Diabaterial
Di•ab•a•te´ri•al, a. [Gr. (sc. ) offerings before crossing the border, fr. to pass over. See Diabase.] Passing over the borders. [R.] Mitford.

Diabolism
Di•ab´o•lism, n.
1. Character, action, or principles appropriate to the devil.
2. Possession by the devil. Bp. Warburton.

Diabolize
Di•ab´o•lize, v. t. To render diabolical. [R.]

Diabolo
Di•ab´o•lo (di•ab"o•lo), n. An old game or sport (revived under this name) consisting in whirling on a string, fastened to two sticks, a small somewhat spool-shaped object (called the diabolo) so as to balance it on a string, toss it in the air and catch it, etc. { Diamond anniversary, jubilee, etc. } One celebrated upon the completion of sixty, or, according to some, seventy-five, years from the beginning of the thing commemorated.

Diacatholicon
Di•a•ca•thol´i•con, n. [Pref. dia- + catholicon.] (Med.) A universal remedy; — name formerly to a purgative electuary.

Diacaustic
Di•a•caus´tic, a. [Pref. dia- + caustic.] (Opt.) Pertaining to, or possessing the properties of, a species of caustic curves formed by refraction. See Caustic surface, under Caustic.

Diacaustic
Di•a•caus´tic, n.
1. (Med.) That which burns by refraction, as a double convex lens, or the sun’s rays concentrated by such a lens, sometimes used as a cautery.
2. (Math.) A curved formed by the consecutive intersections of rays of light refracted through a lens. { Di•ach´y•lon, Di•ach´y•lum } n. [NL. diachylum, fr. Gr. very juicy; dia• thoroughly + juice.] (Med. & Chem.) A plaster originally composed of the juices of several plants (whence its name), but now made of an oxide of lead and oil, and consisting essentially of glycerin mixed with lead salts of the fat acids.

Diacid
Di•ac´id, a. [Pref. di- + acid.] (Chem.) Divalent; — said of a base or radical as capable of saturating two acid monad radicals or a dibasic acid. Cf. Dibasic, a. , and Biacid.

Diaconal
Di•ac´o•nal, a. [LL. diaconalis: cf. F. diaconal. Cf. Deacon.] Of or pertaining to a deacon.

Diacope
Di•ac´o•pe, n. [L., fr. Gr. a cutting in two; dia• through + .] (Gram.) Tmesis.

Diacoustic
Di•a•cous´tic, a. [Pref. di- + acoustic.] Pertaining to the science or doctrine of refracted sounds.

Diacoustics
Di•a•cous´tics, n. [Cf. F. diacoustique.] That branch of natural philosophy which treats of the properties of sound as affected by passing through different mediums; — called also diaphonics. See the Note under Acoustics. { Di•a•crit´ic, Di•a•crit´ic•al } a. [Gr., fr. to separate, distinguish; dia• through + to separate. See Critic.] That separates or distinguishes; — applied to points or marks used to distinguish letters of similar form, or different sounds of the same letter, as a, a, ä, o, o, etc. "Diacritical points." Sir W. Jones.
"A glance at this typography will reveal great difficulties, which diacritical marks necessarily throw in the way of both printer and writer." A. J. Ellis.

Diadelphia
Di•a•del´phi•a, n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. di- = di•s- twice + brother.] (Bot.) A Linnaean class of plants whose stamens are united into two bodies or bundles by their filaments. { Di•a•del´phi•an, Di•a•del´phous } a. [Cf. F. diadelphe.] (Bot.) Of or pertaining to the class Diadelphia; having the stamens united into two bodies by their filaments (said of a plant or flower); grouped into two bundles or sets by coalescence of the filaments (said of stamens).

Diadem
Di´a•dem, n. [F. diadème, L. diadema, fr. Gr., fr. to bind round; dia• through, across + to bind; cf. Skr. da to bind.]
1. Originally, an ornamental head band or fillet, worn by Eastern monarchs as a badge of royalty; hence (later), also a crown, in general. "The regal diadem." Milton.
2. Regal power; sovereignty; empire; — considered as symbolized by the crown.
3. (Her.) An arch rising from the rim of a crown (rarely also of a coronet), and uniting with others over its center. Diadem lemur. (Zoöl.) See Indri. — Diadem spider (Zoöl.), the garden spider.

Diadem
Di´a•dem, v. t. To adorn with a diadem; to crown.
"Not so, when diadem’d with rays divine." Pope.
"To terminate the evil, To diadem the right." R. H. Neale.

Diadrom
Di´a•drom, n. [Gr. a running through; dia• through +, used as inf. aor. of to run.] A complete course or vibration; time of vibration, as of a pendulum. [Obs.] Locke. { Di•aer´e•sis, Di•er´e•sis } ( 277), n. ; pl. Diaereses or Diereses (#). [L. diaeresis, Gr., fr. to divide; dia• through, asunder + to take. See Heresy.]
1. (Gram.) The separation or resolution of one syllable into two; — the opposite of synaeresis.
2. A mark consisting of two dots [&umlaut;], placed over the second of two adjacent vowels, to denote that they are to be pronounced as distinct letters; as coöperate, aërial.

Diageotropic
Di•a•ge•o•trop´ic, a. [Gr. dia• through, at variance + earth + turning.] (Bot.) Relating to, or exhibiting, diageotropism.

Diageotropism
Di•a•ge•ot´ro•pism, n. (Bot.) The tendency of organs (as roots) of plants to assume a position oblique or transverse to a direction towards the center of the earth.

Diaglyph
Di´a•glyph, n. [Gr. to engrave; dia• through + to carve.] An intaglio. Mollett. { Di•a•glyph´ic, Di•a•glyph´tic } a. Represented or formed by depressions in the general surface; as diaglyphic sculpture or engraving; — opposed to anaglyphic.

Diagnose
Di•ag•nose´, v. t. & i. To ascertain by diagnosis; to diagnosticate. See Diagnosticate.

Diagnosticate
Di•ag•nos´ti•cate, v. t. & i. [From Diagnostic.] To make a diagnosis of; to recognize by its symptoms, as a disease.

Diagometer
Di•a•gom´e•ter, n. [Gr. to transmit + -meter.] A sort of electroscope, invented by Rousseau, in which the dry pile is employed to measure the amount of electricity transmitted by different bodies, or to determine their conducting power. Nichol.

Diagonal
Di•ag´o•nal, a. [L. diagonalis, fr. Gr. from to angle; dia• through + an angle; perh. akin to E. knee: cf. F. diagonal.] (Geom.) Joining two not adjacent angles of a quadrilateral or multilateral figure; running across from corner to corner; crossing at an angle with one of the sides. Diagonal bond (Masonry), herringbone work. See Herringbone, a. — Diagonal built (Shipbuilding), built by forming the outer skin of two layers of planking, making angles of about 45° with the keel, in opposite directions. — Diagonal cleavage. See under Cleavage. — Diagonal molding (Arch.), a chevron or zigzag molding. — Diagonal rib. (Arch.) See Cross- springer. — Diagonal scale, a scale which consists of a set of parallel lines, with other lines crossing them obliquely, so that their intersections furnish smaller subdivisions of the unit of measure than could be conveniently marked on a plain scale. — Diagonal stratification. (Geol.) Same as Cross bedding, under Cross, a.

Diagonal
Di•ag´o•nal, n.
1. A right line drawn from one angle to another not adjacent, of a figure of four or more sides, and dividing it into two parts.
2. (Engin.) A member, in a framed structure, running obliquely across a panel.
3. A diagonal cloth; a kind of cloth having diagonal stripes, ridges, or welts made in the weaving.

Diagonally
Di•ag´o•nal•ly, adv. In a diagonal direction.

Diagonial
Di•a•go´ni•al, a. Diagonal; diametrical; hence; diametrically opposed. [Obs.]
"Sin can have no tenure by law at all, but is rather an eternal outlaw, and in hostility with law past all atonement; both diagonal contraries, as much allowing one another as day and night together in one hemisphere." Milton.

Diagram
Di´a•gram, n. [Gr., fr. to mark out by lines; dia• through + to draw, write: cf. F. diagramme. See Graphic.]
1. (Geom.) A figure or drawing made to illustrate a statement, or facilitate a demonstration; a plan.
2. Any simple drawing made for mathematical or scientific purposes, or to assist a verbal explanation which refers to it; a mechanical drawing, as distinguished from an artistical one. Indicator diagram. (Steam Engine) See Indicator card, under indicator

Diagram
Di´a•gram, v. t. To put into the form of a diagram.

Diagrammatic
Di•a•gram•mat´ic, a. Pertaining to, or of the nature of, a diagram; showing by diagram. — Di•a•gram•mat´ic•ly (#), adv.

Diagraph
Di´a•graph, n. [Gr. to draw: cf. F. diagraphe. See Diagram.] A drawing instrument, combining a protractor and scale. { Di•a•graph´ic, Di•a•graph´ic•al } a. [Cf. F. diagraphique.] Descriptive.

Diaheliotropic
Di•a•he•li•o•trop´ic, a. [Gr. through, at variance + sun + turning.] (Bot.) Relating or, or manifesting, diaheliotropism.

Diaheliotropism
Di•a•he•li•ot´ro•pism, n. (Bot.) A tendency of leaves or other organs of plants to have their dorsal surface faced towards the rays of light.

Dial
Di´al, n. [LL. dialis daily, fr. L. dies day. See Deity.]
1. An instrument, formerly much used for showing the time of day from the shadow of a style or gnomon on a graduated arc or surface; esp., a sundial; but there are lunar and astral dials. The style or gnomon is usually parallel to the earth’s axis, but the dial plate may be either horizontal or vertical.
2. The graduated face of a timepiece, on which the time of day is shown by pointers or hands.
3. A miner’s compass. Dial bird (Zoöl.), an Indian bird ( Copsychus saularius), allied to the European robin. The name is also given to other related species. — Dial lock, a lock provided with one or more plates having numbers or letters upon them. These plates must be adjusted in a certain determined way before the lock can be operated. — Dial plate, the plane or disk of a dial or timepiece on which lines and figures for indicating the time are placed.

Dial
Di´al, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Dialed or Dialled; p. pr. & vb. n. Dialing or Dialling.]
1. To measure with a dial.
"Hours of that true time which is dialed in heaven." Talfourd.
2. (Mining) To survey with a dial. Raymond.

Dialectic
Di•a•lec´tic, n. Same as Dialectics.
"Plato placed his dialectic above all sciences." Liddell & Scott. { Di•a•lec´tic, Di•a•lec´tic•al } a. [L. dialecticus, Gr. : cf. F. dialectique. See Dialect.]
1. Pertaining to dialectics; logical; argumental.
2. Pertaining to a dialect or to dialects. Earle.

Dialectician
Di•a•lec•ti´cian, n. [Cf. F. dialecticien.] One versed in dialectics; a logician; a reasoner.

Dialectics
Di•a•lec´tics, n. [L. dialectica (sc. ars), Gr. (sc. ): cf. F. dialectique.] That branch of logic which teaches the rules and modes of reasoning; the application of logical principles to discursive reasoning; the science or art of discriminating truth from error; logical discussion. Dialectics was defined by Aristotle to be the method of arguing with probability on any given problem, and of defending a tenet without inconsistency. By Plato, it was used in the following senses:
1. Discussion by dialogue as a method of scientific investigation.
2. The method of investigating the truth by analysis.
3. The science of ideas or of the nature and laws of being — higher metaphysics. By Kant, it was employed to signify the logic of appearances or illusions, whether these arise from accident or error, or from those necessary limitations which, according to this philosopher, originate in the constitution of the human intellect.

Dialectology
Di•a•lec•tol´o•gy, n. [ Dialect + -logy.] That branch of philology which is devoted to the consideration of dialects. Beck.

Dialector
Di•a•lec´tor, n. One skilled in dialectics.

Dialing
Di´al•ing, n.
1. The art of constructing dials; the science which treats of measuring time by dials. [Written also dialling.]
2. A method of surveying, especially in mines, in which the bearings of the courses, or the angles which they make with each other, are determined by means of the circumferentor.

Dialist
Di´al•ist, n. A maker of dials; one skilled in dialing.

Diallage
Di•al´la•ge, n. [NL., fr. Gr. interchange, change, fr. to interchange.] (Rhet.) A figure by which arguments are placed in various points of view, and then turned to one point. Smart.

Diallage
Di´al•lage ( 277), n. [Gr. change, alluding to the change and inequality of luster between the natural joints of the mineral.] (Min.) A dark green or bronze-colored laminated variety of pyroxene, common in certain igneous rocks.

Diallel
Di´al•lel, a. [Gr. crossing.] Meeting and intersecting, as lines; not parallel; — opposed to parallel. [Obs.] Ash.

Diallyl
Di•al´lyl, n. (Chem.) A volatile, pungent, liquid hydrocarbon, C₆H₁₀, consisting of two allyl radicals, and belonging to the acetylene series.

Dialogical
Di•a•log´ic•al, a. [Gr. belonging to discourse.] Relating to a dialogue; dialogistical. Burton.

Dialogically
Di•a•log´ic•al•ly, adv. In the manner or nature of a dialogue. Goldsmith.

Dialogism
Di•al´o•gism, n. [Gr., fr. : cf. F. dialogisme. See Dialogue.] An imaginary speech or discussion between two or more; dialogue. Fulke.

Dialogite
Di•al´o•gite, n. [From Gr. an arguing.] (Min.) Native carbonate of manganese; rhodochrosite.

Dialogize
Di•al´o•gize, v. t. [Gr. : cf. F. dialogiser.] To discourse in dialogue. Fotherby.

Dialogue
Di´a•logue ( 115), n. [OE. dialogue, L. dialogus, fr. Gr., fr. to converse, dia• through + to speak: cf. F. dialogue. See Legend.]
1. A conversation between two or more persons; particularly, a formal conservation in theatrical performances or in scholastic exercises.
2. A written composition in which two or more persons are represented as conversing or reasoning on some topic; as the Dialogues of Plato.

Dialogue
Di´a•logue, v. i. [Cf. F. dialoguer.] To take part in a dialogue; to dialogize. [R.] Shak.

Dialogue
Di´a•logue, v. t. To express as in dialogue. [R.]
"And dialogued for him what he would say." Shak.

Dialypetalous
Di•al•y•pet´al•ous, a. [Gr. dia• through, asunder + to loose + leaf.] (Bot.) Having separate petals; polypetalous.

Dialysis
Di•al´y•sis, n. ; pl. Dialyses (#). [L., separation, fr. Gr., fr. to part asunder, dissolve; dia• through + to loose.]
1. (Gram.) Diaeresis. See Diaeresis, 1.
2. (Rhet.) Same as Asyndeton.
3. (Med.) (a) Debility. (b) A solution of continuity; division; separation of parts.
4. (Chem.) The separation of different substances in solution, as crystalloids and colloids, by means of their unequal diffusion, especially through natural or artificial membranes.

Dialyzation
Di•a•ly•za´tion, n. (Chem.) The act or process of dialysis.

Dialyze
Di´a•lyze, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Dialyzed p. pr. & vb. n. Dialyzing.] (Chem.) To separate, prepare, or obtain, by dialysis or osmose; to pass through an animal membrane; to subject to dialysis. [Written also dialyse.]

Dialyzer
Di´a•ly•zer, n. The instrument or medium used to effect chemical dialysis.

Diamagnet
Di•a•mag´net, n. [Pref. dia- + magnet.] A body having diamagnetic polarity.

Diamagnetic
Di•a•mag•net´ic, a. Pertaining to, or exhibiting the phenomena of, diamagnetism; taking, or being of a nature to take, a position at right angles to the lines of magnetic force. See Paramagnetic. Diamagnetic attraction. See under Attraction.

Diamagnetic
Di•a•mag•net´ic, n. Any substance, as bismuth, glass, phosphorous, etc., which in a field of magnetic force is differently affected from the ordinary magnetic bodies, as iron; that is, which tends to take a position at right angles to the lines of magnetic force, and is repelled by either pole of the magnet.

Diamagnetically
Di•a•mag•net´ic•al•ly, adv. In the manner of, or according to, diamagnetism.

Diamagnetism
Di•a•mag´net•ism, n.
1. The science which treats of diamagnetic phenomena, and of the properties of diamagnetic bodies.
2. That form or condition of magnetic action which characterizes diamagnetics.

Diamantiferous
Di•a•man•tif´er•ous, a. [F. diamant diamond + -ferous.] Yielding diamonds.

Diamantine
Di•a•man´tine, a. Adamantine. [Obs.]

Diameter
Di•am´e•ter, n. [F. diamètre, L. diametros, fr. Gr. ; dia• through + measure. See Meter.]
1. (Geom.) (a) Any right line passing through the center of a figure or body, as a circle, conic section, sphere, cube, etc., and terminated by the opposite boundaries; a straight line which bisects a system of parallel chords drawn in a curve. (b) A diametral plane.
2. The length of a straight line through the center of an object from side to side; width; thickness; as the diameter of a tree or rock. In an elongated object the diameter is usually taken at right angles to the longer axis.
3. (Arch.) The distance through the lower part of the shaft of a column, used as a standard measure for all parts of the order. See Module. Conjugate diameters. See under Conjugate.

Diametrally
Di•am´e•tral•ly, adv. Diametrically. { Di•am´e•tric, Di•am´e•tric•al } a.
1. Of or pertaining to a diameter.
2. As remote as possible, as if at the opposite end of a diameter; directly adverse.

Diametrically
Di•am´e•tric•al•ly, adv. In a diametrical manner; directly; as diametrically opposite.
"Whose principles were diametrically opposed to his." Macaulay.

Diamide
Di•am´ide ( 104), n. [Pref. di- + amide.] (Chem.) Any compound containing two amido groups united with one or more acid or negative radicals, — as distinguished from a diamine. Cf. Amido acid, under Amido, and Acid amide, under Amide.

Diamond
Di´a•mond ( 277), n. [OE. diamaund, diamaunt, F. diamant, corrupted, fr. L. adamas, the hardest iron, steel, diamond, Gr. . Perh. the corruption is due to the influence of Gr. transparent. See Adamant, Tame.]
1. A precious stone or gem excelling in brilliancy and beautiful play of prismatic colors, and remarkable for extreme hardness. The diamond is native carbon in isometric crystals, often octahedrons with rounded edges. It is usually colorless, but some are yellow, green, blue, and even black. It is the hardest substance known. The diamond as found in nature (called a rough diamond) is cut, for use in jewelry, into various forms with many reflecting faces, or facets, by which its brilliancy is much increased. See Brilliant, Rose. Diamonds are said to be of the first water when very transparent, and of the second or third water as the transparency decreases.
2. A geometrical figure, consisting of four equal straight lines, and having two of the interior angles acute and two obtuse; a rhombus; a lozenge.
3. One of a suit of playing cards, stamped with the figure of a diamond.
4. (Arch.) A pointed projection, like a four-sided pyramid, used for ornament in lines or groups.
5. (Baseball) The infield; the square space, 90 feet on a side, having the bases at its angles.
6. (Print.) The smallest kind of type in English printing, except that called brilliant, which is seldom seen. This line is printed in the type called Diamond. Black diamond, coal; (Min.) See Carbonado. — Bristol diamond. See Bristol stone, under Bristol. — Diamond beetle (Zoöl.), a large South American weevil ( Entimus imperialis), remarkable for its splendid luster and colors, due to minute brilliant scales. — Diamond bird (Zoöl.), a small Australian bird ( Pardalotus punctatus, family Ampelidae.). It is black, with white spots. — Diamond drill (Engin.), a rod or tube the end of which is set with black diamonds; — used for perforating hard substances, esp. for boring in rock. — Diamond finch (Zoöl.), a small Australian sparrow, often kept in a cage. Its sides are black, with conspicuous white spots, and the rump is bright carmine. — Diamond groove (Iron Working), a groove of V-section in a roll. — Diamond mortar (Chem.), a small steel mortar used for pulverizing hard substances. - - Diamond-point tool, a cutting tool whose point is diamond-shaped. — Diamond snake (Zoöl.), a harmless snake of Australia ( Morelia spilotes); the carpet snake. — Glazier’s diamond, a small diamond set in a glazier’s tool, for cutting glass.

Diamond
Di´a•mond ( 277), a. Resembling a diamond; made of, or abounding in, diamonds; as a diamond chain; a diamond field.

Diamond State. Delaware; — a nickname alluding to its small size.

Diamond-back
Di´a•mond-back, n. (Zoöl.) The salt-marsh terrapin of the Atlantic coast ( Malacoclemmys palustris).

Diamonded
Di´a•mond•ed, a.
1. Having figures like a diamond or lozenge.
2. Adorned with diamonds; diamondized. Emerson.

Diamondize
Di´a•mond•ize, v. t. To set with diamonds; to adorn; to enrich. [R.]
"Diamondizing of your subject." B. Jonson.

Diamond-shaped
Di´a•mond-shaped, a. Shaped like a diamond or rhombus.

Diamylene
Di•am´y•lene, n. [Pref. di- + amylene.] (Chem.) A liquid hydrocarbon, C₁₀H₂₀, of the ethylene series, regarded as a polymeric form of amylene.

Dian
Di´an, a. Diana. [Poetic]

Diana
Di•a´na, n. [L. Diana.] (Myth.) The daughter of Jupiter and Latona; a virgin goddess who presided over hunting, chastity, and marriage; — identified with the Greek goddess Artemis.
"And chaste Diana haunts the forest shade." Pope. Diana monkey (Zoöl.), a handsome, white-bearded monkey of West Africa ( Cercopithecus Diana).

Diandria
Di•an´dri•a, n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. di- = di•s- twice +,, a man, a male.] (Bot.) A Linnaean class of plants having two stamens.

Diandrian
Di•an´dri•an, a. Diandrous.

Diandrous
Di•an´drous, n. [Cf. F. diandre.] (Bot.) Of or pertaining to the class Diandria; having two stamens.

Dianium
Di•a´ni•um, n. [NL., fr. L. Diana; either as the name of the Roman goddess, or from its use in OE. as a name of silver.] (Chem.) Same as Columbium. [Obs.]

Dianoialogy
Di•a•noi•al´o•gy, n. [Gr. thought + -logy.] The science of the dianoetic faculties, and their operations. Sir W. Hamilton.

Dianthus
Di•an´thus, n. [NL., fr. Gr., gen., Zeus + ’a•nqos flower.] (Bot.) A genus of plants containing some of the most popular of cultivated flowers, including the pink, carnation, and Sweet William.

Diapase
Di´a•pase, n. Same as Diapason. [Obs.]
"A tuneful diapase of pleasures." Spenser.

Diapason
Di•a•pa´son, n. [L., fr. Gr. diapasw^n ( i. e., "h dia• pasw^n chordw^n symfoni•a the concord of the first and last notes, the octave); dia• through + pasw^n, gen. pl. of pa^s all: cf. F. diapason. Cf. Panacea.]
1. (Gr. Mus.) The octave, or interval which includes all the tones of the diatonic scale.
2. Concord, as of notes an octave apart; harmony.
"The fair music that all creatures made … In perfect diapason." Milton.
3. The entire compass of tones.
"Through all the compass of the notes it ran, The diapason closing full in man." Dryden.
4. A standard of pitch; a tuning fork; as the French normal diapason.
5. One of certain stops in the organ, so called because they extend through the scale of the instrument. They are of several kinds, as open diapason, stopped diapason, double diapason, and the like.

Diapente
Di•a•pen´te, n. [L., fr. Gr. a fifth; dia• through + five: cf. F. diapente.]
1. (Anc. Mus.) The interval of the fifth.
2. (Med.) A composition of five ingredients.

Diaper
Di´a•per, n. [OF. diaspre, diapre, diaspe, sort of figured cloth, It. diaspro jasper, diaspo figured cloth, from L. jaspis a green-colored precious stone. See Jasper.]
1. Any textile fabric (esp. linen or cotton toweling) woven in diaper pattern. See 2.
2. (Fine Arts) Surface decoration of any sort which consists of the constant repetition of one or more simple figures or units of design evenly spaced.
3. A towel or napkin for wiping the hands, etc.
"Let one attend him with a silver basin, … Another bear the ewer, the third a diaper." Shak.
4. An infant’s breechcloth.

Diaper
Di´a•per, v. t.
1. To ornament with figures, etc., arranged in the pattern called diaper, as cloth in weaving. "Diapered light." H. Van Laun.
"Engarlanded and diapered With in wrought flowers." Tennyson.
2. To put a diaper on (a child).

Diaper
Di´a•per, v. i. To draw flowers or figures, as upon cloth. "If you diaper on folds." Peacham.

Diapering
Di´a•per•ing, n. Same as Diaper, n. , 2.

Diaphanometer
Di•a•pha•nom´e•ter, n. [Gr. transparent + -meter.] An instrument for measuring the transparency of the air.

Diaphanoscope
Di•a•phan´o•scope, n. [Gr. transparent + -scope.] (Photog.) A dark box constructed for viewing transparent pictures, with or without a lens.

Diaphanotype
Di•a•phan´o•type, n. [Gr. transparent + -type.] (Photog.) A colored photograph produced by superimposing a translucent colored positive over a strong uncolored one.

Diaphanous
Di•aph´a•nous, a. [Gr., fr. to show or shine through; dia• through + to show, and in the passive, to shine: cf. F. diaphane. See Phantom, and cf. Diaphane, Diaphanic.] Allowing light to pass through, as porcelain; translucent or transparent; pellucid; clear.
"Another cloud in the region of them, light enough to be fantastic and diaphanous." Landor.

Diaphemetric
Di•aph•e•met´ric, a. [Gr. dia• through + touch + measure.] (Physiol.) Relating to the measurement of the tactile sensibility of parts; as diaphemetric compasses. Dunglison. { Di•a•phon´ic, Di•a•phon´ic•al }, a. [Gr. dia• through + sound, tone.] Diacoustic.

Diaphonics
Di•a•phon´ics, n. The doctrine of refracted sound; diacoustics.

Diaphoresis
Di•a•pho•re´sis, n. [L., fr. Gr., fr. to carry through, to throw off by perspiration; dia• through + to carry.] (Med.) Perspiration, or an increase of perspiration. { Di•a•pho•ret´ic, Di•a•pho•ret´ic•al } a. [L. diaphoreticus, Gr. : cf. F. diaphoretique. See Diaphoresis.] Having the power to increase perspiration.

Diaphote
Di´a•phote, n. [Pref. dia- + Gr., light.] (Elec.) An instrument designed for transmitting pictures by telegraph. Fallows.

Diaphragm
Di´a•phragm, n. [L. diaphragma, Gr., fr. to fence by a partition wall; dia• through +,, to fence, inclose; prob. akin to L. fareire to stuff: cf. F. diaphragme. See Farce.]
1. A dividing membrane or thin partition, commonly with an opening through it.
2. (Anat.) The muscular and tendinous partition separating the cavity of the chest from that of the abdomen; the midriff.
3. (Zoöl.) A calcareous plate which divides the cavity of certain shells into two parts.
4. (Opt.) A plate with an opening, which is generally circular, used in instruments to cut off marginal portions of a beam of light, as at the focus of a telescope.
5. (Mach.) A partition in any compartment, for various purposes. Diaphragm pump, one in which a flexible diaphragm takes the place of a piston.

Diaphysis
Di•aph´y•sis, n. [Gr. a growing through; dia• through + to bring forth.]
1. (Bot.) An abnormal prolongation of the axis of inflorescence.
2. (Anat.) The shaft, or main part, of a bone, which is first ossified.

Diapnoic
Di•ap•no´ic, a. [Gr. outlet for the wind, exhalation, fr. to blow through; dia• through + to blow, breathe: cf. F. diapnoïque.] (Med.) Slightly increasing an insensible perspiration; mildly diaphoretic. — n. A gentle diaphoretic.

Diapophysical
Di•ap•o•phys´ic•al, a. (Anat.) Pertaining to a diapophysis.

Diapophysis
Di•a•poph´y•sis, n. [NL. See Dia-, and Apophysis.] (Anat.) The dorsal transverse, or tubercular, process of a vertebra. See Vertebra.

Diarthrosis
Di•ar•thro´sis, n. [NL., fr. Gr., fr. to joint, articulate; dia• through, asunder + to fasten by a joint, ’a•rqron joint.] (Anat.) A form of articulation which admits of considerable motion; a complete joint; abarticulation. See Articulation.

Diaspora
Di•as´po•ra, n. [Gr. . See Diaspore.] Lit., "Dispersion." — applied collectively: (a) To those Jews who, after the Exile, were scattered through the Old World, and afterwards to Jewish Christians living among heathen. Cf. James i. 1. (b) By extension, to Christians isolated from their own communion, as among the Moravians to those living, usually as missionaries, outside of the parent congregation.

Diastase
Di´a•stase, n. [Gr. separation, fr., to stand apart; dia• through +,, to stand, set: cf. F. diastase. Cf. Diastasis.] (Physiol. Chem.) A soluble, nitrogenous ferment, capable of converting starch and dextrin into sugar. The name is more particularly applied to that ferment formed during the germination of grain, as in the malting of barley; but it is also occasionally used to designate the amylolytic ferment contained in animal fluids, as in the saliva.

Diastasis
Di•as´ta•sis, n. [NL. See Diastase.] (Surg.) A forcible separation of bones without fracture.

Diastema
Di•a•ste´ma, n. [L. See Diastem.] (Anat.) A vacant space, or gap, esp. between teeth in a jaw.

Diastolic
Di•as•tol´ic, a. (Physiol.) Of or pertaining to diastole.

Diastyle
Di´a•style, n. [L. diastylus, Gr. ; dia• through, asunder + pillar, column: cf. F. diastyle.] (Arch.) See under Intercolumniation.

Diathermal
Di•a•ther´mal, a. [Gr. thoroughly warm; dia• through + warm, hot. Cf. Diathermous.] Freely permeable by radiant heat. { Di•a•ther´man•cy, Di•a•ther•ma•ne´i•ty } n. [See Diathermanous.] The property of transmitting radiant heat; the quality of being diathermous. Melloni.

Diathermanous
Di•a•ther´ma•nous, a. [Gr. to warm through; dia• through + to warm, warm.] Having the property of transmitting radiant heat; diathermal; — opposed to athermanous.

Diathermic
Di•a•ther´mic, a. Affording a free passage to heat; as diathermic substances. Melloni.

Diathermometer
Di•a•ther•mom´e•ter, n. [Gr. warm + -meter. See Diathermal.] (Physics) An instrument for examining the thermal resistance or heat- conducting power of liquids.

Diathetic
Di•a•thet´ic, a. Pertaining to, or dependent on, a diathesis or special constitution of the body; as diathetic disease.

Diatom
Di´a•tom (di•a•tom), n. [Gr. dia•tomos cut in two. See Diatomous.]
1. (Bot.) One of the Diatomaceae, a family of minute unicellular Algae having a siliceous covering of great delicacy, each individual multiplying by spontaneous division. By some authors diatoms are called Bacillariae, but this word is not in general use.
2. A particle or atom endowed with the vital principle.
"The individual is nothing. He is no more than the diatom, the bit of protoplasm." Mrs. E. Lynn Linton.

Diatomous
Di•at´o•mous, a. [Gr. dia•tomos cut through, fr. diate•mnein to cut through; dia• through + te•mnein to cut. Cf. Diatom.] (Min.) Having a single, distinct, diagonal cleavage; — said of crystals. Mohs.

Diatribe
Di´a•tribe ( 277), n. [L. diatriba a learned discussion, Gr., prop., a wearing away of time, fr. to rub away, spend time; dia• through + to rub: cf. L. terere, F. trite: cf. F. diatribe.] A prolonged or exhaustive discussion; especially, an acrimonious or invective harangue; a strain of abusive or railing language; a philippic.
"The ephemeral diatribe of a faction." John Morley.

Diatribist
Di•at´ri•bist, n. One who makes a diatribe or diatribes.

Diatryma
Di•a•try´ma, n. [NL., from Gr. dia• through + hole.] (Paleon.) An extinct eocene bird from New Mexico, larger than the ostrich. { Di•a•zeuc´tic, Di•a•zeu´tic } a. [Gr. disjunctive, fr. to disjoin; dia• through, asunder + to join, yoke.] (Anc. Mus.) Disjoining two fourths; as the diazeutic tone, which, like that from F to G in modern music, lay between two fourths, and, being joined to either, made a fifth. [Obs.]

Diazo-
Di•az´o- . [Pref. di- + azo-] (Chem.) A combining form (also used adjectively), meaning pertaining to, or derived from, a series of compounds containing a radical of two nitrogen atoms, united usually to an aromatic radical; as diazo-benzene, C₆H₅.N₂.OH. Diazo compounds are in general unstable, but are of great importance in recent organic chemistry. They are obtained by a partial reduction of the salts of certain amido compounds. Diazo reactions (Chem.), a series of reactions whereby diazo compounds are employed in substitution. These reactions are of great importance in organic chemistry.

Diazotize
Di•az´o•tize, v. t. (Chem.) To subject to such reactions or processes that diazo compounds, or their derivatives, shall be produced by chemical exchange or substitution.

Dib, v. i. To dip. [Prov. Eng.] Walton.

Dib, n.
1. One of the small bones in the knee joints of sheep uniting the bones above and below the joints.
2. pl. A child’s game, played with dib bones.

Dibasic
Di•ba´sic, a. [Pref. di- + basic.] (Chem.) Having two acid hydrogen atoms capable of replacement by basic atoms or radicals, in forming salts; bibasic; — said of acids, as oxalic or sulphuric acids. Cf. Diacid, Bibasic. In the case of certain acids dibasic and divalent are not synonymous; as tartaric acid is tetravalent and dibasic, lactic acid is divalent but monobasic.

Dibber
Dib´ber, n. A dibble. Halliwell.

Dibble
Dib´ble, n. [See Dibble, v. i.] A pointed implement used to make holes in the ground in which no set out plants or to plant seeds.

Dibble
Dib´ble, v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Dibbled p. pr. & vb. n. Dibbling ] [Freq. of Prov. E. dib, for dip to thrust in. See Dip.] To dib or dip frequently, as in angling. Walton.

Dibble
Dib´ble, v. t.
1. To plant with a dibble; to make holes in (soil) with a dibble, for planting.
2. To make holes or indentations in, as if with a dibble.
"The clayey soil around it was dibbled thick at the time by the tiny hoofs of sheep." H. Miller.

Dibbler
Dib´bler, n. One who, or that which, dibbles, or makes holes in the ground for seed.

Dibranchiata
Di•bran•chi•a´ta, n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. di- = di•s- twice + gills.] (Zoöl.) An order of cephalopods which includes those with two gills, an apparatus for emitting an inky fluid, and either eight or ten cephalic arms bearing suckers or hooks, as the octopi and squids. See Cephalopoda.

Dibs, n. A sweet preparation or treacle of grape juice, much used in the East. Johnston.

Dibstone
Dib´stone ( 110), n. A pebble used in a child’s game called dibstones. Locke.

Dibutyl
Di•bu´tyl, n. [Pref. di- + butyl.] (Chem.) A liquid hydrocarbon, C₈H₁₈, of the marsh-gas series, being one of several octanes, and consisting of two butyl radicals. Cf. Octane.

Dicacity
Di•cac´i•ty, n. [L. dicacitas: cf. F. dicacite. See Dicacious.] Pertness; sauciness. [Obs.]

Dicarbonic
Di•car•bon´ic, a. [Pref. di- + carbonic.] (Chem.) Containing two carbon residues, or two carboxyl or radicals; as oxalic acid is a dicarbonic acid.

Dicast
Di´cast, n. [Gr., fr. to judge, right, judgment, justice.] A functionary in ancient Athens answering nearly to the modern juryman.

Dicastery
Di•cas´ter•y, n. [Gr., fr. juryman. See Dicast.] A court of justice; judgment hall. [R.] J. S. Mill.

Dicentra
Di•cen´tra, n. [NL., fr. Gr. di- = di•s- twice + spur.] (Bot.) A genus of herbaceous plants, with racemes of two-spurred or heart-shaped flowers, including the Dutchman’s breeches, and the more showy Bleeding heart ( D. spectabilis). [Corruptly written dielytra.]

Dicephalous
Di•ceph´a•lous, a. [Gr. ; di- = di•s- twice + head.] Having two heads on one body; double-headed.

Dicer
Di´cer, n. A player at dice; a dice player; a gamester.
"As false as dicers’ oaths." Shak.

Dich, v. i. To ditch. [Obs.]

Dichastic
Di•chas´tic, a. [Gr. to part asunder, fr. in two, asunder, fr. di•s- twice.] (Biol.) Capable of subdividing spontaneously.

Dichlamydeous
Di•chla•myd´e•ous, a. [Gr. di- = di•s- twice +,, a cloak.] (Bot.) Having two coverings, a calyx and in corolla.

Dichloride
Di•chlo´ride, n. [Pref. di- + chloride.] (Chem.) Same as Bichloride.

Dichogamy
Di•chog´a•my, n. [Gr. in two, asunder + marriage.] (Bot.) The condition of certain species of plants, in which the stamens and pistil do not mature simultaneously, so that these plants can never fertilize themselves.

Dichotomist
Di•chot´o•mist, n. One who dichotomizes. Bacon.

Dichotomize
Di•chot´o•mize, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Dichotomized p. pr. & vb. n. Dichotomizing ] [See Dichotomous.]
1. To cut into two parts; to part into two divisions; to divide into pairs; to bisect. [R.]
"The apostolical benediction dichotomizes all good things into grace and peace." Bp. Hall.
2. (Astron.) To exhibit as a half disk. See Dichotomy, 3. "[The moon] was dichotomized." Whewell.

Dichotomize
Di•chot´o•mize, v. i. To separate into two parts; to branch dichotomously; to become dichotomous.

Dichotomous
Di•chot´o•mous, a. [L. dichotomos, Gr. ; in two, asunder + diate•mnein to cut.] Regularly dividing by pairs from bottom to top; as a dichotomous stem. — Di•chot´o•mous•ly, adv.

Dichotomy
Di•chot´o•my, n. [Gr., fr. : cf. F. dichotomie. See Dichotomous.]
1. A cutting in two; a division.
"A general breach or dichotomy with their church." Sir T. Browne.
2. Division or distribution of genera into two species; division into two subordinate parts.
3. (Astron.) That phase of the moon in which it appears bisected, or shows only half its disk, as at the quadratures.
4. (Biol.) Successive division and subdivision, as of a stem of a plant or a vein of the body, into two parts as it proceeds from its origin; successive bifurcation.
5. The place where a stem or vein is forked.
6. (Logic) Division into two; especially, the division of a class into two subclasses opposed to each other by contradiction, as the division of the term man into white and not white.

Dichroite
Di´chro•ite, n. [See Dichroism.] (Min.) Iolite; — so called from its presenting two different colors when viewed in two different directions. See Iolite.

Dichromate
Di•chro´mate, n. (Chem.) A salt of chromic acid containing two equivalents of the acid radical to one of the base; — called also bichromate.

Dichromatic
Di•chro•mat´ic, a. [Pref. di- + chromatic: cf. Gr. .]
1. Having or exhibiting two colors.
2. (Zoöl.) Having two color varieties, or two phases differing in color, independently of age or sex, as in certain birds and insects.

Dichromatism
Di•chro´ma•tism, n. The state of being dichromatic.

Dichromic
Di•chro´mic, a. [Gr. two- colored; di- = di•s- twice + color.] Furnishing or giving two colors; — said of defective vision, in which all the compound colors are resolvable into two elements instead of three. Sir J. Herschel.

Dichroous
Di´chro•ous, a. Dichroic.

Dichroscope
Di´chro•scope, n. [Gr. di- = di•s- twice + color + to view.] An instrument for examining the dichroism of crystals.

Dichroscopic
Di•chro•scop´ic, a. Pertaining to the dichroscope, or to observations with it.

Dicing
Di´cing, n.
1. An ornamenting in squares or cubes.
2. Gambling with dice. J. R. Green.

Dickcissel
Dick•cis´sel, n. (Zoöl.) The American black-throated bunting ( Spiza Americana).

Dickens
Dick´ens, n. or interj. [Perh. a contr. of the dim. devilkins.] The devil. [A vulgar euphemism.]
"I can not tell what the dickens his name is." Shak.

Dicker
Dick´er, n. [Also daker, dakir; akin to Icel. dekr, Dan. deger, G. decher; all prob. from LL. dacra, dacrum, the number ten, akin to L. decuria a division consisting of ten, fr. decem ten. See Ten.]
1. The number or quantity of ten, particularly ten hides or skins; a dakir; as a dicker of gloves. [Obs.]
"A dicker of cowhides." Heywood.
2. A chaffering, barter, or exchange, of small wares; as to make a dicker. [U.S.]
"For peddling dicker, not for honest sales." Whittier.

Dicker
Dick´er, v. i. & t. To negotiate a dicker; to barter. [U.S.] "Ready to dicker. and to swap." Cooper. { Dick´ey, Dick´y }, n.
1. A seat behind a carriage, for a servant.
2. A false shirt front or bosom.
3. A gentleman’s shirt collar. [Local, U. S.]

Dickey
Dick´ey,
1. A hat; esp., in U. S., a stiff hat or derby; in Eng., a straw hat. [Slang]
2. One of various animals; specif.: (a) A donkey. (b) Any small bird; — called also dickey bird. [Colloq.] (c) The hedge sparrow. [Dial. Eng.] (d) The haddock.
3. In a carriage: (a) A seat for the driver; — called also dickey box. (b) A seat at the back for servants.

Diclinic
Di•clin´ic, a. [Gr. di- = di•s- twice + to incline.] (Crystallog.) Having two of the intersections between the three axes oblique. See Crystallization.

Dicoccous
Di•coc´cous, a. [Gr. di- = di•s- twice + grain, seed.] (Bot.) Composed of two coherent, one-seeded carpels; as a dicoccous capsule.

Dicotyledon
Di•cot•y•le´don (di•kot•i•le"dun), n. [Pref. di- + cotyledon.] (Bot.) A plant whose seeds divide into two seed lobes, or cotyledons, in germinating.

Dicotyledonous
Di•cot•y•le´don•ous (-led"un•us), a. (Bot.) Having two cotyledons or seed lobes; as a dicotyledonous plant. { Di´cro•tal, Di´cro•tous } a. [Gr. a double beating.] Dicrotic.

Dicrotic
Di•crot´ic, a. [Gr. = to knock, beat.] (Physiol.) (a) Of or pertaining to dicrotism; as a dicrotic pulse. (b) Of or pertaining to the second expansion of the artery in the dicrotic pulse; as the dicrotic wave.

Dicrotism
Di´cro•tism, n. (Physiol.) A condition in which there are two beats or waves of the arterial pulse to each beat of the heart.

Dicta
Dic´ta, n. pl. [L.] See Dictum.

Dictamnus
Dic•tam´nus, n. [L. See Dittany.] (Bot.) A suffrutescent, D. Fraxinella (the only species), with strong perfume and showy flowers. The volatile oil of the leaves is highly inflammable.

Dictate
Dic´tate, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Dictated; p. pr. & vb. n. Dictating.] [L. dictatus, p. p. of dictare, freq. of dicere to say. See Diction, and cf. Dight.]
1. To tell or utter so that another may write down; to inspire; to compose; as to dictate a letter to an amanuensis.
"The mind which dictated the Iliad." Wayland.
"Pages dictated by the Holy Spirit." Macaulay.
2. To say; to utter; to communicate authoritatively; to deliver (a command) to a subordinate; to declare with authority; to impose; as to dictate the terms of a treaty; a general dictates orders to his troops.
"Whatsoever is dictated to us by God must be believed." Watts.
Syn. — To suggest; prescribe; enjoin; command; point out; urge; admonish.

Dictate
Dic´tate, v. i.
1. To speak as a superior; to command; to impose conditions (on).
"Who presumed to dictate to the sovereign." Macaulay.
2. To compose literary works; to tell what shall be written or said by another.
"Sylla could not skill of letters, and therefore knew not how to dictate." Bacon.

Dictate
Dic´tate, n. [L. dictatum. See Dictate, v. t.] A statement delivered with authority; an order; a command; an authoritative rule, principle, or maxim; a prescription; as listen to the dictates of your conscience; the dictates of the gospel.
"I credit what the Grecian dictates say." Prior.
Syn. — Command; injunction; direction suggestion; impulse; admonition.

Dictator
Dic•ta´tor, n. [L.]
1. One who dictates; one who prescribes rules and maxims authoritatively for the direction of others. Locke.
2. One invested with absolute authority; especially, a magistrate created in times of exigence and distress, and invested with unlimited power.
"Invested with the authority of a dictator, nay, of a pope, over our language." Macaulay.

Dictatorial
Dic•ta•to´ri•al, a. [Cf. F. dictatorial.]
1. Pertaining or suited to a dictator; absolute.
"Military powers quite dictatorial." W. Irving.
2. Characteristic of a dictator; imperious; dogmatical; overbearing; as a dictatorial tone or manner. — Dic•ta•to´ri•al•ly, adv. — Dic•ta•to´ri•al•ness, n.

Dictatorian
Dic•ta•to´ri•an, a. Dictatorial. [Obs.]

Dictatorship
Dic•ta´tor•ship, n. The office, or the term of office, of a dictator; hence, absolute power.

Dictatory
Dic´ta•to•ry, a. [L. dictatorius.] Dogmatical; overbearing; dictatorial. Milton.

Dictatress
Dic•ta´tress, n. A woman who dictates or commands.
"Earth’s chief dictatress, ocean’s mighty queen." Byron.

Dictatrix
Dic•ta´trix, n. [L.] A dictatress.

Dictature
Dic•ta´ture ( 135), n. [L. dictatura: cf. F. dictature.] Office of a dictator; dictatorship. [R.] Bacon.

Diction
Dic´tion, n. [L. dicto a saying, a word, fr. dicere, dictum, to say; akin to dicare to proclaim, and to E. teach, token: cf. F. diction. See Teach, and cf. Benison, Dedicate, Index, Judge, Preach, Vengeance.] Choice of words for the expression of ideas; the construction, disposition, and application of words in discourse, with regard to clearness, accuracy, variety, etc.; mode of expression; language; as the diction of Chaucer’s poems.
"His diction blazes up into a sudden explosion of prophetic grandeur." De Quincey.
Syn. — Diction, Style, Phraseology. Style relates both to language and thought; diction, to language only; phraseology, to the mechanical structure of sentences, or the mode in which they are phrased. The style of Burke was enriched with all the higher graces of composition; his diction was varied and copious; his phraseology, at times, was careless and cumbersome. "Diction is a general term applicable alike to a single sentence or a connected composition. Errors in grammar, false construction, a confused disposition of words, or an improper application of them, constitute bad diction; but the niceties, the elegancies, the peculiarities, and the beauties of composition, which mark the genius and talent of the writer, are what is comprehended under the name of style." Crabb.

Dictionary
Dic´tion•a•ry, n. ; pl. Dictionaries (#). [Cf. F. dictionnaire. See Diction.]
1. A book containing the words of a language, arranged alphabetically, with explanations of their meanings; a lexicon; a vocabulary; a wordbook.
"I applied myself to the perusal of our writers; and noting whatever might be of use to ascertain or illustrate any word or phrase, accumulated in time the materials of a dictionary." Johnson.
2. Hence, a book containing the words belonging to any system or province of knowledge, arranged alphabetically; as a dictionary of medicine or of botany; a biographical dictionary.

Dictum
Dic´tum, n. ; pl. L. Dicta (#), E. Dictums (#). [L., neuter of dictus, p. p. of dicere to say. See Diction, and cf. Ditto.]
1. An authoritative statement; a dogmatic saying; an apothegm.
"A class of critical dicta everywhere current." M. Arnold.
2. (Law) (a) A judicial opinion expressed by judges on points that do not necessarily arise in the case, and are not involved in it. (b) (French Law) The report of a judgment made by one of the judges who has given it. Bouvier. (c) An arbitrament or award.

Dicyanide
Di•cy´a•nide, n. [Pref. di- + cyanogen.] (Chem.) A compound of a binary type containing two cyanogen groups or radicals; — called also bicyanide.

Dicyemata
Di•cy•e´ma•ta, n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. di- = di•s- twice + an embryo.] (Zoöl.) An order of worms parasitic in cephalopods. They are remarkable for the extreme simplicity of their structure. The embryo exists in two forms.

Dicyemid
Di•cy•e´mid, a. (Zoöl.) Like or belonging to the Dicyemata. — n. One of the Dicyemata.

Dicynodont
Di•cyn´o•dont, n. [Gr. di- = di•s- twice + dog + ’odoy•s, ’odo•ntos, tooth.] (Paleon.) One of a group of extinct reptiles having the jaws armed with a horny beak, as in turtles, and in the genus Dicynodon, supporting also a pair of powerful tusks. Their remains are found in triassic strata of South Africa and India.

Did, imp. of Do. { Di•dac´tic, Di•dac´tic•al } a. [Gr., fr. to teach; akin to L. docere to teach: cf. F. didactique. See Docile.] Fitted or intended to teach; conveying instruction; preceptive; instructive; teaching some moral lesson; as didactic essays. "Didactical writings." Jer. Taylor.
"The finest didactic poem in any language." Macaulay.

Didactically
Di•dac´tic•al•ly, adv. In a didactic manner.

Didacticism
Di•dac´ti•cism, n. The didactic method or system.

Didacticity
Di•dac•tic´i•ty, n. Aptitude for teaching. Hare.

Didactics
Di•dac´tics, n. The art or science of teaching.

Didactyl
Di•dac´tyl, n. [Gr. di- = di•s- twice + finger, toe: cf. F. didactyle.] (Zoöl.) An animal having only two digits.

Didactylous
Di•dac´tyl•ous, a. (Zoöl.) Having only two digits; two-toed.

Didal
Di´dal, n. A kind of triangular spade. [Obs.]

Didapper
Di´dap•per, n. [For divedapper. See Dive, Dap, Dip, and cf. Dabchick.] (Zoöl.) See Dabchick.

Didascalic
Di•das•cal´ic, a. [L. didascalius, Gr., fr. to teach: cf. F. didascalique.] Didactic; preceptive. [R.] Prior.

Diddle
Did´dle, v. i. [Cf. Daddle.] To totter, as a child in walking. [Obs.] Quarles.

Diddle
Did´dle, v. t. [Perh. from AS. dyderian to deceive, the letter r being changed to l.] To cheat or overreach. [Colloq.] Beaconsfield.

Diddler
Did´dler, n. A cheat. [Colloq.] Jeremy Diddler, a character in a play by James Kenney, entitled "Raising the wind." The name is applied to any needy, tricky, constant borrower; a confidence man.

Didelphia
Di•del´phi•a, n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. = matrix, uterus.] (Zoöl.) The subclass of Mammalia which includes the marsupials. See Marsupialia.

Didelphic
Di•del´phic, a. (Zoöl.) Having the uterus double; of or pertaining to the Didelphia.

Didelphid
Di•del´phid, a. (Zoöl.) Same as Didelphic.

Didelphid
Di•del´phid, n. (Zoöl.) A marsupial animal.

Didelphous
Di•del´phous, a. (Zoöl.) Didelphic.

Didelphyc
Di•del´phyc, a. (Zoöl.) Same as Didelphic.

Dido
Di´do, n. ; pl. Didos . A shrewd trick; an antic; a caper. To cut a dido, to play a trick; to cut a caper; — perhaps so called from the trick of Dido, who having bought so much land as a hide would cover, is said to have cut it into thin strips long enough to inclose a spot for a citadel.

Didonia
Di•do´ni•a, n. [NL. So called in allusion to the classical story of Dido and the bull’s hide.] (Geom.) The curve which on a given surface and with a given perimeter contains the greatest area. Tait. { Di´drachm, Di•drach´ma } n. [Gr. ; di- = di•s- twice + a drachm.] A two-drachma piece; an ancient Greek silver coin, worth nearly forty cents.

Didst, the 2d pers. sing. imp. of Do.

Diduction
Di•duc´tion, n. [L. diductio, fr. diducere, diductum, to draw apart; di- = dis- + ducere to lead, draw.] The act of drawing apart; separation.

Didym
Di´dym, n. (Chem.) See Didymium.

Didynamia
Did•y•na´mi•a, n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. di- = di•s- twice + power.] (Bot.) A Linnaean class of plants having four stamens disposed in pairs of unequal length.

Didynamian
Did•y•na´mi•an, a. Didynamous.

Didynamous
Di•dyn´a•mous, a. (Bot.) Of or pertaining to the Didynamia; containing four stamens disposed in pairs of unequal length.

Die, v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Died p. pr. & vb. n. Dying.] [OE. deyen, dien, of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. deyja; akin to Dan. döe, Sw. dö, Goth. diwan (cf. Goth. afdjan to harass), OFries. dia to kill, OS. doian to die, OHG. touwen, OSlav. daviti to choke, Lith. dovyti to torment. Cf. Dead, Death.]
1. To pass from an animate to a lifeless state; to cease to live; to suffer a total and irreparable loss of action of the vital functions; to become dead; to expire; to perish; — said of animals and vegetables; often with of, by, with, from, and rarely for, before the cause or occasion of death; as to die of disease or hardships; to die by fire or the sword; to die with horror at the thought.
"To die by the roadside of grief and hunger." Macaulay.
"She will die from want of care." Tennyson.
2. To suffer death; to lose life.
"In due time Christ died for the ungodly." Rom. v. 6.
3. To perish in any manner; to cease; to become lost or extinct; to be extinguished.
"Letting the secret die within his own breast." Spectator.
"Great deeds can not die." Tennyson.
4. To sink; to faint; to pine; to languish, with weakness, discouragement, love, etc.
"His heart died within, and he became as a stone." 1 Sam. xxv. 37.
"The young men acknowledged, in love letters, that they died for Rebecca." Tatler.
5. To become indifferent; to cease to be subject; as to die to pleasure or to sin.
6. To recede and grow fainter; to become imperceptible; to vanish; — often with out or away.
"Blemishes may die away and disappear amidst the brightness." Spectator.
7. (Arch.) To disappear gradually in another surface, as where moldings are lost in a sloped or curved face.
8. To become vapid, flat, or spiritless, as liquor. To die in the last ditch, to fight till death; to die rather than surrender.
""There is one certain way," replied the Prince [William of Orange] " by which I can be sure never to see my country’s ruin, — I will die in the last ditch."" Hume (Hist. of Eng. ). — To die out, to cease gradually; as the prejudice has died out.
Syn. — To expire; decease; perish; depart; vanish.

Die, n. ; pl. in 1 and (usually) in 2, Dice (dis); in 4 & 5, Dies (diz). [OE. dee, die, F. de, fr. L. datus given, thrown, p. p. of dare to give, throw. See Date a point of time.]
1. A small cube, marked on its faces with spots from one to six, and used in playing games by being shaken in a box and thrown from it. See Dice.
2. Any small cubical or square body.
"Words … pasted upon little flat tablets or dies." Watts.
3. That which is, or might be, determined, by a throw of the die; hazard; chance.
"Such is the die of war." Spenser.
4. (Arch.) That part of a pedestal included between base and cornice; the dado.
5. (Mach.) (a) A metal or plate (often one of a pair) so cut or shaped as to give a certain desired form to, or impress any desired device on, an object or surface, by pressure or by a blow; used in forging metals, coining, striking up sheet metal, etc. (b) A perforated block, commonly of hardened steel used in connection with a punch, for punching holes, as through plates, or blanks from plates, or for forming cups or capsules, as from sheet metal, by drawing. (c) A hollow internally threaded screw-cutting tool, made in one piece or composed of several parts, for forming screw threads on bolts, etc.; one of the separate parts which make up such a tool. Cutting die (Mech.), a thin, deep steel frame, sharpened to a cutting edge, for cutting out articles from leather, cloth, paper, etc. — The die is cast, the hazard must be run; the step is taken, and it is too late to draw back; the last chance is taken.

Dielectric
Di•e•lec´tric, n. [Pref. dia- + electric.] (Elec.) Any substance or medium that transmits the electric force by a process different from conduction, as in the phenomena of induction; a nonconductor. separating a body electrified by induction, from the electrifying body.

Dielytra
Di•el´y•tra, n. (Bot.) See Dicentra.

Dies juridicus
Di"es ju•rid"i•cus pl. Dies juridici (#). [L.] (Law) A court day.

Dies non
Di"es non" [L. dies non juridicus.] (Law) A day on which courts are not held, as Sunday or any legal holiday.

Diesinker
Die´sink•er, n. An engraver of dies for stamping coins, medals, etc.

Diesinking
Die´sink•ing, n. The process of engraving dies.

Diesis
Di´e•sis, n. ; pl. Dieses (#). [NL., fr. Gr., fr. to let go through, dissolve; dia• through + to let go, send.]
1. (Mus.) A small interval, less than any in actual practice, but used in the mathematical calculation of intervals.
2. (Print.) The mark ‡; — called also double dagger.

Diestock
Die´stock, n. A stock to hold the dies used for cutting screws.

Diet
Di´et, n. [F. diète, L. diaeta, fr. Gr. manner of living.]
1. Course of living or nourishment; what is eaten and drunk habitually; food; victuals; fare. "No inconvenient diet." Milton.
2. A course of food selected with reference to a particular state of health; prescribed allowance of food; regimen prescribed.
"To fast like one that takes diet." Shak. Diet kitchen, a kitchen in which diet is prepared for invalids; a charitable establishment that provides proper food for the sick poor.

Diet
Di´et, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Dieted; p. pr. & vb. n. Dieting.]
1. To cause to take food; to feed. [R.] Shak.
2. To cause to eat and drink sparingly, or by prescribed rules; to regulate medicinally the food of.
"She diets him with fasting every day." Spenser.

Diet
Di´et, v. i.
1. To eat; to take one’s meals. [Obs.]
"Let him … diet in such places, where there is good company of the nation, where he traveleth." Bacon.
2. To eat according to prescribed rules; to ear sparingly; as the doctor says he must diet.

Diet
Di´et, n. [F. diète, LL. dieta, diaeta, an assembly, a day’s journey; the same word as diet course of living, but with the sense changed by L. dies day: cf. G. tag day and Reichstag.] A legislative or administrative assembly in Germany, Poland, and some other countries of Europe; a deliberative convention; a council; as the Diet of Worms, held in 1521.

Diet
Di´et, n. Specifically: Any of various national or local assemblies; as (a) Occasionally, the Reichstag of the German Empire, Reichsrath of the Austrian Empire, the federal legislature of Switzerland, etc. (b) The legislature of Denmark, Sweden, Japan, or Hungary. (c) The state assembly or any of various local assemblies in the states of the German Empire, as the legislature (Landtag) of the kingdom of Prussia, and the Diet of the Circle (Kreistag) in its local government. (d) The local legislature (Landtag) of an Austrian province. (e) The federative assembly of the old Germanic Confederation (1815 — 66). (f) In the old German or Holy Roman Empire, the great formal assembly of counselors (the Imperial Diet or Reichstag) or a small, local, or informal assembly of a similar kind (the Court Diet, or Hoftag). The most celebrated Imperial Diets are the three following, all held under Charles V.: Diet of Worms, 1521, the object of which was to check the Reformation and which condemned Luther as a heretic; D. of Spires, or Speyer, 1529, which had the same object and issued an edict against the further dissemination of the new doctrines, against which edict Lutheran princes and deputies protested (hence Protestants): D. of Augsburg, 1530, the object of which was the settlement of religious disputes, and at which the Augsburg Confession was presented but was denounced by the emperor, who put its adherents under the imperial ban.

Dietarian
Di•e•ta´ri•an, n. One who lives in accordance with prescribed rules for diet; a dieter.

Dietary
Di´et•a•ry, a. Pertaining to diet, or to the rules of diet.

Dietary
Di´et•a•ry, n. ; pl. Dietaries . A rule of diet; a fixed allowance of food, as in workhouse, prison, etc.

Dieter
Di´et•er, n. One who diets; one who prescribes, or who partakes of, food, according to hygienic rules. { Di•e•tet´ic, Di•e•tet´ic•al } a. [Gr. : cf. F. dietetique. See Diet.] Of or performance to diet, or to the rules for regulating the kind and quantity of food to be eaten.

Dietetics
Di•e•tet´ics, n. That part of the medical or hygienic art which relates to diet or food; rules for diet.
"To suppose that the whole of dietetics lies in determining whether or not bread is more nutritive than potatoes." H. Spencer.

Dietetist
Di•e•tet´ist, n. A physician who applies the rules of dietetics to the cure of diseases. Dunglison.

Diethylamine
Di•eth•yl•am´ine, n. [Pref. di- + ethylamine.] (Chem.) A colorless, volatile, alkaline liquid, NH(C₂H₅)₂, having a strong fishy odor resembling that of herring or sardines. Cf. Methylamine.

Dietical
Di•et´ic•al, a. Dietetic. [R.] Ferrand.

Dietine
Di´et•ine, n. [Cf. F. dietine.] A subordinate or local assembly; a diet of inferior rank. { Di´et•ist, Di•e•ti´tian } n. One skilled in dietetics. [R.]

Diffame
Dif•fame, n. [See Defame.] Evil name; bad reputation; defamation. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Difference
Dif´fer•ence, n. [F. difference, L. differentia.]
1. The act of differing; the state or measure of being different or unlike; distinction; dissimilarity; unlikeness; variation; as a difference of quality in paper; a difference in degrees of heat, or of light; what is the difference between the innocent and the guilty?
"Differencies of administration, but the same Lord." 1 Cor. xii. 5.
2. Disagreement in opinion; dissension; controversy; quarrel; hence, cause of dissension; matter in controversy.
"What was the difference? It was a contention in public." Shak.
"Away therefore went I with the constable, leaving the old warden and the young constable to compose their difference as they could." T. Ellwood.
3. That by which one thing differs from another; that which distinguishes or causes to differ; mark of distinction; characteristic quality; specific attribute.
"The marks and differences of sovereignty." Davies.
4. Choice; preference. [Obs.]
"That now he chooseth with vile difference To be a beast, and lack intelligence." Spenser.
5. (Her.) An addition to a coat of arms to distinguish the bearings of two persons, which would otherwise be the same. See Augmentation, and Marks of cadency, under Cadency.
6. (Logic) The quality or attribute which is added to those of the genus to constitute a species; a differentia.
7. (Math.) The quantity by which one quantity differs from another, or the remainder left after subtracting the one from the other. Ascensional difference. See under Ascensional.
Syn. — Distinction; dissimilarity; dissimilitude; variation; diversity; variety; contrariety; disagreement; variance; contest; contention; dispute; controversy; debate; quarrel; wrangle; strife.

Difference
Dif´fer•ence, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Differenced p. pr. & vb. n. Differencing.] To cause to differ; to make different; to mark as different; to distinguish.
"Thou mayest difference gods from men." Chapman.
"Kings, in receiving justice and undergoing trial, are not differenced from the meanest subject." Milton.
"So completely differenced by their separate and individual characters that we at once acknowledge them as distinct persons." Sir W. Scott.

Differentia
Dif•fer•en´ti•a, n. ; pl. Differentiae (#). [L. See Difference.] (Logic) The formal or distinguishing part of the essence of a species; the characteristic attribute of a species; specific difference.

Differentially
Dif•fer•en´tial•ly, adv. In the way of differentiation.

Differentiate
Dif•fer•en´ti•ate, v. t.
1. To distinguish or mark by a specific difference; to effect a difference in, as regards classification; to develop differential characteristics in; to specialize; to desynonymize.
"The word then was differentiated into the two forms then and than." Earle.
"Two or more of the forms assumed by the same original word become differentiated in signification." Dr. Murray.
2. To express the specific difference of; to describe the properties of (a thing) whereby it is differenced from another of the same class; to discriminate. Earle.
3. (Math.) To obtain the differential, or differential coefficient, of; as to differentiate an algebraic expression, or an equation.

Differentiate
Dif•fer•en´ti•ate, v. i. (Biol.) To acquire a distinct and separate character. Huxley.

Differentiation
Dif•fer•en•ti•a´tion, n.
1. The act of differentiating.
"Further investigation of the Sanskrit may lead to differentiation of the meaning of such of these roots as are real roots." J. Peile.
2. (Logic) The act of distinguishing or describing a thing, by giving its different, or specific difference; exact definition or determination.
3. (Biol.) The gradual formation or production of organs or parts by a process of evolution or development, as when the seed develops the root and the stem, the initial stem develops the leaf, branches, and flower buds; or in animal life, when the germ evolves the digestive and other organs and members, or when the animals as they advance in organization acquire special organs for specific purposes.
4. (Metaph.) The supposed act or tendency in being of every kind, whether organic or inorganic, to assume or produce a more complex structure or functions.

Differentiator
Dif•fer•en´ti•a•tor, n. One who, or that which, differentiates.

Differently
Dif´fer•ent•ly, adv. In a different manner; variously.

Differingly
Dif´fer•ing•ly, adv. In a differing or different manner. Boyle.

Difficile
Dif´fi•cile, a. [L. difficilis: cf. F. difficile. See Difficult.] Difficult; hard to manage; stubborn. [Obs.] — Dif´fi•cile•ness, n. [Obs.] Bacon.

Difficult
Dif´fi•cult, a. [From Difficulty.]
1. Hard to do or to make; beset with difficulty; attended with labor, trouble, or pains; not easy; arduous. Difficult implies the notion that considerable mental effort or skill is required, or that obstacles are to be overcome which call for sagacity and skill in the agent; as a difficult task; hard work is not always difficult work; a difficult operation in surgery; a difficult passage in an author.
"There is not the strength or courage left me to venture into the wide, strange, and difficult world, alone." Hawthorne.
2. Hard to manage or to please; not easily wrought upon; austere; stubborn; as a difficult person.
Syn. — Arduous; painful; crabbed; perplexed; laborious; unaccommodating; troublesome. See Arduous.

Difficult
Dif´fi•cult, v. t. To render difficult; to impede; to perplex. [R.] Sir W. Temple.

Difficultate
Dif´fi•cult•ate, v. t. To render difficult; to difficilitate. [Obs.] Cotgrave.

Difficultly
Dif´fi•cult•ly, adv. With difficulty. Cowper.

Difficultness
Dif´fi•cult•ness, n. Difficulty. [R.] Golding.

Difficulty
Dif´fi•cul•ty, n. ; pl. Difficulties (#). [L. difficultas, fr. difficilis difficult; dif- = dis- + facilis easy: cf. F. difficulte. See Facile.]
1. The state of being difficult, or hard to do; hardness; arduousness; — opposed to easiness or facility; as the difficulty of a task or enterprise; a work of difficulty.
"Not being able to promote them [the interests of life] on account of the difficulty of the region." James Byrne.
2. Something difficult; a thing hard to do or to understand; that which occasions labor or perplexity, and requires skill and perseverance to overcome, solve, or achieve; a hard enterprise; an obstacle; an impediment; as the difficulties of a science; difficulties in theology.
"They lie under some difficulties by reason of the emperor’s displeasure." Addison.
3. A controversy; a falling out; a disagreement; an objection; a cavil.
"Measures for terminating all local difficulties." Bancroft.
4. Embarrassment of affairs, especially financial affairs; — usually in the plural; as to be in difficulties.
"In days of difficulty and pressure." Tennyson.
Syn. — Impediment; obstacle; obstruction; embarrassment; perplexity; exigency; distress; trouble; trial; objection; cavil. See Impediment.

Diffind
Dif•find, v. t. [L. diffindere, diffissum; dif- = dis- + findere to split.] To split. [Obs.] Bailey.

Diffine
Dif•fine´, v. t. To define. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Diffinitive
Dif•fin´i•tive, a. [For definitive.] Definitive; determinate; final. [Obs.] Sir H. Wotton.

Diffission
Dif•fis´sion, n. [See Diffind.] Act of cleaving or splitting. [R.] Bailey.

Diffluent
Dif´flu•ent, a. [L. diffluens, p. pr. of diffluere to flow off; dif- = dis- + fluere to flow.] Flowing apart or off; dissolving; not fixed. [R.] Bailey.

Difform
Dif´form, a. [Cf. F. difforme, fr. L. dif- = dis- + forma form. Cf. Deform.] Irregular in form; — opposed to uniform; anomalous; hence, unlike; dissimilar; as to difform corolla, the parts of which do not correspond in size or proportion; difform leaves.
"The unequal refractions of difform rays." Sir I. Newton.

Diffuse
Dif•fuse´, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Diffused p. pr. & vb. n. Diffusing.] [L. diffusus, p. p. of diffundere to pour out, to diffuse; dif- = dis- + fundere to pour. See Fuse to melt.] To pour out and cause to spread, as a fluid; to cause to flow on all sides; to send out, or extend, in all directions; to spread; to circulate; to disseminate; to scatter; as to diffuse information.
"Thence diffuse His good to worlds and ages infinite." Milton.
"We find this knowledge diffused among all civilized nations." Whewell.
Syn. — To expand; spread; circulate; extend; scatter; disperse; publish; proclaim.

Diffuse
Dif•fuse´, v. i. To pass by spreading every way, to diffuse itself.

Diffuse
Dif•fuse´, a. [L. diffusus, p. p.] Poured out; widely spread; not restrained; copious; full; esp., of style, opposed to concise or terse; verbose; prolix; as a diffuse style; a diffuse writer.
"A diffuse and various knowledge of divine and human things." Milton.
Syn. — Prolix; verbose; wide; copious; full. See Prolix.

Diffusely
Dif•fuse´ly, adv. In a diffuse manner.

Diffuseness
Dif•fuse´ness, n. The quality of being diffuse; especially, in writing, the use of a great or excessive number of word to express the meaning; copiousness; verbosity; prolixity.

Diffuser
Dif•fus´er, n. One who, or that which, diffuses.

Diffusibility
Dif•fu•si•bil´i•ty, n. The quality of being diffusible; capability of being poured or spread out.

Diffusible
Dif•fu´si•ble, a.
1. Capable of flowing or spreading in all directions; that may be diffused.
2. (Physiol.) Capable of passing through animal membranes by osmosis.

Diffusibleness
Dif•fu´si•ble•ness, n. Diffusibility.

Diffusion
Dif•fu´sion, n. [L. diffusio: cf. F. diffusion.]
1. The act of diffusing, or the state of being diffused; a spreading; extension; dissemination; circulation; dispersion.
"A diffusion of knowledge which has undermined superstition." Burke.
2. (Physiol.) The act of passing by osmosis through animal membranes, as in the distribution of poisons, gases, etc., through the body. Unlike absorption, diffusion may go on after death, that is, after the blood ceases to circulate.
Syn. — Extension; spread; propagation; circulation; expansion; dispersion.

Diffusive
Dif•fu´sive, a. [Cf. F. diffusif.] Having the quality of diffusing; capable of spreading every way by flowing; spreading widely; widely reaching; copious; diffuse. "A plentiful and diffusive perfume." Hare.

Diffusively
Dif•fu´sive•ly, adv. In a diffusive manner.

Diffusiveness
Dif•fu´sive•ness, n. The quality or state of being diffusive or diffuse; extensiveness; expansion; dispersion. Especially of style: Diffuseness; want of conciseness; prolixity.
"The fault that I find with a modern legend, it its diffusiveness." Addison.

Diffusivity
Dif•fu•siv´i•ty, n. Tendency to become diffused; tendency, as of heat, to become equalized by spreading through a conducting medium.

Dig (dig), v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Dug (dug) or Digged (digd); p. pr. & vb. n. Digging. — Digged is archaic.] [OE. diggen, perh. the same word as diken, dichen (see Dike, Ditch); cf. Dan. dige to dig, dige a ditch; or akin to E. 1st dag. rad.67.]
1. To turn up, or delve in, (earth) with a spade or a hoe; to open, loosen, or break up (the soil) with a spade, or other sharp instrument; to pierce, open, or loosen, as if with a spade.
"Be first to dig the ground." Dryden.
2. To get by digging; as to dig potatoes, or gold.
3. To hollow out, as a well; to form, as a ditch, by removing earth; to excavate; as to dig a ditch or a well.
4. To thrust; to poke. [Colloq.]
"You should have seen children … dig and push their mothers under the sides, saying thus to them: Look, mother, how great a lubber doth yet wear pearls." Robynson (More’s Utopia).To dig down, to undermine and cause to fall by digging; as to dig down a wall. — To dig from, out of, out, or up, to get out or obtain by digging; as to dig coal from or out of a mine; to dig out fossils; to dig up a tree. The preposition is often omitted; as the men are digging coal, digging iron ore, digging potatoes. — To dig in, to cover by digging; as to dig in manure.

Dig, v. i.
1. To work with a spade or other like implement; to do servile work; to delve.
"Dig for it more than for hid treasures." Job iii. 21.
"I can not dig; to beg I am ashamed." Luke xvi. 3.
2. (Mining) To take ore from its bed, in distinction from making excavations in search of ore.
3. To work like a digger; to study ploddingly and laboriously. [Cant, U.S.]

Dig, n.
1. A thrust; a punch; a poke; as a dig in the side or the ribs. See Dig, v. t., 4. [Colloq.]
2. A plodding and laborious student. [Cant, U.S.]

Dig, v. i.
1. To work hard or drudge; specif. (U. S.): To study ploddingly and laboriously. [Colloq.]
"Peter dug at his books all the harder." Paul L. Ford.
2. (Mach.) Of a tool: To cut deeply into the work because ill set, held at a wrong angle, or the like, as when a lathe tool is set too low and so sprung into the work. To dig out, to depart; to leave, esp. hastily; decamp. [Slang, U. S.]

Dig, n.
1. A tool for digging. [Dial. Eng.]
2. An act of digging.
3. An amount to be dug.
4. (Mining) = Gouge.

Digamous
Dig´a•mous, a. Pertaining to a second marriage, that is, one after the death of the first wife or the first husband.

Digamy
Dig´a•my, n. [Gr. a second marriage; di- = di•s- twice + marriage. Cf. Bigamy.] Act, or state, of being twice married; deuterogamy. [R.]

Digenea
Di•ge´ne•a, n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. di- = di•s- twice + race, offspring.] (Zoöl.) A division of Trematoda in which alternate generations occur, the immediate young not resembling their parents.

Digenesis
Di•gen´e•sis, n. [Pref. di- + genesis.] (Biol.) The faculty of multiplying in two ways; — by ova fecundated by spermatic fluid, and asexually, as by buds. See Parthenogenesis.

Digester
Di•gest´er, n.
1. One who digests.
2. A medicine or an article of food that aids digestion, or strengthens digestive power.
"Rice is … a great restorer of health, and a great digester." Sir W. Temple.
3. A strong closed vessel, in which bones or other substances may be subjected, usually in water or other liquid, to a temperature above that of boiling, in order to soften them.

Digestibility
Di•gest•i•bil´i•ty, n. The quality of being digestible.

Digestible
Di•gest´i•ble, a. [F. digestible, L. digestibilis.] Capable of being digested.

Digestibleness
Di•gest´i•ble•ness, n. The quality of being digestible; digestibility.

Digestion
Di•ges´tion ( 106), n. [F. digestion, L. digestio.]
1. The act or process of digesting; reduction to order; classification; thoughtful consideration.
2. (Physiol.) The conversion of food, in the stomach and intestines, into soluble and diffusible products, capable of being absorbed by the blood.
3. (Med.) Generation of pus; suppuration.

Digestive
Di•gest´ive, a. [F. digestif, L. digestivus.] Pertaining to digestion; having the power to cause or promote digestion; as the digestive ferments.
"Digestive cheese and fruit there sure will be." B. Jonson.Digestive apparatus, the organs of food digestion, esp. the alimentary canal and glands connected with it. — Digestive salt, the chloride of potassium.

Digestive
Di•gest´ive, n.
1. That which aids digestion, as a food or medicine. Chaucer.
"That digestive [a cigar] had become to me as necessary as the meal itself." Blackw. Mag.
2. (Med.) (a) A substance which, when applied to a wound or ulcer, promotes suppuration. Dunglison. (b) A tonic. [R.]

Digestor
Di•gest´or, n. See Digester.

Diggable
Dig´ga•ble, a. Capable of being dug.

Digger
Dig´ger, n. One who, or that which, digs. Digger wasp (Zoöl.), any one of the fossorial Hymenoptera.

Diggers
Dig´gers, n. pl.; sing. Digger. (Ethnol.) A degraded tribe of California Indians; — so called from their practice of digging roots for food.

Digging
Dig´ging, n.
1. The act or the place of excavating.
2. pl. Places where ore is dug; especially, certain localities in California, Australia, and elsewhere, at which gold is obtained. [Recent]
3. pl. Region; locality. [Low]

Dight, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Dight or Dighted; p. pr. & vb. n. Dighting.] [OF. dihten, AS. dihtan to dictate, command, dispose, arrange, fr. L. dictare to say often, dictate, order; cf. G. dichten to write poetry, fr. L. dictare. See Dictate.]
1. To prepare; to put in order; hence, to dress, or put on; to array; to adorn. [Archaic] "She gan the house to dight. " Chaucer.
"Two harmless turtles, dight for sacrifice." Fairfax.
"The clouds in thousand liveries dight." Milton.
2. To have sexual intercourse with. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Digit
Dig´it (dij"it), n. [L. digitus finger; prob. akin to Gr. da•ktylos, of uncertain origin; possibly akin to E. toe. Cf. Dactyl.]
1. (Zoöl.) One of the terminal divisions of a limb appendage; a finger or toe.
"The ruminants have the "cloven foot," i. e., two hoofed digits on each foot." Owen.
2. A finger’s breadth, commonly estimated to be three fourths of an inch.
3. (Math.) One of the ten figures or symbols, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, by which all numbers are expressed; — so called because of the use of the fingers in counting and computing. By some authorities the symbol 0 is not included with the digits.
4. (Anat.) One twelfth part of the diameter of the sun or moon; — a term used to express the quantity of an eclipse; as an eclipse of eight digits is one which hides two thirds of the diameter of the disk.

Digit
Dig´it, v. t. To point at or out with the finger. [R.]

Digital
Dig´i•tal (dij"i•t al), a. [L. digitals.] Of or pertaining to the fingers, or to digits; done with the fingers; as digital compression; digital examination.

Digitalin
Dig´i•ta•lin, n. [Cf. F. digitaline.] (a) (Med.) Any one of several extracts of foxglove ( Digitalis), as the "French extract," the "German extract," etc., which differ among themselves in composition and properties. (b) (Chem.) A supposedly distinct vegetable principle as the essential ingredient of the extracts. It is a white, crystalline substance, and is regarded as a glucoside.

Digitalis
Dig•i•ta´lis, n. [NL.: cf. F. digitale. So named (according to Linnaeus) from its finger-shaped corolla.]
1. (Bot.) A genus of plants including the foxglove.
2. (Med.) The dried leaves of the purple foxglove ( Digitalis purpurea), used in heart disease, disturbance of the circulation, etc.

Digitate
Dig´i•tate, v. t. [LL. digitatus, p. p. of digitare, fr. L. digitus. See Digit.] To point out as with the finger. [R.] Robinson (Eudoxa). { Dig´i•tate, Dig´i•ta•ted }, a. [L. digitatus having fingers.] (Bot.) Having several leaflets arranged, like the fingers of the hand, at the extremity of a stem or petiole. also in general, characterized by digitation. — Dig´i•tate•ly (#), adv.

Digitiform
Dig´i•ti•form, a. [L. digitus a finger + -form.] Formed like a finger or fingers; finger-shaped; as a digitiform root.

Digitigrade
Dig´i•ti•grade, a. [L. digitus finger, toe + gradi to step, walk: cf. F. digitigrade.] (Zoöl.) Walking on the toes; — distinguished from plantigrade.

Digitigrade
Dig´i•ti•grade, n. (Zoöl.) An animal that walks on its toes, as the cat, lion, wolf, etc.; — distinguished from a plantigrade, which walks on the palm of the foot.

Digitipartite
Dig•i•ti•par´tite, a. [L. digitus finger + partite.] (Bot.) Parted like the fingers.

Digitize
Dig´i•tize, v. t. [ Digit + -ize.] To finger; as to digitize a pen. [R.] Sir T. Browne.

Digitorium
Dig•i•to´ri•um, n. [NL., fr. L. digitus a finger.] A small dumb keyboard used by pianists for exercising the fingers; — called also dumb piano.

Digitule
Dig´i•tule, n. [L. digitulus, dim. of digitus.] (Zoöl.) A little finger or toe, or something resembling one.

Digladiate
Di•gla´di•ate, v. i. [L. digladiari; di- = dis- + gladius a sword.] To fight like gladiators; to contend fiercely; to dispute violently. [Obs.]
"Digladiating like AEschines and Demosthenes." Hales.

Digladiation
Di•gla•di•a´tion, n. Act of digladiating. [Obs.] "Sore digladiations and contest." Evelyn.

Diglottism
Di•glot´tism, n. [Gr. speaking two languages; di- = di•s- twice + tongue. See Glottis.] Bilingualism. [R.] Earle.

Dignation
Dig•na´tion, n. [L. dignatio.] The act of thinking worthy; honor. [Obs.] Jer. Taylor.

Digne, a. [F., fr. L. dignus. See Design.]
1. Worthy; honorable; deserving. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. Suitable; adequate; fit. [Obs.] Chaucer.
3. Haughty; disdainful. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Dignify
Dig´ni•fy, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Dignified p. pr. & vb. n. Dignifying.] [OF. dignifier, fr. LL. dignificare; L. dignus worthy + ficare (in comp.), facere to make. See Deign, and Fact.] To invest with dignity or honor; to make illustrious; to give distinction to; to exalt in rank; to honor.
"Your worth will dignify our feast." B. Jonson.
Syn. — To exalt; elevate; prefer; advance; honor; illustrate; adorn; ennoble.

Dignity
Dig´ni•ty, n. ; pl. Dignities (#). [OE. dignete, dignite, OF. dignete, dignite, F. dignite, fr. L. dignitas, from dignus worthy. See Dainty, Deign.]
1. The state of being worthy or honorable; elevation of mind or character; true worth; excellence.
2. Elevation; grandeur.
"The dignity of this act was worth the audience of kings." Shak.
3. Elevated rank; honorable station; high office, political or ecclesiastical; degree of excellence; preferment; exaltation. Macaulay.
"And the king said, What honor and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this?" Esth. vi. 3.
"Reuben, thou art my firstborn, … the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power." Gen. xlix. 3.
4. Quality suited to inspire respect or reverence; loftiness and grace; impressiveness; stateliness; — said of mien, manner, style, etc.
"A letter written with singular energy and dignity of thought and language." Macaulay.
5. One holding high rank; a dignitary.
"These filthy dreamers … speak evil of dignities." Jude. 8.
6. Fundamental principle; axiom; maxim. [Obs.]
"Sciences concluding from dignities, and principles known by themselves." Sir T. Browne.
Syn. — See Decorum. To stand upon one’s dignity, to have or to affect a high notion of one’s own rank, privilege, or character.
"They did not stand upon their dignity, nor give their minds to being or to seeming as elegant and as fine as anybody else." R. G. White.

Digonous
Dig´o•nous, a. [Gr. = double + an angle.] Having two angles. Smart.

Digram
Di´gram, n. [Gr. di- = di•s- twice + letter.] A digraph.

Digraph
Di´graph, n. [Gr. di- = di•s- twice + a writing, to write.] Two signs or characters combined to express a single articulated sound; as ea in head, or th in bath.

Digraphic
Di•graph´ic, a. Of or pertaining to a digraph. H. Sweet.

Digress
Di•gress´, v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Digressed p. pr. & vb. n. Digressing.] [L. digressus, p. p. of digredi to go apart, to deviate; di- = dis- + gradi to step, walk. See Grade.]
1. To step or turn aside; to deviate; to swerve; especially, to turn aside from the main subject of attention, or course of argument, in writing or speaking.
"Moreover she beginneth to digress in latitude." Holland.
"In the pursuit of an argument there is hardly room to digress into a particular definition as often as a man varies the signification of any term." Locke.
2. To turn aside from the right path; to transgress; to offend. [R.]
"Thy abundant goodness shall excuse This deadly blot on thy digressing son." Shak.

Digress
Di•gress´, n. Digression. [Obs.] Fuller.

Digression
Di•gres´sion, n. [L. digressio: cf. F. digression.]
1. The act of digressing or deviating, esp. from the main subject of a discourse; hence, a part of a discourse deviating from its main design or subject.
"The digressions I can not excuse otherwise, than by the confidence that no man will read them." Sir W. Temple.
2. A turning aside from the right path; transgression; offense. [R.]
"Then my digression is so vile, so base, That it will live engraven in my face." Shak.
3. (Anat.) The elongation, or angular distance from the sun; — said chiefly of the inferior planets. [R.]

Digressional
Di•gres´sion•al, a. Pertaining to, or having the character of, a digression; departing from the main purpose or subject. T. Warton.

Digressive
Di•gress´ive, a. [Cf. F. digressif.] Departing from the main subject; partaking of the nature of digression. Johnson.

Digressively
Di•gress´ive•ly, adv. By way of digression.

Digue, n. [F. See Dike.] A bank; a dike. [Obs.] Sir W. Temple.

Dihedral
Di•he´dral, a. [Gr. di- = di•s- twice + a seat, bottom, base, fr. to sit. Cf. Diedral.] Having two plane faces; as the dihedral summit of a crystal. Dihedral angle, the angular space contained between planes which intersect. It is measured by the angle made by any two lines at right angles to the two planes.

Dihedral
Di•he´dral, a.
1. Of a kite or an aëroplane, having wings that make with one another a dihedral angle, esp. when the angle between the upper sides is less than 180°.
2. (Aëronautics) Of wing pairs, inclined at an upward angle to each other.

Dihedron
Di•he´dron, n. [See Dihedral.] A figure with two sides or surfaces. Buchanan.

Diiamb
Di•i•amb´, n. A diiambus.

Diiambus
Di•i•am´bus, n. [NL., fr. Gr. ; di- = di•s- twice + . See Lambus.] (Pros.) A double iambus; a foot consisting of two iambuses ( ).

Diisatogen
Di•i•sat´o•gen, n. [Pref. di- + isatine + -gen.] (Chem.) A red crystalline nitrogenous substance of artificial production, which by reduction passes directly to indigo.

Dijudicant
Di•ju´di•cant, n. [L. dijudicans, p. pr.] One who dijudicates. [R.] Wood.

Dijudicate
Di•ju´di•cate, v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Dijudicated p. pr. & vb. n. Dijucating ] [L. dijudicatus, p. p. of dijudicare to decide; di- = dis- + judicare to judge.] To make a judicial decision; to decide; to determine. [R.] Hales.

Dika
Di´ka, n. [Native West African name.] A kind of food, made from the almondlike seeds of the Irvingia Barteri, much used by natives of the west coast of Africa; — called also dika bread.

Dike (di), n. [OE. dic, dike, diche, ditch, AS. dic dike, ditch; akin to D. dijk dike, G. deich, and prob. teich pond, Icel. diki dike, ditch, Dan. dige; perh. akin to Gr. tei^chos (for qei^chos) wall, and even E. dough; or perh. to Gr. ti^fos pool, marsh. Cf. Ditch.]
1. A ditch; a channel for water made by digging.
"Little channels or dikes cut to every bed." Ray.
2. An embankment to prevent inundations; a levee.
"Dikes that the hands of the farmers had raised … Shut out the turbulent tides." Longfellow.
3. A wall of turf or stone. [Scot.]
4. (Geol.) A wall-like mass of mineral matter, usually an intrusion of igneous rocks, filling up rents or fissures in the original strata.

Dike, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Diked p. pr. & vb. n. Diking.] [OE. diken, dichen, AS. dician to dike. See Dike.]
1. To surround or protect with a dike or dry bank; to secure with a bank.
2. To drain by a dike or ditch.

Dike, v. i. To work as a ditcher; to dig. [Obs.]
"He would thresh and thereto dike and delve." Chaucer.

Diker
Dik´er, n.
1. A ditcher. Piers Plowman.
2. One who builds stone walls; usually, one who builds them without lime. [Scot.]

Dilacerate
Di•lac´er•ate, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Dilacerated p. pr. & vb. n. Dilacerating ] [L. dilaceratus, p. p. of dilacerare to tear apart; di- = dis- + lacerare to tear.] To rend asunder; to tear to pieces. Sir T. Browne.

Dilaniate
Di•la´ni•ate, v. t. [L. dilaniatus, p. p. of dilaniare to dilacerate; di- = dis- + laniare to tear to pieces.] To rend in pieces; to tear. [R.] Howell.

Dilaniation
Di•la•ni•a´tion, n. A rending or tearing in pieces; dilaceration. [R.]

Dilapidate
Di•lap´i•date, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Dilapidated p. pr. & vb. n. Dilapidating ] [L. dilapidare to scatter like stones; di- = dis- + lapidare to throw stones, fr. lapis a stone. See Lapidary.]
1. To bring into a condition of decay or partial ruin, by misuse or through neglect; to destroy the fairness and good condition of; — said of a building.
"If the bishop, parson, or vicar, etc., dilapidates the buildings, or cuts down the timber of the patrimony." Blackstone.
2. To impair by waste and abuse; to squander.
"The patrimony of the bishopric of Oxon was much dilapidated." Wood.

Dilapidate
Di•lap´i•date, v. i. To get out of repair; to fall into partial ruin; to become decayed; as the church was suffered to dilapidate. Johnson.

Dilapidated
Di•lap´i•da•ted, a. Decayed; fallen into partial ruin; injured by bad usage or neglect.
"A deserted and dilapidated buildings." Cooper.

Dilapidation
Di•lap•i•da´tion, n. [L. dilapidatio: cf. F. dilapidation.]
1. The act of dilapidating, or the state of being dilapidated, reduced to decay, partially ruined, or squandered.
"Tell the people that are relived by the dilapidation of their public estate." Burke.
2. Ecclesiastical waste; impairing of church property by an incumbent, through neglect or by intention.
"The business of dilapidations came on between our bishop and the Archibishop of York." Strype.
3. (Law) The pulling down of a building, or suffering it to fall or be in a state of decay. Burrill.

Dilapidator
Di•lap´i•da•tor, n. [Cf. F. dilapidateur.] One who causes dilapidation. Strype.

Dilatability
Di•la•ta•bil´i•ty, n. [Cf. F. dilatabilite.] The quality of being dilatable, or admitting expansion; — opposed to contractibility. Ray.

Dilatable
Di•lat´a•ble, a. [Cf. F. dilatable.] Capable of expansion; that may be dilated; — opposed to contractible; as the lungs are dilatable by the force of air; air is dilatable by heat.

Dilatation
Dil•a•ta´tion, n. [OE. dilatacioun, F. dilatation, L. dilatatio, fr. dilatare. See Dilate, and cf. 2d Dilation.]
1. Prolixity; diffuse discourse. [Obs.] "What needeth greater dilatation?" Chaucer.
2. The act of dilating; expansion; an enlarging on al sides; the state of being dilated; dilation.
3. (Anat.) A dilation or enlargement of a canal or other organ.

Dilate
Di•late´ ( 277), v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Dilated p. pr. & vb. n. Dilating ] [L. dilatare; either fr. di- = dis- + latus wide, not the same word as latus, used as p. p. of ferre to bear (see Latitude); or fr. dilatus, used as p. p. of differre to separate (see Delay, Tolerate, Differ, and cf. Dilatory): cf. F. dilater.]
1. To expand; to distend; to enlarge or extend in all directions; to swell; — opposed to contract; as the air dilates the lungs; air is dilated by increase of heat.
2. To enlarge upon; to relate at large; to tell copiously or diffusely. [R.]
"Do me the favor to dilate at full What hath befallen of them and thee till now." Shak.
Syn. — To expand; swell; distend; enlarge; spread out; amplify; expatiate.

Dilate
Di•late´, v. i.
1. To grow wide; to expand; to swell or extend in all directions.
"His heart dilates and glories in his strength." Addison.
2. To speak largely and copiously; to dwell in narration; to enlarge; — with on or upon.
"But still on their ancient joys dilate." Crabbe.

Dilate
Di•late´, a. Extensive; expanded. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

Dilated
Di•lat´ed, a.
1. Expanded; enlarged. Shak.
2. (Bot.) Widening into a lamina or into lateral winglike appendages.
3. (Zoöl.) Having the margin wide and spreading.

Dilatedly
Di•lat´ed•ly, adv. In a dilated manner. Feltham.

Dilater
Di•lat´er, n. One who, or that which, dilates, expands, or enlarges.

Dilation
Di•la´tion, n. [L. dilatio. See Dilatory.] Delay. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.

Dilation
Di•la´tion, n. [From dilate, v., cf. Dilatation, Dilator.] The act of dilating, or the state of being dilated; expansion; dilatation. Mrs. Browning.
"At first her eye with slow dilation rolled." Tennyson.
"A gigantic dilation of the hateful figure." Dickens.

Dilatometer
Dil•a•tom´e•ter, n. [ Dilate + -meter.] (Physiol.) An instrument for measuring the dilatation or expansion of a substance, especially of a fluid.

Dilator
Di•lat´or, n. [See Dilate.]
1. One who, or that which, widens or expands.
2. (Anat.) A muscle that dilates any part.
3. (Med.) An instrument for expanding a part; as a urethral dilator.

Dilatoriness
Dil´a•to•ri•ness, n. The quality of being dilatory; lateness; slowness; tardiness; sluggishness.

Dilatory
Dil´a•to•ry, a. [L. dilatorius, fr. dilator a delayer, fr. dilatus, used as p. p. of differe to defer, delay: cf. F. dilatoire. See Dilate, Differ, Defer.]
1. Inclined to defer or put off what ought to be done at once; given the procrastination; delaying; procrastinating; loitering; as a dilatory servant.
2. Marked by procrastination or delay; tardy; slow; sluggish; — said of actions or measures.
"Alva, as usual, brought his dilatory policy to bear upon his adversary." Motley. Dilatory plea (Law), a plea designed to create delay in the trial of a cause, generally founded upon some matter not connected with the merits of the case.
Syn. — Slow; delaying; sluggish; inactive; loitering; behindhand; backward; procrastinating. See Slow.

Dilection
Di•lec´tion, n. [L. dilectio: dilection. See Diligent.] Love; choice. [Obs.] T. Martin.

Dilettante
Dil•et•tan´te, n. ; pl. Dilettanti (#). [It., prop. p. pr. of dillettare to take delight in, fr. L. delectare to delight. See Delight, v. t.] An admirer or lover of the fine arts; popularly, an amateur; especially, one who follows an art or a branch of knowledge, desultorily, or for amusement only.
"The true poet is not an eccentric creature, not a mere artist living only for art, not a dreamer or a dilettante, sipping the nectar of existence, while he keeps aloof from its deeper interests." J. C. Shairp.

Dilettanteism
Dil•et•tan´te•ism, n. The state or quality of being a dilettante; the desultory pursuit of art, science, or literature.

Dilettantish
Dil•et•tant´ish, a. Dilettanteish.

Dilettantism
Dil•et•tant´ism, n. Same as Dilettanteism. F. Harrison.

Diligency
Dil´i•gen•cy, n. [L. diligentia.] Diligence; care; persevering endeavor. [Obs.] Milton.

Diligent
Dil´i•gent, a. [F. diligent, L. diligens, -entis, p. pr. of diligere, dilectum, to esteem highly, prefer; di- = dis- + legere to choose. See Legend.]
1. Prosecuted with careful attention and effort; careful; painstaking; not careless or negligent.
"The judges shall make diligent inquisition." Deut. xix. 18.
2. Interestedly and perseveringly attentive; steady and earnest in application to a subject or pursuit; assiduous; industrious.
"Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings." Prov. xxii. 29.
"Diligent cultivation of elegant literature." Prescott.
Syn. — Active; assiduous; sedulous; laborious; persevering; attentive; industrious.

Dill (dil), n. [AS dile; akin to D. dille, OHG. tilli, G. dill, dille, Sw. dill, Dan. dild.] (Bot.) An herb ( Peucedanum graveolens), the seeds of which are moderately warming, pungent, and aromatic, and were formerly used as a soothing medicine for children; — called also dillseed. Dr. Prior.

Dill, v. t. [OE. dillen, fr. dul dull, a. ] To still; to calm; to soothe, as one in pain. [Obs.]

Dilling
Dil´ling (dil"ling), n. A darling; a favorite. [Obs.]
"Whilst the birds billing, Each one with his dilling." Drayton.

Dilluing
Dil•lu´ing (dil•lu"ing), n. (Min.) A process of sorting ore by washing in a hand sieve. [Written also deluing.]

Dilly
Dil´ly (dil"ly), n. [Contr. fr. diligence.] A kind of stagecoach. "The Derby dilly." J. H. Frere.

Dilly-dally
Dil´ly-dal•ly, v. i. [See Dally.] To loiter or trifle; to waste time.

Dilogy
Dil´o•gy, n. ; pl. Dilogies (#). [L. dilogia, Gr., fr. doubtful; di- = di•s- twice + to speak.] (Rhet.) An ambiguous speech; a figure in which a word is used an equivocal sense. [R.]

Dilucid
Di•lu´cid, a. [L. dilucidus, fr. dilucere to be light enough to distinguish objects apart. See Lucid.] Clear; lucid. [Obs.] Bacon. — Di•lu´cid•ly, adv. [Obs.] — Di•lu•cid´i•ty (#), n. [Obs.]

Dilucidation
Di•lu•ci•da´tion, n. [L. dilucidatio.] The act of making clear. [Obs.] Boyle.

Diluent
Dil´u•ent, a. [L. diluens, p. pr. diluere. See Dilute.] Diluting; making thinner or weaker by admixture, esp. of water. Arbuthnot.

Diluent
Dil´u•ent, n.
1. That which dilutes.
2. (Med.) An agent used for effecting dilution of the blood; a weak drink.
"There is no real diluent but water." Arbuthnot.

Dilute
Di•lute´, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Diluted; p. pr. & vb. n. Diluting.] [L. dilutus, p. p. of diluere to wash away, dilute; di- = dis- + luere, equiv. to lavare to wash, lave. See Lave, and cf. Deluge.]
1. To make thinner or more liquid by admixture with something; to thin and dissolve by mixing.
"Mix their watery store. With the chyle’s current, and dilute it more." Blackmore.
2. To diminish the strength, flavor, color, etc., of, by mixing; to reduce, especially by the addition of water; to temper; to attenuate; to weaken.
"Lest these colors should be diluted and weakened by the mixture of any adventitious light." Sir I. Newton.

Dilute
Di•lute´, v. i. To become attenuated, thin, or weak; as it dilutes easily.

Dilute
Di•lute´, a. [L. dilutus, p. p.] Diluted; thin; weak.
"A dilute and waterish exposition." Hopkins.

Diluted
Di•lut´ed, a. Reduced in strength; thin; weak. — Di•lut´ed•ly, adv.

Diluteness
Di•lute´ness, n. The quality or state of being dilute. Bp. Wilkins.

Diluter
Di•lut´er, n. One who, or that which, dilutes or makes thin, more liquid, or weaker.

Dilution
Di•lu´tion, n. [Cf. F. dilution.] The act of diluting, or the state of being diluted. Arbuthnot.

Diluvial
Di•lu´vi•al, a. [L. diluvialis. fr. diluvium.]
1. Of or pertaining to a flood or deluge, esp. to the great deluge in the days of Noah; diluvian.
2. (Geol.) Effected or produced by a flood or deluge of water; — said of coarse and imperfectly stratified deposits along ancient or existing water courses. Similar unstratified deposits were formed by the agency of ice. The time of deposition has been called the Diluvian epoch.

Diluvialist
Di•lu´vi•al•ist, n. One who explains geological phenomena by the Noachian deluge. Lyell.

Diluvian
Di•lu´vi•an, a. [Cf. F. diluvien.] Of or pertaining to a deluge, esp. to the Noachian deluge; diluvial; as of diluvian origin. Buckland.

Diluviate
Di•lu´vi•ate, v. i. [L. diluviare.] To run as a flood. [Obs.] Sir E. Sandys.

Diluvium
Di•lu´vi•um, n. ; pl. E. Diluviums (#), L. Diluvia (#). [L. diluvium. See Dilute, Deluge.] (Geol.) A deposit of superficial loam, sand, gravel, stones, etc., caused by former action of flowing waters, or the melting of glacial ice. The accumulation of matter by the ordinary operation of water is termed alluvium.

Dimble
Dim´ble, n. [Prob. orig., a cavity, and the same word as dimple. See Dimple.] A bower; a dingle. [Obs.] Drayton.

Dimensioned
Di•men´sioned, a. Having dimensions. [R.]

Dimensionless
Di•men´sion•less, a. Without dimensions; having no appreciable or noteworthy extent. Milton.

Dimensity
Di•men´si•ty, n. Dimension. [R.] Howell.

Dimensive
Di•men´sive, a. Without dimensions; marking dimensions or the limits.
"Who can draw the soul’s dimensive lines?" Sir J. Davies.

Dimera
Dim´e•ra, n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. di- = di•s- twice + part.] (Zoöl.) (a) A division of Coleoptera, having two joints to the tarsi. (b) A division of the Hemiptera, including the aphids.

Dimeran
Dim´er•an, n. (Zoöl.) One of the Dimera.

Dimerous
Dim´er•ous, a. [Gr. di- = di•s- twice + part.] Composed of, or having, two parts of each kind. A dimerous flower has two sepals, two petals, two stamens, and two pistils.

Dimeter
Dim´e•ter, a. [L. dimeter, Gr. ; di- = di•s- twice + measure.] Having two poetical measures or meters. — n. A verse of two meters.

Dimethyl
Di•meth´yl, n. [Pref. di- + methyl.] (Chem.) Ethane; — sometimes so called because regarded as consisting of two methyl radicals. See Ethane.

Dimidiate
Di•mid´i•ate, a. [L. dimidiatus, p. p. of dimidiare to halve, fr. dimidius half. See Demi-.]
1. Divided into two equal parts; reduced to half in shape or form.
2. (Biol.) (a) Consisting of only one half of what the normal condition requires; having the appearance of lacking one half; as a dimidiate leaf, which has only one side developed. (b) Having the organs of one side, or half, different in function from the corresponding organs on the other side; as dimidiate hermaphroditism.

Dimidiate
Di•mid´i•ate, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Dimidiated; p. pr. & vb. n. Dimidiating.]
1. To divide into two equal parts. [Obs.] Cockeram.
2. (Her.) To represent the half of; to halve.

Diminish
Di•min´ish, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Diminished p. pr. & vb. n. Diminishing.] [Pref. di- (= L. dis- ) + minish: cf. L. diminuere, F. diminuer, OE. diminuen. See Dis-, and Minish.]
1. To make smaller in any manner; to reduce in bulk or amount; to lessen; — opposed to augment or increase.
"Not diminish, but rather increase, the debt." Barrow.
2. To lessen the authority or dignity of; to put down; to degrade; to abase; to weaken.
"This doth nothing diminish their opinion." Robynson (More’s Utopia).
"I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations." Ezek. xxix. 15.
"O thou … at whose sight all the stars Hide their diminished heads." Milton.
3. (Mus.) To make smaller by a half step; to make (an interval) less than minor; as a diminished seventh.
4. To take away; to subtract.
"Neither shall ye diminish aught from it." Deut. iv. 2.Diminished column, one whose upper diameter is less than the lower. — Diminished, or Diminishing, scale, a scale of gradation used in finding the different points for drawing the spiral curve of the volute. Gwilt. — Diminishing rule (Arch.), a board cut with a concave edge, for fixing the entasis and curvature of a shaft. — Diminishing stile (Arch.), a stile which is narrower in one part than in another, as in many glazed doors.
Syn. — To decrease; lessen; abate; reduce; contract; curtail; impair; degrade. See Decrease.

Diminish
Di•min´ish, v. i. To become or appear less or smaller; to lessen; as the apparent size of an object diminishes as we recede from it.

Diminishable
Di•min´ish•a•ble, a. Capable of being diminished or lessened.

Diminisher
Di•min´ish•er, n. One who, or that which, diminishes anything. Clerke (1637).

Diminishingly
Di•min´ish•ing•ly, adv. In a manner to diminish.

Diminishment
Di•min´ish•ment, n. Diminution. [R.] Cheke.

Diminuendo
Di•min•u•en´do, adv. [It., p. pr. of diminuere to diminish.] (Mus.) In a gradually diminishing manner; with abatement of tone; decrescendo; — expressed on the staff by Dim., or Dimin., or the sign.

Diminuent
Di•min´u•ent, a. [L. diminuens, p. pr. of diminuere. See Diminish.] Lessening. Bp. Sanderson.