List of Abbreviations Used in This Dictionary

Distringas, dis-tring′gas, n. an old writ directing a sheriff or other officer to distrain. [Second pers. sing. pres. subj. of Late L. distringĕre, to distrain.]

Distrouble, dis-trub′l, v.t. (Spens.) to trouble greatly, to perplex. [L. dis, inten., and trouble.]

Distrust, dis-trust′, n. want of trust: want of faith or confidence: doubt.—v.t. to have no trust in: to disbelieve: to doubt.—adj. Distrust′ful, full of distrust: apt to distrust: suspicious.—adv. Distrust′fully.—n. Distrust′fulness.—adj. Distrust′less.

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. Disturb′ance, agitation: tumult: interruption: perplexity.—adj. and n. Disturb′ant, disturbing.—adjs. Disturb′ative; Disturbed′.—n. Disturb′er. [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. Disul′phide, a sulphide containing two atoms of sulphur to the molecule—also Disul′phuret.—adj. Disulphū′ric, containing two sulphuric-acid radicals.

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

Disunion, dis-ūn′yun, n. want of union: breaking up of union or concord: separation.—n. Disun′ionist, 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. Disū′nity, state of disunion.

Disuse, dis-ūs′, or dis′ūs, n. cessation or giving up of use or custom.—v.t. (dis-ūz′) to cease to use or practise.—n. Disusage (dis-ūz′-), 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. Ditch′-dog (Shak.), a dead dog rotting in a ditch; Ditch′er, 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. Dī′theist.—adjs. Ditheist′ic, -al. [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. Dithyram′bic, 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. Ditriglyph′ic.

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

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. Ditt′os, 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 Ditt′y-box.

Diuretic, dī-ū-ret′ik, adj. promoting the discharge of urine.—n. a medicine causing this discharge.—n. Diurē′sis, 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. Diur′nalist, a journalist.—adv. Diur′nally. [L. diurnālis—dies, a day. See Journal.]

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

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. Dī′vagate, to wander about.—adv. Divague′ly. [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. Divaricā′tion. [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. Div′er, 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. Diverge′ment; Diverg′ence, Diverg′ency, a tendency to recede from one point.—adj. Diverg′ent.—adv. Diverg′ingly. [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. Dī′versely, or Diverse′ly.

Diversify, di-vėr′si-fī, v.t. to make diverse or different: to give variety to:—pr.p. diver′sifying; pa.p. diver′sified.—adj. Diversifī′able.—n. Diversificā′tion.—adj. Diver′siform, 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. Divert′imento (obs.), diversion: (mus.) a ballet-interlude.—adj. Divert′ing.—adv. Divert′ingly.—n. Divert′isement, diversion: a short ballet between the acts of a play.—adj. Divert′ive, 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. Divertic′ular, Divertic′ulated.

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. Div′itism, condition of being rich.

Divest, di-vest′, v.t. to strip or deprive of anything.—adj. Divest′ible.—ns. Divest′iture, Divest′ment (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. Divid′able (rare), divisible: (Shak.) divided.—adv. Divid′edly.—n. Divid′er, that which divides: a kind of compasses for dividing lines, &c.—adj. Divid′ing, separating.—n. separation.—n. Divid′ing-en′gine, an instrument for graduating the scales of scientific apparatus.—adjs. Divid′ual (Milt.), shared in common with others; Divid′uous, 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. Divinā′tion, the act or practice of divining: instinctive prevision: prediction: conjecture; Div′inātor, Divīn′er, one who divines or professes divination: a conjecturer:—fem. Divin′eress.—adjs. Divinatō′rial, Divin′a-tory, relating to divination, conjectural.—adv. Divine′ly.—ns. Divine′ness; Divin′ing-rod, a rod, usually of hazel, used by those professing to discover water or metals under ground.—vs.t. Div′inise, Divin′ify, 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. Div′ing-dress, 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. Divisibil′ity.—adj. Divis′ible, capable of being divided or separated.—adv. Divis′ibly.—adjs. Divi′sional, Divi′sionary, pertaining to or marking a division or separation; Divīs′ive, forming division or separation: creating discord.—ns. Divīs′iveness; Divis′or (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. Divorce′able.—ns. Divorcee′, a divorced person; Divorce′ment (B.), divorce; Divor′cer.—adj. Divor′cive, 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. Divul′gate, to publish.—n. Divulgā′tion. [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. Divul′sive, 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. Dizz′ily.—n. Dizz′iness, giddiness.—p.adj. Dizz′ying, 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. do′ing; 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. Do′-all, a factotum.—p.adj. Do′ing, 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. Doat′ing-piece, 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. Docē′tæ.—adjs. Docē′tic, Docetis′tic.—ns. Docē′tism; Docē′tist. [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.) Doc′ible.—ns. Doc′ibleness, Docil′ity, teachableness.—adj. Dō′cious (U.S.).—n. Doc′ity. [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. Docimas′tes, a genus of humming-birds with enormously long beak.—adj. Docimas′tic—n. Docimol′ogy, 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. Dock′-cress, 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. Dock′age, accommodation in docks for ships: dock-dues; Dock′er, one who works in the docks; Dock′-mas′ter, the person superintending a dock; Dock′-warr′ant, a warehouse receipt; Dock′yard, a naval establishment with docks, building-slips, stores, &c.; Dry′-dock, a dock which can be laid dry by dock-gates, pumping, &c.—also called Grav′ing-dock, because suitable for cleaning or graving the sides and bottoms of ships; Float′ing-dock, 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; Wet′-dock, 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. dock′eting; pa.p. dock′eted. [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. Doc′toral.—ns. Doc′torate, Doc′torship; Doc′toress, Doc′tress, 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. Doctrinā′rian, one given to theory; Doctrinā′rianism, 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. Doc′trinal, relating to or containing doctrine: relating to the act of teaching.—adv. Doc′trinally. [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. Document′al, Document′ary, relating to or found in documents.—n. Documentā′tion, 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. Dod′ded, polled, hornless.—ns. Dod′dle, a pollard; Dod′dy, a cow without horns.

Doddart, dod′art, n. (obs.) hockey.

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

Dodder, dod′ėr, v.t. or v.i. to shake, tremble.—p.adj. Dodd′ering, 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. Dodecagyn′ian, Dodecag′ynous.

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

Dodecandria, dō-de-kan′dri-a, n. a Linnæan class of plants having twelve stamens.—adj. Dodecan′drous. [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. Dodecasyllab′ic.

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. Dodg′er; Dodg′ery, trickery.—adj. Dodg′y. [Cf. dodder, toddle, diddle; Scot. daddle, doddle.]

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

Dodkin, dod′kin, n. a doit.—Also Doit′kin.

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 Dodō′nian.

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. Doe′skin, 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. dog′ging; pa.p. dogged.—ns. Dog′-bane, a plant with an intensely bitter root, valued for its medicinal properties, said to be poisonous to dogs; Dog′-bee, a drone; Dog′-belt, a broad leather belt round the waist for drawing dans or sledges in the low workings of coal-mines; Dog′-bis′cuit, biscuit made for dogs, sometimes containing scraps of meat; Dog′-bolt (obs.), a contemptible fellow; Dog′-box, the part of a railway wagon in which dogs are carried; Dog′-brī′er, the brier dogrose; Dog′cart, a two-wheeled carriage with seats back to back, so called from sporting-dogs being originally carried inside the box.—adj. Dog′-cheap, very cheap.—n. Dog′-coll′ar, a collar for dogs: a kind of stiff collar on a woman's dress: a close-fitting clerical collar.—adj. Dog′-faced.—ns. Dog′-fan′cier, one who has a fancy for, or who deals in dogs; Dog′fish, a popular name for various small species of shark, common on British and American coasts; Dog′-fox, a male fox; Dog′ger.—adj. Dog′gish, like a dog: churlish: brutal.—adv. Dog′gishly.—n. Dog′gishness.—p.adj. Dog′goned (vulg.), confounded.—n. Dog′-grass, a coarse perennial grass common in uncultivated grounds, akin to couch-grass, dog-wheat, &c.—adjs. Dog′-head′ed; Dog′-heart′ed.—ns. Dog′-hole, a hole fit only for dogs: a mean dwelling; Dog′-house, -kenn′el; Dog′-leech, one who treats the diseases of dogs; Dog-lett′er, the letter or sound r—also Canine letter; Dog′-louse; Dog′-pars′ley, fool's parsley; Dog′rose, a wild-rose, a brier; Dog's′-ear, 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. Dog's′-eared, Dog′-eared.—ns. Dog's′-fenn′el, May-weed; Dog′ship, the quality or personality of a dog.—adj. Dog′-sick.—n. Dog′skin, leather made from the skin of a dog, or from sheepskin in imitation of it.—adj. made of such.—ns. Dog′-sleep, a light sleep broken by the slightest noise; Dog's′-meat, coarse meat, scraps and refuse sold as food for dogs; Dog's′-mer′cury, the mercurialis perennis; Dog's′-nose, a kind of mixed drink; Dog's′-tail-grass, a common British pasture grass.—n.pl. Dog′-stones, a name for various British species of orchis.—ns. Dog's′-tongue, the hound's-tongue plant, Cynoglossum officinale; Dog′-tick.—adjs. Dog′-tired, Dog′-wea′ry (Shak.), tired as a dog, completely worn out.—ns. Dog′-trick, an ill-natured trick; Dog′-trot, a gentle trot like that of a dog; Dog′-vane, a small vane of thread, cork, and feathers placed on the weather gunwale to show the direction of the wind; Dog′-vī′olet, the common name of Viola canina and other scentless species of wild violet; Dog′-wheat, a name of Dog-grass; Dog′-whelk, the popular name for univalve molluscs of the genus Nassa; Dog′wood, 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. Dogaress′a, the wife of a doge; Dog′ate, Doge′ate, Doge′ship. [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. Dogg′edly.—n. Dogg′edness.

Dogger, dog′ėr, n. a two-masted Dutch fishing-vessel.—n. Dogg′erman. [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 Dog′grel. [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. Dogmat′ic, -al, pertaining to a dogma: asserting a thing as if it were a dogma: asserting positively: overbearing.—adv. Dogmat′ically.—n. Dogmat′ics (theol.), the statement of Christian doctrines, systematic theology.—v.i. Dog′matise, to state one's opinion dogmatically or arrogantly.—ns. Dog′matiser; Dog′matism, dogmatic or positive assertion of opinion; Dog′matist, one who makes positive assertions; Dogmatol′ogy, the science of dogma.—adj. Dog′matory. [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. Dolab′riform, 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. Dolcemen′te (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. Dole′ful, full of dole or grief: melancholy.—adv. Dole′fully.—n. Dole′fulness.—adjs. Dō′lent (obs.), Dole′some, dismal.—adv. Dole′somely. [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 Dolichoceph′alous.—ns. Dolichoceph′aly, Dolichoceph′alism. [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 Dolicosau′ria, 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. Dō′lia. [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. Doll′dom; Doll′hood; Doll′ship; Doll's′-house. [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. Doll′ared; Doll′arless.—ns. Dollaroc′racy; Doll′arship. [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 Dall′op. [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. Doll′iness.

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. Doll′ied.—n. Doll′ier. [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. Dolomit′ic.

Dolour, dō′lor, n. pain: grief: anguish.—adjs. Dolorif′erous, Dolori′fic, causing or expressing dolour, pain, or grief.—adv. Dolorō′so (mus.), noting a soft and pathetic manner.—adj. Dol′orous, full of dolour, pain, or grief: doleful.—adv. Dol′orously.—n. Dol′orousness.—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. Dol′phinet (Spens.), a female dolphin; Dol′phin-fly, 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. Dolt′ish, dull: stupid.—adv. Dolt′ishly.—n. Dolt′ishness. [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. Domain′al, Domā′nial. [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, Dom′ical, 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. Domes′tically.—v.t. Domes′ticāte, to make domestic or familiar: to tame.—ns. Domesticā′tion; Domesticā′tor; Domestic′ity.—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. Dom′iciled; Domicil′iary, pertaining to the domicile.—v.t. Domicil′iāte, to establish in a permanent residence.—n. Domiciliā′tion.—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. Dom′inance, Dom′inancy, ascendency.—adv. Dom′inantly. [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. Dominā′tion, government: absolute authority: tyranny.—adj. Dom′inative, governing: (rare) arbitrary.—n. Dom′inator (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. Domineer′ing, 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. Domin′ium, 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 Dom′inoes (-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.]