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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.

  1. Dī-ŏx'ide, n.p. 376(Chem.) An oxide containing but one equivalent of oxygen to two of a metal; a suboxide.
  2. Dip, v. t.p. 376To plunge or immerse, especially to put for a moment into any liquid; to insert in a fluid and withdraw again. The priest shall dip his finger in the blood. Lev. iv. 6. One dip the pencil, and one…
  3. Dĭp., v. i.p. 376To immerse one's self; to become plunged in a liquid; to sink below the horizon. The sun's rim dips; the stars rush out. Coleridge. 2. To perform the action of removing or taking out something, by…
  4. Dip, n.p. 376The action of dipping or of plunging for a moment into a liquid. “The dip of oars in unison.” Glover. 2. Inclination downward; direction below an horizontal line; slope; pitch. 3. Gravy or sauce…
  5. Di-pas'chal, a.p. 376Including two passovers. Carpenter.
  6. Dĭp’chĭck, n.p. 376A small bird that dives;—called also dabchick.
  7. Dī-pĕt'al-ōus, a.p. 376(Bot.) Having two flower-leaves or petals; two-petaled.
  8. Diph-thē'rī-ā, n.p. 376(Med.) An epidemic disease in which the air passages, and especially the throat, become coated with a false membrane, produced by the solidification of an inflammatory exudation. It is accompanied…
  9. Diph-thēr'ic or Diph/the-rit'ic, a.p. 376(Med.) Pertaining to, or accompanying, diphtheria.
  10. Diph'thong, n.p. 376(Orthoëpy.) (a.) A coalition or union of two vowel sounds pronounced in one syllable; as, ou in out, oi in noise;—called a proper diphthong. (b.) A vowel digraph; a union of two vowels in the same…
  11. Diph'thong, v. t.p. 376To form or pronounce as a diphthong. [Rare.] Clarke.
  12. Diph-thŏng'gal, a.p. 376Belonging to a diphthong; consisting of two vowel sounds, pronounced in one syllable.
  13. Diph-thŏng'gal-ly, adv.p. 376In a diphthongal manner.
  14. Dīph'yl-lōüs or Dī-phyl'lōüs, a.p. 376(Bot.) Having two leaves, as a calyx, &c.
  15. Di-plē'ā-do-scōpe, n.p. 376(Astron.) An instrument for determining the time of apparent noon. It consists of two mirrors and a plane glass disposed in the form of a prism, so that, by the reflections of the sun’s rays from…
  16. Di-plin'thi-ās, n.p. 376(Arch.) A wall of the thickness of two bricks.
  17. Dīp'lo-e, n.p. 376(Anat.) The soft, spongy, or cancellated substance between the plates of the skull.
  18. Dip'lo-gĕn'ie, a.p. 376Partaking of the nature of two bodies; producing two substances. Wright.
  19. Dī-plō'mā, n.p. 376A letter or writing, usually under seal, conferring some power, authority, privilege, or honor; especially, a document bearing record of a degree conferred by a literary society or educational…
  20. Dī-plō'ma-cy, n.p. 376The science or art of conducting negotiations between nations, particularly in securing treaties. “The tactics of practiced diplomacy.” Sparks. 2. Dexterity or skill in securing advantages. 3. The…
  21. Dip'lo-mate, n.p. 376One skilled in diplomacy; a diplomatist.
  22. Dip'lo-māte, v. t.p. 376To invest with a diploma or privilege. [Rare.] A. Wood.
  23. Dip'lo-mā'tial, a.p. 376Diplomatic. [Rare.]
  24. Dip'lo-māt'ic or Dip'lo-māt'ic-al, a.p. 376Pertaining to, or furnished with, a diploma; privileged. 2. Pertaining to, or exhibiting, diplomacy; consisting of diplomates or envoys of state; as, diplomatic management; the diplomatic corps. 3.…
  25. Dip'lo-māt'ie, n.p. 376A minister, official agent, or envoy to a foreign court; a diplomatist.
  26. Dip'lo-măt'ic-al-ly, adv.p. 376According to the rules of diplomacy.
  27. Dip'lo-māt'ics, n. sing.p. 376The science of diplomas, or the art of reading ancient writings, literary and public documents, letters, decrees, charters, codicils, &c.; paleography. [See Note under MATHE- MATICS.]
  28. Di-plō'ma-tism, n.p. 376Diplomacy.
  29. Dī-plō'ma-tīst, n.p. 376A person skilled in diplomacy; a diplomate. In ability, Avaux had no superior among the numerous able diplomatists whom his country then possessed. Macaulay.
  30. Dī-plō'pi-ā or Dip'lo-py, n.p. 376(Med.) A disease of the eye in which objects appear double, or even triple, &c.
  31. Dĭp'lo-pōd, n.p. 376(Zoöl.) One of a group of myriapods. See MYRIA-POD.
  32. Dip'lo-zō'ön, n.p. 376(Zoöl.) A parasitic worm that infests the gills of the bream, seeming to have two bodies united in the middle in the form of a cross. Brande.
  33. Dip'o-dy, n.p. 377(Pros.) Two metrical feet taken together, or included in one measure. Hadley.
  34. Di-pō'lar, a.p. 377Having two poles, as a magnetic bar.
  35. Dip'pel's-oil, n.p. 377An oil obtained by distilling animal matter, and named from the inventor. It is colorless, aromatic, and volatile. Francis.
  36. Dip'per, n.p. 377One who, or that which, dips. 2. A vessel used to dip water or other liquor; a ladle. 3. (Ornith.) A small bird (Hydrobata aquatica), resembling the blackbird in form and plumage, and seeking its…
  37. Dip'ping-nee'dle, n.p. 377A magnetic needle suspended at its center of gravity, and moving freely in a vertical plane, so as to indicate on a graduated circle the magnetic dip or inclination.
  38. Dĭ'pris-măt'ic, a.p. 377Doubly prismatic. Jameson. 2. (Crystallog.) Having cleavages parallel to the sides of a four-sided vertical prism, and at the same time to an horizontal prism. Mohs.
  39. Di-prŏt'o-don, n.p. 377(Zoöl.) An extinct marsupial of Australia, nearly as large as a rhinoceros.
  40. Dips, n.p. 377The same as Dibs.
  41. Dip'sa-cŭs, n.p. 377(Bot.) A genus of composite plants, including the fuller's teasel.
  42. Dip'sas, n.p. 377(Zoöl.) A serpent whose bite produces a mortal thirst.
  43. Dip-sēt'ic, a.p. 377Tending to produce thirst. Wright.
  44. Dip-sō'sis, n.p. 377(Med.) Excessive thirst produced by disease.
  45. Dip'ter-ă, n. pl.p. 377(Entom.) An order of insects having only two wings, and two poisers, as the house-fly, mosquito, May-fly, &c.
  46. Dip'ter-ā'ter-æ, n. pl.p. 377(Bot.) An order of exogenous, polypetalous trees, growing in the East Indies, and producing various resinous and oily
  47. Dip'ter-al, a.p. 377(Entom.) Having two wings only; belonging to the order of Diptera. 2. (Anc. Arch.) Having a double row of columns on each of the flanks, as well as in front and rear;— said of a temple. Gwilt.
  48. Dĭp'ter-o-cār'pus, n.p. 377(Bot.) A genus of trees found in the East Indies, which afford an abundance of resinous juice.
  49. Dip'ter-on, n.p. 377A dipteral temple.
  50. Dip'ter-ōus, a.p. 377(Entom.) Having two wings, as among insects, or wing like processes, as in some plants; belonging to the order of Diptera.
  51. Dip'tōte, n.p. 377(Gr. & Lat. Gram.) A noun which has only two cases; as, suppetia, suppetias.
  52. Dip'tych or Dip'ty-chium, n.p. 377A folded writing tablet among the ancients, usually consisting of two leaves; especially, such a tablet containing the name and portrait of a magistrate under the Roman empire, and distributed by him…
  53. Di-pȳre', n.p. 377(Min.) A mineral consisting chiefly of silicate of alumina, with small proportions also of the silicates of soda and lime;— so called from the double effect of fire in producing fusion and…
  54. Di-rā/di-ā'tion, n.p. 377The emission and diffusion of rays of light.
  55. Dire, a.p. 377Evil in a great degree; dreadful; dismal; horrible; terrible. Dire was the tossing, deep the groans. Milton.
  56. Dī-rēct’, a.p. 377Straight; not crooked, oblique, or circuitous; leading immediately to a point or end; as, a direct line; direct means. “What is direct to, what slides by, the question.” Locke. 2. Straightforward…
  57. Dĭ-rĕct', v. t.p. 377To give direction or bearing to; to aim; to point; as, to direct an arrow or piece of ordnance. 2. To determine the direction or course of; to cause to go on in a particular manner; to regulate; to…
  58. Di-rĕct', v. i.p. 377To give direction; to point out a course; to act as guide. Wisdom is profitable to direct. Eccles. x. 10.
  59. Di-rēct', n.p. 377(Mus.) A character, thus [~], placed at the end of a staff on the line or space of the first note of the next staff, to apprise the performer of its situation. Moore.
  60. Di-rēct'er, n.p. 377One who directs; a director. Director plane (Geom.), the plane to which all right-lined elements in a warped surface are parallel.