Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
- Pages
- 1,538
- Illustrations
- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Dāy'-breāk, n. p. 336The time of the first appearance of light in the morning.Dāy'-cōal, n. p. 336(Mining.) The upper stratum of coal, as nearest the light or surface.Dāy'-drēam, n. p. 336A vain fancy or speculation; a reverie; a castle in the air; unfounded hope.Dāy'-flow'er, n. p. 336(Bot.) A genus of plants, the Commelyna.Dāy'-flȳ, n. p. 336(Entom.) A neuropterous insect of the genus Ephemera, which lives but a few hours or a day.Dāy'-lā'bōr, n. p. 336Labor hired or performed by the day.Dāy'-lā'bōr-er, n. p. 336One who works by the day.Dāy'light, n. p. 336The light of day; the light of the sun, as opposed to that of the moon, or artificial light. To burn day-light, to keep a light burning during the day; hence, to perform a superfluous or unnecessary…Dāy'-līl'y, n. p. 336(Bot.) A lily which blooms during the day, or for a day only; a plant of the genera Hemerocallis and Funkia.Dāy'-māid, n. p. 336A dairy-maid.Dāy'-māre, n. p. 336(Med.) A kind of incubus which occurs during wakefulness, attended by the peculiar pressure on the chest which characterizes nightmare. Dunglison.Dāy'-nĕt, n. p. 336A net for catching larks, &c.Dāy'-peep, n. p. 336Early morning; the dawn. Milton.Dāy'-rūle, n. p. 336(Eng. Law.) An order of court (now abolished) allowing a prisoner, under certain circumstances, to go beyond the prison limits for a single day.Dāy'sight, n. p. 336(Med.) A disease (Hemeralopia) in which the eyes can see clearly by daylight, but are incapable of vision in artificial light. Dunglison.Dāy's-man, n. p. 336An umpire or arbiter; a mediator. Neither is there any daysman betwixt us. Job ix. 33.Dāy'spring, n. p. 336The beginning of the day, or first appearance of light; the dawn. Whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us. Luke i. 78.Dāy'-stār, n. p. 336The morning star; the star which ushers in the day. Till the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your heart. 2 Peter i. 19. 2. The sun, as the orb of day. So sinks the day-star in the ocean bed, And…Dāy'-strēam, n. p. 336A stream that flows during the day.Dāy'-tīme, n. p. 336The time between sunrise and sunsetting; continuance of the day;—opposed to night.Dāy'-wēa'ried, a. p. 336Wearied with the labor of the day. Shak.Dāy'-wom'an, n. p. 336A dairy-maid.Dāy'-wȯrk, n. p. 336Work by the day; day-labor.Dāze, v. t. p. 336To overpower with light; to dim or blind by too strong a light; to dazzle; also, to confuse; to bewilder. While flashing beams do daze his feeble eyen. Spenser. He comes out of the room in a dazed…Dāze, n. p. 336(Mining.) A glittering stone.Dāz'zle, n. p. 336A light of dazzling brilliancy; brightness; splendor.Dāz'zle, v. t. p. 336To overpower with light; to deprive of the power of seeing, or of seeing distinctly, by a brilliant light. Those heavenly shapes Will dazzle now the earthly, with their blaze Insufferably bright.…Dāz'le, v. i. p. 336To be overpoweringly or intensely bright; to excite admiration by brilliancy. Ah, friend! to dazzle, let the vain design. Pope. 2. To be overpowered by light; to be rendered blind or dim, and…Dāz'le-ment, n. p. 336The act or power of dazzling. [Obs.] Donne.Dāz'zling-ly, adv. p. 336In a dazzling manner.De. p. 336A Latin prefix denoting a moving from, separation; as in debark, decline, decease, deduct, decamp. Hence, it often expresses a negative, as in derange. Sometimes it augments the sense, as in deprave…Dēa'con, n. p. 336(Eccl.) An officer in Christian churches appointed to perform certain subordinate duties varying in different communions. In the Roman Catholic and Episcopal churches, a person admitted to the lowest…Dēa'con-ess, n. p. 336A female deacon in the primitive church.Dēa'con-hōōd, n. p. 336The state of being a deacon; office of a deacon; deaconry.Dēa'con-ry or Dēa'con-ship, n. p. 336The office or ministry of a deacon or deaconess.Dĕad, a. p. 336Deprived of life; put to death; reduced to that state of a being in which the organs of motion and life have irrevocably ceased to perform their functions; as, a dead tree; a dead man. “The queen, my…Dĕad, adv. p. 336To a degree resembling death; to the last degree; completely; wholly; exactly. [Colloq.] I was tired of reading, and dead sleepy. Dickens.Dĕad, n. p. 336The most quiet or death-like time; the period of profoundest repose, inertness, or gloom; as, the dead of night; the dead of winter. 2. (pl.) Those who are dead; the deceased; the departed. This is…Dĕad, v. i. p. 336To lose life or force. [Obs.] Bacon.Dĕad, v. t. p. 336To make dead; to deprive of life, force, or vigor. [Obs.] Heaven's stern decree, With many an ill, hath numbed and deaded me. Chapman.Dĕad'-ăn'gle, n. p. 336(Mil.) The space in front of a parapet which soldiers within it can not see and can not fire upon.Dead'-cen/ter p. 336Dead'-point, n. p. 336(Mach.) Either of the two opposite points in the orbit of a crank, at which the crank and the connecting-rod lie in the same straight line; as A and B; the corresponding positions of the cross-head…Dead'-col'or-ing, n. p. 336(Paint.) The first layer of colors, usually some shade of gray, on which are laid the finishing colors which give life and beauty to the picture.Dead'-dō'ing, a. p. 336Putting to death; destructive; killing. [Obs.] Hudibras.Dĕad'-dōor, n. p. 336(Ship-building.) A door fitted to the outside of the quarter gallery door, to be used in case the latter should be carried away.Dead'en, v. t. p. 336To impair in vigor, force, or sensibility; to blunt; as, to deaden the force of a ball; to deaden the natural powers or feelings. 2. To lessen the velocity or momentum of; to retard; as, to deaden…Dead'-eye, n. p. 336(Naut.) A round, flattish, wooden block, encircled by a rope, or an iron band, and pierced with three holes, to receive the lanyard, used to extend the shrouds and stays, and for other purposes.…Dĕad'-freight, n. p. 336(Mar. Law.) A sum of money paid by a person who engages to freight a whole vessel, but fails to make out a full cargo, for the space left unoccupied, or the deficiency of the cargo.Dēad'-ground, n. p. 336(Mining.) The portion of a vein in which there is no ore.Dĕad'-hĕad, n. p. 336One who obtains something of commercial value without special payment or charge; especially, one who receives free tickets for theaters, public conveyances, &c. [U. S.] N. Am. Cyc.Dead'-heart'ed, a. p. 336Having a dull, faint heart.Dead'-heart'ed-ness, n. p. 336Want of courage; pusillanimity. Bp. Hall.Dĕad'-hēat, n. p. 336A heat or course between two or more race-horses, in which all come out exactly equal, so that no one beats.Dĕad'ish, a. p. 337Somewhat dead or dull; wanting in liveliness. Stafford.Dēad'-lift, n. p. 337The lifting of a thing at the utmost disadvantage, as of a dead body; hence, an extreme exigency.Dead'-light, n. p. 337(Naut.) A strong shutter, made to fit a cabin window, to prevent the water from entering in a storm.Dēad'li-hōod, n. p. 337The state of the dead.Dĕad'li-ness, n. p. 337The quality of being deadly.Dēad'-lōck, n. p. 337A lock without a spring or latch.