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An American Dictionary of the English Language

by Noah Webster

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.

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  1. Down'y, a.p. 408Covered with down or nap, or with pubescence or soft hairs. “A downy feather.” Shak. Plants that . . . have downy or velvet rind upon their leaves. Bacon. 2. Made of, or resembling, down; down-like…
  2. Dow'ral, a.p. 409Pertaining to, or constituting, a dower. [Rare.] Potter.
  3. Dow'ress, n.p. 409A woman entitled to dower. Bouvier.
  4. Dow'ry, n.p. 409A gift; a fortune given. Johnson. 2. The money, goods, or estate, which a woman brings to her husband in marriage; the portion given with a wife; dower. Shak. Dryden. 3. The reward paid for a wife.…
  5. Dowse, v. t.p. 409To plunge, dip, or duck in the water; to douse. 2. To beat or thrash. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
  6. Dowse, v. i.p. 409To use the dipping or divining rod, as in search of water, ore, &c. Adams had the reputation of having dowsed successfully for more than a hundred wells. Eng. Cyc.
  7. Dowse, n.p. 409A blow on the face. [Low.] Smart.
  8. Dows'er, n.p. 409The divining-rod. [Colloq.]
  9. Dows'ing-rōdp. 409
  10. Dows'er, n.p. 409One who uses the dowser or divining-rod. “The powers of two dowsers or diviners.”
  11. Dowst, n.p. 409A dowse. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
  12. Dŏx/o-lŏg'ic-al, a.p. 409Pertaining to doxology; giving praise to God. Howell.
  13. Dox-ŏl'o-gize, v. i.p. 409To give glory to God, as in doxology; to praise with doxologies.
  14. Dox-ōl'o-gy, n.p. 409In Christian worship, a hymn expressing praise and honor to God; a form of praise to God designed to be sung or chanted by the choir or the congregation.
  15. Dōx'y, n.p. 409A sweetheart, mistress, or paramour. B. & Fl. 2. A woman of low character; a prostitute.
  16. Dōze, v. i.p. 409To slumber; to sleep lightly; to be in a dull or stupefied condition, as if half asleep; to be drowsy. If he happened to doze a little, the jolly cobbler waked him. L'Estrange. Chiefless armies dozed…
  17. Dōze, v. t.p. 409To pass or spend in drowsiness; as, to doze away one's time. 2. To make dull; to stupefy. [Obs.] I was an hour . . . in casting up about twenty sums, being dozed with much work. Pepys. They left him…
  18. Dōze, n.p. 409A light sleep; a drowse. Tennyson.
  19. Dȯz'en, n.p. 409A collection of twelve individuals; a set of twelve; as, a dozen of eggs, gloves, &c. 2. An indefinite number.
  20. Dȯz'enth, a.p. 409Twelfth. [Rare.]
  21. Dōz'er, n.p. 409One who dozes or drowses.
  22. Dōz'i-ness, n.p. 409The state of being dozy; drowsiness; heaviness; inclination to sleep.
  23. Dōz'y, a.p. 409Drowsy; heavy; inclined to sleep; sleepy; sluggish; as, a dozy head. Dryden.
  24. Dōz'lied, a.p. 409Stupid; heavy. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
  25. Drăb, n.p. 409A woman of vile character; a low wench; a slut; a strumpet; a prostitute. Shak. 2. A wooden box, used in salt-works for holding the salt when taken out of the boiling-pans.
  26. Drăb, v. i.p. 409To associate with strumpets. Beau. & Fl.
  27. Drăb, n.p. 409A kind of thick, woolen cloth of a dun, or dull brownish-yellow, or gray color. 2. A dull brownish-yellow or gray color.
  28. Drăb, a.p. 409Of a dun color, like the cloth so called.
  29. Drăb'ber, n.p. 409One who associates with drabs; a wencher.
  30. Drăb'bish, a.p. 409Having the character of a drab. “The drabbish sorceress.” Drant. 2. Somewhat like drab; as, a drabbish color. [R.]
  31. Drāb'ble, v. t.p. 409To draggle; to make dirty by drawing in mud and water; to wet and befoul; as, to drabble a gown or cloak. Halliwell.
  32. Drăb'ble, v. i.p. 409To fish for barbels with a long line and rod.
  33. Drāb'bler, n.p. 409(Naut.) A piece of canvas fastened by lacing to the bonnet of a sail, to give it a greater depth, or more drop. Dana.
  34. Drāb'ble-tāil, n.p. 409One who has the bottom of her gown dirty; a slattern. Halliwell.
  35. Drāb'bling, n.p. 409A method of angling for barbels, with a rod and long line passed through a piece of lead.
  36. Dra-cæ'na, n.p. 409(Bot.) A genus of endogenous plants, of which one species, the D. draco, affords the resin of commerce called dragon's-blood.
  37. Drā'canth, n.p. 409A kind of gum;—called also gum-tragacanth, or tragacanth. See TRAGACANTH.
  38. Drăchm, n.p. 409See DRAM and DRACHMA.
  39. Drăch'mȧ, n.p. 409A silver coin among the Greeks, having a different value in different states and at different periods. The average value of the Attic drachma was 9¾ d., or about 18 cents. 2. A weight among the…
  40. Dra-çī'nȧ or Drā'çine, n.p. 409(Chem.) A chemical principle constituting the coloring matter of dragon’s blood; draconine.
  41. Drā'co, n.p. 409(Astron.) The Dragon, a constellation of the northern hemisphere, regarded as representing the monster fabled to have watched the garden of the Hesperides. 2. A luminous exhalation from marshy…
  42. Drā'co-cĕph'a-lŭm, n.p. 409(Bot.) A genus of fragrant plants; dragon's-head.
  43. Dra-cōn'ic, a.p. 409Relating to Draco, the lawgiver; or to the constellation Draco.
  44. Dra-cō′nine, n.p. 409The same as DRACINA.
  45. Dra-cōn’tic, a.p. 409(Astron.) Belonging to that space of time in which the moon performs one entire revolution. [Obs.]
  46. Dra-cōn’tīne, a.p. 409Belonging to a dragon. Southey.
  47. Dră-cōn'ī-ŭm, n.p. 409(Bot.) A genus of East Indian plants, the root of one species of which possesses antispasmodic properties. Ogilvie.
  48. Dră-cūn'cu-lus, n.p. 409(Bot.) A plant of the Arum family, and genus Dracunculus. It has a long stalk, spotted like a serpent’s belly. 2. (Entom.) The Filaria medinensis of Linnæus, or Guinea-worm; — supposed to be a worm…
  49. Drăd, a.p. 409See DREAD. Dread. [Obs.] Spenser.
  50. Drȧff, n.p. 409Refuse; lees; dregs; the wash given to swine, or grains to cows; waste matter. Prodigals lately come from swine-feeding, from eating draff and husks. Shak. Mere chaff and draff, much better burnt.…
  51. Drȧff'ish, a.p. 409Worthless; draffy. Bale.
  52. Drȧff'y, a.p. 409Dreggy; waste; worthless. “The dregs and draffy part.” Beau. & Fl.
  53. Drȧft, n.p. 409The act of drawing; the drawing of loads by beasts of burden. 2. (Mil.) A selection of men from a military band; a selecting or detaching of soldiers from an army, or any part of it, or from a…
  54. Drăft, v. t.p. 409To draw the outline of; to delineate. 2. To compose and write; as, to draft a memorial or a lease. 3. To draw from a military band or post, or from any company, collection, or society; to detach; to…
  55. Dráft'-èn'gīne, n.p. 409(Mining.) An engine used for pumping, raising heavy weights, and the like.
  56. Draft'-horse, n.p. 409A horse employed in drawing, particularly in drawing heavy loads, or in plowing.
  57. Dráft'-nèt, a.p. 409A net dragged behind a vessel when under way. [Written also draught-net.] Simmonds.
  58. Drāft'-ŏx, n.p. 409An ox employed in drawing.
  59. Dráfts'man, n.p. 409The same as DRAUGHTSMAN.
  60. Drāg, v. t.p. 409To draw along the ground by main force; to cause to move slowly or heavily onward by pulling; to pull; to haul;—applied particularly to drawing heavy bodies with labor along the ground or other…