Duchess Duch"ess noun [ French duchesse , from duc duke.] The wife or widow of a duke; also, a lady who has the sovereignty of a duchy in her own right.

Duchesse d'Angoulême Du`chesse" d'An`gou`lême" [ French] (Botany) A variety of pear of large size and excellent flavor.

Duchesse lace Du`chesse" lace A beautiful variety of Brussels pillow lace made originally in Belgium and resembling Honiton guipure. It is worked with fine thread in large sprays, usually of the primrose pattern, with much raised work.

Duchy Duch"y (dŭch"ȳ) noun ; plural Duchies . [ French duché , Old French duchée , (assumed) Late Latin ducitas , from Latin dux . See Duke .] The territory or dominions of a duke; a dukedom.

Duck Duck (dŭk) noun [ Confer Danish dukke , Swedish docka , Old High German doccha , German docke . Confer Doxy .] A pet; a darling. Shak.

Duck Duck noun [ Dutch doek cloth, canvas, or Icelandic dūkr cloth; akin to Old High German tuoh , German tuch , Swedish duk , Danish dug .] 1. A linen (or sometimes cotton) fabric, finer and lighter than canvas, -- used for the lighter sails of vessels, the sacking of beds, and sometimes for men's clothing.

2. (Nautical) plural The light clothes worn by sailors in hot climates. [ Colloq.]

Duck Duck transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Ducked ; present participle & verbal noun Ducking .] [ Middle English duken , douken , to dive; akin to Dutch duiken , Old High German t...hhan , Middle High German tucken , tücken , t...chen , German tuchen . Confer 5th Duck .] 1. To thrust or plunge under water or other liquid and suddenly withdraw.

Adams, after ducking the squire twice or thrice, leaped out of the tub.

Fielding.

2. To plunge the head of under water, immediately withdrawing it; as, duck the boy.

3. To bow; to bob down; to move quickly with a downward motion. " Will duck his head aside." Swift.

Duck Duck (dŭk) intransitive verb 1. To go under the surface of water and immediately reappear; to dive; to plunge the head in water or other liquid; to dip.

In Tiber ducking thrice by break of day.

Dryden.

2. To drop the head or person suddenly; to bow.

The learned pate
Ducks to the golden fool.

Shak.

Duck Duck noun [ Middle English duke , doke . See Duck , transitive verb ] 1. (Zool.) Any bird of the subfamily Anatinæ , family Anatidæ .

» The genera and species are numerous. They are divided into river ducks and sea ducks . Among the former are the common domestic duck ( Anas boschas ); the wood duck ( Aix sponsa ); the beautiful mandarin duck of China ( Dendronessa galeriliculata ); the Muscovy duck, originally of South America ( Cairina moschata ). Among the sea ducks are the eider, canvasback, scoter, etc.

2. A sudden inclination of the bead or dropping of the person, resembling the motion of a duck in water.

Here be, without duck or nod,
Other trippings to be trod.

Milton.

Bombay duck (Zoology) , a fish. See Bummalo . -- Buffel duck , or Spirit duck . See Buffel duck . -- Duck ant (Zoology) , a species of white ant in Jamaica which builds large nests in trees. -- Duck barnacle . (Zoology) See Goose barnacle . -- Duck hawk . (Zoology) (a) In the United States: The peregrine falcon. (b) In England: The marsh harrier or moor buzzard. -- Duck mole (Zoology) , a small aquatic mammal of Australia, having webbed feet and a bill resembling that of a duck ( Ornithorhynchus anatinus ). It belongs the subclass Monotremata and is remarkable for laying eggs like a bird or reptile; -- called also duckbill , platypus , mallangong , mullingong , tambreet , and water mole . -- To make ducks and drakes , to throw a flat stone obliquely, so as to make it rebound repeatedly from the surface of the water, raising a succession of jets ; hence: To play at ducks and drakes , with property, to throw it away heedlessly or squander it foolishly and unprofitably. -- Lame duck . See under Lame .

Duck-billed Duck"-billed` adjective Having a bill like that of a duck. .

Duck-legged Duck"-legged` adjective Having short legs, like a waddling duck; short-legged. Dryden.

Duck's-bill Duck's"-bill` adjective Having the form of a duck's bill.

Duck's-bill limpet (Zoology) , a limpet of the genus Parmaphorus ; -- so named from its shape.

Duck's-foot Duck's"-foot` noun (Botany) The May apple ( Podophyllum peltatum ).

Duckbill Duck"bill` noun (Zoology) See Duck mole , under Duck , noun

Ducker Duck"er noun 1. One who, or that which, ducks; a plunger; a diver.

2. A cringing, servile person; a fawner.

Ducking Duck"ing noun & adjective , from Duck , transitive verb & i.

Ducking stool , a stool or chair in which common scolds were formerly tied, and plunged into water, as a punishment. See Cucking stool . The practice of ducking began in the latter part of the 15th century, and prevailed until the early part of the 18th, and occasionally as late as the 19th century. Blackstone. Chambers.

Duckling Duck"ling noun A young or little duck. Gay.

Duckmeat, Duck's-meat Duck"meat`, Duck's"-meat` noun (Botany) Duckweed.

Duckweed Duck"weed` noun (Botany) A genus ( Lemna ) of small plants, seen floating in great quantity on the surface of stagnant pools fresh water, and supposed to furnish food for ducks; -- called also duckmeat .

Duct Duct noun [ Latin ductus a leading, conducting, conduit, from ducere , ductum , to lead. See Duke , and confer Douche .] 1. Any tube or canal by which a fluid or other substance is conducted or conveyed.

2. (Anat.) One of the vessels of an animal body by which the products of glandular secretion are conveyed to their destination.

3. (Botany) A large, elongated cell, either round or prismatic, usually found associated with woody fiber.

» Ducts are classified, according to the character of the surface of their walls, or their structure, as annular, spiral, scalariform, etc.

4. Guidance; direction. [ Obsolete] Hammond.

Ductible Duc"ti·ble adjective Capable of being drawn out [ R.] Feltham.

Ductile Duc"tile adjective [ Latin ductilis , from ducere to lead: confer French ductile . See Duct .] 1. Easily led; tractable; complying; yielding to motives, persuasion, or instruction; as, a ductile people. Addison.

Forms their ductile minds
To human virtues.

Philips.

2. Capable of being elongated or drawn out, as into wire or threads.

Gold . . . is the softest and most ductile of all metals.

Dryden.

-- Duc"tile*ly adverb -- Duc"tile*ness , noun

Ductilimeter Duc`ti·lim"e·ter noun [ Ductile + -meter .] An instrument for accurately determining the ductility of metals.

Ductility Duc·til"i·ty noun [ Confer French ductilité .] 1. The property of a metal which allows it to be drawn into wires or filaments.

2. Tractableness; pliableness. South.

Duction Duc"tion noun [ Latin ductio , from ducere to lead.] Guidance. [ Obsolete] Feltham.

Ductless Duct"less adjective Having to duct or outlet; as, a ductless gland.

Ductor Duc"tor noun [ Latin , from ducere to lead.] 1. One who leads. [ Obsolete] Sir T. Browne.

2. (Machinery) A contrivance for removing superfluous ink or coloring matter from a roller. See Doctor , 4. Knight.

Ductor roller (Printing) , the roller which conveys or supplies ink to another roller. Knight.

Ducture Duc"ture noun Guidance. [ Obsolete] South.

Dudder Dud"der transitive verb [ In Suffolk, Eng., to shiver, shake, tremble; also written dodder .] To confuse or confound with noise. Jennings.

Dudder Dud"der intransitive verb To shiver or tremble; to dodder.

I dudder and shake like an aspen leaf.

Ford.

Dudder Dud"der noun [ From Duds .] A peddler or hawker, especially of cheap and flashy goods pretended to be smuggled; a duffer. [ Eng.]

Duddery Dud"der·y noun A place where rags are bought and kept for sale. [ Eng.]

Dude Dude noun A kind of dandy; especially, one characterized by an ultrafashionable style of dress and other affectations. [ Recent]

The social dude who affects English dress and English drawl.

The American.

Dudeen Du·deen" noun A short tobacco pipe. [ Written also dudheen .] [ Irish]

Dudgeon Dudg"eon noun 1. The root of the box tree, of which hafts for daggers were made. Gerarde (1597).

2. The haft of a dagger. Shak.

3. A dudgeon-hafted dagger; a dagger. Hudibras.

Dudgeon Dudg"eon noun [ W. dygen anger, grudge.] Resentment; ill will; anger; displeasure.

I drink it to thee in dudgeon and hostility.

Sir T . Scott .

Dudgeon Dudg"eon adjective Homely; rude; coarse. [ Obsolete]

By my troth, though I am plain and dudgeon ,
I would not be an ass.

Beau. & Fl.

Dudish Dud"ish adjective Like, or characterized of, a dude.

Duds Duds noun plural [ Scot. dud rag, plural duds clothing of inferior quality.] 1. Old or inferior clothes; tattered garments. [ Colloq.]

2. Effects, in general. [ Slang]

Due Due adjective [ Old French deu , French dû , past participle of devoir to owe, from Latin debere . See Debt , Habit , and confer Duty .] 1. Owed, as a debt; that ought to be paid or done to or for another; payable; owing and demandable.

2. Justly claimed as a right or property; proper; suitable; becoming; appropriate; fit.

Her obedience, which is due to me.

Shak.

With dirges due , in sad array,
Slow through the churchway path we saw him borne.

Gray.

3. Such as (a thing) ought to be; fulfilling obligation; proper; lawful; regular; appointed; sufficient; exact; as, due process of law; due service; in due time.

4. Appointed or required to arrive at a given time; as, the steamer was due yesterday.

5. Owing; ascribable, as to a cause.

This effect is due to the attraction of the sun.

J. D. Forbes.

Due Due adverb Directly; exactly; as, a due east course.

Due Due noun 1. That which is owed; debt; that which one contracts to pay, or do, to or for another; that which belongs or may be claimed as a right; whatever custom, law, or morality requires to be done; a fee; a toll.

He will give the devil his due .

Shak.

Yearly little dues of wheat, and wine, and oil.

Tennyson.

2. Right; just title or claim.

The key of this infernal pit by due . . . I keep .

Milton.

Due Due transitive verb To endue. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Dueña Du·e"ña noun [ Spanish ] See Doña .

Duebill Due"bill` noun (Com.) A brief written acknowledgment of a debt, not made payable to order, like a promissory note. Burrill.

Dueful Due"ful adjective Fit; becoming. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

Duel Du"el noun [ Italian duello , from Latin duellum , orig., a contest between two, which passed into the common form bellum war, from duo two: confer French duel . See Bellicose , Two , and confer Duello .] A combat between two persons, fought with deadly weapons, by agreement. It usually arises from an injury done or an affront given by one to the other.

Trial by duel (Old Law) , a combat between two persons for proving a cause; trial by battel.

Duel Du"el intransitive verb & t. To fight in single combat. [ Obsolete]

Dueler Du"el·er noun One who engages in a duel. [ R.] [ Written also dueller .] South.

Dueling Du"el·ing noun The act or practice of fighting in single combat. Also adj. [ Written also duelling .]

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