9 letter word starting with d

by
Words Parts of Speech Meaning/Definition/Similar Words
dachshund noun One of a breed of small dogs with short crooked legs, and long body; — called also badger dog. There are two kinds, the rough-haired and the smooth-haired.
dactylist noun A writer of dactylic verse.
daedalian adjective Cunningly or ingeniously formed or working; skillful; artistic; ingenious., Crafty; deceitful.
daedalous adjective Having a variously cut or incised margin; — said of leaves.
dailiness noun Daily occurence.
dairymaid noun A female servant whose business is the care of the dairy.
daker hen The corncrake or land rail.
dalliance noun The act of dallying, trifling, or fondling; interchange of caresses; wanton play., Delay or procrastination., Entertaining discourse.
dalmatian adjective Of or pertaining to Dalmatia.
dalmatica noun Alt. of Dalmatic
dal segno A direction to go back to the sign / and repeat from thence to the close. See Segno.
daltonian noun One afflicted with color blindness.
daltonism noun Inability to perceive or distinguish certain colors, esp. red; color blindness. It has various forms and degrees. So called from the chemist Dalton, who had this infirmity.
damascene adjective Of or relating to Damascus., A kind of plume, now called damson. See Damson., Same as Damask, or Damaskeen, v. t.
damasking present participle & vb. noun of Damask
damaskeen verb Alt. of Damasken
dambonite noun A white, crystalline, sugary substance obtained from an African caoutchouc.
damianist noun A follower of Damian, patriarch of Alexandria in the 6th century, who held heretical opinions on the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.
damnation noun The state of being damned; condemnation; openly expressed disapprobation., Condemnation to everlasting punishment in the future state, or the punishment itself., A sin deserving of everlasting punishment.
damnatory adjective Dooming to damnation; condemnatory.
damosella noun Alt. of Damoiselle
damourite noun A kind of Muscovite, or potash mica, containing water.
dampening present participle & vb. noun of Dampen
danburite noun A borosilicate of lime, first found at Danbury, Conn. It is near the topaz in form.
danceress noun A female dancer.
dandelion noun A well-known plant of the genus Taraxacum (T. officinale, formerly called T. Dens-leonis and Leontodos Taraxacum) bearing large, yellow, compound flowers, and deeply notched leaves.
dandified adjective Made up like a dandy; having the dress or manners of a dandy; buckish., of Dandify
dandiprat noun A little fellow; — in sport or contempt., A small coin.
dandy-hen noun fem. A bantam fowl.
dandyling noun A little or insignificant dandy; a contemptible fop.
dangerful adjective Full of danger; dangerous.
dangerous adjective Attended or beset with danger; full of risk; perilous; hazardous; unsafe., Causing danger; ready to do harm or injury., In a condition of danger, as from illness; threatened with death., Hard to suit; difficult to please., Reserved; not affable.
dannebrog noun The ancient battle standard of Denmark, bearing figures of cross and crown.
dantesque adjective Dantelike; Dantean.
dapatical adjective Sumptuous in cheer.
daphnetin noun A colorless crystalline substance, C9H6O4, extracted from daphnin.
dardanian adjective & noun Trojan.
darkening present participle & vb. noun of Darken, Twilight; gloaming.
dartingly adverb Like a dart; rapidly.
darwinian adjective Pertaining to Darwin; as, the Darwinian theory, a theory of the manner and cause of the supposed development of living things from certain original forms or elements., An advocate of Darwinism.
darwinism noun The theory or doctrines put forth by Darwin. See above.
dashboard noun A board placed on the fore part of a carriage, sleigh, or other vehicle, to intercept water, mud, or snow, thrown up by the heels of the horses; — in England commonly called splashboard., The float of a paddle wheel., A screen at the bow af a steam launch to keep off the spray; — called also sprayboard.
dashingly adverb Conspicuously; showily.
dastardly adjective Meanly timid; cowardly; base; as, a dastardly outrage.
dasymeter noun An instrument for testing the density of gases, consisting of a thin glass globe, which is weighed in the gas or gases, and then in an atmosphere of known density.
dasyurine adjective Pertaining to, or like, the dasyures.
daughters plural of Daughter
daughtren plural of Daughter
dauntless adjective Incapable of being daunted; undaunted; bold; fearless; intrepid.
davenport noun A kind of small writing table, generally somewhat ornamental, and forming a piece of furniture for the parlor or boudoir.
davy lamp See Safety lamp, under Lamp.
dawsonite noun A hydrous carbonate of alumina and soda, occuring in white, bladed crustals.
dayflower noun A genus consisting mostly of tropical perennial herbs (Commelina), having ephemeral flowers.
day-labor noun Labor hired or performed by the day.
dayspring noun The beginning of the day, or first appearance of light; the dawn; hence, the beginning.
deaconess noun A female deacon, One of an order of women whose duties resembled those of deacons., A woman set apart for church work by a bishop., A woman chosen as a helper in church work, as among the Congregationalists.
dead beat See Beat, n., 7.
deadening present participle & vb. noun of Deaden
deadhouse noun A morgue; a place for the temporary reception and exposure of dead bodies.
deadlatch noun A kind of latch whose bolt may be so locked by a detent that it can not be opened from the inside by the handle, or from the outside by the latch key.
deadlight noun A strong shutter, made to fit open ports and keep out water in a storm.
deadworks noun pl. The parts of a ship above the water when she is laden.
deafening present participle & vb. noun of Deafen, The act or process of rendering impervious to sound, as a floor or wall; also, the material with which the spaces are filled in this process; pugging.
deaf-mute noun A person who is deaf and dumb; one who, through deprivation or defect of hearing, has either failed the acquire the power of speech, or has lost it.
deaneries plural of Deanery
dearworth adjective Precious.
deathbird noun Tengmalm’s or Richardson’s owl (Nyctale Tengmalmi); — so called from a superstition of the North American Indians that its note presages death.
deathblow noun A mortal or crushing blow; a stroke or event which kills or destroys.
deathless adjective Not subject to death, destruction, or extinction; immortal; undying; imperishable; as, deathless beings; deathless fame.
deathlike adjective Resembling death., Deadly.
deathsman noun An executioner; a headsman or hangman.
deathward adverb Toward death.
debarring present participle & vb. noun of Debar
debarking present participle & vb. noun of Debark
debarment noun Hindrance from approach; exclusion.
debarrass verb t. To disembarrass; to relieve.
debatable adjective Liable to be debated; disputable; subject to controversy or contention; open to question or dispute; as, a debatable question.
debateful adjective Full of contention; contentious; quarrelsome.
debauched imp. & past participle of Debauch, Dissolute; dissipated.
debauchee verb t. One who is given to intemperance or bacchanalian excesses; a man habitually lewd; a libertine.
debaucher noun One who debauches or corrupts others; especially, a seducer to lewdness.
debellate verb t. To subdue; to conquer in war.
debenture noun A writing acknowledging a debt; a writing or certificate signed by a public officer, as evidence of a debt due to some person; the sum thus due., A customhouse certificate entitling an exporter of imported goods to a drawback of duties paid on their importation.
debouched imp. & past participle of Debouch
debruised adjective Surmounted by an ordinary; as, a lion is debruised when a bend or other ordinary is placed over it, as in the cut.
debuscope noun A modification of the kaleidoscope; — used to reflect images so as to form beautiful designs.
debutante A person who makes his (or her) first appearance before the public.
decachord noun Alt. of Decachordon
decadence noun Alt. of Decadency
decadency noun A falling away; decay; deterioration; declension. “The old castle, where the family lived in their decadence.”
decagonal adjective Pertaining to a decagon; having ten sides.
decagynia noun pl. A Linnaean order of plants characterized by having ten styles.
decahedra plural of Decahedron
decalcify verb t. To deprive of calcareous matter; thus, to decalcify bones is to remove the stony part, and leave only the gelatin.
decaliter noun Alt. of Decalitre
decalitre noun A measure of capacity in the metric system; a cubic volume of ten liters, equal to about 610.24 cubic inches, that is, 2.642 wine gallons.
decalogue noun The Ten Commandments or precepts given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai, and originally written on two tables of stone.
decameron noun A celebrated collection of tales, supposed to be related in ten days; — written in the 14th century, by Boccaccio, an Italian.
decameter noun Alt. of Decametre
decametre noun A measure of length in the metric system; ten meters, equal to about 393.7 inches.
decamping present participle & vb. noun of Decamp
decandria noun pl. A Linnaean class of plants characterized by having ten stamens.
decanting present participle & vb. noun of Decant
decantate verb t. To decant.
decastere noun A measure of capacity, equal to ten steres, or ten cubic meters.
decastich noun A poem consisting of ten lines.
decastyle adjective Having ten columns in front; — said of a portico, temple, etc., A portico having ten pillars or columns in front.
deceasing present participle & vb. noun of Decease
deceitful adjective Full of, or characterized by, deceit; serving to mislead or insnare; trickish; fraudulent; cheating; insincere.
deceiving present participle & vb. noun of Deceive
decemvirs plural of Decemvir
decemviri plural of Decemvir
decencies plural of Decency
decennary noun A period of ten years., A tithing consisting of ten neighboring families.
decennial adjective Consisting of ten years; happening every ten years; as, a decennial period; decennial games., A tenth year or tenth anniversary.
decennium noun A period of ten years.
deception noun The act of deceiving or misleading., The state of being deceived or misled., That which deceives or is intended to deceive; false representation; artifice; cheat; fraud.
deceptive adjective Tending to deceive; having power to mislead, or impress with false opinions; as, a deceptive countenance or appearance.
deceptory adjective Deceptive.
decession noun Departure; decrease; — opposed to accesion.
decidable adjective Capable of being decided; determinable.
decidedly adverb In a decided manner; indisputably; clearly; thoroughly.
decidence noun A falling off.
deciduata noun pl. A group of Mammalia in which a decidua is thrown off with, or after, the fetus, as in the human species.
deciduate adjective Possessed of, or characterized by, a decidua.
deciduity noun Deciduousness.
deciduous adjective Falling off, or subject to fall or be shed, at a certain season, or a certain stage or interval of growth, as leaves (except of evergreens) in autumn, or as parts of animals, such as hair, teeth, antlers, etc.; also, shedding leaves or parts at certain seasons, stages, or intervals; as, deciduous trees; the deciduous membrane.
deciliter noun Alt. of Decilitre
decilitre noun A measure of capacity or volume in the metric system; one tenth of a liter, equal to 6.1022 cubic inches, or 3.38 fluid ounces.
decillion noun According to the English notation, a million involved to the tenth power, or a unit with sixty ciphers annexed; according to the French and American notation, a thousand involved to the eleventh power, or a unit with thirty-three ciphers annexed. [See the Note under Numeration.]
decimally adverb By tens; by means of decimals.
decimated imp. & past participle of Decimate
decimator noun One who decimates.
decimeter noun Alt. of Decimetre
decimetre noun A measure of length in the metric system; one tenth of a meter, equal to 3.937 inches.
decistere noun The tenth part of the stere or cubic meter, equal to 3.531 cubic feet. See Stere.
declaimed imp. & past participle of Declaim
declaimer noun One who declaims; an haranguer.
declarant noun One who declares.
declaring present participle & vb. noun of Declare
declinate adjective Bent downward or aside; (Bot.) bending downward in a curve; declined.
declining present participle & vb. noun of Decline
declinous adjective Declinate.
declivous adjective Descending gradually; moderately steep; sloping; downhill.
declivity noun Deviation from a horizontal line; gradual descent of surface; inclination downward; slope; — opposed to acclivity, or ascent; the same slope, considered as descending, being a declivity, which, considered as ascending, is an acclivity., A descending surface; a sloping place.
decocting present participle & vb. noun of Decoct
decoction noun The act or process of boiling anything in a watery fluid to extract its virtues., An extract got from a body by boiling it in water.
decocture noun A decoction.
decollate verb t. To sever from the neck; to behead; to decapitate.
decollete adjective Leaving the neck and shoulders uncovered; cut low in the neck, or low-necked, as a dress.
decolling noun Beheading.
decomplex adjective Repeatedly compound; made up of complex constituents.
decompose verb t. To separate the constituent parts of; to resolve into original elements; to set free from previously existing forms of chemical combination; to bring to dissolution; to rot or decay., To become resolved or returned from existing combinations; to undergo dissolution; to decay; to rot.
deconcoct verb t. To decompose.
decorated imp. & past participle of Decorate
decorator noun One who decorates, adorns, or embellishes; specifically, an artisan whose business is the decoration of houses, esp. their interior decoration.
decoy-men plural of Decoy-man
decoy-man noun A man employed in decoying wild fowl.
decreased imp. & past participle of Decrease
decreeing present participle & vb. noun of Decree
decrement noun The state of becoming gradually less; decrease; diminution; waste; loss., The quantity lost by gradual diminution or waste; — opposed to increment., A name given by Hauy to the successive diminution of the layers of molecules, applied to the faces of the primitive form, by which he supposed the secondary forms to be produced., The quantity by which a variable is diminished.
decretion noun A decrease.
decretist noun One who studies, or professes the knowledge of, the decretals.
decretive noun Having the force of a decree; determining.
decretory adjective Established by a decree; definitive; settled., Serving to determine; critical.
decubitus noun An attitude assumed in lying down; as, the dorsal decubitus.
decumbent adjective Lying down; prostrate; recumbent., Reclining on the ground, as if too weak to stand, and tending to rise at the summit or apex; as, a decumbent stem.
decupling present participle & vb. noun of Decuple
decurrent adjective Extending downward; — said of a leaf whose base extends downward and forms a wing along the stem.
decursion noun A flowing; also, a hostile incursion.
decursive adjective Running down; decurrent.
decussate verb t. To cross at an acute angle; to cut or divide in the form of X; to intersect; — said of lines in geometrical figures, rays of light, nerves, etc., Alt. of Decussated
dedicated imp. & past participle of Dedicate
dedicatee noun One to whom a thing is dedicated; — correlative to dedicator.
dedicator noun One who dedicates; more especially, one who inscribes a book to the favor of a patron, or to one whom he desires to compliment.
deducible adjective Capable of being deduced or inferred; derivable by reasoning, as a result or consequence., Capable of being brought down.
deducibly adverb By deduction.
deducting present participle & vb. noun of Deduct
deduction noun Act or process of deducing or inferring., Act of deducting or taking away; subtraction; as, the deduction of the subtrahend from the minuend., That which is deduced or drawn from premises by a process of reasoning; an inference; a conclusion., That which is deducted; the part taken away; abatement; as, a deduction from the yearly rent.
deductive adjective Of or pertaining to deduction; capable of being deduced from premises; deducible.
deed poll A deed of one part, or executed by only one party, and distinguished from an indenture by having the edge of the parchment or paper cut even, or polled as it was anciently termed, instead of being indented.
deepening present participle & vb. noun of Deepen
deep-laid adjective Laid deeply; formed with cunning and sagacity; as, deep-laid plans.
deep-read adjective Profoundly book- learned.
deerberry noun A shrub of the blueberry group (Vaccinium stamineum); also, its bitter, greenish white berry; — called also squaw huckleberry.
deergrass noun An American genus (Rhexia) of perennial herbs, with opposite leaves, and showy flowers (usually bright purple), with four petals and eight stamens, — the only genus of the order Melastomaceae inhabiting a temperate clime.
deerhound noun One of a large and fleet breed of hounds used in hunting deer; a staghound.
deer-neck noun A deerlike, or thin, ill-formed neck, as of a horse.
defailure noun Failure.
defalcate verb t. To cut off; to take away or deduct a part of; — used chiefly of money, accounts, rents, income, etc., To commit defalcation; to embezzle money held in trust.
defaulted imp. & past participle of Default
defaulter noun One who makes default; one who fails to appear in court when court when called., One who fails to perform a duty; a delinquent; particularly, one who fails to account for public money intrusted to his care; a peculator; a defalcator.
defeating present participle & vb. noun of Defeat
defeature noun Overthrow; defeat., Disfigurement; deformity.
defecated imp. & past participle of Defecate
defecator noun That which cleanses or purifies; esp., an apparatus for removing the feculencies of juices and sirups.
defection noun Act of abandoning a person or cause to which one is bound by allegiance or duty, or to which one has attached himself; desertion; failure in duty; a falling away; apostasy; backsliding.
defective adjective Wanting in something; incomplete; lacking a part; deficient; imperfect; faulty; — applied either to natural or moral qualities; as, a defective limb; defective timber; a defective copy or account; a defective character; defective rules., Lacking some of the usual forms of declension or conjugation; as, a defective noun or verb.
defending present participle & vb. noun of Defend
defendant adjective Serving, or suitable, for defense; defensive., Making defense., One who defends; a defender., A person required to make answer in an action or suit; — opposed to plaintiff.
defensive adjective Serving to defend or protect; proper for defense; opposed to offensive; as, defensive armor., Carried on by resisting attack or aggression; — opposed to offensive; as, defensive war., In a state or posture of defense., That which defends; a safeguard.
defensory adjective Tending to defend; defensive; as, defensory preparations.
deferring present participle & vb. noun of Defer
deference noun A yielding of judgment or preference from respect to the wishes or opinion of another; submission in opinion; regard; respect; complaisance.
deferment noun The act of delaying; postponement.
defiatory adjective Bidding or manifesting defiance.
deficient adjective Wanting, to make up completeness; wanting, as regards a requirement; not sufficient; inadequate; defective; imperfect; incomplete; lacking; as, deficient parts; deficient estate; deficient strength; deficient in judgment.
defiladed imp. & past participle of Defilade
definable adjective Capable of being defined, limited, or explained; determinable; describable by definition; ascertainable; as, definable limits; definable distinctions or regulations; definable words.
deflected imp. & past participle of Deflect, Turned aside; deviating from a direct line or course., Bent downward; deflexed.
deflector noun That which deflects, as a diaphragm in a furnace, or a cone in a lamp (to deflect and mingle air and gases and help combustion).
deflexion noun See Deflection.
deflexure noun A bending or turning aside; deflection.
deflorate adjective Past the flowering state; having shed its pollen.
defloured imp. & past participle of Deflour
deflourer noun One who deflours; a ravisher.
defluxion noun A discharge or flowing of humors or fluid matter, as from the nose in catarrh; — sometimes used synonymously with inflammation.
defoliate adjective Alt. of Defoliated
deforcing present participle & vb. noun of Deforce
deforceor noun Same as Deforciant.
deforming present participle & vb. noun of Deform
deformity adjective The state of being deformed; want of proper form or symmetry; any unnatural form or shape; distortion; irregularity of shape or features; ugliness., Anything that destroys beauty, grace, or propriety; irregularity; absurdity; gross deviation from order or the established laws of propriety; as, deformity in an edifice; deformity of character.
defrauded imp. & past participle of Defraud
defrauder noun One who defrauds; a cheat; an embezzler; a peculator.
defraying present participle & vb. noun of Defray
degarnish verb t. To strip or deprive of entirely, as of furniture, ornaments, etc.; to disgarnish; as, to degarnish a house, etc., To deprive of a garrison, or of troops necessary for defense; as, to degarnish a city or fort.
deglazing noun The process of giving a dull or ground surface to glass by acid or by mechanical means.
degloried adjective Deprived of glory; dishonored.
degrading present participle & vb. noun of Degrade
dehiscent adjective Characterized by dehiscence; opening in some definite way, as the capsule of a plant.
dehorning present participle & vb. noun of Dehorn
dehorting present participle & vb. noun of Dehort
dehydrate verb t. To deprive of water; to render free from water; as, to dehydrate alcohol.
deinornis noun See Dinornis.
deinosaur noun See Dinosaur.
deinteous adjective Alt. of Deintevous
deiparous adjective Bearing or bringing forth a god; — said of the Virgin Mary.
deistical adjective Pertaining to, savoring of, or consisting in, deism; as, a deistic writer; a deistical book.
dejecting present participle & vb. noun of Deject
dejection noun A casting down; depression., The act of humbling or abasing one’s self., Lowness of spirits occasioned by grief or misfortune; mental depression; melancholy., A low condition; weakness; inability., The discharge of excrement., Faeces; excrement.
dejectory adjective Having power, or tending, to cast down., Promoting evacuations by stool.
dejecture noun That which is voided; excrements.
dekaliter noun Same as Decaliter.
dekameter noun Same as Decameter.
dekastere noun Same as Decastere.
delapsing present participle & vb. noun of Delapse
delapsion noun A falling down, or out of place; prolapsion.
delawares noun pl. A tribe of Indians formerly inhabiting the valley of the Delaware River, but now mostly located in the Indian Territory.
delayment noun Hindrance.
delectate verb t. To delight; to charm.
delegated imp. & past participle of Delegate
delftware noun Pottery made at the city of Delft in Holland; hence:, Earthenware made in imitation of the above; any glazed earthenware made for table use, and the like.
delibrate verb t. To strip off the bark; to peel.
deliciate verb t. To delight one’s self; to indulge in feasting; to revel.
delicious adjective Affording exquisite pleasure; delightful; most sweet or grateful to the senses, especially to the taste; charming., Addicted to pleasure; seeking enjoyment; luxurious; effeminate.
delighted imp. & past participle of Delight, Endowed with delight.
delighter noun One who gives or takes delight.
delineate adjective Delineated; portrayed., To indicate by lines drawn in the form or figure of; to represent by sketch, design, or diagram; to sketch out; to portray; to picture; in drawing and engraving, to represent in lines, as with the pen, pencil, or graver; hence, to represent with accuracy and minuteness. See Delineation., To portray to the mind or understanding by words; to set forth; to describe.
deliquate verb i. To melt or be dissolved; to deliquesce., To cause to melt away; to dissolve; to consume; to waste.
deliquium noun A melting or dissolution in the air, or in a moist place; a liquid condition; as, a salt falls into a deliquium., A sinking away; a swooning., A melting or maudlin mood.
delirancy noun Delirium.
deliriant noun A poison which occasions a persistent delirium, or mental aberration (as belladonna).
delirious adjective Having a delirium; wandering in mind; light-headed; insane; raving; wild; as, a delirious patient; delirious fancies.
delitable adjective Delightful; delectable.
delivered imp. & past participle of Deliver
deliverer noun One who delivers or rescues; a preserver., One who relates or communicates.
deliverly adverb Actively; quickly; nimbly.
delphinic noun Pertaining to, or derived from, the dolphin; phocenic., Pertaining to, or derived from, the larkspur; specifically, relating to the stavesacre (Delphinium staphisagria).
delphinus noun A genus of Cetacea, including the dolphin. See Dolphin, 1., The Dolphin, a constellation near the equator and east of Aquila.
delthyris noun A name formerly given to certain Silurian brachiopod shells of the genus Spirifer.
deltidium noun The triangular space under the beak of many brachiopod shells.
deludable adjective Capable of being deluded; liable to be imposed on; gullible.
delundung noun An East Indian carnivorous mammal (Prionodon gracilis), resembling the civets, but without scent pouches. It is handsomely spotted.
demagogic adjective Alt. of Demagogical
demagogue noun A leader of the rabble; one who attempts to control the multitude by specious or deceitful arts; an unprincipled and factious mob orator or political leader.
demanding present participle & vb. noun of Demand
demandant noun One who demands; the plaintiff in a real action; any plaintiff.
demantoid noun A yellow-green, transparent variety of garnet found in the Urals. It is valued as a gem because of its brilliancy of luster, whence the name.
demarcate verb t. To mark by bounds; to set the limits of; to separate; to discriminate.
demeaning present participle & vb. noun of Demean
demeanure noun Behavior.
dementate verb t. Deprived of reason., To deprive of reason; to dement.
demersion noun The act of plunging into a fluid; a drowning., The state of being overwhelmed in water, or as if in water.
demesnial adjective Of or pertaining to a demesne; of the nature of a demesne.
demideify verb t. To deify in part.
demidevil noun A half devil.
demigorge noun Half the gorge, or entrance into a bastion, taken from the angle of the flank to the center of the bastion.
demigrate verb i. To emigrate.
demigroat noun A half groat.
demilance noun A light lance; a short spear; a half pike; also, a demilancer.
demimonde noun Persons of doubtful reputation; esp., women who are kept as mistresses, though not public prostitutes; demireps.
demisable adjective Capable of being leased; as, a demisable estate.
demission noun The act of demitting, or the state of being demitted; a letting down; a lowering; dejection., Resignation of an office.
demissive adjective Downcast; submissive; humble.
demitting present participle & vb. noun of Demit
demiurgic adjective Pertaining to a demiurge; formative; creative.
democracy noun Government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is retained and directly exercised by the people., Government by popular representation; a form of government in which the supreme power is retained by the people, but is indirectly exercised through a system of representation and delegated authority periodically renewed; a constitutional representative government; a republic., Collectively, the people, regarded as the source of government., The principles and policy of the Democratic party, so called.
democraty noun Democracy.
demoniasm noun See Demonianism.
demonized imp. & past participle of Demonize
demonship noun The state of a demon.
demulcent adjective Softening; mollifying; soothing; assuasive; as, oil is demulcent., A substance, usually of a mucilaginous or oily nature, supposed to be capable of soothing an inflamed nervous membrane, or protecting it from irritation. Gum Arabic, glycerin, olive oil, etc., are demulcents.
demulsion noun The act of soothing; that which soothes.
demurring present participle & vb. noun of Demur
demurrage noun The detention of a vessel by the freighter beyond the time allowed in her charter party for loading, unloading, or sailing., The allowance made to the master or owner of the ship for such delay or detention.
dendritic adjective Alt. of Dendritical
denigrate verb t. To blacken thoroughly; to make very black., Fig.: To blacken or sully; to defame.
denitrify verb t. To deprive of, or free from, nitrogen.
denotable adjective Capable of being denoted or marked.
denounced imp. & past participle of Denounce
denouncer noun One who denounces, or declares, as a menace.
denseless noun The quality of being dense; density.
dentalism noun The quality of being formed by the aid of the teeth.
dentalium noun A genus of marine mollusks belonging to the Scaphopoda, having a tubular conical shell.
dentately adverb In a dentate or toothed manner; as, dentately ciliated, etc.
dentation noun Formation of teeth; toothed form.
denticete noun pl. The division of Cetacea in which the teeth are developed, including the sperm whale, dolphins, etc.
dentiform adjective Having the form of a tooth or of teeth; tooth-shaped.
dentilave noun A wash for cleaning the teeth.
dentistic adjective Alt. of Dentistical
dentistry noun The art or profession of a dentist; dental surgery.
dentition noun The development and cutting of teeth; teething., The system of teeth peculiar to an animal.
dentizing present participle & vb. noun of Dentize
denyingly adverb In the manner of one denies a request.
deodorant noun A deodorizer.
deodorize verb t. To deprive of odor, especially of such as results from impurities.
deonerate verb t. To unload; to disburden.
deoxidate verb t. To deoxidize.
deoxidize verb t. To deprive of oxygen; to reduce from the state of an oxide.
depainted imp. & past participle of Depaint
depainter noun One who depaints.
departing present participle & vb. noun of Depart
departure noun Division; separation; putting away., Separation or removal from a place; the act or process of departing or going away., Removal from the present life; death; decease., Deviation or abandonment, as from or of a rule or course of action, a plan, or a purpose., The desertion by a party to any pleading of the ground taken by him in his last antecedent pleading, and the adoption of another., The distance due east or west which a person or ship passes over in going along an oblique line.
depascent adjective Feeding.
depasture verb t. & i. To pasture; to feed; to graze; also, to use for pasture.
depending present participle & vb. noun of Depend
dependant noun Alt. of Dependancy
dependent adjective Hanging down; as, a dependent bough or leaf., Relying on, or subject to, something else for support; not able to exist, or sustain itself, or to perform anything, without the will, power, or aid of something else; not self-sustaining; contingent or conditioned; subordinate; — often with on or upon; as, dependent on God; dependent upon friends., One who depends; one who is sustained by another, or who relies on another for support of favor; a hanger-on; a retainer; as, a numerous train of dependents., That which depends; corollary; consequence.
depicting present participle & vb. noun of Depict
depiction noun A painting or depicting; a representation.
depicture verb t. To make a picture of; to paint; to picture; to depict.
depilated imp. & past participle of Depilate
deplanate verb t. Flattened; made level or even.
depleting present participle & vb. noun of Deplete
depletion noun The act of depleting or emptying., the act or process of diminishing the quantity of fluid in the vessels by bloodletting or otherwise; also excessive evacuation, as in severe diarrhea.
depletive adjective Able or fitted to deplete., A substance used to deplete.
depletory adjective Serving to deplete.
deplorate adjective Deplorable.
deploring present participle & vb. noun of Deplore
deploying present participle & vb. noun of Deploy
deplumate adjective Destitute or deprived of features; deplumed.
depluming present participle & vb. noun of Deplume
deporting present participle & vb. noun of Deport
deporture noun Deportment.
deposable adjective Capable of being deposed or deprived of office.
deposited imp. & past participle of Deposit
depositor noun One who makes a deposit, especially of money in a bank; — the correlative of depository.
depositum noun Deposit.
depraving present participle & vb. noun of Deprave
depravity noun The state of being depraved or corrupted; a vitiated state of moral character; general badness of character; wickedness of mind or heart; absence of religious feeling and principle.
deprecate verb t. To pray against, as an evil; to seek to avert by prayer; to desire the removal of; to seek deliverance from; to express deep regret for; to disapprove of strongly.
depredate verb t. To subject to plunder and pillage; to despoil; to lay waste; to prey upon., To take plunder or prey; to commit waste; as, the troops depredated on the country.
deprehend verb t. To take unwares or by surprise; to seize, as a person commiting an unlawful act; to catch; to apprehend., To detect; to discover; to find out.
depressed imp. & past participle of Depress, Pressed or forced down; lowed; sunk; dejected; dispirited; sad; humbled., Concave on the upper side; — said of a leaf whose disk is lower than the border., Lying flat; — said of a stem or leaf which lies close to the ground., Having the vertical diameter shorter than the horizontal or transverse; — said of the bodies of animals, or of parts of the bodies.
depressor noun One who, or that which, presses down; an oppressor., A muscle that depresses or tends to draw down a part.
depriment adjective Serving to depress.
deprisure noun Low estimation; disesteem; contempt.
depriving present participle & vb. noun of Deprive
depthless adjective Having no depth; shallow., Of measureless depth; unfathomable.
depulsion noun A driving or thrusting away.
depulsory adjective Driving or thrusting away; averting.
depurated imp. & past participle of Depurate
depurator noun One who, or that which, cleanses.
deputable adjective Fit to be deputed; suitable to act as a deputy.
deputator noun One who deputes, or makes a deputation.
derailing present participle & vb. noun of Derail
deranging present participle & vb. noun of Derange
derivable adjective That can be derived; obtainable by transmission; capable of being known by inference, as from premises or data; capable of being traced, as from a radical; as, income is derivable from various sources.
derivably adverb By derivation.
dermatine adjective Of or pertaining to the skin.
dermatoid adjective Resembling skin; skinlike.
dermestes noun A genus of coleopterous insects, the larvae of which feed animal substances. They are very destructive to dries meats, skins, woolens, and furs. The most common species is D. lardarius, known as the bacon beetle.
derogated imp. & past participle of Derogate
derogator noun A detractor.
derringer noun A kind of short-barreled pocket pistol, of very large caliber, often carrying a half-ounce ball.
descanted imp. & past participle of Descant
descanter noun One who descants.
descended imp. & past participle of Descend
descender noun One who descends.
described imp. & past participle of Describe
describer noun One who describes.
descrying present participle & vb. noun of Descry
desecrate verb t. To divest of a sacred character or office; to divert from a sacred purpose; to violate the sanctity of; to profane; to put to an unworthy use; — the opposite of consecrate.
deserting present participle & vb. noun of Desert
desertful adjective Meritorious.
desertion noun The act of deserting or forsaking; abandonment of a service, a cause, a party, a friend, or any post of duty; the quitting of one’s duties willfully and without right; esp., an absconding from military or naval service., The state of being forsaken; desolation; as, the king in his desertion., Abandonment by God; spiritual despondency.
desertrix noun Alt. of Desertrice
deserving present participle & vb. noun of Deserve, Desert; merit., Meritorious; worthy; as, a deserving person or act.
desiccant adjective Drying; desiccative., A medicine or application for drying up a sore.
desiccate verb t. To dry up; to deprive or exhaust of moisture; to preserve by drying; as, to desiccate fish or fruit., To become dry.
desidiose adjective Alt. of Desidious
desidious adjective Idle; lazy.
designing present participle & vb. noun of Design, Intriguing; artful; scheming; as, a designing man., The act of making designs or sketches; the act of forming designs or plans.
designate verb t. Designated; appointed; chosen., To mark out and make known; to point out; to name; to indicate; to show; to distinguish by marks or description; to specify; as, to designate the boundaries of a country; to designate the rioters who are to be arrested., To call by a distinctive title; to name., To indicate or set apart for a purpose or duty; — with to or for; to designate an officer for or to the command of a post or station.
designful adjective Full of design; scheming.
desinence noun Termination; ending.
desipient adjective Foolish; silly; trifling.
desirable verb t. Worthy of desire or longing; fitted to excite desire or a wish to possess; pleasing; agreeable.
desirably adverb In a desirable manner.
desireful adjective Filled with desire; eager.
desisting present participle & vb. noun of Desist
desistive adjective Final; conclusive; ending.
desmidian noun A microscopic plant of the family Desmidiae, a group of unicellular algae in which the species have a greenish color, and the cells generally appear as if they consisted of two coalescing halves.
desmodont noun A member of a group of South American blood-sucking bats, of the genera Desmodus and Diphylla. See Vampire.
desmology noun The science which treats of the ligaments.
desolated imp. & past participle of Desolate
desolater noun One who, or that which, desolates or lays waste.
desolator noun Same as Desolater.
desoxalic adjective Made or derived from oxalic acid; as, desoxalic acid.
despaired imp. & past participle of Despair
despairer noun One who despairs.
desparple verb t. & i. To scatter; to disparkle.
desperado noun A reckless, furious man; a person urged by furious passions, and regardless of consequence; a wild ruffian.
desperate adjective Without hope; given to despair; hopeless., Beyond hope; causing despair; extremely perilous; irretrievable; past cure, or, at least, extremely dangerous; as, a desperate disease; desperate fortune., Proceeding from, or suggested by, despair; without regard to danger or safety; reckless; furious; as, a desperate effort., Extreme, in a bad sense; outrageous; — used to mark the extreme predominance of a bad quality., One desperate or hopeless.
despising present participle & vb. noun of Despise
despiting present participle & vb. noun of Despite
despitous adjective Despiteous; very angry; cruel.
despoiled imp. & past participle of Despoil
despoiler noun One who despoils.
desponded imp. & past participle of Despond
desponder noun One who desponds.
despotism noun The power, spirit, or principles of a despot; absolute control over others; tyrannical sway; tyranny., A government which is directed by a despot; a despotic monarchy; absolutism; autocracy.
despotist noun A supporter of despotism.
despotize verb t. To act the despot.
despumate verb t. & i. To throw off impurities in spume; to work off in foam or scum; to foam.
destemper noun A kind of painting. See Distemper.
destinate adjective Destined., To destine, design, or choose.
destining present participle & vb. noun of Destine
destinist noun A believer in destiny; a fatalist.
destinies plural of Destiny
destitute adjective Forsaken; not having in possession (something necessary, or desirable); deficient; lacking; devoid; — often followed by of., Not possessing the necessaries of life; in a condition of want; needy; without possessions or resources; very poor., To leave destitute; to forsake; to abandon., To make destitute; to cause to be in want; to deprive; — followed by of., To disappoint.
destroyed imp. & past participle of Destroy
destroyer noun One who destroys, ruins, kills, or desolates.
desuetude noun The cessation of use; disuse; discontinuance of practice, custom, or fashion.
desultory adjective Leaping or skipping about., Jumping, or passing, from one thing or subject to another, without order or rational connection; without logical sequence; disconnected; immethodical; aimless; as, desultory minds., Out of course; by the way; as a digression; not connected with the subject; as, a desultory remark.
detaching present participle & vb. noun of Detach
detailing present participle & vb. noun of Detail
detaining present participle & vb. noun of Detain
detainder noun A writ. See Detinue.
detecting present participle & vb. noun of Detect
detection noun The act of detecting; the laying open what was concealed or hidden; discovery; as, the detection of a thief; the detection of fraud, forgery, or a plot.
detective adjective Fitted for, or skilled in, detecting; employed in detecting crime or criminals; as, a detective officer., One who business it is so detect criminals or discover matters of secrecy.
detention noun The act of detaining or keeping back; a withholding., The state of being detained (stopped or hindered); delay from necessity., Confinement; restraint; custody.
deterring present participle & vb. noun of Deter
deterging present participle & vb. noun of Deterge
detergent adjective Cleansing; purging., A substance which cleanses the skin, as water or soap; a medicine to cleanse wounds, ulcers, etc.
determent noun The act of deterring; also, that which deters.
determine verb t. To fix the boundaries of; to mark off and separate., To set bounds to; to fix the determination of; to limit; to bound; to bring to an end; to finish., To fix the form or character of; to shape; to prescribe imperatively; to regulate; to settle., To fix the course of; to impel and direct; — with a remoter object preceded by to; as, another’s will determined me to this course., To ascertain definitely; to find out the specific character or name of; to assign to its true place in a system; as, to determine an unknown or a newly discovered plant or its name., To bring to a conclusion, as a question or controversy; to settle authoritative or judicial sentence; to decide; as, the court has determined the cause., To resolve on; to have a fixed intention of; also, to cause to come to a conclusion or decision; to lead; as, this determined him to go immediately., To define or limit by adding a differentia., To ascertain the presence, quantity, or amount of; as, to determine the parallax; to determine the salt in sea water., To come to an end; to end; to terminate., To come to a decision; to decide; to resolve; — often with on.
deterrent adjective Serving to deter., That which deters or prevents.
detersion noun The act of deterging or cleansing, as a sore.
detersive adjective Cleansing; detergent., A cleansing agent; a detergent.
detesting present participle & vb. noun of Detest
dethroned imp. & past participle of Dethrone
dethroner noun One who dethrones.
detonated imp. & past participle of Detonate
detonator noun One who, or that which, detonates.
detonized imp. & past participle of Detonize
detorsion noun Same as Detortion.
detorting present participle & vb. noun of Detort
detortion noun The act of detorting, or the state of being detorted; a twisting or warping.
detracted imp. & past participle of Detract
detracter noun One who detracts; a detractor.
detriment noun That which injures or causes damage; mischief; harm; diminution; loss; damage; — used very generically; as, detriments to property, religion, morals, etc., A charge made to students and barristers for incidental repairs of the rooms they occupy., To do injury to; to hurt.
detrition noun A wearing off or away.
detruding present participle & vb. noun of Detrude
detuncate verb t. To shorten by cutting; to cut off; to lop off.
detrusion noun The act of thrusting or driving down or outward; outward thrust.
deturbate verb t. To evict; to remove.
deturpate verb t. To defile; to disfigure.
deutoxide noun A compound containing in the molecule two atoms of oxygen united with some other element or radical; — usually called dioxide, or less frequently, binoxide.
devastate verb t. To lay waste; to ravage; to desolate.
developed imp. & past participle of Develop
developer noun One who, or that which, develops., A reagent by the action of which the latent image upon a photographic plate, after exposure in the camera, or otherwise, is developed and visible.
devesting present participle & vb. noun of Devest
deviating present participle & vb. noun of Deviate
deviation noun The act of deviating; a wandering from the way; variation from the common way, from an established rule, etc.; departure, as from the right course or the path of duty., The state or result of having deviated; a transgression; an act of sin; an error; an offense., The voluntary and unnecessary departure of a ship from, or delay in, the regular and usual course of the specific voyage insured, thus releasing the underwriters from their responsibility.
deviatory adjective Tending to deviate; devious; as, deviatory motion.
deviceful adjective Full of devices; inventive.
devilling of Devil
devilfish noun A huge ray (Manta birostris / Cephaloptera vampyrus) of the Gulf of Mexico and Southern Atlantic coasts. Several other related species take the same name. See Cephaloptera., A large cephalopod, especially the very large species of Octopus and Architeuthis. See Octopus., The gray whale of the Pacific coast. See Gray whale., The goosefish or angler (Lophius), and other allied fishes. See Angler.
devilment noun Deviltry.
devilries plural of Devilry
devilship noun The character or person of a devil or the devil.
devilwood noun A kind of tree (Osmanthus Americanus), allied to the European olive.
devisable adjective Capable of being devised, invented, or contrived., Capable of being bequeathed, or given by will.
devitable adjective Avoidable.
devitrify verb t. To deprive of glasslike character; to take away vitreous luster and transparency from.
devolving present participle & vb. noun of Devolve
devouring present participle & vb. noun of Devour
devoutful adjective Full of devotion., Sacred.
dewlapped adjective Furnished with a dewlap.
dew-point noun The temperature at which dew begins to form. It varies with the humidity and temperature of the atmosphere.
dexterity noun Right-handedness., Readiness and grace in physical activity; skill and ease in using the hands; expertness in manual acts; as, dexterity with the chisel., Readiness in the use or control of the mental powers; quickness and skill in managing any complicated or difficult affair; adroitness.
dexterous adjective Ready and expert in the use of the body and limbs; skillful and active with the hands; handy; ready; as, a dexterous hand; a dexterous workman., Skillful in contrivance; quick at inventing expedients; expert; as, a dexterous manager., Done with dexterity; skillful; artful; as, dexterous management.
dextrally adverb Towards the right; as, the hands of a watch rotate dextrally.
dextronic adjective Pertaining to, or derived from, dextrose; as, dextronic acid.
dextrorse adjective Turning from the left to the right, in the ascending line, as in the spiral inclination of the stem of the common morning-glory.
dezincify verb t. To deprive of, or free from, zinc.
diablerie noun Alt. of Diabley
diabolify verb t. To ascribed diabolical qualities to; to change into, or to represent as, a devil.
diabolism noun Character, action, or principles appropriate to the devil., Possession by the devil.
diabolize verb t. To render diabolical.
diachylon noun Alt. of Diachylum
diachylum noun A plaster originally composed of the juices of several plants (whence its name), but now made of an oxide of lead and oil, and consisting essentially of glycerin mixed with lead salts of the fat acids.
diacodium noun A sirup made of poppies.
diaconate noun The office of a deacon; deaconship; also, a body or board of deacons., Governed by deacons.
diacritic adjective Alt. of Diacritical
diactinic adjective Capable of transmitting the chemical or actinic rays of light; as, diactinic media.
diaereses plural of Dieresis
diaeresis noun Alt. of Dieresis
diaeretic adjective Caustic.
diagnoses plural of Diagnosis
diagnosis noun The art or act of recognizing the presence of disease from its signs or symptoms, and deciding as to its character; also, the decision arrived at., Scientific determination of any kind; the concise description of characterization of a species., Critical perception or scrutiny; judgment based on such scrutiny; esp., perception of, or judgment concerning, motives and character.
diagonial adjective Diagonal; diametrical; hence; diametrically opposed.
dialectal adjective Relating to a dialect; dialectical; as, a dialectical variant.
dialectic noun Same as Dialectics., Alt. of Dialectical
dialector noun One skilled in dialectics.
dialogism noun An imaginary speech or discussion between two or more; dialogue.
dialogist noun A speaker in a dialogue., A writer of dialogues.
dialogite noun Native carbonate of manganese; rhodochrosite.
dialogize verb t. To discourse in dialogue.
dialyzate noun The material subjected to dialysis.
dialyzing present participle & vb. noun of Dialyze
diamagnet noun A body having diamagnetic polarity.
diametral adjective Pertaining to a diameter; diametrical., A diameter.
diametric adjective Alt. of Diametrical
diamonded adjective Having figures like a diamond or lozenge., Adorned with diamonds; diamondized.
diamylene noun A liquid hydrocarbon, C10H20, of the ethylene series, regarded as a polymeric form of amylene.
diandrian adjective Diandrous.
diandrous noun Of or pertaining to the class Diandria; having two stamens.
dianoetic adjective Pertaining to the discursive faculty, its acts or products.
diapering noun Same as Diaper, n., 2.
diaphaned adjective Transparent or translucent.
diaphanic adjective Having power to transmit light; transparent; diaphanous.
diaphanie noun The art of imitating //ined glass with translucent paper.
diaphonic adjective Alt. of Diaphonical
diaphragm noun A dividing membrane or thin partition, commonly with an opening through it., The muscular and tendinous partition separating the cavity of the chest from that of the abdomen; the midriff., A calcareous plate which divides the cavity of certain shells into two parts., A plate with an opening, which is generally circular, used in instruments to cut off marginal portions of a beam of light, as at the focus of a telescope., A partition in any compartment, for various purposes.
diaphysis noun An abnormal prolongation of the axis of inflorescence., The shaft, or main part, of a bone, which is first ossified.
diarrhoea noun A morbidly frequent and profuse discharge of loose or fluid evacuations from the intestines, without tenesmus; a purging or looseness of the bowels; a flux.
diarrheal adjective Alt. of Diarrhoeal
diastasic adjective Pertaining to, or consisting of, diastase; as, diastasic ferment.
diastasis noun A forcible of bones without fracture.
diastatic adjective Relating to diastase; having the properties of diastase; effecting the conversion of starch into sugar.
diastolic adjective Of or pertaining to diastole.
diathesis noun Bodily condition or constitution, esp. a morbid habit which predisposes to a particular disease, or class of diseases.
diathetic adjective Pertaining to, or dependent on, a diathesis or special constitution of the body; as, diathetic disease.
diatomous adjective Having a single, distinct, diagonal cleavage; — said of crystals.
diazeutic adjective Disjoining two fourths; as, the diazeutic tone, which, like that from F to G in modern music, lay between two fourths, and, being joined to either, made a fifth.
diazotize verb t. To subject to such reactions or processes that diazo compounds, or their derivatives, shall be produced by chemical exchange or substitution.
dicacious adjective Talkative; pert; saucy.
dicastery noun A court of justice; judgment hall.
dichastic adjective Capable of subdividing spontaneously.
dichogamy noun The condition of certain species of plants, in which the stamens and pistil do not mature simultaneously, so that these plants can never fertilize themselves.
dichotomy noun A cutting in two; a division., Division or distribution of genera into two species; division into two subordinate parts., That phase of the moon in which it appears bisected, or shows only half its disk, as at the quadratures., Successive division and subdivision, as of a stem of a plant or a vein of the body, into two parts as it proceeds from its origin; successive bifurcation., The place where a stem or vein is forked., Division into two; especially, the division of a class into two subclasses opposed to each other by contradiction, as the division of the term man into white and not white.
dichroism noun The property of presenting different colors by transmitted light, when viewed in two different directions, the colors being unlike in the direction of unlike or unequal axes.
dichroite noun Iolite; — so called from its presenting two different colors when viewed in two different directions. See Iolite.
dichromic adjective Furnishing or giving two colors; — said of defective vision, in which all the compound colors are resolvable into two elements instead of three.
dichroous adjective Dichroic.
diclinous adjective Having the stamens and pistils in separate flowers.
dicoccous adjective Composed of two coherent, one-seeded carpels; as, a dicoccous capsule.
dicrotous adjective Dicrotic.
dicrotism noun A condition in which there are two beats or waves of the arterial pulse to each beat of the heart.
dictamnus noun A suffrutescent, D. Fraxinella (the only species), with strong perfume and showy flowers. The volatile oil of the leaves is highly inflammable.
dictating present participle & vb. noun of Dictate
dictation noun The act of dictating; the act or practice of prescribing; also that which is dictated., The speaking to, or the giving orders to, in an overbearing manner; authoritative utterance; as, his habit, even with friends, was that of dictation.
dictatory adjective Dogmatical; overbearing; dictatorial.
dictatrix noun A dictatress.
dictature noun Office of a dictator; dictatorship.
dictyogen noun A plant with net-veined leaves, and monocotyledonous embryos, belonging to the class Dictyogenae, proposed by Lindley for the orders Dioscoreaceae, Smilaceae, Trilliaceae, etc.
dicyanide noun A compound of a binary type containing two cyanogen groups or radicals; — called also bicyanide.
dicyemata noun pl. An order of worms parasitic in cephalopods. They are remarkable for the extreme simplicity of their structure. The embryo exists in two forms.
didactics noun The art or science of teaching.
didelphia noun pl. The subclass of Mammalia which includes the marsupials. See Marsupialia.
didelphic adjective Having the uterus double; of or pertaining to the Didelphia.
didelphid adjective Same as Didelphic., A marsupial animal.
didelphyc adjective Same as Didelphic.
didrachma noun A two-drachma piece; an ancient Greek silver coin, worth nearly forty cents.
diduction noun The act of drawing apart; separation.
didynamia noun pl. A Linnaean class of plants having four stamens disposed in pairs of unequal length.
diesinker noun An engraver of dies for stamping coins, medals, etc.
dies irae Day of wrath; — the name and beginning of a famous mediaeval Latin hymn on the Last Judgment.
dietarian noun One who lives in accordance with prescribed rules for diet; a dieter.
dietaries plural of Dietary
dietetics noun That part of the medical or hygienic art which relates to diet or food; rules for diet.
dietetist noun A physician who applies the rules of dietetics to the cure of diseases.
dietitian noun One skilled in dietetics.
differing present participle & vb. noun of Differ
different adjective Distinct; separate; not the same; other., Of various or contrary nature, form, or quality; partially or totally unlike; dissimilar; as, different kinds of food or drink; different states of health; different shapes; different degrees of excellence.
difficile adjective Difficult; hard to manage; stubborn.
difficult adjective Hard to do or to make; beset with difficulty; attended with labor, trouble, or pains; not easy; arduous., Hard to manage or to please; not easily wrought upon; austere; stubborn; as, a difficult person., To render difficult; to impede; to perplex.
diffident adjective Wanting confidence in others; distrustful., Wanting confidence in one’s self; distrustful of one’s own powers; not self-reliant; timid; modest; bashful; characterized by modest reserve.
diffluent adjective Flowing apart or off; dissolving; not fixed.
diffusate noun Material which, in the process of catalysis, has diffused or passed through the separating membrane.
diffusing present participle & vb. noun of Diffuse
diffusely adverb In a diffuse manner.
diffusion noun The act of diffusing, or the state of being diffused; a spreading; extension; dissemination; circulation; dispersion., The act of passing by osmosis through animal membranes, as in the distribution of poisons, gases, etc., through the body. Unlike absorption, diffusion may go on after death, that is, after the blood ceases to circulate.
diffusive adjective Having the quality of diffusing; capable of spreading every way by flowing; spreading widely; widely reaching; copious; diffuse.
digammate adjective Alt. of Digammated
digastric adjective Having two bellies; biventral; — applied to muscles which are fleshy at each end and have a tendon in the middle, and esp. to the muscle which pulls down the lower jaw., Pertaining to the digastric muscle of the lower jaw; as, the digastric nerves.
digenesis noun The faculty of multiplying in two ways; — by ova fecundated by spermatic fluid, and asexually, as by buds. See Parthenogenesis.
digesting present participle & vb. noun of Digest
digestion noun The act or process of digesting; reduction to order; classification; thoughtful consideration., The conversion of food, in the stomach and intestines, into soluble and diffusible products, capable of being absorbed by the blood., Generation of pus; suppuration.
digestive adjective Pertaining to digestion; having the power to cause or promote digestion; as, the digestive ferments., That which aids digestion, as a food or medicine., A substance which, when applied to a wound or ulcer, promotes suppuration., A tonic.
digesture noun Digestion.
digitalis noun A genus of plants including the foxglove., The dried leaves of the purple foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), used in heart disease, disturbance of the circulation, etc.
digitated adjective Having several leaflets arranged, like the fingers of the hand, at the extremity of a stem or petiole. Also, in general, characterized by digitation.
dignation noun The act of thinking worthy; honor.
dignified adjective Marked with dignity; stately; as, a dignified judge., of Dignify
dignitary noun One who possesses exalted rank or holds a position of dignity or honor; especially, one who holds an ecclesiastical rank above that of a parochial priest or clergyman.
dignities plural of Dignity
dignotion noun Distinguishing mark; diagnostic.
digraphic adjective Of or pertaining to a digraph.
digressed imp. & past participle of Digress
dilaniate verb t. To rend in pieces; to tear.
dilatable adjective Capable of expansion; that may be dilated; — opposed to contractible; as, the lungs are dilatable by the force of air; air is dilatable by heat.
dilatator noun A muscle which dilates any part; a dilator.
dilatedly adverb In a dilated manner.
dilection noun Love; choice.
dilettant adjective Of or pertaining to dilettanteism; amateur; as, dilettant speculation., A dilettante.
diligence noun The quality of being diligent; carefulness; careful attention; — the opposite of negligence., Interested and persevering application; devoted and painstaking effort to accomplish what is undertaken; assiduity in service., Process by which persons, lands, or effects are seized for debt; process for enforcing the attendance of witnesses or the production of writings., A four-wheeled public stagecoach, used in France.
diligency noun Diligence; care; persevering endeavor.
dilogical adjective Ambiguous; of double meaning.
diluviate verb i. To run as a flood.
diluviums plural of Diluvium
dimension noun Measure in a single line, as length, breadth, height, thickness, or circumference; extension; measurement; — usually, in the plural, measure in length and breadth, or in length, breadth, and thickness; extent; size; as, the dimensions of a room, or of a ship; the dimensions of a farm, of a kingdom., Extent; reach; scope; importance; as, a project of large dimensions., The degree of manifoldness of a quantity; as, time is quantity having one dimension; volume has three dimensions, relative to extension., A literal factor, as numbered in characterizing a term. The term dimensions forms with the cardinal numbers a phrase equivalent to degree with the ordinal; thus, a2b2c is a term of five dimensions, or of the fifth degree., The manifoldness with which the fundamental units of time, length, and mass are involved in determining the units of other physical quantities.
dimensity noun Dimension.
dimensive adjective Without dimensions; marking dimensions or the limits.
dimidiate adjective Divided into two equal parts; reduced to half in shape or form., Consisting of only one half of what the normal condition requires; having the appearance of lacking one half; as, a dimidiate leaf, which has only one side developed., Having the organs of one side, or half, different in function from the corresponding organs on the other side; as, dimidiate hermaphroditism., To divide into two equal parts., To represent the half of; to halve.
diminuent adjective Lessening.
diminutal adjective Indicating or causing diminution.
dimission noun Leave to depart; a dismissing.
dimissory adjective Sending away; dismissing to another jurisdiction; granting leave to depart.
dimorphic adjective Having the property of dimorphism; dimorphous.
dimyarian adjective Like or pertaining to the Dimya., One of the Dimya.
diner-out noun One who often takes his dinner away from home, or in company.
dinetical adjective Revolving on an axis.
dinginess noun Quality of being dingy; a dusky hue.
dinoceras noun A genus of large extinct Eocene mammals from Wyoming; — called also Uintatherium. See Illustration in Appendix.
dinothere noun Alt. of Dinotherium
dioecious adjective Having the sexes in two separate individuals; — applied to plants in which the female flowers occur on one individual and the male flowers on another of the same species, and to animals in which the ovum is produced by one individual and the sperm cell by another; — opposed to monoecious.
dionysian adjective Relating to Dionysius, a monk of the 6th century; as, the Dionysian, or Christian, era.
dioptrics noun The science of the refraction of light; that part of geometrical optics which treats of the laws of the refraction of light in passing from one medium into another, or through different mediums, as air, water, or glass, and esp. through different lenses; — distinguished from catoptrics, which refers to reflected light.
dioristic adjective Distinguishing; distinctive; defining.
dioscorea noun A genus of plants. See Yam.
dioxindol noun A white, crystalline, nitrogenous substance obtained by the reduction of isatin. It is a member of the indol series; — hence its name.
dipaschal adjective Including two passovers.
diphthong noun A coalition or union of two vowel sounds pronounced in one syllable; as, ou in out, oi in noise; — called a proper diphthong., A vowel digraph; a union of two vowels in the same syllable, only one of them being sounded; as, ai in rain, eo in people; — called an improper diphthong., To form or pronounce as a diphthong; diphthongize.
diploetic adjective Diploic.
diplomacy noun The art and practice of conducting negotiations between nations (particularly in securing treaties), including the methods and forms usually employed., Dexterity or skill in securing advantages; tact., The body of ministers or envoys resident at a court; the diplomatic body.
diplomate noun A diplomatist., To invest with a title o/ privilege by diploma.
diplopoda noun pl. An order of myriapods having two pairs of legs on each segment; the Chilognatha.
dipterous adjective Having two wings, as certain insects; belonging to the order Diptera., Having two wings; two-winged.
dipyridil noun A crystalline nitrogenous base, C10H8N2, obtained by the reduction of pyridine.
directing present participle & vb. noun of Direct
direction noun The act of directing, of aiming, regulating, guiding, or ordering; guidance; management; superintendence; administration; as, the direction o/ public affairs or of a bank., That which is imposed by directing; a guiding or authoritative instruction; prescription; order; command; as, he grave directions to the servants., The name and residence of a person to whom any thing is sent, written upon the thing sent; superscription; address; as, the direction of a letter., The line or course upon which anything is moving or aimed to move, or in which anything is lying or pointing; aim; line or point of tendency; direct line or course; as, the ship sailed in a southeasterly direction., The body of managers of a corporation or enterprise; board of directors., The pointing of a piece with reference to an imaginary vertical axis; — distinguished from elevation. The direction is given when the plane of sight passes through the object.
directive adjective Having power to direct; tending to direct, guide, or govern; showing the way., Able to be directed; manageable.
directory adjective Containing directions; enjoining; instructing; directorial., A collection or body of directions, rules, or ordinances; esp., a book of directions for the conduct of worship; as, the Directory used by the nonconformists instead of the Prayer Book., A book containing the names and residences of the inhabitants of any place, or of classes of them; an address book; as, a business directory., A body of directors; board of management; especially, a committee which held executive power in France under the first republic., Direction; guide.
directrix noun A directress., A line along which a point in another line moves, or which in any way governs the motion of the point and determines the position of the curve generated by it; the line along which the generatrix moves in generating a surface., A straight line so situated with respect to a conic section that the distance of any point of the curve from it has a constant ratio to the distance of the same point from the focus.
direption noun The act of plundering, despoiling, or snatching away.
dirigible adjective Capable of being directed; steerable; as, a dirigible balloon.
dirtiness noun The state of being dirty; filthiness; foulness; nastiness; baseness; sordidness.
diruption adjective Disruption.
disabling present participle & vb. noun of Disable
disabused imp. & past participle of Disabuse
disaccord verb i. To refuse to assent., Disagreement.
disadvise verb t. To advise against; to dissuade from.
disaffect verb t. To alienate or diminish the affection of; to make unfriendly or less friendly; to fill with discontent and unfriendliness., To disturb the functions of; to disorder., To lack affection for; to be alienated from, or indisposed toward; to dislike.
disaffirm verb t. To assert the contrary of; to contradict; to deny; — said of that which has been asserted., To refuse to confirm; to annul, as a judicial decision, by a contrary judgment of a superior tribunal.
disagreed imp. & past participle of Disagree
disagreer noun One who disagrees.
disanchor verb t. & i. To raise the anchor of, as a ship; to weigh anchor.
disanoint verb t. To invalidate the consecration of; as, to disanoint a king.
disappear verb i. To cease to appear or to be perceived; to pass from view, gradually or suddenly; to vanish; to be no longer seen; as, darkness disappears at the approach of light; a ship disappears as she sails from port., To cease to be or exist; as, the epidemic has disappeared.
disarming imp. & past participle of Disarm, of Disarm
disassent verb i. To dissent., Dissent.
disattire verb t. To unrobe; to undress.
disavouch verb t. To disavow.
disavowed imp. & past participle of Disavow
disavowal noun The act of disavowing, disclaiming, or disowning; rejection and denial.
disavower noun One who disavows.
disbanded imp. & past participle of Disband
disbarred imp. & past participle of Disbar
disbecome verb t. To misbecome.
disbelief noun The act of disbelieving;; a state of the mind in which one is fully persuaded that an opinion, assertion, or doctrine is not true; refusal of assent, credit, or credence; denial of belief.
disbodied adjective Disembodied.
disbranch verb To divest of a branch or branches; to tear off.
disburden verb t. To rid of a burden; to free from a load borne or from something oppressive; to unload; to disencumber; to relieve., To relieve one’s self of a burden; to ease the mind.
disbursed imp. & past participle of Disburse
disburser noun One who disburses money.
discalced adjective Unshod; barefooted; — in distinction from calced.
discarded imp. & past participle of Discard
discerned imp. & past participle of Discern
discerner noun One who, or that which, discerns, distinguishes, perceives, or judges; as, a discerner of truth, of right and wrong.
discharge verb t. To relieve of a charge, load, or burden; to empty of a load or cargo; to unburden; to unload; as, to discharge a vessel., To free of the missile with which anything is charged or loaded; to let go the charge of; as, to discharge a bow, catapult, etc.; especially, said of firearms, — to fire off; to shoot off; also, to relieve from a state of tension, as a Leyden jar., To of something weighing upon or impeding over one, as a debt, claim, obligation, responsibility, accusation, etc.; to absolve; to acquit; to clear., To relieve of an office or employment; to send away from service; to dismiss., To release legally from confinement; to set at liberty; as, to discharge a prisoner., To put forth, or remove, as a charge or burden; to take out, as that with which anything is loaded or filled; as, to discharge a cargo., To let fly, as a missile; to shoot., To set aside; to annul; to dismiss., To throw off the obligation of, as a duty or debt; to relieve one’s self of, by fulfilling conditions, performing duty, trust, and the like; hence, to perform or execute, as an office, or part., To send away (a creditor) satisfied by payment; to pay one’s debt or obligation to., To give forth; to emit or send out; as, a pipe discharges water; to let fly; to give expression to; to utter; as, to discharge a horrible oath., To prohibit; to forbid., To throw off or deliver a load, charge, or burden; to unload; to emit or give vent to fluid or other contents; as, the water pipe discharges freely., The act of discharging; the act of relieving of a charge or load; removal of a load or burden; unloading; as, the discharge of a ship; discharge of a cargo., Firing off; explosive removal of a charge; explosion; letting off; as, a discharge of arrows, of artillery., Act of relieving of something which oppresses or weighs upon one, as an obligation, liability, debt, accusation, etc.; acquittance; as, the discharge of a debtor., Act of removing, or getting rid of, an obligation, liability, etc.; fulfillment, as by the payment of a debt, or the performance of a trust or duty., Release or dismissal from an office, employment, etc.; dismission; as, the discharge of a workman by his employer., Legal release from confinement; liberation; as, the discharge of a prisoner., The state of being discharged or relieved of a debt, obligation, office, and the like; acquittal., That which discharges or releases from an obligation, liability, penalty, etc., as a price of ransom, a legal document., A flowing or issuing out; emission; vent; evacuation; also, that which is discharged or emitted; as, a rapid discharge of water from the pipe.
dischurch verb t. To deprive of status as a church, or of membership in a church.
disciform adjective Discoid.
discipled imp. & past participle of Disciple
disclosed imp. & past participle of Disclose, Represented with wings expanded; — applied to doves and other birds not of prey.
discloser noun One who discloses.
discoboli plural of Discobolus
discoidal adjective Disk-shaped; discoid.
discolith noun One of a species of coccoliths, having an oval discoidal body, with a thick strongly refracting rim, and a thinner central portion. One of them measures about / of an inch in its longest diameter.
discomfit verb t. To scatter in fight; to put to rout; to defeat., To break up and frustrate the plans of; to balk/ to throw into perplexity and dejection; to disconcert., Discomfited; overthrown., Rout; overthrow; discomfiture.
discommon verb t. To deprive of the right of common., To deprive of privileges., To deprive of commonable quality, as lands, by inclosing or appropriating.
discosent verb i. To differ; to disagree; to dissent.
discourse noun The power of the mind to reason or infer by running, as it were, from one fact or reason to another, and deriving a conclusion; an exercise or act of this power; reasoning; range of reasoning faculty., Conversation; talk., The art and manner of speaking and conversing., Consecutive speech, either written or unwritten, on a given line of thought; speech; treatise; dissertation; sermon, etc.; as, the preacher gave us a long discourse on duty., Dealing; transaction., To exercise reason; to employ the mind in judging and inferring; to reason., To express one’s self in oral discourse; to expose one’s views; to talk in a continuous or formal manner; to hold forth; to speak; to converse., To relate something; to tell., To treat of something in writing and formally., To treat of; to expose or set forth in language., To utter or give forth; to speak., To talk to; to confer with.
discovert adjective Not covert; not within the bonds of matrimony; unmarried; — applied either to a woman who has never married or to a widow., An uncovered place or part.
discovery noun The action of discovering; exposure to view; laying open; showing; as, the discovery of a plot., A making known; revelation; disclosure; as, a bankrupt is bound to make a full discovery of his assets., Finding out or ascertaining something previously unknown or unrecognized; as, Harvey’s discovery of the circulation of the blood., That which is discovered; a thing found out, or for the first time ascertained or recognized; as, the properties of the magnet were an important discovery., Exploration; examination.
discradle verb t. To take from a cradle.
discredit noun The act of discrediting or disbelieving, or the state of being discredited or disbelieved; as, later accounts have brought the story into discredit., Hence, some degree of dishonor or disesteem; ill repute; reproach; — applied to persons or things., To refuse credence to; not to accept as true; to disbelieve; as, the report is discredited., To deprive of credibility; to destroy confidence or trust in; to cause disbelief in the accuracy or authority of., To deprive of credit or good repute; to bring reproach upon; to make less reputable; to disgrace.
discumber verb t. To free from that which cumbers or impedes; to disencumber.
discursus noun Argumentation; ratiocination; discursive reasoning.
discussed imp. & past participle of Discuss
discusser noun One who discusses; one who sifts or examines.
disdained imp. & past participle of Disdain, Disdainful.
diseasing present participle & vb. noun of Disease
disembark verb t. To remove from on board a vessel; to put on shore; to land; to debark; as, the general disembarked the troops., To go ashore out of a ship or boat; to leave a ship; to debark.
disembody verb t. To divest of the body or corporeal existence., To disarm and disband, as a body of soldiers.
disemploy verb t. To throw out of employment.
disenable verb t. To disable; to disqualify.
disenamor verb t. To free from the captivity of love.
disengage verb t. To release from that with which anything is engaged, engrossed, involved, or entangled; to extricate; to detach; to set free; to liberate; to clear; as, to disengage one from a party, from broils and controversies, from an oath, promise, or occupation; to disengage the affections a favorite pursuit, the mind from study., To release one’s self; to become detached; to free one’s self.
disenroll verb i. To erase from a roll or list.
disentail verb t. To free from entailment.
disentomb verb t. To take out from a tomb; a disinter.
disesteem noun Want of esteem; low estimation, inclining to dislike; disfavor; disrepute., To feel an absence of esteem for; to regard with disfavor or slight contempt; to slight., To deprive of esteem; to bring into disrepute; to cause to be regarded with disfavor.
disfigure verb t. To mar the figure of; to render less complete, perfect, or beautiful in appearance; to deface; to deform., Disfigurement; deformity.
disforest verb t. To disafforest., To clear or deprive of forests or trees.
disgorged imp. & past participle of Disgorge
disgospel verb i. To be inconsistent with, or act contrary to, the precepts of the gospel; to pervert the gospel.
disgraced imp. & past participle of Disgrace
disgracer noun One who disgraces.
disguised imp. & past participle of Disguise
disguiser noun One who, or that which, disguises., One who wears a disguise; an actor in a masquerade; a masker.
disgusted imp. & past participle of Disgust
dishallow verb t. To make unholy; to profane.
dishcloth noun A cloth used for washing dishes.
dishclout noun A dishcloth.
dishevele past participle & adjective Disheveled.
dishonest adjective Dishonorable; shameful; indecent; unchaste; lewd., Dishonored; disgraced; disfigured., Wanting in honesty; void of integrity; faithless; disposed to cheat or defraud; not trustworthy; as, a dishonest man., Characterized by fraud; indicating a want of probity; knavish; fraudulent; unjust., To disgrace; to dishonor; as, to dishonest a maid.
dishwater noun Water in which dishes have been washed.
disimpark verb t. To free from the barriers or restrictions of a park.
disinfect verb t. To free from infectious or contagious matter; to destroy putrefaction; to purify; to make innocuous.
disinhume verb t. To disinter.
disinsure verb t. To render insecure; to put in danger.
disinured imp. & past participle of Disinure
disjoined imp. & past participle of Disjoin
disliking present participle & vb. noun of Dislike
dislocate verb t. To displace; to put out of its proper place. Especially, of a bone: To remove from its normal connections with a neighboring bone; to put out of joint; to move from its socket; to disjoint; as, to dislocate your bones., Dislocated.
dislodged imp. & past participle of Dislodge
dismantle verb t. To strip or deprive of dress; to divest., To strip of furniture and equipments, guns, etc.; to unrig; to strip of walls or outworks; to break down; as, to dismantle a fort, a town, or a ship., To disable; to render useless.
dismasted imp. & past participle of Dismast
dismaying present participle & vb. noun of Dismay
dismayful adjective Terrifying.
dismember verb t. To tear limb from limb; to dilacerate; to disjoin member from member; to tear or cut in pieces; to break up., To deprive of membership.
dismissed imp. & past participle of Dismiss
dismissal noun Dismission; discharge.
disobeyed imp. & past participle of Disobey
disobeyer noun One who disobeys.
disoblige verb t. To do an act which contravenes the will or desires of; to offend by an act of unkindness or incivility; to displease; to refrain from obliging; to be unaccommodating to., To release from obligation.
disorient verb t. To turn away from the cast; to confuse as to which way is east; to cause to lose one’s bearings.
disowning present participle & vb. noun of Disown
disparage verb t. To match unequally; to degrade or dishonor by an unequal marriage., To dishonor by a comparison with what is inferior; to lower in rank or estimation by actions or words; to speak slightingly of; to depreciate; to undervalue., Inequality in marriage; marriage with an inferior.
disparate adjective Unequal; dissimilar; separate., Pertaining to two coordinate species or divisions.
disparity noun Inequality; difference in age, rank, condition, or excellence; dissimilitude; — followed by between, in, of, as to, etc.; as, disparity in, or of, years; a disparity as to color.
disparkle verb t. To scatter abroad.
disparted imp. & past participle of Dispart
dispauper verb t. To deprive of the claim of a pauper to public support; to deprive of the privilege of suing in forma pauperis.
dispelled imp. & past participle of Dispel
dispender noun One who dispends or expends; a steward.
dispensed imp. & past participle of Dispense
dispenser noun One who, or that which, dispenses; a distributer; as, a dispenser of favors.
dispeople verb t. To deprive of inhabitants; to depopulate.
disperple verb t. To scatter; to sprinkle.
dispersal noun The act or result of dispersing or scattering; dispersion.
dispersed imp. & past participle of Disperse, Scattered.
disperser noun One that disperses.
displaced imp. & past participle of Displace
displacer noun One that displaces., The funnel part of the apparatus for solution by displacement.
displayed imp. & past participle of Display, Unfolded; expanded; exhibited conspicuously or ostentatiously., With wings expanded; — said of a bird of pray, esp. an eagle., Set with lines of prominent type interspersed, to catch the eye.
displayer noun One who, or that which, displays.
displease verb t. To make not pleased; to excite a feeling of disapprobation or dislike in; to be disagreeable to; to offend; to vex; — often followed by with or at. It usually expresses less than to anger, vex, irritate, or provoke., To fail to satisfy; to miss of., To give displeasure or offense.
disploded imp. & past participle of Displode
displumed imp. & past participle of Displume
dispoline noun One of several isomeric organic bases of the quinoline series of alkaloids.
dispondee noun A double spondee; a foot consisting of four long syllables.
disporous adjective Having two spores.
disported imp. & past participle of Disport
disposing present participle & vb. noun of Dispose
disposure noun The act of disposing; power to dispose of; disposal; direction., Disposition; arrangement; position; posture.
dispraise verb t. To withdraw praise from; to notice with disapprobation or some degree of censure; to disparage; to blame., The act of dispraising; detraction; blame censure; reproach; disparagement.
disprince verb t. To make unlike a prince.
disprison verb t. To let loose from prison, to set at liberty.
disprofit noun Loss; damage., To be, or to cause to be, without profit or benefit.
disproval noun Act of disproving; disproof.
disproved imp. & past participle of Disprove
disprover noun One who disproves or confutes.
dispurvey verb t. To disfurnish; to strip.
disputant verb i. Disputing; engaged in controversy., One who disputes; one who argues // opposition to another; one appointed to dispute; a controvertist; a reasoner in opposition.
disputing present participle & vb. noun of Dispute
disregard verb t. Not to regard; to pay no heed to; to omit to take notice of; to neglect to observe; to slight as unworthy of regard or notice; as, to disregard the admonitions of conscience., The act of disregarding, or the state of being disregarded; intentional neglect; omission of notice; want of attention; slight.
disrelish noun Want of relish; dislike (of the palate or of the mind); distaste; a slight degree of disgust; as, a disrelish for some kinds of food., Absence of relishing or palatable quality; bad taste; nauseousness., Not to relish; to regard as unpalatable or offensive; to feel a degree of disgust at., To deprive of relish; to make nauseous or disgusting in a slight degree.
disrepair noun A state of being in bad condition, and wanting repair.
disrepute noun Loss or want of reputation; ill character; disesteem; discredit., To bring into disreputation; to hold in dishonor.
disrobing present participle & vb. noun of Disrobe
disrooted imp. & past participle of Disroot
disrudder verb t. To deprive of the rudder, as a ship.
disrulily adverb In a disorderly manner.
disrupted imp. & past participle of Disrupt
dissected imp. & past participle of Dissect, Cut into several parts; divided into sections; as, a dissected map., Cut deeply into many lobes or divisions; as, a dissected leaf.
dissector noun One who dissects; an anatomist.
disseized imp. & past participle of Disseize
disseizee noun A person disseized, or put out of possession of an estate unlawfully; — correlative to disseizor.
disseizin noun The act of disseizing; an unlawful dispossessing and ouster of a person actually seized of the freehold.
disseizor noun One who wrongfully disseizes, or puts another out of possession of a freehold.
dissemble verb t. To hide under a false semblance or seeming; to feign (something) not to be what it really is; to put an untrue appearance upon; to disguise; to mask., To put on the semblance of; to make pretense of; to simulate; to feign., To conceal the real fact, motives, /tention, or sentiments, under some pretense; to assume a false appearance; to act the hypocrite.
dissented imp. & past participle of Dissent
dissenter noun One who dissents; one who differs in opinion, or declares his disagreement., One who separates from the service and worship of an established church; especially, one who disputes the authority or tenets of the Church of England; a nonconformist.
dissertly adverb See Disertly.
dissettle verb t. To unsettle.
disshadow verb t. To free from shadow or shade.
disshiver verb t. & i. To shiver or break in pieces.
dissident adjective No agreeing; dissenting; discordant; different., One who disagrees or dissents; one who separates from the established religion.
dissimile noun Comparison or illustration by contraries.
dissimule verb t. & i. To dissemble.
dissipate verb t. To scatter completely; to disperse and cause to disappear; — used esp. of the dispersion of things that can never again be collected or restored., To destroy by wasteful extravagance or lavish use; to squander., To separate into parts and disappear; to waste away; to scatter; to disperse; to vanish; as, a fog or cloud gradually dissipates before the rays or heat of the sun; the heat of a body dissipates., To be extravagant, wasteful, or dissolute in the pursuit of pleasure; to engage in dissipation.
dissocial verb t. Unfriendly to society; contracted; selfish; as, dissocial feelings.
dissolute adjective With nerves unstrung; weak., Loosed from restraint; esp., loose in morals and conduct; recklessly abandoned to sensual pleasures; profligate; wanton; lewd; debauched.
dissolved imp. & past participle of Dissolve
dissolver noun One who, or that which, has power to dissolve or dissipate.
dissonant adjective Sounding harshly; discordant; unharmonious., Disagreeing; incongruous; discrepant, — with from or to.
disspirit verb t. See Dispirit.
dissuaded imp. & past participle of Dissuade
dissuader noun One who dissuades; a dehorter.
dissunder verb t. To separate; to sunder; to destroy.
distained imp. & past participle of Distain
distanced imp. & past participle of Distance
distantly adverb At a distance; remotely; with reserve.
distasted imp. & past participle of Distaste
distemper verb t. To temper or mix unduly; to make disproportionate; to change the due proportions of., To derange the functions of, whether bodily, mental, or spiritual; to disorder; to disease., To deprive of temper or moderation; to disturb; to ruffle; to make disaffected, ill-humored, or malignant., To intoxicate., To mix (colors) in the way of distemper; as, to distemper colors with size., An undue or unnatural temper, or disproportionate mixture of parts., Severity of climate; extreme weather, whether hot or cold., A morbid state of the animal system; indisposition; malady; disorder; — at present chiefly applied to diseases of brutes; as, a distemper in dogs; the horse distemper; the horn distemper in cattle., Morbid temper of the mind; undue predominance of a passion or appetite; mental derangement; bad temper; ill humor., Political disorder; tumult., A preparation of opaque or body colors, in which the pigments are tempered or diluted with weak glue or size (cf. Tempera) instead of oil, usually for scene painting, or for walls and ceilings of rooms., A painting done with this preparation.
distended imp. & past participle of Distend
disthrone verb t. To dethrone.
distilled imp. & past participle of Distill
distiller noun One who distills; esp., one who extracts alcoholic liquors by distillation., The condenser of a distilling apparatus.
distorted imp. & past participle of Distort
distorter noun One who, or that which, distorts.
distraint noun The act or proceeding of seizing personal property by distress.
disturbed imp. & past participle of Disturb
disturber noun One who, or that which, disturbs of disquiets; a violator of peace; a troubler., One who interrupts or incommodes another in the peaceable enjoyment of his right.
disunited imp. & past participle of Disunite
disuniter noun One who, or that which, disjoins or causes disunion.
diswitted adjective Deprived of wits or understanding; distracted.
dithecous adjective Having two thecae, cells, or compartments.
dithionic adjective Containing two equivalents of sulphur; as, dithionic acid.
dithyramb noun A kind of lyric poetry in honor of Bacchus, usually sung by a band of revelers to a flute accompaniment; hence, in general, a poem written in a wild irregular strain.
ditionary adjective Under rule; subject; tributary., A subject; a tributary.
ditrochee noun A double trochee; a foot made up of two trochees.
dittander noun A kind of peppergrass (Lepidium latifolium).
dittology noun A double reading, or twofold interpretation, as of a Scripture text.
ditty-bag noun A sailor’s small bag to hold thread, needles, tape, etc.; — also called sailor’s housewife.
ditty-box noun A small box to hold a sailor’s thread, needless, comb, etc.
diurnally adverb Daily; every day.
diuturnal adjective Of long continuance; lasting.
divellent adjective Drawing asunder.
diverging present participle & vb. noun of Diverge, Tending in different directions from a common center; spreading apart; divergent.
divergent adjective Receding farther and farther from each other, as lines radiating from one point; deviating gradually from a given direction; — opposed to convergent., Causing divergence of rays; as, a divergent lens., Fig.: Disagreeing from something given; differing; as, a divergent statement.
diversely adverb In different ways; differently; variously., In different directions; to different points.
diversify verb t. To make diverse or various in form or quality; to give variety to; to variegate; to distinguish by numerous differences or aspects.
diversion noun The act of turning aside from any course, occupation, or object; as, the diversion of a stream from its channel; diversion of the mind from business., That which diverts; that which turns or draws the mind from care or study, and thus relaxes and amuses; sport; play; pastime; as, the diversions of youth., The act of drawing the attention and force of an enemy from the point where the principal attack is to be made; the attack, alarm, or feint which diverts.
diversity noun A state of difference; dissimilitude; unlikeness., Multiplicity of difference; multiformity; variety., Variegation.
diversory adjective Serving or tending to divert; also, distinguishing., A wayside inn.
diverting present participle & vb. noun of Divert, Amusing; entertaining.
divertise verb t. To divert; to entertain.
divertive adjective Tending to divert; diverting; amusing; interesting.
divesting present participle & vb. noun of Divest
divesture noun Divestiture.
dividable adjective Capable of being divided; divisible., Divided; separated; parted.
dividedly adverb Separately; in a divided manner.
divi-divi noun A small tree of tropical America (Caesalpinia coriaria), whose legumes contain a large proportion of tannic and gallic acid, and are used by tanners and dyers.
dividuous adjective Divided; dividual.
divinator noun One who practices or pretends to divination; a diviner.
divisible adjective Capable of being divided or separated., A divisible substance.
divorcing present participle & vb. noun of Divorce
divorcive adjective Having power to divorce; tending to divorce.
divulgate adjective Published., To divulge.
divulging present participle & vb. noun of Divulge
divulsive adjective Tending to pull asunder, tear, or rend; distracting.
dizziness noun Giddiness; a whirling sensation in the head; vertigo.
docketing present participle & vb. noun of Docket
doctoring present participle & vb. noun of Doctor
doctorate noun The degree, title, or rank, of a doctor., To make (one) a doctor.
doctoress noun A female doctor.
doctrinal adjective Pertaining to, or containing, doctrine or something taught and to be believed; as, a doctrinal observation., Pertaining to, or having to do with, teaching., A matter of doctrine; also, a system of doctrines.
dodecagon noun A figure or polygon bounded by twelve sides and containing twelve angles.
dog-brier noun The dog-rose.
dog-eared adjective Having the corners of the leaves turned down and soiled by careless or long-continued usage; — said of a book.
dog-faced adjective Having a face resembling that of a dog.
doggerman noun A sailor belonging to a dogger.
dogmatics noun The science which treats of Christian doctrinal theology.
dogmatism noun The manner or character of a dogmatist; arrogance or positiveness in stating opinion.
dogmatist noun One who dogmatizes; one who speaks dogmatically; a bold and arrogant advancer of principles.
dogmatize verb i. To assert positively; to teach magisterially or with bold and undue confidence; to advance with arrogance., To deliver as a dogma.
dog’s-ear noun The corner of a leaf, in a book, turned down like the ear of a dog.
dog-weary adjective Extremely weary.
doleritic adjective Of the nature of dolerite; as, much lava is doleritic lava.
dolioform adjective Barrel-shaped, or like a cask in form.
do-little noun One who performs little though professing much.
dollardee noun A species of sunfish (Lepomis pallidus), common in the United States; — called also blue sunfish, and copper-nosed bream.
dolomitic adjective Pertaining to dolomite.
dolorific adjective Alt. of Dolorifical
dolphinet noun A female dolphin.
domeykite noun A massive mineral of tin-white or steel-gray color, an arsenide of copper.
domiciled imp. & past participle of Domicile
dominance noun Alt. of Dominancy
dominancy noun Predominance; ascendency; authority.
dominated imp. & past participle of Dominate
dominator noun A ruler or ruling power.
dominical adjective Indicating, or pertaining to, the Lord’s day, or Sunday., Relating to, or given by, our Lord; as, the dominical (or Lord’s) prayer., The Lord’s day or Sunday; also, the Lord’s prayer.
dominican adjective Of or pertaining to St. Dominic (Dominic de Guzman), or to the religions communities named from him., One of an order of mendicant monks founded by Dominic de Guzman, in 1215. A province of the order was established in England in 1221. The first foundation in the United States was made in 1807. The Master of the Sacred Palace at Rome is always a Dominican friar. The Dominicans are called also preaching friars, friars preachers, black friars (from their black cloak), brothers of St. Mary, and in France, Jacobins.
domitable adjective That can be tamed.
do-naught noun A lazy, good-for-nothing fellow.
doom palm A species of palm tree (Hyphaene Thebaica), highly valued for the fibrous pulp of its fruit, which has the flavor of gingerbread, and is largely eaten in Egypt and Abyssinia.
doorcheek noun The jamb or sidepiece of a door.
doorplane noun A plane on a door, giving the name, and sometimes the employment, of the occupant.
doorstead noun Entrance or place of a door.
doorstone noun The stone forming a threshold.
dorbeetle noun See 1st Dor.
dormitive adjective Causing sleep; as, the dormitive properties of opium., A medicine to promote sleep; a soporific; an opiate.
dormitory noun A sleeping room, or a building containing a series of sleeping rooms; a sleeping apartment capable of containing many beds; esp., one connected with a college or boarding school., A burial place.
doryphora noun A genus of plant-eating beetles, including the potato beetle. See Potato beetle.
doubtable adjective Capable of being doubted; questionable., Worthy of being feared; redoubtable.
doubtance noun State of being in doubt; uncertainty; doubt.
doubtless adjective Free from fear or suspicion., Undoubtedly; without doubt.
doucepere noun One of the twelve peers of France, companions of Charlemagne in war.
doughbird noun The Eskimo curlew (Numenius borealis). See Curlew.
doughface noun A contemptuous nickname for a timid, yielding politician, or one who is easily molded.
doughtily adverb In a doughty manner.
doughtren noun pl. Daughters.
doum palm See Doom palm.
dove-eyed adjective Having eyes like a dove; meekeyed; as, dove-eyed Peace.
dowelling of Dowel
dowerless adjective Destitute of dower; having no marriage portion.
dowitcher noun The red-breasted or gray snipe (Macrorhamphus griseus); — called also brownback, and grayback.
downgyved adjective Hanging down like gyves or fetters.
downiness noun The quality or state of being downy.
downlying noun The time of retiring to rest; time of repose.
downright adverb Straight down; perpendicularly., In plain terms; without ceremony., Without delay; at once; completely., Plain; direct; unceremonious; blunt; positive; as, he spoke in his downright way., Open; artless; undisguised; absolute; unmixed; as, downright atheism.
downthrow noun The sudden drop or depression of the strata of rocks on one side of a fault. See Throw, n.
downwards adverb From a higher place to a lower; in a descending course; as, to tend, move, roll, look, or take root, downward or downwards., From a higher to a lower condition; toward misery, humility, disgrace, or ruin., From a remote time; from an ancestor or predecessor; from one to another in a descending line.
downweigh verb t. To weigh or press down.
drabbling present participle & vb. noun of Drabble
draconian adjective Pertaining to Draco, a famous lawgiver of Athens, 621 b. c.
dracontic adjective Belonging to that space of time in which the moon performs one revolution, from ascending node to ascending node. See Dragon’s head, under Dragon.
draftsman noun See Draughtsman.
draggling present participle & vb. noun of Draggle
dragomans plural of Dragoman
dragonish adjective resembling a dragon.
dragooned imp. & past participle of Dragoon
dragooner noun A dragoon.
drainable adjective Capable of being drained.
drainpipe noun A pipe used for carrying off surplus water.
draintile noun A hollow tile used in making drains; — called also draining tile.
draintrap noun See 4th Trap, 5.
dramatist noun The author of a dramatic composition; a writer of plays.
dramatize verb t. To compose in the form of the drama; to represent in a drama; to adapt to dramatic representation; as, to dramatize a novel, or an historical episode.
draperied adjective Covered or supplied with drapery.
draperies plural of Drapery
draughted imp. & past participle of Draught
dravidian adjective Of or pertaining to the Dravida.
drawbench noun A machine in which strips of metal are drawn through a drawplate; especially, one in which wire is thus made; — also called drawing bench.
drawknife noun A joiner’s tool having a blade with a handle at each end, used to shave off surfaces, by drawing it toward one; a shave; — called also drawshave, and drawing shave., A tool used for the purpose of making an incision along the path a saw is to follow, to prevent it from tearing the surface of the wood.
drawlatch noun A housebreaker or thief.
drawplate noun A hardened steel plate having a hole, or a gradation of conical holes, through which wires are drawn to be reduced and elongated.
drawshave noun See Drawing knife.
dreadable adjective Worthy of being dreaded.
dreadless adjective Free from dread; fearless; intrepid; dauntless; as, dreadless heart., Exempt from danger which causes dread; secure., Without doubt.
dreamland noun An unreal, delightful country such as in sometimes pictured in dreams; region of fancies; fairyland.
dreamless adjective Free from, or without, dreams.
dreissena noun A genus of bivalve shells of which one species (D. polymorpha) is often so abundant as to be very troublesome in the fresh waters of Europe.
drenching present participle & vb. noun of Drench
driftbolt noun A bolt for driving out other bolts.
driftless adjective Having no drift or direction; without aim; purposeless.
driftweed noun Seaweed drifted to the shore by the wind.
driftwind noun A driving wind; a wind that drives snow, sand, etc., into heaps.
driftwood noun Wood drifted or floated by water., Fig.: Whatever is drifting or floating as on water.
drinkable adjective Capable of being drunk; suitable for drink; potable. Macaulay. Also used substantively, esp. in the plural.
drinkless adjective Destitute of drink.
dripstone noun A drip, when made of stone. See Drip, 2.
drivebolt noun A drift; a tool for setting bolts home.
drivelled of Drivel
driveling present participle & vb. noun of Drivel
drivepipe noun A pipe for forcing into the earth.
drizzling present participle & vb. noun of Drizzle
droitural adjective relating to the mere right of property, as distinguished from the right of possession; as, droitural actions.
dromedary noun The Arabian camel (Camelus dromedarius), having one hump or protuberance on the back, in distinction from the Bactrian camel, which has two humps.
drone bee The male of the honeybee; a drone.
drone fly A dipterous insect (Eristalis tenax), resembling the drone bee. See Eristalis.
dronepipe noun One of the low-toned tubes of a bagpipe.
droplight noun An apparatus for bringing artificial light down from a chandelier nearer to a table or desk; a pendant.
droppinly adverb In drops.
dropsical adjective Diseased with dropsy; hydropical; tending to dropsy; as, a dropsical patient., Of or pertaining to dropsy.
drossless adjective Free from dross.
drowsihed noun Drowsihead.
druidical adjective Pertaining to, or resembling, the Druids.
drumstick noun A stick with which a drum is beaten., Anything resembling a drumstick in form, as the tibiotarsus, or second joint, of the leg of a fowl.
drunkenly adverb In a drunken manner.
drunkship noun The state of being drunk; drunkenness.
dry-boned adjective Having dry bones, or bones without flesh.
dry goods A commercial name for textile fabrics, cottons, woolens, linen, silks, laces, etc., — in distinction from groceries.
dry nurse A nurse who attends and feeds a child by hand; — in distinction from a wet nurse, who suckles it.
drysalter noun A dealer in salted or dried meats, pickles, sauces, etc., and in the materials used in pickling, salting, and preserving various kinds of food Hence drysalters usually sell a number of saline substances and miscellaneous drugs.
dry-stone adjective Constructed of uncemented stone.
dualistic adjective Consisting of two; pertaining to dualism or duality.
dubieties plural of Dubiety
dubiosity noun The state of being doubtful; a doubtful statement or thing.
dubiously adverb In a dubious manner.
dubitable adjective Liable to be doubted; uncertain.
dubitancy noun Doubt; uncertainty.
duboisine noun An alkaloid obtained from the leaves of an Australian tree (Duboisia myoporoides), and regarded as identical with hyoscyamine. It produces dilation of the pupil of the eye.
ductility noun The property of a metal which allows it to be drawn into wires or filaments., Tractableness; pliableness.
dufrenite noun A mineral of a blackish green color, commonly massive or in nodules. It is a hydrous phosphate of iron.
dulcamara noun A plant (Solanum Dulcamara). See Bittersweet, n., 3 (a).
dulceness noun Sweetness.
dulcified adjective Sweetened; mollified., of Dulcify
dulciness noun See Dulceness.
dulcitude noun Sweetness.
dulcorate verb t. To sweeten; to make less acrimonious.
dull-eyed adjective Having eyes wanting brightness, liveliness, or vivacity.
dulocracy noun See Doulocracy.
dumb-bell noun A weight, consisting of two spheres or spheroids, connected by a short bar for a handle; used (often in pairs) for gymnastic exercise.
dumbledor noun A bumblebee; also, a cockchafer.
dumpiness noun The state of being dumpy.
duodecimo adjective Having twelve leaves to a sheet; as, a duodecimo from, book, leaf, size, etc., A book consisting of sheets each of which is folded into twelve leaves; hence, indicating, more or less definitely, a size of a book; — usually written 12mo or 12ยก.
duodenary adjective Containing twelve; twelvefold; increasing by twelves; duodecimal.
duplicate adjective Double; twofold., That which exactly resembles or corresponds to something else; another, correspondent to the first; hence, a copy; a transcript; a counterpart., An original instrument repeated; a document which is the same as another in all essential particulars, and differing from a mere copy in having all the validity of an original., To double; to fold; to render double., To make a duplicate of (something); to make a copy or transcript of., To divide into two by natural growth or spontaneous action; as, infusoria duplicate themselves.
duplicity noun Doubleness; a twofold state., Doubleness of heart or speech; insincerity; a sustained form of deception which consists in entertaining or pretending to entertain one of feelings, and acting as if influenced by another; bad faith., The use of two or more distinct allegations or answers, where one is sufficient., In indictments, the union of two incompatible offenses.
durometer noun An instrument for measuring the degree of hardness; especially, an instrument for testing the relative hardness of steel rails and the like.
duskiness noun The state of being dusky.
dustbrush noun A brush of feathers, bristles, or hair, for removing dust from furniture.
dustiness noun The state of being dusty.
duumviral adjective Of or belonging to the duumviri or the duumvirate.
duykerbok noun A small South African antelope (Cephalous mergens); — called also impoon, and deloo.
dwarfling noun A diminutive dwarf.
dwindling present participle & vb. noun of Dwindle
dyingness noun The state of dying or the stimulation of such a state; extreme languor; languishment.
dynameter noun A dynamometer., An instrument for determining the magnifying power of telescopes, consisting usually of a doubleimage micrometer applied to the eye end of a telescope for measuring accurately the diameter of the image of the object glass there formed; which measurement, compared with the actual diameter of the glass, gives the magnifying power.
dynamical adjective Of or pertaining to dynamics; belonging to energy or power; characterized by energy or production of force., Relating to physical forces, effects, or laws; as, dynamical geology.
dynamiter noun One who uses dynamite; esp., one who uses it for the destruction of life and property.
dynasties plural of Dynasty
dyscrasia noun An ill habit or state of the constitution; — formerly regarded as dependent on a morbid condition of the blood and humors.
dysentery noun A disease attended with inflammation and ulceration of the colon and rectum, and characterized by griping pains, constant desire to evacuate the bowels, and the discharge of mucus and blood.
dyspepsia Alt. of Dyspepsy
dyspeptic adjective Alt. of Dyspeptical, A person afflicted with dyspepsia.
dysphagia noun Alt. of Dysphagy
dysphonia noun Alt. of Dysphony
dysphoria noun Impatience under affliction; morbid restlessness; dissatisfaction; the fidgets.
dziggetai noun The kiang, a wild horse or wild ass of Thibet (Asinus hemionus).