: churlish: brutal.—adv. '.—n. '.—p.adj. ' (vulg.), confounded.—n. ', a coarse perennial grass common in uncultivated grounds, akin to couch-grass, dog-wheat, &c.—adjs. '; '.—ns. ', a hole fit only for dogs: a mean dwelling; ', '; ', one who treats the diseases of dogs; ', the letter or sound r—also Canine letter; '; ', fool's parsley; ', a wild-rose, a brier; ', the corner of the leaf of a book turned down like a dog's ear.—v.t. to turn down the corners of leaves.—p.adjs. ', '.—ns. ', May-weed; ', the quality or personality of a dog.—adj. '.—n. ', leather made from the skin of a dog, or from sheepskin in imitation of it.—adj. made of such.—ns. ', a light sleep broken by the slightest noise; ', coarse meat, scraps and refuse sold as food for dogs; ', the mercurialis perennis; ', a kind of mixed drink; ', a common British pasture grass.—n.pl. ', a name for various British species of orchis.—ns. ', the hound's-tongue plant, Cynoglossum officinale; '.—adjs. ', ' (Shak.), tired as a dog, completely worn out.—ns. ', an ill-natured trick; ', a gentle trot like that of a dog; ', a small vane of thread, cork, and feathers placed on the weather gunwale to show the direction of the wind; ', the common name of Viola canina and other scentless species of wild violet; ', a name of Dog-grass; ', the popular name for univalve molluscs of the genus Nassa; ', a tree or shrub of the cornel genus, valuable on account of the hardness of the wood.—interj. Dog on it! a minced oath (for God damn it!).—Go to the dogs, to be ruined; Not to lead the life of a dog, to lead a life so wretched that even a dog would not be content with it; Throw, Give, or Send to the dogs, to throw away or abandon. [M. E. doggë; not in A.S.; Dut. dog, a mastiff; Ger. dogge, docke.]

Dogberry, dog′ber-ri, n. the fruit of a species of dogwood: a stupid, obstinate fellow, from the old watchman in Shakespeare's Much Ado about Nothing.

Dogdays, dog′dāz, n.pl. the period when the dogstar rises and sets with the sun (generally reckoned July 3d to August 11th)—erroneously supposed to be the time when dogs are specially liable to hydrophobia.

Doge, dōj, n. formerly the chief-magistrate in Venice and Genoa.—ns. ', the wife of a doge; ', ', '. [It., prov. for duce = Eng. duke—L. dux, a leader—ducĕre, to lead.]

Dogged, dog′ed, adj. surly like an angry dog: sullen: obstinate.—adv. (slang) very.—adv. '.—n. '.

Dogger, dog′ėr, n. a two-masted Dutch fishing-vessel.—n. . [Dut.]

Dogger, dog′er, n. a sandy and oolitic ironstone.

Doggerel, dog′ėr-el, n. irregular measures in burlesque poetry, so named in contempt: worthless verses.—adj. irregular in rhythm, mean.—Also . [Usually assumed to be from dog, but no good ground for this.]

Doggy, dog′i, adj. fond of dogs.

Dog-head, dog′-hed, n. the hammer of a gun-lock.

Dog-Latin, dog′-lat′in, n. barbarous or bad Latin. [See Doggerel.]

Dogma, dog′ma, n. a settled opinion: a principle or tenet: a doctrine laid down with authority.—adjs. ', ', pertaining to a dogma: asserting a thing as if it were a dogma: asserting positively: overbearing.—adv. '.—n. ' (theol.), the statement of Christian doctrines, systematic theology.—v.i. ', to state one's opinion dogmatically or arrogantly.—ns. '; ', dogmatic or positive assertion of opinion; ', one who makes positive assertions; ', the science of dogma.—adj. '. [Gr., 'an opinion,' from dokein, to think, allied to L. decet.]

Dog-shores, dog′-shōrz, n.pl. the pieces of timber used to shore up a vessel, to keep it from falling or from starting during the preparations for launching, knocked aside when the ship is ready to be launched.

Dogstar, dog′stär, n. Sirius, a star of the first magnitude, whose rising and setting with the sun gave name to the dogdays.



Dog-tooth, dog′-tōōth, n. a moulding for doors and windows in later Norman architecture, consisting of a series of ornamented conical projections: a canine tooth.

Dog-watches, dog′-woch′ez, n.pl. on shipboard, the two watches 4-6 P.M. and 6-8 P.M., consisting each of two hours only, instead of four.

Doilt, doilt, adj. (Scot.) crazy, foolish.—Also Doiled.

Doily, doi′li, n. (obs.) an old kind of woollen stuff: a small napkin used at dessert. [From Doily or Doyley, a famous haberdasher.]

Doings, dōō′ingz, n.pl. things done, events: proceedings: behaviour.

Doit, doit, n. a small Dutch coin worth about half a farthing: a thing of little or no value. [Dut. duit.]

Doited, doit′ed, p.adj. a Scotch form of Doted.

Doke, dōk, n. (prov.) a dimple, dint.

Dolabella, dō-la-bel′a, n. a genus of tectibranchiate gasteropods.

Dolabra, dō-lā′bra, n. an ancient Roman cutting or digging implement, of various shapes.—adj. , like a hatchet or cleaver, used of leaves, also of shells straight and thick at one side, and thin at the other. [L. dolabra, a cleaver.]

Dolce, dōl′che, adj. (mus.) sweet.—n. a soft-toned organ-stop.—adv.  (mus.), softly and sweetly. [It.]

Doldrums, dol′drumz, n.pl. (naut.) those parts of the ocean about the equator where calms and baffling winds prevail: low spirits. [Prob. conn. with dold, stupid, or dol = dull.]

Dole, dōl, v.t. to deal out in small portions.—n. a share distributed: something given in charity: a small portion. [A doublet of deal, to divide.]

Dole, dōl, n. pain: grief: (arch. and poet.) heaviness at heart.—adj. ', full of dole or grief: melancholy.—adv. '.—n. '.—adjs. ' (obs.), ', dismal.—adv. '. [O. Fr. doel (Fr. deuil), grief—L. dolēre, to feel pain.]

Dolerite, dol′er-īt, n. basaltic greenstone. [Fr.,—Gr. doleros, deceptive, it being hard to distinguish from real greenstone.]

Dolichocephalic, dol-i-ko-sef-al′ik, adj. long-headed, a term used to denote a head whose diameter from front to back is longer than from side to side—also '.—ns. ', . [Formed from Gr. dolichos, long, kephalē, the head.]

Dolichos, dol′i-kos, n. a genus of leguminous plants allied to the Haricot. [Gr., long.]

Dolichosaurus, dol-i-kō-saw′rus, n. the typical genus of , a group of fossil Lacertilia of the Cretaceous formation.

Dolichotis, dol-i-kō′tis, n. a genus of long-eared South American rodents. [Gr. dolichos, long, ous, ōtos, the ear.]

Dolichurus, dol-i-kū′rus, n. a dactylic hexameter with a redundant syllable at the end, the sixth foot being a dactyl. [Gr., long-tailed.]

Dolium, dō′li-um, n. a Roman earthenware jar for wine, oil, grain, &c.:—pl. . [L.]

Doll, dol, n. a puppet or toy-baby for a child: a pretty but silly woman: the smallest or pet pig in a litter.—ns. '; '; '; '. [Prob. from Dolly, familiar dim. of Dorothy.]

Dollar, dol′ar, n. a silver coin (= 100 cents) of U.S.A., Mexico, Singapore, &c. The U.S.A. dollar = about 4s. 2d. sterling.—adjs. '; '.—ns. '; '. [Ger., short for Joachimsthaler, because first coined at the silver mines in Joachimsthal (Joachim's dale) in Bohemia—Low Ger. daler, Sw., Dan. daler.]

Dollop, dol′op, n. a lump.—Also . [Prob. cog. with Norw. dial. dolp, a lump.]

Dolly, dol′i, n. a complimentary offering of flowers, sweetmeats, &c. on a tray. [Anglo-Ind.,—Hindi, dālī.]

Dolly, dol′i, n. dim. of Doll.—adj. babyish.—n. .

Dolly, dol′i, n. a wooden shaft attached to a disc with projecting arms, used for stirring clothes in a washing-tub; somewhat similar pieces of apparatus in mining, pile-driving, &c.—v.t. to wash (clothes) in a tub: to beat (red-hot metal) with a hammer: to crush ore with a dolly, to obtain or yield by this method.—adj. '.—n. '. [Prob. from Dolly, the familiar form of Dorothy.]

Dolly-shop, dol′i-shop, n. a marine store, a low pawn-shop—often having a black doll as signboard.

Dolly Varden, dol′i vär′den, n. a flowered muslin dress for women, with pointed bodice and tucked-up skirt: a large hat, one side bent downwards, abundantly trimmed with flowers. [Named from Dolly Varden, a character in Dickens's Barnaby Rudge.]

Dolman, dol′man, n. a Turkish robe with slight sleeves and open in front: a hussar's jacket, worn like a cloak, with one or both sleeves hanging loose. [Fr.,—Turk. dōlāmān.]



Dolmen, dol′men, n. a stone table: the French name for a cromlech, a prehistoric structure of two or more erect unhewn stones, supporting a large flattish stone. [Fr. dolmen; usually explained as Bret. dolmen—dol, taol, table, men, a stone. But tolmen in Cornish meant 'hole of stone.']

Dolomite, dol′o-mīt, n. a magnesian limestone, so called from the French geologist D. Guy de Dolomieu (1750-1801).—adj. .

Dolour, dō′lor, n. pain: grief: anguish.—adjs. ', ', causing or expressing dolour, pain, or grief.—adv. ' (mus.), noting a soft and pathetic manner.—adj. ', full of dolour, pain, or grief: doleful.—adv. '.—n. '.—Dolours of the Virgin, the prophecy of Simeon, the flight into Egypt, the three days' loss of Jesus, the meeting of Him on the way to Calvary, the crucifixion, the descent from the cross, the entombment. [Fr.,—L. dolēre, to grieve.]

Dolphin, dol′fin, n. an animal of the whale kind, closely resembling the porpoise, about 8 or 10 feet long: the coryphæna, a fish about 5 feet in length, noted for the brilliancy of its colours when dying.—ns. ' (Spens.), a female dolphin; ', a black aphis or plant-louse, destructive to bean-plants. [O. Fr. daulphin—L. delphinus—Gr. delphis, -phinos.]

Dolt, dōlt, n. a dull or stupid fellow.—adj. ', dull: stupid.—adv. '.—n. . [Dolt = dulled or blunted. See Dull.]

Dom, dom, n. the Portuguese form of Don: also a title given to certain Catholic dignitaries and members of some monastic orders, esp. the Benedictine. [L. dominus, lord.]

Domain, do-mān′, n. what one is master of or has dominion over: an estate: territory: ownership of land: the scope or range of any subject or sphere of knowledge.—adjs. ', '. [Fr.,—L. dominium, dominus, a master.]

Domal, dōm′al, adj. relating to a house. [L. domus, a house.]

Domboc, dōm′bōk, n. a collection of laws made by authority of King Alfred, but now lost. [A.S. dóm, judgment, law, and bóc, book.]

Domdaniel, dom-dan′yel, n. a hall under the sea inhabited by a sorcerer and his disciples: (Carlyle) an infernal cave, den of iniquity generally. [Fr.,—Gr. dōma Daniēl, house of Daniel.]

Dome, dōm, n. a structure raised above the roof of large buildings, usually hemispherical: a large cupola: a cathedral: (poet.) a building.—v.t. to furnish with a dome.—adjs. Domed, , having a dome. [L. domus, a house; Fr. dôme, It. duomo, Ger. dom.]

Dome, dōm, n. (Spen.). Same as Doom.

Domesday-, Doomsday-book, dōōmz′dā-book, n. a book compiled by order of William the Conqueror, containing a survey of all the lands in England, their value, owners, &c.—so called from its authority in judgment (A.S. dóm) on the matters contained in it.

Domestic, do-mes′tik, adj. belonging to the house: remaining much at home: private: tame: not foreign.—n. a servant in the house: (pl.) articles of home manufacture, esp. home-made cotton cloths.—adv. '.—v.t. ', to make domestic or familiar: to tame.—ns. '; '; .—Domestic architecture, the architecture of mansions, dwelling-houses, cottages, &c.; Domestic economy, the principles of thrifty housekeeping. [Fr.,—L. domesticus—domus, a house.]

Domet, dom′et, n. a kind of plain cloth, in which the warp is cotton and the weft woollen.

Domicile, dom′i-sil, n. a house: an abode: a man's legal place of residence.—v.t. to establish a fixed residence.—adjs. '; ', pertaining to the domicile.—v.t. ', to establish in a permanent residence.—n. '.—Domiciliary visit, a visit, under authority, to a private house for the purpose of searching it. [Fr.,—L. domicilium—domus, a house.]

Dominant, dom′in-ant, adj. prevailing: predominant.—n. (mus.) the fifth note of the scale in its relation to the first and third.—ns. ', ', ascendency.—adv. . [L. dominans, -antis, pr.p. of domināri, to be master.]

Dominate, dom′in-āt, v.t. to be lord over: to govern: to prevail over, to be the chief feature of.—n. ', government: absolute authority: tyranny.—adj. ', governing: (rare) arbitrary.—n.  (Shak.), a ruler or governor: a ruling influence. [L. domināri, -ātus, to be master—dominus, master—domare = Eng. tame.]

Domineer, dom-in-ēr′, v.i. to rule arbitrarily: to command haughtily: to be overbearing.—adj. , overbearing. [Prob. through Dut. from O. Fr. dominer—L. domināri.]

Dominical, do-min′ik-al, adj. belonging to our Lord, as the Lord's Prayer, the Lord's Day.—Dominical letter, one of the first seven letters of the alphabet, used in calendars to mark the Sundays throughout the year. [Low L. dominicalis—L. dominicus—dominus, lord, master.]

Dominican, do-min′i-kan, adj. belonging to St Dominic or to the Dominicans.—n. a friar or monk of the order of St Dominic—Fratres Predicatores, founded in 1215—the Black Friars, from their black mantle.

Dominie, dom′i-ni, n. (Scot.) a schoolmaster, a tutor: in parts of the United States, a clergyman. [L. domine, voc. case of dominus, lord, master, sir.]

Dominion, do-min′yun, n. lordship: highest power and authority: control: the country or persons governed, esp. the Dominion of Canada: (pl., B.) a class of angelic spirits (Col. i. 16).—n. , the ownership of a thing.—Dominion Day, a Canadian festival on the anniversary of the union of the provinces, 1st July 1867.

Domino, dom′i-no, n. a cape with a hood worn by a master or by a priest: a long cloak of black silk with a hood, used at masked balls, a person wearing such: one of the oblong pieces with which the game of  (-nōz) is played, usually twenty-eight in number, divided into two compartments, each of which is blank or marked with from one to six spots. [Sp. domino—L. dominus.]

Dominus. See Dominie.

Don, don, n. a Spanish title, corresponding to English Sir, formerly applied only to noblemen, now to all classes: a fellow of a college, a college authority: (coll.) a swell, adept:—fem. Doña, in English, usually with the Italian spelling, '.—adj. ', pertaining to a don: with the airs of a don.—ns. ', self-importance; ', rank or dignity of a don. [Sp.,—L. dominus.]

Don, don, v.t. to do or put on: to assume:—pr.p. pa.p. donned. [A contr. of do on.]

Donat, do′nat, n. a grammar, a primer.—Also . [O. Fr. donat, from Ælius Donatus, author about 358 A.D. of a long famous Latin grammar.]

Donation, do-nā′shun, n. act of giving: that which is given, a gift of money or goods: (law) the act by which a person freely transfers his title to anything to another.—n. ', a thing given to a sacred use.—v.t. ', to present a gift.—n. ', a gift: a gratuity: a benefice presented by the founder or patron without reference to the bishop.—adj. vested or vesting by donation.—ns. ', one who makes a gift, a donor; ' (Scots law), one to whom lands escheated to the crown are made over; ', the person to whom a gift is made; , a giver: a benefactor.—Dona nobis, the last section of the mass, beginning 'Dona nobis pacem.' [Fr.,—L. donāre, -ātum—donum, a gift—dăre, to give.]

Donatists, don′a-tists, n.pl. the members of an African sect in the Christian Church of the 4th and 5th centuries, who protested against any diminution of the extreme reverence paid to martyrs, who treated the lapsed severely, and rebaptised converts from the Catholic Church.—n. '.—adjs. ', . [From Donatus, one of their leaders.]

Done, dun, pa.p. of Do, often with sense of utterly exhausted: so Done up, Done out.

Donga, dong′ga, n. the South African name for a channel or gully formed by the action of water.

Donjon, dun′jun, n. a strong central tower in ancient castles, to which the garrison retreated when hard pressed. [A doublet of dungeon.]

Donkey, dong′ki, n. the ass.—ns. ', a small engine used in steam-vessels for loading and unloading, pumping water into the boilers, &c.; ', an extra steam-pump. [Still regarded as slang in 1823. Perh. = dun-ik-ie, a double dim. of dun, from its colour; or from Duncan, cf. Dicky.]

Donna. See Don.

Donnered, don′erd, adj. (Scot.) stupefied, stunned.—Also ', '.

Do-nothing, dōō′-nuth′ing, n. one who does nothing: a lazy or idle person: a fainéant.—ns. ', '.

Donsie, don′si, adj. (Scot.) unlucky, perverse: neat, trim: sickly.

Don't, dōnt. For do not.

Donzel, don′zel, n. a page or squire:—fem. .

Doob, dōōb, n. Indian name for the dog's-tooth grass.

Dood, dōōd, n. a riding camel or dromedary. [Beng.]

Doodle, dōōd′l, v.t. (Scot.) to dandle.

Doodle, dōōd′l, v.i. (Scot.) to drone, as a bagpipe.

Dook, dōōk, n. (Scot.) a plug of wood driven into a wall to hold a nail, &c.

Doolefull, dōōl′fool, adj. (Spens.) = Doleful.—ns. ', ' (Scot.), a tree that marks a place of mourning.

Doolie. See Dhooly.

Doom, dōōm, n. judgment: condemnation: destiny: ruin: final judgment: a picture of the Last Judgment.—v.t. to pronounce judgment on: to sentence: to condemn:—pr.p. pa.p. dōōmed.—adjs. Doomed, under sentence; ' (Spens.), full of doom, ruin, or destructive power.—adv. Dooms (Scot.) very, exceedingly.—ns. ', the day of doom, the day when the world will be judged; ' (see Domesday); ', one who pronounces doom or sentence, a judge.—Crack of doom, the signal for the final dissolution of all things, the last trump. [A.S. dóm, judgment.]

Doom-palm, dōōm′-päm, n. a kind of African palm, with a branched stem, tufts of fan-shaped leaves, and a fruit as big as an apple.

Door, dōr, n. the usual entrance into a house, room, or passage: the wooden frame on hinges closing up the entrance: a means of approach or access.—ns. '; ', the frame which encloses a door; ' (Scot.), one of the side-posts of a door; '; '; '; '; ', a plate on or at a door with the householder's name on it; ', the jamb or side-piece of a door; ', the threshold of a doorway; ', a doorway; ', ', the step-stone; ', the entrance or passage closed by the door; ', a yard about the door of a house; ', a door in two halves, each of which may be folded back against the wall.—Darken one's door, to cross one's threshold; Death's door, on the point of death, in great danger of death; Next door to, in the house next to: near to, bordering upon, very nearly; Out of doors, in the open air; Show to the door, to dismiss with ignominy. [A.S. duru; Ger. thor, thür; Gr. thyra, L. fores (pl.), a door.]

Dop, dop, n. a copper cup with a wooden handle, in which a gem is soldered to be held while being cut or polished. [Dut.]

Dop, dop, v.i. to dip or duck.—n. a diving bird.

Dope, dōp, n. any thick liquid used as a lubricant, axle-grease: any absorbent material holding a thick liquid, as cotton-waste, or a substance used to hold nitro-glycerine. [Prob. Dut. doop, a dipping.]

Dopper, dop′er, n. a member of a rigid religious sect in South Africa.

Dopplerite, dop′ler-īt, n. a substance derived from the maceration of peat. [From Doppler, a German physicist.]

Doquet, dok′et, a form of docket.

Dor, dor, n. (obs.) a scoff, mockery, as 'to give (any one) the dor.' [Prob. Ice. dór, scoff.]

Dor, Dorr, dor, n. a kind of dung-beetle, also called Dor-beetle and Dor-fly; a cockchafer (in U.S. called Dor-bug): (obs.) a drone. [A.S. dora, a humble-bee.]

Dorado, dō-rä′dō, n. the dolphin, so called from its beautiful colour when dying. [Sp., from dorar, to gild—L. deaurāre, ātum. See Dory, El Dorado.]

Dorcas, dor′kas, n. given in Acts, ix. 36, as the Greek translation of Tabitha (Aramaic, 'female gazelle'), the name of the Christian woman of Joppa, famous for her good works, esp. the making of clothes for the poor—hence Dorcas societies, ladies' societies for making and providing clothes for the poor.

Doree. See Dory.

Dor-hawk, dor′-hawk, n. the common goatsucker, night-jar, or fern-owl.

Dorian, dō′ri-an, adj. and n. belonging to Doris in Greece, Doric: a native of Doris.

Doric, dor′ik, adj. belonging to Doris in Greece, denoting one of the Greek orders of architecture, distinguished by its simplicity and solidity.—n. one of the modes of Greek music: a dialect of the Greek language distinguished by the use of broad vowel sounds: any dialect having this character, as Scotch.—ns. ', ', a peculiarity of the Doric dialect. [Fr. dorique—L. Doricus—Gr. Dōris.]

Dorking, dork′ing, n. a square-bodied breed of poultry, variously coloured, and with five claws on each foot—so named from Dorking in Surrey.

Dorlach, dor′lah, n. a bundle, a knapsack.—Also . [Gael.]

Dormant, dor′mant, adj. sleeping: at rest: not used, in abeyance (as a title): in a sleeping posture: (archit.) leaning.—n. a crossbeam: a joist.—n. ', quiescence.—ns. ', a vertical window, esp. of a sleeping-room (formerly called dormer), on the sloping roof of a house; ', sleeping.—adj. ', causing sleep (of medicine), as opium.—ns. ', a large sleeping-chamber with many beds; ', a small rodent intermediate between the squirrel and the mouse, so called because torpid in winter:—pl. '; ' (Spens.) a dormitory. [Fr. dormir—L. dormīre, to sleep.]

Dormy, Dormie, dor′mi, adj. a term applied to one player at golf, when he is as many holes ahead as there remain holes to be played.

Dornick, dor′nik, n. a kind of stout figured linen, originally made at Doornik, or Tournay, in Belgium.

Dorp, dorp, n. a rare form of thorp, village.

Dorsal, dor′sal, adj. pertaining or belonging to the back.—adv. '.—n. Dorse (obs.), the back of a writing: a dossal: the back.—adj. ', having gills on the back.—n. one of the Dorsibranchiata, including free marine worms.—adjs. ', dorsigerous: dorsiparous; ', carrying on the back; ', walking on the back of the toes; ', bearing fruit on the back: hatching young upon the back; ', pertaining to both the back and the spine; ', ', pertaining to the back and the belly; ', superior and posterior in direction or position; ', pertaining to the back of the neck.—n. ', a bending of the back, a bow.—adjs. ', pertaining to the back and the side; ', pertaining to the whole dorsal region of the trunk—also '; ', situated in the middle of the back; ', lying along the middle line of the back—also '; ', pertaining to the back and the side.—n. '.—Send to dorse, to throw on the back. [Fr.,—L. dorsum, the back.]

Dorse, dors, n. a young cod. [Low Ger. dorsch.]

Dorty, dor′ti, adj. (Scot.), pettish: delicate.

Dory, dō′ri, n. a fish of a golden-yellow colour.—Also John Dory and Doree. [Fr. dorée, from dorer, to gild—L. deaurāre, to gild—de, of, with, and aurum, gold. John is simply the ordinary name.]

Dose, dōs, n. the quantity of medicine given to be taken at one time: a portion: anything disagreeable that must be taken.—v.t. to order or give in doses: to give anything nauseous to.—ns. ', a practice or method of dosing; ', an apparatus for measuring minute quantities of liquid.—adj. '.—n. ', the science of doses—also . [O. Fr. dose—Gr. dosis, a giving—didōmi, I give.]

Doseh, dō′se, n. a religious ceremony at Cairo during the festival of the Moolid, in which the sheik rides on horseback over the prostrate bodies of dervishes.

Dossal, dos′sal, n. a cloth hanging, of various colours at various festivals, for the back of an altar and the sides of the chancel of a church.—Also . [Late L. dossale, dorsale—L. dorsum, the back.]

Dosser, dos′er, n. a rich hanging of tapestry for the walls of a hall or of a chancel: a pannier.

Doss-house, dos′-hows, n. a very cheap lodging-house.—n. , one who lodges in a doss-house. [Perh. from doss, a prov. Eng. name for a hassock.]

Dossil, dos′il, n. a plug, spigot: a cloth roll for wiping ink from an engraved plate in printing: (surg.) a pledget of lint for cleaning out a wound. [O. Fr. dosil—Late L. ducillus, a spigot.]

Dost, dust, 2d pers. sing. pres. indic. of Do.

Dot, dot, n. any small mark made with a pen or sharp point.—v.t. to mark with dots: to diversify with objects.—v.i. to form dots:—pr.p. pa.p. —Dot and carry, in addition, to set down the units and carry over the tens to the next column. [Prob. related to the Dut. dot, a little lump.]

Dotation, dō-tā′shun, n. the act of bestowing a dowry on a woman: an endowment.—n. Dot, a marriage portion.—adj. , pertaining to dowry or to dower. [Low L. dotation-em—L. dotāre, to endow.]

Dote, dōt, v.i. (arch.) to be stupid or foolish: to be weakly affectionate: to show excessive love—formerly also spelt Doat.—ns. ', a doting: childishness of old age: excessive fondness; ' (Shak.), a dotard; ', one who dotes: one showing the weakness of old age, or excessive fondness.—adj. ' (Spens.), stupid.—n. ', one who dotes.—p.adj. and n. '.—adjs. ', silly; ' (Scot.), stupid.—n. a dotard.—adj. , feeble in mind: tottering. [Old Dut. doten, to be silly, Scot. doitet, stupid; Fr. radoter, to rave, is from the same root.]

Doth, duth, 3d pers. sing. pres. indic. of Do.

Dotterel, dot′ėr-el, n. a kind of plover, named from its apparent stupidity in allowing itself to be approached and caught: a stupid fellow, a dupe. [Also spelt dottrel, from dote.]

Dottle, dot′l, n. (Scot.) a plug, esp. the tobacco at the bottom of a pipe after smoking, sometimes put on the top of fresh tobacco after refilling.

Douane, dōō-än′, n. a custom-house.—n. , a custom-house officer. [Fr.]

Douar, Dowar, dow′ar, n. a cluster of Arab tents in a circle.

Douay Bible. See Rhemish (version).

Double, dub′l, adj. twofold: twice as much: of extra weight, size, or quality: two of a sort together: in pairs: acting two parts, insincere.—adv. . [O. Fr. doble—L. duplus—duo, two, and plus, akin to plenus, full.]

Double, dub′l, v.t. to multiply by two, to be the double of: to fold: to repeat: to clench: to pass round or by.—v.i. to increase to twice the quantity: to turn sharply back on one's course in running.—n. twice as much: a duplicate: an actor's substitute: a quick pace (short for double-quick): one's wraith or apparition: one's exact counterpart: a trick: (eccles.) a feast on which the antiphon is said both before and after the psalms.—adjs. ', applying power in two directions: producing a double result; ', having two men at each oar, or having two tiers of oars one above the other, as in ancient galleys; ', having two barrels.—n. ', the lowest-toned instrument of violin form.—adjs. ', cutting on either side; ', of a coat having two breasts, one to be folded over the other.—ns. ', to charge with a double measure; ', a deceitful person; ', duplicity.—adj. ', having two decks above water-line.—n. ', a double-decked frigate.—adj. ', twice dyed: deeply imbued (as a double-dyed villain).—n.  (U.S.), a gold coin worth $20, or £4, 2s. 2d.: the heraldic representation of an eagle with two heads, as in the arms of Russia and Austria.—adj. ', having two edges: cutting or working both ways.—ns. ', anything having two ends alike: a cross-cut sawing machine, with two adjustable circular saws, for sawing both ends of timber; ' (book-k.), a method by which two entries are made of each transaction.—adjs. ', having a deceitful countenance; ', hypocritical, false.—ns. '; ', at Oxford, a degree with first-class honours in mathematics and classics: one who takes such a degree.—adj. ', having double flowers, as a plant.—v.t. ', to gild with double coatings of gold: to gloze over.—n. ', Gloucestershire cheese of extra richness.—adjs. ', having two hands, two-handled; ', having two heads; ', treacherous; ', suspended, as a window-sash, so as to move either upward or downward; ', locked with two locks or bolts: locked by two turns of the key, as in very few locks but many novels; ', furnished with twice the complement of men; ', deceitful; ', undetermined, wavering.—n. '.—adj. ', having a twofold nature.—n. ', the state of being double: duplicity.—adj. and adv. ', the pace next a run.—n. the double-quick pace.—v.t. ' (Milt.), to double the natural darkness.—adj. ', of cannon, with two shots in them.—ns. ' (see Shuffle); ', playing on two stopped strings of a violin at once; ', extra strong stout or porter.—adj. ', deceitful.—n. , the act of making double: a turning back in running: a trick: a plait or fold.—adj. shifting, manœuvring.

Double entendre, doobl′ ong-tongdr, n. an equivoque, a word or phrase with two meanings, one usually more or less indecent. [Fr. of 17th century, superseded now by (mot) à double entente.]

Doublet, dub′let, n. a pair: an inner garment: name given to words that are really the same, but vary somewhat in spelling and signification, as desk, disc, and dish, describe and descry. [O. Fr., dim. of double.]

Doubloon, dub-loon′, n. an obsolete Spanish gold coin double the value of a pistole—varying from 33s. in 1772 to 20s. 8d. in 1848. [Sp. doblon.]

Doubt, dowt, v.i. to waver in opinion: to be uncertain: to hesitate: to suspect: to believe with fear or hesitation: (Scot.) to think, even without the sense of hesitation.—v.t. to hold in doubt: to distrust.—p.adj.  (Spens.), questioned: feared, redoubted. [O. Fr. douter—L. dubitāre, akin to dubius, doubtful, moving in two (duo) directions.]

Doubt, dowt, n. uncertainty of mind: suspicion: fear: a thing doubted or questioned.—adj. '.—n. '.—adj. ', full of doubt: undetermined: not clear: not secure: suspicious: not confident.—adv. '.—n. '.—p.adj. ', that doubts, undecided.—advs. '; ', without doubt: certainly; .

Douc, dook, n. a species of monkey in Cochin-China.

Douce, dōōs, adj. (obs.) sweet: (Scot.) sober, peaceable, sedate.—adv. '.—n. '.—n.pl. , the stones of a deer.—n. Douceur sweetness of manner (obs.): something intended to please, a present or a bribe. [Fr. doux, douce, mild—L. dulcis, sweet.]

Douche, dōōsh, n. a jet of water directed upon the body from a pipe: an apparatus for throwing such. [Fr.,—It. doccia, a water-pipe—L. ducĕre, to lead.]

Doucine, doo-sēn′, n. (archit.) a cyma recta. [Fr.]

Dough, dō, n. a mass of flour or meal moistened and kneaded, but not baked.—adjs. ', half-baked, defective in intelligence; ' (U.S.) pliable, truckling.—n. '.—adj. ' (Milt.), soft.—n. ', sweetened dough fried in fat.—adj. ', like dough: soft. [A.S. dáh; Ger. teig, Ice. deig, dough; prov. dow and duff.]

Doughty, dow′ti, adj. able, strong: brave.—adv. '.—n. '. [A.S. dyhtig, valiant—dugan, to be strong; Ger. tüchtig, solid.]

Doum-palm. Same as Doom-palm.

Doup, dowp, n. (Scot.) bottom, buttocks.—n. , a candle-end. [Cf. Ice. daup.]

Dour, dōōr, adj. (Scot.) obstinate: bold. [Fr.,—L. durus, hard.]

Doura. See Durra.

Douse, Dowse, dows, v.t. to plunge into water.—v.i. to fall suddenly into water. [Cf. Sw. dunsa, fall heavily. Prob. from sound; cf. souse.]

Douse, Dowse, dows, v.t. to strike: to strike or lower a sail.—n. a heavy blow. [Prob. related to Old Dut. dossen, to beat.]

Douse, Dowse, dows, v.t. to put out, extinguish (esp. in the slang Douse the glim, put out the light). [Prob. a corr. of the obs. verb dout below; more likely a particular use of douse, to strike.]

Dout, dowt, v.t. to put out, extinguish.—n. . [Do out.]

Dove, duv, n. a pigeon (esp. in comp., as ringdove, turtle-dove, &c.): a word of endearment: an emblem of innocence, gentleness, also of the Holy Spirit—the 'Holy Dove' (Matt. iii. 16).—v.t. to treat as a dove.—ns. ', a grayish, bluish, pinkish colour; ', ', a small cot or box in which pigeons breed.—adjs. ' (Shak.), drawn by doves; ', meek-eyed.—ns. ', a dovecot; ', a small dove.—adj. ', innocent.—ns. ', the common name for Geranium molle; ', the character or quality of a dove.—Flutter the dovecots, to disturb commonplace, conventional people, as the eagle would a dovecot (see Shak., Cor. V. vi. 115). [A.S. dufe in dúfe-doppa; Ger. taube.]

Dovekie, duv′ki, n. the little auk, a diving bird of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.

Dover, dō′ver, v.i. (Scot.) to slumber lightly, doze off.—v.t. to send off into a light sleep.—n. a slight unsettled sleep.

Dover's powder, dō′verz pow′der, n. a valuable sudorific medicine, compounded of ipecacuanha root, powdered opium, and sulphate of potash. [From Dr Thomas Dover, 1660-1742.]



Dovetail, duv′tāl, n. a mode of fastening boards together by fitting pieces shaped like a wedge or a dove's tail spread out (tenons) into corresponding cavities (mortises).—v.t. to fit one thing into another.

Dow, dow, v.i. (obs.) to be good for a purpose: (Scot.) to be able.—p.adjs. Docht, Dought. [A.S. dugan.]

Dowager, dow′a-jėr, n. a widow with a dower or jointure: a title given to a widow to distinguish her from the wife of her husband's heir. [O. Fr. douagere—Low L. dotarium—L. dotāre, to endow.]

Dowdy, dow′di, adj. untidy, carelessly dressed, soft and slack in habit.—n. an untidy woman.—adv. '.—ns. ', '.—adj. '. [Ety. unknown.]

Dowel, dow′el, n. a pin of wood or iron inserted in the edges of two adjacent boards for the purpose of fastening them together.—v.t. to fasten by means of dowels.—ns. '; '. [Prob. related to Ger. döbel, a plug.]

Dower, dow′ėr, n. a jointure, that part of the husband's property which his widow enjoys during her life—sometimes used for '.—adjs. ', that may be endowed; ', furnished with dower.—n. ', the house set apart for the widow.—adj. . [O. Fr. douaire—Low L. dotarium—L. dotāre, to endow.]

Dowf, dowf, adj. (Scot.) dull, heavy, spiritless.—n. . [Prob. Ice. daufr, deaf.]

Dowie, dow′i, adj. (Scot.) dull, low-spirited, sad. [Prob. A.S. dol, dull.]

Dowlas, dowlas, n. a coarse linen cloth. [From Daoulas or Doulas, near Brest, in Brittany.]

Dowle, dowl, n. (Shak.) a portion of down in a feather.

Down, down, n. the soft hair under the feathers of fowls: the hairy covering of the seeds of certain plants: anything which soothes or invites to repose.—n. '.—p.adj. Downed, filled or covered with down.—ns. '; '.—adj. ', covered with or made of down: like down: soft: soothing: (slang) knowing.—The downy (slang), bed. [Ice. dúnn; Ger. daune, dune.]

Down, down, n. a bank of sand thrown up by the sea (same as Dune): a treeless land: (pl.) a tract of hilly land, used for pasturing sheep, as the North Downs (Kent) and South Downs (Sussex)—also given to the famous roadstead off the east coast of Kent, inside the Goodwin Sands. [A.S. dún, a hill; prob. from Celt. dun, as in Dunkeld, &c.]

Down, down, adv. from a higher to a lower position: on the ground: from earlier to later times: from thick to thin, from large to small (to boil down, to cut down): from more to less (to beat down a price).—prep. along a descent: from a higher to a lower position or state.—v.t. to knock down: to dispirit—also used as a kind of interjection, with get, go, come, kneel, &c. understood.—n. a tendency to be down upon, a grudge against: a descent, reverse of fortune.—v.i. ', to bear or press down.—adj. ', dejected.—ns. ', a fall, ruin, a heavy pour of rain; ', a current of air downwards; ', one living 'down east' from the speaker, a New Englander, and esp. an inhabitant of Maine; ', fall, failure, humiliation, ruin: a falling down, as of rain.—adjs. ', ruined; ' (Shak.), hanging down like fetters.—n. ', a rope by which a jib, &c., is hauled down when set.—adjs. ', dejected; ', descending, sloping.—n. ', the line of a railway leading from the capital, or other important centre, to the provinces.—adj. ' (Dryden), downcast, gloomy.—ns. ', time of retiring to rest: a woman's lying-in; ', a heavy fall of rain, &c.—adv. ' (obs.), perpendicular: in plain terms: utterly.—adj. plain spoken: brusque: utter (as in downright madness).—ns. '; ', a rushing down (as of gas, hot air, &c.); ', a setting down, a snub; ', sitting down, time of rest (Ps. cxxxix. 2).—advs. ', in, or to, a lower story; ', with the current.—ns. ', act of throwing down, state of being thrown down: a sinking of strata below the level of the surrounding beds; ', a railway train proceeding from the chief terminus.—adj. ', trampled on, tyrannised over.—advs. ', ', from higher to lower: from source to outlet: from more ancient to modern: in the lower part.—adj. '.—Down east (U.S.), in or into Maine and adjoining parts of New England; Down in the mouth, in low spirits; Down on one's luck, in ill-luck; Down south, in the southern states; Down to the country, away into the country, from London (hence 'down to the Derby,' 'down to Scotland'); Down with your money, lay it down, pay it.—A down-train, a train away from London.—Lay down the law, to expound authoritatively. [A corr. of M. E. a-dawn, adun—A.S. of dúne, 'from the hill'—A.S. dún, a hill.]

Dowry, dow′ri, n. the property which a woman brings to her husband at marriage—sometimes used for dower. [See Dower.]

Dowse, dows, v.t. and v.i. See Douse.

Dowse, dows, v.i. to use the divining-rod.—n. , a water diviner.

Doxology, doks-ol′o-ji, n. a hymn expressing praise and honour to the Trinity.—adj. . [Gr. doxologia—doxa, praise, and legein, to speak.]

Doxy, dok′si, n. (Shak.) a mistress: a woman of loose character. [Prob. conn. with East Fries. dok, a bundle, Low Ger. dokke.]

Doxy, dok′si, n. opinion—'Orthodoxy,' said Warburton, 'is my doxy—heterodoxy is another man's doxy.' [Gr. doxa, opinion.]

Doyen, dwaw′yong, n. dean, senior member (of an academy, diplomatic corps, &c.). [Fr.,—Lat. dēcanus.]

Doyley. See Doily.

Doze, dōz, v.i. to sleep lightly, or to be half-asleep: to be in a dull or stupefied state.—v.i. to spend in drowsiness (with away).—n. a short light sleep.—adj. Dozed, drowsy.—v.t. ' (Scot.), to stupefy.—v.i. to become stupefied.—ns. '; '; '.—adj. , drowsy. [From a Scand. root, seen in Ice. dúsa, Dan. döse, to dose.]

Dozen, duz′n, adj. two and ten, or twelve.—n. a collection of twelve articles.—adj. .—Baker's dozen, Devil's dozen, thirteen. [O. Fr. dozeine—L. duodecim—duo, two, and decem, ten.]

Drab, drab, n. a low, sluttish woman: a whore.—v.i. to associate with bad women.—ns. ', one who herds with drabs; '.—adjs. ', ', sluttish. [Celt.; Gael. drabag; Ir. drabog, slut.]

Drab, drab, n. thick, strong, gray cloth: a gray or dull-brown colour, perh. from the muddy colour of undyed wool. [Fr. drap, cloth—Low L. drappus, prob. Teut.]

Drabbet, drab′et, n. a coarse linen fabric made at Barnsley.

Drabble, drab′l, v.t. to besmear with mud and water.—n. , a manner of fishing for barbels with a rod and long line passed through a piece of lead. [Cf. drivel, dribble; prob. conn. with drab, a low woman.]

Drabbler, drab′ler, n. an additional piece of canvas, laced to the bottom of the bonnet of a sail, to give it greater depth.

Dracanth, drak′anth, n. gum tragacanth.

Dracæna, dra-sē′na, n. the tree which produces the resin called Dragon's-blood.—n. ', the red resin of dragon's-blood used to colour varnishes—also ', . [Low L. dracæna, a she-dragon—Gr. drakaina, fem. of drakōn, dragon.]

Drachm, dram, n. See Drachma, Dram.

Drachma, drak′ma, n. an ancient Greek weight, and silver coin of different values: a modern Greek coin = above 9½d. sterling. [Gr. drachmē—drassesthai, to grasp with the hand.]

Draco, drā′kō, n. a northern constellation: a dragon-lizard.

Draconian, dra-kō′nyan, adj. severe, as was the legislation, of Draco, the Athenian archon (621 B.C.).—Also .

Dracontium, drā-kon′shi-um, n. a genus of American araceous plants: the root of the skunk-cabbage. [Gr.,—drakōn, a dragon.]

Dracunculus, drā-kun′kū-lus, n. a herbaceous genus of Araceæ; a dragonet or goby of genus Callionymus: a genus of worms, the guinea-worm. [L., dim, of draco, a dragon.]

Drad, drad, p.adj. or n. form used by Spenser for dread and dreaded.

Draff, draf, n. dregs: the refuse of malt that has been brewed from.—adjs. ', ', worthless. [Prob. related to Dut. draf, Ger. träber.]

Draft, dräft, n. anything drawn: a selection of men from an army, &c.: an order for the payment of money: lines drawn for a plan: a rough sketch: the depth to which a vessel sinks in water.—v.t. to draw an outline of: to compose and write: to draw off: to detach.—ns. ', a swingle-tree, the bar to which the coupling of a railway-carriage is attached; ', a horse used for drawing the plough, heavy loads, &c., in distinction to a carriage or saddle horse; ', an ox used for drawing loads; ', one who draws plans or designs; . [A corr. of Draught.]

Drafts, dräfts, n.pl. a game. [See Draughts.]

Drag, drag, v.t. to draw by force: to draw slowly: to pull roughly and violently: to explore with a drag-net or hook.—v.i. to hang so as to trail on the ground: to be forcibly drawn along: to move slowly and heavily:—pr.p. pa.p. dragged.—n. a net or hook for dragging along to catch things under water: a heavy harrow: a device for guiding wood to the saw: a mail-coach: a long open carriage, with transverse or side seats: a contrivance for retarding carriage-wheels in going down slopes: any obstacle to progress: an artificial scent (anise-seed, &c.) dragged on the ground for foxhounds trained to the pursuit (') to follow: (billiards) a push somewhat under the centre of the cue-ball, causing it to follow the object-ball a short way.—ns. ', a strong iron bar for connecting railway-carriages together—also '; ', a strong bolt passing through the drag-bar of railway-carriages, and serving to fasten the coupling; ', the chain that connects engine and tender, or carriages and wagons, with one another; ', a fisherman who uses a drag-net; ', a net to be dragged or drawn along the bottom of water to catch fish; ', the driver of a drag or coach. [A.S. dragan; Ger. tragen. Acc. to Curtius, nowise conn. with L. trahĕre.]

Dragantin, dra-gan′tin, n. a mucilage obtained from gum tragacanth.

Draggle, drag′l, v.t. or v.i. to make or become wet and dirty by dragging along the ground.—n. ', a slut.—adj. '. [Freq. of drag, and a doublet of drawl.]

Dragoman, drag′o-man, n. an interpreter or guide in Eastern countries:—pl. . [Fr., from Ar. tarjumân—tarjama, to interpret. See Targum.]

Dragon, drag′un, n. a fabulous winged serpent: the constellation Draco: a fierce person: the flying lizard of the East Indies.—ns. ', a little dragon: a genus of fishes of the goby family; ', an insect with a long body and brilliant colours.—v.t. ', to turn into a dragon: to watch like a dragon.—adjs. ', '.—n. ', watchful guardianship.—adj. Dragonné (her.), like a dragon in the hinder part, and a lion or the like in the fore part.—ns. ', the red resinous exudation of several kinds of trees in the W. and E. Indies, used for colouring; ', a plant of genus Dracocephalum, of the mint family (Labiatæ): (her.) tenné or tawny when blazoning is done by the heavenly bodies; ', a cowry; ', tarragon or snake-weed;  (same as Dracæna). [Fr.,—L. draco, draconis—Gr. drakōn, from aorist of derk-esthai, to look.]

Dragonnade, drag-on-ād′, n. the persecution of French Protestants under Louis XIV. by raids of dragoons: abandonment of a place to the violence of soldiers. [Fr., from dragon, dragoon.]

Dragoon, dra-gōōn′, n. formerly a soldier trained to fight either on horseback or on foot, now applied only to heavy cavalry as opposed to hussars and lancers.—v.t. to give up to the rage of soldiers: to compel by violent measures.—n. , the umbrella-bird. [Fr. See Dragon.]