Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Dī'er-vĭl'lȧ, n. p. 371(Bot.) A genus of shrubs with yellow flowers; — so called from M. Dierville, who sent it from Canada to Tournefort. Gray.Dīe'-sĭnk'er, n. p. 371An engraver of dies for stamping coins, medals, &c.Dīe'-sĭnk'ing, n. p. 371The process of engraving dies.Dī'e-sĭs, n. p. 371(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. Eng. Cyc.Dī'ēs nŏn p. 371(Law.) A day on which courts are not held, as the Sabbath, &c.Dīe'stŏck, n. p. 371A contrivance to hold the dies used for cutting screws.Dī'et, n. p. 371Course of living or nourishment; habitual food; what is eaten and drunk; victuals. For his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king. Jer. lii. 34. 2. Course of food selected with…Dī'et, v. t. p. 371To cause to take food; to feed; to nourish; especially, to cause to eat and drink sparingly, or by prescribed rules.Dī'et, v. i. p. 371To eat; to feed; especially, to eat according to prescribed rules; to eat sparingly.Dī'et, n. p. 371A legislative or administrative assembly in Germany, Poland, and some other countries of Europe; a deliberative convention.Dī'et-a-ry, a. p. 371Pertaining to diet, or the rules of diet.Dī'et-a-ry, n. p. 371Rule of diet; allowance of food, especially that presented in almshouses, prisons, &c.Dī'et-brē'ad, n. p. 371Food medicated, or regulated by a physician.Dī'et-drink, n. p. 371Medicated drink.Dī'et-er, n. p. 371One who diets; one who prepares, or who partakes of, food according to hygienic rules.Dī'e-tĕt'ic or Dī'e-tĕt'ic-al, a. p. 371Pertaining to diet, or to the rules for regulating the kind and quantity of food to be eaten.Dī'e-tēt'ĭc-al-ly, adv. p. 371In a dietetical manner.Dī'e-tēt'ics, n. sing. p. 371That part of the medical or hygienic art which relates to diet or food. [See Note under MATHEMATICS.]Di/e-tēt'ist, n. p. 371A physician who applies the rules of dietetics to the cure of diseases. Dunglison.Dī'et-ine, n. p. 371A subordinate or local assembly; a diet of inferior rank or consequence; a cantonal convention.Dī'et-ist or Dī'e-ti'tian, n. p. 371One skilled in diet. [Rare.]Dīf-fāme', n. p. 371Bad reputation. [Obs.] Chaucer.Dĭf-făr/re-ā'tion, n. p. 371The parting of a cake; a ceremony among the Romans at the divorce of man and wife. See CONFARREATION.Dĭf'fer, v. i. p. 371To be or stand apart; to disagree; to be unlike or discordant; — often with from. One star differeth from another star in glory. 1 Cor. xv. 41. Minds differ, as rivers differ. Macaulay. 2. To be of…Dif'fer, v. t. p. 371To cause to be different or unlike; as, a different dialect and pronunciation differ persons of divers countries. [Rare.] Lerham.Dif'fer-ence, n. p. 371The act of differing; the state of being different, discordant, or unlike; distinction; dissimilarity; variation; as, a difference of quality in paper; a difference in degrees of heat, or of light.…Dif'fer-ence, v. t. p. 371To 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…Dif'fer-ent, a. p. 371Distinct; separate; not the same. “Five different churches.” Addison. 2. Of various or contrary nature, form, or quality; unlike; dissimilar; as, different kinds of food or drink; different states of…Dif'fer-èn-ti-ā, n. p. 371(Logic.) The formal or distinguishing part of the essence of a species; the characteristic attribute of a species; specific difference.Dĭf'fer-ĕn'tial, a. p. 372Creating a difference; discriminating; special; as differential duties. “For whom he procured differential favors.” Motley. 2. (Math.) Pertaining to a differential, or to differentials. 3. (Mech.)…Dĭf'fer-ĕn'tial, n. p. 372(Math.) An increment, usually an indefinitely small one, which is given to a variable quantity. ☞ According to the more modern writers upon the differential and integral calculus, if two or more…Dif/fer-ên’tial-ly, adv. p. 372In the way of differentiation.Dif′fer-èn′ti-āte, v. t. p. 372(Math.) To obtain the differential, or differential co-efficient, of; as, to differentiate an algebraic expression, or an equation.Dif·fer·en·ti-ā′tion, n. p. 372(Logic.) The act of distinguishing or describing a thing, by giving its differentia, or specific difference; exact definition or determination. 2. (Math.) The act or process of differentiating. 3.…Dif'fer-ent-ly, adv. p. 372In a different manner; variously.Dif'fer-ing-ly, adv. p. 372In a differing or different manner. Boyle.Dif-fib'ū-lāte, v. t. p. 372To unbutton. Halliwell.Dif'fi-cĭle, a. p. 372Difficult; unmanageable; contrary. [Obs.] Bacon.Dif'fi-cile-ness, n. p. 372State or quality of being difficile, or difficult. [Obs.] “Aptness to oppose, or difficileness, or the like.” Bacon.Dif'fi-cil'i-tāte, v. t. p. 372To make difficult. [Obs.] Montagu.Dif'fi-cult, a. p. 372Hard to make, do, or perform; requiring labor and pains to accomplish; not easy; arduous; as, a difficult task, work, &c. 2. Hard to deal with; occasioning labor or pains; beset with difficulty, as a…Dif'fi-cult, v. t. p. 372To render difficult; to perplex. [Rare.] Sir W. Temple.Dif'fi·cŭlt-āte, v. t. p. 372To render difficult. [Obs.] Cotgrave.Dif'fi-cult-ly, adv. p. 372With difficulty.Dif'fi-cul-ty, n. p. 372The state of being difficult, or hard to accomplish, or to deal with; hardness; arduousness; — opposed to easiness or facility; as, the difficulty of a task or enterprise; a work of labor and…Dif-fide', v. i. p. 372To have no confidence; to distrust. [Obs.]Dif'fi-dence, n. p. 372The state of being diffident; distrust; want of confidence; doubt of the power, ability, or disposition of one's self or others; especially, distrust of one's self; want of confidence in one's own…Dif'fi-dent, a. p. 372Wanting confidence in others; distrustful. “Diffident of present praise.” W. Scott. “Piety so diffident as to require a sign.” Bp. Taylor. 2. Wanting confidence in one's self; not self-reliant…Diffi-dent-ly, adv. p. 372In a diffident or distrustful manner. To stand diffidently against each other with their thoughts in battle array. Hobbes.Dif-find',, v. t. p. 372To split. [Obs.] Bailey.Dif-fīn'ish, v. t. p. 372To define. [Obs.] Chaucer.Dif-fīn'i-tīve, a. p. 372Determinate; definitive. [Obs.] Wotton.Dif-fis'sion, n. p. 372Act of cleaving or splitting. [Obs.] Bailey.Dif-flā'tion, n. p. 372The act of scattering by a gust of wind. [Obs.] Bailey.Dif'flu-ence or Dif'flu-en-cy, n. p. 372A flowing apart or away. [Obs.] Browne.Diff'lu-ent, a. p. 372Flowing apart or away; not fixed. [Obs.] Bailey.Dif'form, a. p. 372Irregular in form; not uniform; anomalous; hence, unlike; dissimilar; as, a difform flower or corol, the parts of which do not correspond in size or proportion; difform leaves. The unequal…Dif-fōrm’i-ty, n. p. 372Irregularity of form; want of uniformity. [Obs.] Browne.Dif-frāct', v. t. p. 372To break or separate into parts; to deflect, or decompose by deflection, as rays of light.Dif-frăc'tion, n. p. 372(Opt.) The deflection and decomposition of light in passing by the edges of opaque bodies or through narrow slits, causing the appearance of parallel bands or fringes of prismatic colors. Remarked by…