Divinistre Div`i·nis"tre noun A diviner. [ Obsolete] " I am no divinistre ." Chaucer.

Divinity Di·vin"i·ty noun ; plural Divinities . [ French divinité , Latin divinitas . See Divine , adjective ] 1. The state of being divine; the nature or essence of God; deity; godhead.

When he attributes divinity to other things than God, it is only a divinity by way of participation.

Bp. Stillingfleet.

2. The Deity; the Supreme Being; God.

This the divinity that within us.

Addison.

3. A pretended deity of pagans; a false god.

Beastly divinities , and droves of gods.

Prior.

4. A celestial being, inferior to the supreme God, but superior to man.

God . . . employing these subservient divinities .

Cheyne.

5. Something divine or superhuman; supernatural power or virtue; something which inspires awe.

They say there is divinity in odd numbers.

Shak.

There's such divinity doth hedge a king.

Shak.

6. The science of divine things; the science which treats of God, his laws and moral government, and the way of salvation; theology.

Divinity is essentially the first of the professions.

Coleridge.

Case divinity , casuistry.

Divinity calf Di·vin"i·ty calf` (Bookbinding) Calf stained dark brown and worked without gilding, often used for theological books.

Divinization Div`i·ni·za"tion noun A making divine. M. Arnold.

Divinize Div"i·nize transitive verb To invest with a divine character; to deify. [ R.] M. Arnold.

Man had divinized all those objects of awe.

Milman.

Divisibility Di·vis`i·bil"i·ty noun [ Confer French divisibilité .] The quality of being divisible; the property of bodies by which their parts are capable of separation.

Divisibility . . . is a primary attribute of matter.

Sir W. Hamilton.

Divisible Di·vis"i·ble adjective [ Latin divisibilis , from dividere : confer French divisible . See Divide .] Capable of being divided or separated.

Extended substance . . . is divisible into parts.

Sir W. Hamilton.

Divisible contract (Law) , a contract containing agreements one of which can be separated from the other. -- Divisible offense (Law) , an offense containing a lesser offense in one of a greater grade, so that on the latter there can be an acquittal, while on the former there can be a conviction.

-- Di*vis"i*ble*ness , noun -- Di*vis"i*bly , adverb

Divisible Di·vis"i·ble noun A divisible substance. Glanvill.

Division Di·vi"sion noun [ French division , Latin divisio , from dividere . See Divide .] 1. The act or process of diving anything into parts, or the state of being so divided; separation.

I was overlooked in the division of the spoil.

Gibbon.

2. That which divides or keeps apart; a partition.

3. The portion separated by the divining of a mass or body; a distinct segment or section.

Communities and divisions of men.

Addison.

4. Disunion; difference in opinion or feeling; discord; variance; alienation.

There was a division among the people.

John vii. 43.

5. Difference of condition; state of distinction; distinction; contrast. Chaucer.

I will put a division between my people and thy people.

Ex. viii. 23.

6. Separation of the members of a deliberative body, esp. of the Houses of Parliament, to ascertain the vote.

The motion passed without a division .

Macaulay.

7. (Math.) The process of finding how many times one number or quantity is contained in another; the reverse of multiplication ; also, the rule by which the operation is performed.

8. (Logic) The separation of a genus into its constituent species.

9. (Mil.) (a) Two or more brigades under the command of a general officer. (b) Two companies of infantry maneuvering as one subdivision of a battalion. (c) One of the larger districts into which a country is divided for administering military affairs.

10. (Nautical) One of the groups into which a fleet is divided.

11. (Mus.) A course of notes so running into each other as to form one series or chain, to be sung in one breath to one syllable.

12. (Rhet.) The distribution of a discourse into parts; a part so distinguished.

13. (Biol.) A grade or rank in classification; a portion of a tribe or of a class; or, in some recent authorities, equivalent to a subkingdom.

Cell division (Biol.) , a method of cell increase, in which new cells are formed by the division of the parent cell. In this process, the cell nucleus undergoes peculiar differentiations and changes, as shown in the figure (see also Karyokinesis ). At the same time the protoplasm of the cell becomes gradually constricted by a furrow transverse to the long axis of the nuclear spindle, followed, on the completion of the division of the nucleus, by a separation of the cell contents into two masses, called the daughter cells . -- Long division (Math.) , the process of division when the operations are mostly written down. -- Short division (Math.) , the process of division when the operations are mentally performed and only the results written down; -- used principally when the divisor is not greater than ten or twelve.

Syn. -- compartment; section; share; allotment; distribution; separation; partition; disjunction; disconnection; difference; variance; discord; disunion.

Divisional Di·vi"sion·al adjective That divides; pertaining to, making, or noting, a division; as, a divisional line; a divisional general; a divisional surgeon of police.

Divisional planes (Geol.) , planes of separation between rock masses. They include joints.

Divisionally Di·vi"sion·al·ly adverb So as to be divisional.

Divisionary Di·vi"sion·a·ry adjective Divisional.

Divisionor Di·vi"sion·or noun One who divides or makes division. [ Obsolete] Sheldon.

Divisive Di·vi"sive adjective [ Confer French divisif .] 1. Indicating division or distribution. Mede.

2. Creating, or tending to create, division, separation, or difference.

It [ culture] is after all a dainty and divisive quality, and can not reach to the depths of humanity.

J. C. Shairp.

-- Di*vi"sive*ly , adverb -- Di*vi"sive*ness , noun Carlyle.

Divisor Di·vi"sor noun [ Latin , from dividere . See Divide .] (Math.) The number by which the dividend is divided.

Common divisor . (Math.) See under Common , adjective

Divorce Di·vorce" noun [ French divorce , Latin divortium , from divortere , divertere , to turn different ways, to separate. See Divert .] 1. (Law) (a) A legal dissolution of the marriage contract by a court or other body having competent authority. This is properly a divorce, and called, technically, divorce a vinculo matrimonii. "from the bond of matrimony." (b) The separation of a married woman from the bed and board of her husband -- divorce a mensa et toro (or thoro) , "from bed and board."

2. The decree or writing by which marriage is dissolved.

3. Separation; disunion of things closely united.

To make divorce of their incorporate league.

Shak.

4. That which separates. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Bill of divorce . See under Bill .

Divorce Di·vorce" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Divorced ; present participle & verbal noun Divorcing .] [ Confer French divorcer . See Divorce , noun ] 1. To dissolve the marriage contract of, either wholly or partially; to separate by divorce.

2. To separate or disunite; to sunder.

It [ a word] was divorced from its old sense.

Earle.

3. To make away; to put away.

Nothing but death
Shall e'er divorce my dignities.

Shak.

Divorceable Di·vorce"a·ble adjective Capable of being divorced.

Divorcee Di·vor`cee" noun A person divorced.

Divorceless Di·vorce"less adjective Incapable of being divorced or separated; free from divorce.

Divorcement Di·vorce"ment noun Dissolution of the marriage tie; divorce; separation.

Let him write her a divorcement .

Deut. xxiv. 1.

The divorcement of our written from our spoken language.

R. Morris.

Divorcer Di·vor"cer noun The person or cause that produces or effects a divorce. Drummond.

Divorcible Di·vor"ci·ble adjective Divorceable. Milton.

Divorcive Di·vor"cive adjective Having power to divorce; tending to divorce. "This divorcive law." Milton.

Divot Div"ot noun A thin, oblong turf used for covering cottages, and also for fuel. [ Scot.] Simmonds.

Divulgate Di·vul"gate adjective [ Latin divulgatus , past participle of divulgare . See Divulge .] Published. [ Obsolete] Bale.

Divulgate Di·vul"gate transitive verb To divulge. [ Obsolete] Foxe.

Divulgater Div"ul·ga`ter noun A divulger. [ R.]

Divulgation Div`ul·ga"tion noun [ Latin divulgatio : confer French divulgation .] The act of divulging or publishing. [ R.]

Secrecy hath no use than divulgation .

Bp. Hall.

Divulge Di·vulge" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Divulged ; present participle & verbal noun Divulging .] [ French divulguer , Latin divulgare ; di- = dis- + vulgare to spread among the people, from vulgus the common people. See Vulgar .] 1. To make public; to several or communicate to the public; to tell (a secret) so that it may become generally known; to disclose; -- said of that which had been confided as a secret, or had been before unknown; as, to divulge a secret.

Divulge not such a love as mine.

Cowper.

2. To indicate publicly; to proclaim. [ R.]

God . . . marks
The just man, and divulges him through heaven.

Milton.

3. To impart; to communicate.

Which would not be

To them [ animals] made common and divulged .

Milton.

Syn. -- To publish; disclose; discover; uncover; reveal; communicate; impart; tell.

Divulge Di·vulge" intransitive verb To become publicly known. [ R.] "To keep it from divulging ." Shak.

Divulsive Di·vul"sive adjective Tending to pull asunder, tear, or rend; distracting.

Dixie Dix"ie (dĭks"ȳ) noun A colloquial name for the Southern portion of the United States, esp. during the Civil War. [ U.S.]

Dizen Diz"en transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Dizened ; present participle & verbal noun Dizening .] [ Perh. orig., to dress in a foolish manner, and allied to dizzy : but confer also Middle English dysyn ( Palsgrave ) to put tow or flax on a distaff, i. e. , to dress it. Confer Distaff .] 1. To dress; to attire. [ Obsolete] Beau. & Fl.

2. To dress gaudily; to overdress; to bedizen; to deck out.

Like a tragedy queen, he has dizened her out.

Goldsmith.

To-morrow when the masks shall fall
That dizen Nature's carnival.

Emerson.

Dizz Dizz (dĭz) transitive verb [ See Dizzy .] To make dizzy; to astonish; to puzzle. [ Obsolete] Gayton.

Dizzard Diz"zard (dĭz"zẽrd) noun [ See Dizzy , and confer Disard .] A blockhead. [ Obsolete] [ Written also dizard , and disard .] -- Diz"zard*ly , adverb [ Obsolete]

Dizzily Diz"zi·ly (dĭz"zĭ*lȳ) adverb In a dizzy manner or state.

Dizziness Diz"zi·ness noun [ Anglo-Saxon dysigness folly. See Dizzy .] Giddiness; a whirling sensation in the head; vertigo.

Dizzy Diz"zy (dĭz"zȳ) adjective [ Compar. Dizzier (-zĭ*ẽr); superl. Dizziest .] [ Middle English dusi , disi , desi , foolish, Anglo-Saxon dysig ; akin to LG. düsig dizzy, OD. deuzig , duyzig , Old High German tusig foolish, OFries. dusia to be dizzy; LG. dusel dizziness, duselig , dusselig , Dutch duizelig , dizzy, Danish dösig drowsy, slepy, döse to make dull, drowsy, dös dullness, drowsiness, and to Anglo-Saxon dwǣs foolish, German thor fool. √71. Confer Daze , Doze .] 1. Having in the head a sensation of whirling, with a tendency to fall; vertiginous; giddy; hence, confused; indistinct.

Alas! his brain was dizzy .

Drayton.

2. Causing, or tending to cause, giddiness or vertigo.

To climb from the brink of Fleet Ditch by a dizzy ladder.

Macaulay.

3. Without distinct thought; unreflecting; thoughtless; heedless. "The dizzy multitude." Milton.

Dizzy Diz"zy transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Dizzied ; present participle & verbal noun Dizzying .] To make dizzy or giddy; to give the vertigo to; to confuse.

If the jangling of thy bells had not dizzied thy understanding.

Sir W. Scott.

Diæresis, Dieresis Di·ær"e·sis, Di·er"e·sis noun ; plural Diæreses or Diereses . [ Latin diaeresis , Greek ..., from ... to divide; dia` through, asunder + ... to take. See Heresy .] 1. (Gram.) The separation or resolution of one syllable into two; -- the opposite of synæresis .

2. A mark consisting of two dots [ ..], placed over the second of two adjacent vowels, to denote that they are to be pronounced as distinct letters; as, coöperate , aërial .

Diæretic Di`æ·ret"ic adjective [ Greek ... dividing.] (Medicine) Caustic. [ Obsolete]

Djereed, Djerrid Djer·eed", Djer·rid" noun [ French djerid , from Arabic See Jereed .] (a) A blunt javelin used in military games in Moslem countries. (b) A game played with it. [ Written also jereed , jerrid , etc.]

Djinnee Djin"nee noun ; plural Jjinn or Djinns See Jinnee , Jinn .

Do Do (dō) noun (Mus.) A syllable attached to the first tone of the major diatonic scale for the purpose of solmization, or solfeggio. It is the first of the seven syllables used by the Italians as manes of musical tones, and replaced, for the sake of euphony, the syllable Ut , applied to the note C. In England and America the same syllables are used by many as a scale pattern, while the tones in respect to absolute pitch are named from the first seven letters of the alphabet.

Do Do (dō) transitive verb or auxiliary . [ imperfect Did (dĭd); past participle Done (ducr/n); present participle & verbal noun Doing (dō"ĭng). This verb, when transitive, is formed in the indicative, present tense, thus: I do , thou doest (dō"ĕst) or dost (dŭst), he does (dŭz), doeth (dō"ĕth), or doth (dŭth); when auxiliary, the second person is, thou dost . As an independent verb, dost is obsolete or rare, except in poetry. "What dost thou in this world?" Milton. The form doeth is a verb unlimited, doth , formerly so used, now being the auxiliary form. The second pers, sing., imperfect tense, is didst (dĭdst), formerly didest (dĭd"ĕst).] [ Anglo-Saxon dōn ; akin to Dutch doen , Old Saxon duan , Old High German tuon , German thun , Lithuanian deti , OSlav. dēti , OIr. dénim I do, Greek tiqe`nai to put, Sanskrit dhā , and to E. suffix -dom , and probably to Latin facere to do, English fact , and perhaps to Latin -dere in some compounds, as ad dere to add, cre dere to trust. √65. Confer Deed , Deem , Doom , Fact , Creed , Theme .] 1. To place; to put. [ Obsolete] Tale of a Usurer (about 1330).

2. To cause; to make; -- with an infinitive. [ Obsolete]

My lord Abbot of Westminster did do shewe to me late certain evidences.

W. Caxton.

I shall . . . your cloister do make.

Piers Plowman.

A fatal plague which many did to die.

Spenser.

We do you to wit [ i. e. , We make you to know] of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia.

2 Cor. viii. 1.

» We have lost the idiom shown by the citations ( do used like the French faire or laisser ), in which the verb in the infinitive apparently, but not really, has a passive signification, i. e. , cause . . . to be made.

3. To bring about; to produce, as an effect or result; to effect; to achieve.

The neglecting it may do much danger.

Shak.

He waved indifferently 'twixt doing them neither good not harm.

Shak.

4. To perform, as an action; to execute; to transact to carry out in action; as, to do a good or a bad act; do our duty; to do what I can.

Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work.

Ex. xx. 9.

We did not do these things.

Ld. Lytton.

You can not do wrong without suffering wrong.

Emerson.

Hence: To do homage , honor , favor , justice , etc., to render homage, honor, etc.

5. To bring to an end by action; to perform completely; to finish; to accomplish; -- a sense conveyed by the construction, which is that of the past participle done . "Ere summer half be done ." "I have done weeping." Shak.

6. To make ready for an object, purpose, or use, as food by cooking; to cook completely or sufficiently; as, the meat is done on one side only.

7. To put or bring into a form, state, or condition, especially in the phrases, to do death , to put to death; to slay; to do away (often do away with ), to put away; to remove; to do on , to put on; to don; to do off , to take off, as dress; to doff; to do into , to put into the form of; to translate or transform into, as a text.

Done to death by slanderous tongues.

Shak.

The ground of the difficulty is done away .

Paley.

Suspicions regarding his loyalty were entirely done away .

Thackeray.

To do on our own harness, that we may not; but we must do on the armor of God.

Latimer.

Then Jason rose and did on him a fair
Blue woolen tunic.

W. Morris (Jason).

Though the former legal pollution be now done off , yet there is a spiritual contagion in idolatry as much to be shunned.

Milton.

It [ "Pilgrim's Progress"] has been done into verse: it has been done into modern English.

Macaulay.

8. To cheat; to gull; to overreach. [ Colloq.]

He was not be done , at his time of life, by frivolous offers of a compromise that might have secured him seventy- five per cent.

De Quincey.

9. To see or inspect; to explore; as, to do all the points of interest. [ Colloq.]

10. (Stock Exchange) To cash or to advance money for, as a bill or note.

» (a) Do and did are much employed as auxiliaries, the verb to which they are joined being an infinitive. As an auxiliary the verb do has no participle. "I do set my bow in the cloud." Gen. ix. 13. [ Now archaic or rare except for emphatic assertion.]

Rarely . . . did the wrongs of individuals to the knowledge of the public.

Macaulay.

(b) They are often used in emphatic construction. "You don't say so, Mr. Jobson. -- but I do say so." Sir W. Scott. "I did love him , but scorn him now ." Latham. (c) In negative and interrogative constructions, do and did are in common use. I do not wish to see them; what do you think? Did Cæsar cross the Tiber? He did not. " Do you love me?" Shak. (d) Do , as an auxiliary, is supposed to have been first used before imperatives. It expresses entreaty or earnest request; as, do help me . In the imperative mood, but not in the indicative, it may be used with the verb to be ; as, do be quiet. Do , did , and done often stand as a general substitute or representative verb, and thus save the repetition of the principal verb. "To live and die is all we have to do ." Denham. In the case of do and did as auxiliaries, the sense may be completed by the infinitive (without to ) of the verb represented. "When beauty lived and died as flowers do now." Shak. "I . . . chose my wife as she did her wedding gown." Goldsmith.

My brightest hopes giving dark fears a being.
As the light does the shadow.

Longfellow.

In unemphatic affirmative sentences do is, for the most part, archaic or poetical; as, "This just reproach their virtue does excite." Dryden.

To do one's best , To do one's diligence (and the like), to exert one's self; to put forth one's best or most or most diligent efforts. "We will . . . do our best to gain their assent." Jowett (Thucyd.). -- To do one's business , to ruin one. [ Colloq.] Wycherley. -- To do one shame , to cause one shame. [ Obsolete] -- To do over . (a) To make over; to perform a second time. (b) To cover; to spread; to smear. "Boats . . . sewed together and done over with a kind of slimy stuff like rosin." De Foe. -- To do to death , to put to death. (See 7.) [ Obsolete] -- To do up . (a) To put up; to raise. [ Obsolete] Chaucer. (b) To pack together and envelop; to pack up. (c) To accomplish thoroughly. [ Colloq.] (d) To starch and iron. "A rich gown of velvet, and a ruff done up with the famous yellow starch." Hawthorne. -- To do way , to put away; to lay aside. [ Obsolete] Chaucer. -- To do with , to dispose of; to make use of; to employ; -- usually preceded by what . "Men are many times brought to that extremity, that were it not for God they would not know what to do with themselves." Tillotson. -- To have to do with , to have concern, business or intercourse with; to deal with. When preceded by what , the notion is usually implied that the affair does not concern the person denoted by the subject of have . "Philology has to do with language in its fullest sense." Earle. "What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? 2 Sam. xvi. 10.

Do Do intransitive verb 1. To act or behave in any manner; to conduct one's self.

They fear not the Lord, neither do they after . . . the law and commandment.

2 Kings xvii. 34.

2. To fare; to be, as regards health; as, they asked him how he did ; how do you do to- day?

3. [ Perh. a different word. Middle English dugen , dowen , to avail, be of use, Anglo-Saxon dugan . See Doughty .] To succeed; to avail; to answer the purpose; to serve; as, if no better plan can be found, he will make this do .

You would do well to prefer a bill against all kings and parliaments since the Conquest; and if that won't do ; challenge the crown.

Collier.

To do by . See under By . -- To do for . (a) To answer for; to serve as; to suit. (b) To put an end to; to ruin; to baffle completely; as, a goblet is done for when it is broken. [ Colloq.]

Some folks are happy and easy in mind when their victim is stabbed and done for .

Thackeray.

-- To do withal , to help or prevent it. [ Obsolete] "I could not do withal ." Shak. -- To do without , to get along without; to dispense with. - - To have done , to have made an end or conclusion; to have finished; to be quit; to desist. -- To have done with , to have completed; to be through with; to have no further concern with. -- Well to do , in easy circumstances.

Do Do noun 1. Deed; act; fear. [ Obsolete] Sir W. Scott.

2. Ado; bustle; stir; to do. [ R.]

A great deal of do , and a great deal of trouble.

Selden.

3. A cheat; a swindle. [ Slang, Eng.]

Do Do transitive verb 1. To perform work upon, about, for, or at, by way of caring for, looking after, preparing, cleaning, keeping in order, or the like.

The sergeants seem to do themselves pretty well.

Harper's Mag.

2. To deal with for good and all; to finish up; to undo; to ruin; to do for. [ Colloq. or Slang]

Sometimes they lie in wait in these dark streets, and fracture his skull, . . . or break his arm, or cut the sinew of his wrist; and that they call doing him.

Charles Reade.

Do-all Do"-all` noun General manager; factotum.

Under him, Dunstan was the do-all at court, being the king's treasurer, councilor, chancellor, confessor, all things.

Fuller.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
You are here: Webster > Letter D > Page 103 of 135.
« Previous ¦95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 ¦ Next »