Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Dōr'man-cy, n. p. 405State of being dormant; quiescence. Horsley.Dōr'mant, a. p. 405Sleeping; as, a dormant animal or person; hence, not in action or exercise; quiescent; at rest; not disclosed, asserted, or insisted on; as, dormant passions; dormant claims or titles. It is by lying…Dôr'mant, n. p. 405(Arch.) The large beam lying across a room; a joist;—called also dormant-tree, dormond, and dormer. Halliwell.Dōr'mer p. 405Dôr'mer-wīn'dow, n. p. 405(Arch.) A window placed on the inclined plane of the roof of a house, the frame being placed vertically on the rafters. [Written also dormant.] Gwilt.Dōr'mi-tīve, n. p. 405(Med.) A medicine to promote sleep; an opiate; a narcotic; a soporific. Arbuthnot.Dōr'mi-tīve, a. p. 405Causing sleep; as, the dormitive properties of opium. Clarke.Dōr'mi-to-ry, n. p. 405A room, suite of rooms, or building, used to sleep in; a bed-room; sleeping-quarters, or sleeping-house; a lodging-house. Mortimer. 2. A place where the bodies of the dead repose; a burial-place.…Dôr'mouse, n. p. 405(Zoöl.) A small rodent mammal of the genus Myoxus, which lives on trees like the squirrel, and feeds on acorns, nuts, &c.;—so called because, as cold weather comes on, it retires to its nest, and is…Dōrn, n. p. 405(Ichth.) A fish; the thornback, one of the ray family. Carew.Dōr'nie, n. p. 405A coarse sort of damask made at Tournay (in Flemish Dornick), and used for hangings, &c.; also, a kind of table-linen made at the same place. [Written also darnex, darnick, darnic, and dornic.]…Dōr'nock, n. p. 405A species of stout, figured linen, made, originally, at Dornock, in Scotland. Ure.Dō'ron, n. p. 405A gift; a present. [Obs.] 2. A measure of three inches. Ash.Do-rŏn'i-cŭm, n. p. 405(Bot.) A genus of composite plants; leopard’s-bane.Dŏrp, n. p. 405A small village. [Obs.] “A mean fishing dorp.” Howell.Dôrr, n. p. 405See Dor.Bôrr, v. t. p. 405To deceive. [Obs.] See DOR, v. t. 2. To deafen with noise. [Rare.] Halliwell.Dŏr'rer, n. p. 405A drone; a sleeper; a lazy person. [Obs.] “Gentlemen content to live idle themselves, like dorrers.” More.Dôrr'-flȳ, n. p. 405See Dor, n.Dôrr'-hawk, n. p. 405See DOR-HAWK.Dôr'sal, a. p. 405Pertaining to the back; as, the dorsal fin of a fish; dorsal awn of a seed.Dŏr'sale, n. p. 405See DORSEL.Dôrse, n. p. 405A canopy. See DOSEL. Sutton. 2. The back of a book. “A choice library of books, all richly bound, with gilt dorses.” Wood.Dôr'sel, n. p. 405A pannier. See DOSSEL. 2. A kind of woolen cloth. 3. A rich canopy or screen hanging at the back of a throne or chair of state; a dosel. [Written also dorsale.]Dôr'ser, n. p. 405See DOSSER.Dôr'si-brān'chi-ate, a. p. 405(Physiol.) Having the branchiæ distributed along the back, as some mollusks.Dor-sĭf'er-oŭs or Dor-sip'a-roŭs, a. p. 405(Bot.) Bearing or producing seeds on the back of the leaves, as the ferns.Dor-stē'ni-ă, n. p. 405(Bot.) A genus of plants, several species of which afford the contrayerva root, which is diaphoretic and stimulant, and is used in medicine as a tonic.Dōr'sum, n. p. 405The ridge of a hill. Walton. 2. (Conch.) The upper surface of the body of a shell, when it is so held that the aperture is downward.Dôr'tour or Dôrt'ûre, n. p. 405A dormitory. [Obs.] Bacon.Dō'ry, n. p. 405(Ichth.) A fish (Zeus faber), called also John-dory, much esteemed by epicures.Dō'ry, n. p. 405A canoe or small boat. Marryat.Dōse, n. p. 405The quantity of medicine given or prescribed to be taken at one time. I am for curing the world by gentle alteratives, not by violent doses. W. Irving. 2. A sufficient quantity; a portion; as much as…Dōse, v. t. p. 405To proportion, as a medicine, properly to the patient or disease; to form into suitable doses. 2. To give doses to; to give medicine or physic to; to give potions to constantly and without need. 3.…Dōs'el, n. p. 405(Arch.) A rich tapestry hanging at the back of an altar, designed both as an ornament and to hide the wall; also a hanging in a dining-hall behind the seats of the guests; also, an ornamental cover…Dō-sŏl'o-gy, n. p. 405A treatise on doses of medicine; posology. [Rare.] Ogilvie.Dŏs'ser, n. p. 405A pannier, or basket. “Riding from market one day ’twixt her dossers.” Beau. & Fl.Dŏs'sil, n. p. 405(Surg.) A pledget or portion of lint made into a cylindric form, or the shape of a date.Dōst p. 405The second person of do.Dŏt, n. p. 405A small point or spot, made with a pen or other pointed instrument; a speck, used in marking a writing or other thing. 2. [Fr. dot, from Lat. dos, dotis, dowry.] (Law.) A marriage portion; dowry.…Dŏt, v. t. p. 406To mark with dots or specks. 2. To mark or diversify with small detached objects; as, a landscape dotted with cottages, or clumps of trees.Dŏt, v. i. p. 406To make dots or specks.Dŏ'tage, n. p. 406Feebleness or imbecility of understanding or mind, particularly in old age; childishness of old age; senility; as, a venerable man, now in his dotage. This we childishness and dotage call. Davies.…Dŏ'tal, a. p. 406Pertaining to dower, or a woman's marriage portion; constituting dower, or comprised in it; as, a dotal town. Garth.Dŏ'tant, n. p. 406A dotard; a driveler. [Obs.] Shak.Dŏ'tard, n. p. 406A man whose intellect is impaired by age; one in his second childhood. The sickly dotard wants a wife. Prior.Dŏ'tard-ly, a. p. 406Like a dotard; weak. [Obs.] More.Dŏ'ta-ry, n. p. 406The state of being a dotard; dotage. [Obs.] Drayton.Dō-tā'tion, n. p. 406The act of endowing, or bestowing a marriage portion on a woman. 2. Endowment; establishment of funds for support, as of a hospital or eleemosynary corporation. Blackstone.Dōte, n. p. 406A marriage portion; a dowry. [Obs.] See DOT, n. 2. Wyatt. 2. (pl.) Natural gifts or endowments. [Obs.] B. Jonson.Dōte, v. i. p. 406To be weak-minded, silly, or idiotic; to have the intellect impaired, especially by age, so that the mind wanders or wavers; to drivel. Time has made you dote, and vainly tell Of arms imagined in…Dŏte, n. p. 406A foolish or weak-minded person; an imbecile; a dotard. Halliwell.Dŏt'ed, a. p. 406Stupid. [Obs.] “Senseless speech and doted ignorance.” Spenser.Dŏt’er, n. p. 406One who dotes; a man whose understanding is enfeebled by age; a dotard. Burton. 2. One who is excessively fond, or weakly in love.Dŏth p. 406The third person of do.Dŏt'ing-ly, adv. p. 406In a doting manner; foolishly; unduly fondly.Dŏt'ing-ness, n. p. 406Mental weakness like that resulting from old age; imbecility. 2. Excessive fondness.Dŏt'ish, a. p. 406Foolish; weak; imbecile. Scott.Dŏt'tard, n. p. 406A decayed tree. Bacon.Dŏt'ted, p. a. p. 406Marked with dots or small spots; diversified with small, detached objects. Dotted note (Mus.), a note followed by a dot to indicate an increase of length equal to one half of its simple value; thus…