Dancer Dan"cer noun One who dances or who practices dancing. The merry dancers , beams of the northern lights when they rise and fall alternately without any considerable change of length. See Aurora borealis , under Aurora .

Danceress Dan"cer·ess noun A female dancer. [ Obsolete] Wyclif.

Dancetté Dan`cet`té" adjective [ Confer French danché dancetté, dent tooth.] (Her.) Deeply indented; having large teeth; thus, a fess dancetté has only three teeth in the whole width of the escutcheon.

Dancing Dan"cing p. adjective & verbal noun from Dance . Dancing girl , one of the women in the East Indies whose profession is to dance in the temples, or for the amusement of spectators. There are various classes of dancing girls. -- Dancing master , a teacher of dancing. -- Dancing school , a school or place where dancing is taught.

Dancy Dan"cy adjective (Her.) Same as Dancetté .

Dandelion Dan"de·li`on noun [ French dent de lion lion's tooth, from Latin dens tooth + leo lion. See Tooth , noun , and Lion .] (Botany) 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.

Dander Dan"der noun [ Corrupted from dandruff .] 1. Dandruff or scurf on the head. 2. Anger or vexation; rage. [ Low] Halliwell.

Dander Dan"der intransitive verb [ See Dandle .] To wander about; to saunter; to talk incoherently. [ Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Dandi Dan"di noun [ Hind. dāndi , from dānd an oar.] A boatman; an oarsman. [ India]

Dandie Dan"die noun (Zoology) One of a breed of small terriers; -- called also Dandie Dinmont .

Dandie Dinmont, Dandie Dan"die Din"mont, Dan"die noun 1. In Scott's "Guy Mannering", a Border farmer of eccentric but fine character, who owns two terriers claimed to be the progenitors of the Dandie Dinmont terriers. 2. One of a breed of terriers with short legs, long body, and rough coat, originating in the country about the English and Scotch border.

Dandified Dan"di·fied adjective Made up like a dandy; having the dress or manners of a dandy; buckish.

Dandify Dan"di·fy transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Dandified ; present participle & verbal noun Dandifying .] [ Dandy + -fy .] To cause to resemble a dandy; to make dandyish.

Dandiprat Dan"di·prat noun [ Dandy + brat child.] 1. A little fellow; -- in sport or contempt. "A dandiprat hop-thumb." Stanyhurst. 2. A small coin.

Henry VII. stamped a small coin called dandiprats .

Camden.

Dandle Dan"dle transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Dandled ; present participle & verbal noun Dandling .] [ Confer German dändeln to trifly, dandle, OD. & Prov. German danten , German tand trifly, prattle; Scot. dandill , dander , to go about idly, to trifly.] 1. To move up and down on one's knee or in one's arms, in affectionate play, as an infant.

Ye shall be dandled . . . upon her knees.

Is.... 2. To treat with fondness, as if a child; to fondle; to toy with; to pet.

They have put me in a silk gown and gaudy fool's cap; I as ashamed to be dandled thus.

Addison.

The book, thus dandled into popularity by bishops and good ladies, contained many pieces of nursery eloquence.

Jeffrey. 3. To play with; to put off or delay by trifles; to wheedle. [ Obsolete]

Captains do so dandle their doings, and dally in the service, as it they would not have the enemy subdued.

Spenser.

Dandler Dan"dler (dăn"dlẽr) noun One who dandles or fondles.

Dandriff Dan"driff (dăn"drĭf) noun See Dandruff . Swift.

Dandruff Dandruff (dăn"drŭf) noun [ Prob. from W. ton crust, peel, skin + Anglo-Saxon drōf dirty, draffy, or W. drwg bad: confer Anglo-Saxon tan a letter, an eruption. √240.] A scurf which forms on the head, and comes off in small scales or particles. [ Written also dandriff .]

Dandy Dan"dy (dăn"dȳ) noun ; plural Dandies (-dĭz). [ Confer French dandin , ninny, silly fellow, dandiner to waddle, to play the fool; probably allied to English dandle . Senses 2 & 3 are of uncertain etymol.] 1. One who affects special finery or gives undue attention to dress; a fop; a coxcomb. 2. (Nautical) (a) A sloop or cutter with a jigger on which a lugsail is set. (b) A small sail carried at or near the stern of small boats; -- called also jigger , and mizzen . 3. A dandy roller. See below. Dandy brush , a yard whalebone brush. -- Dandy fever . See Dengue . -- Dandy line , a kind of fishing line to which are attached several crosspieces of whalebone which carry a hook at each end. -- Dandy roller , a roller sieve used in machines for making paper, to press out water from the pulp, and set the paper.

Dandy-cock Dan"dy-cock` noun masc. , Dan"dy-hen` noun fem. [ See Dandy .] A bantam fowl.

Dandyish Dan"dy·ish adjective Like a dandy.

Dandyism Dan"dy·ism noun The manners and dress of a dandy; foppishness. Byron.

Dandyize Dan"dy·ize transitive verb & i. To make, or to act, like a dandy; to dandify.

Dandyling Dan"dy·ling noun [ Dandy + -ling .] A little or insignificant dandy; a contemptible fop.

Dane Dane noun [ Late Latin Dani : confer Anglo-Saxon Dene .] A native, or a naturalized inhabitant, of Denmark. Great Dane . (Zoology) See Danish dog , under Danish .

Danegeld, Danegelt Dane"geld`, Dane"gelt` noun [ Anglo-Saxon danegeld . See Dane , and Geld , noun ] (Eng. Hist.) An annual tax formerly laid on the English nation to buy off the ravages of Danish invaders, or to maintain forces to oppose them. It afterward became a permanent tax, raised by an assessment, at first of one shilling, afterward of two shillings, upon every hide of land throughout the realm. Wharton's Law Dict. Tomlins.

Danewort Dane"wort` noun (Botany) A fetid European species of elder ( Sambucus Ebulus ); dwarf elder; wallwort; elderwort; -- called also Daneweed , Dane's weed , and Dane's-blood . [ Said to grow on spots where battles were fought against the Danes.]

Dang Dang imperfect of Ding . [ Obsolete]

Dang Dang transitive verb [ Confer Ding .] To dash. [ Obsolete]

Till she, o'ercome with anguish, shame, and rage,
Danged down to hell her loathsome carriage.

Marlowe.

Danger Dan"ger noun [ Middle English danger , daunger , power, arrogance, refusal, difficulty, from Old French dagier , dongier (with same meaning), French danger danger, from an assumed Late Latin dominiarium power, authority, from Latin dominium power, property. See Dungeon , Domain , Dame .] 1. Authority; jurisdiction; control. [ Obsolete]

In danger had he . . . the young girls.

Chaucer. 2. Power to harm; subjection or liability to penalty. [ Obsolete] See In one's danger , below.

You stand within his danger , do you not?

Shak.

Covetousness of gains hath brought [ them] in danger of this statute.

Robynson (More's Utopia). 3. Exposure to injury, loss, pain, or other evil; peril; risk; insecurity. 4. Difficulty; sparingness. [ Obsolete] Chaucer. 5. Coyness; disdainful behavior. [ Obsolete] Chaucer. In one's danger , in one's power; liable to a penalty to be inflicted by him. [ Obsolete] This sense is retained in the proverb, "Out of debt out of danger ."

Those rich man in whose debt and danger they be not.

Robynson (More's Utopia). -- To do danger , to cause danger. [ Obsolete] Shak. Syn. -- Peril; hazard; risk; jeopardy. -- Danger , Peril , Hazard , Risk , Jeopardy . Danger is the generic term, and implies some contingent evil in prospect. Peril is instant or impending danger; as, in peril of one's life. Hazard arises from something fortuitous or beyond our control; as, the hazard of the seas. Risk is doubtful or uncertain danger, often incurred voluntarily; as, to risk an engagement. Jeopardy is extreme danger. Danger of a contagious disease; the perils of shipwreck; the hazards of speculation; the risk of daring enterprises; a life brought into jeopardy .

Danger Dan"ger transitive verb To endanger. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Dangerful Dan"ger·ful adjective Full of danger; dangerous. [ Obsolete] -- Dan"ger*ful*ly , adverb [ Obsolete] Udall.

Dangerless Dan"ger·less adjective Free from danger. [ R.]

Dangerous Dan"ger·ous adjective [ Middle English , haughty, difficult, dangerous, from Old French dangereus , French dangereux . See Danger .] 1. Attended or beset with danger; full of risk; perilous; hazardous; unsafe.

Our troops set forth to-morrow; stay with us;
The ways are dangerous .

Shak.

It is dangerous to assert a negative.

Macaulay. 2. Causing danger; ready to do harm or injury.

If they incline to think you dangerous
To less than gods.

Milton. 3. In a condition of danger, as from illness; threatened with death. [ Colloq.] Forby. Bartlett. 4. Hard to suit; difficult to please. [ Obsolete]

My wages ben full strait, and eke full small;
My lord to me is hard and dangerous .

Chaucer. 5. Reserved; not affable. [ Obsolete] "Of his speech dangerous ." Chaucer. -- Dan"ger*ous*ly , adverb -- Dan"ger*ous*ness , noun

Dangle Dan"gle (dăn"g'l) intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Dangled ; present participle & verbal noun Dangling .] [ Akin to Danish dangle , dial. Swedish dangla , Dan. dingle , Swedish dingla , Icelandic dingla ; perhaps from English ding .] To hang loosely, or with a swinging or jerking motion.

He'd rather on a gibbet dangle
Than miss his dear delight, to wrangle.

Hudibras.

From her lifted hand
Dangled a length of ribbon.

Tennyson. To dangle about or after , to hang upon importunately; to court the favor of; to beset.

The Presbyterians, and other fanatics that dangle after them,
are well inclined to pull down the present establishment.

Swift.

Dangle Dan"gle transitive verb To cause to dangle; to swing, as something suspended loosely; as, to dangle the feet.

And the bridegroom stood dangling his bonnet and plume.

Sir W. Scott.

Dangleberry Dan"gle·ber`ry noun (Botany) A dark blue, edible berry with a white bloom, and its shrub ( Gaylussacia frondosa ) closely allied to the common huckleberry. The bush is also called blue tangle , and is found from New England to Kentucky, and southward.

Dangler Dan"gler noun One who dangles about or after others, especially after women; a trifler. " Danglers at toilets." Burke.

Daniel Dan"i·el noun A Hebrew prophet distinguished for sagacity and ripeness of judgment in youth; hence, a sagacious and upright judge.

A Daniel come to judgment.

Shak.

Danish Dan"ish adjective [ See Dane .] Belonging to the Danes, or to their language or country. - - noun The language of the Danes. Danish dog (Zoology) , one of a large and powerful breed of dogs reared in Denmark; -- called also great Dane . See Illustration in Appendix.

Danite Dan"ite noun 1. A descendant of Dan; an Israelite of the tribe of Dan. Judges xiii. 2. 2. [ So called in remembrance of the prophecy in Gen. xlix. 17, " Dan shall be a serpent by the way," etc.] One of a secret association of Mormons, bound by an oath to obey the heads of the church in all things. [ U. S.]

Dank Dank adjective [ Confer dial, Swedish dank a moist place in a field, Icelandic dökk pit, pool; possibly akin to English damp or to daggle dew.] Damp; moist; humid; wet.

Now that the fields are dank and ways are mire.

Milton.

Cheerless watches on the cold, dank ground.

Trench.

Dank Dank noun Moisture; humidity; water. [ Obsolete]

Dank Dank noun A small silver coin current in Persia.

Dankish Dank"ish adjective Somewhat dank. -- Dank"ish*ness , noun

In a dark and dankish vault at home.

Shak.

Dannebrog Dan"ne·brog noun The ancient battle standard of Denmark, bearing figures of cross and crown. Order of Dannebrog , an ancient Danish order of knighthood.

Danseuse Dan`seuse" noun [ French, from danser to dance.] A professional female dancer; a woman who dances at a public exhibition as in a ballet.

Dansk Dansk adjective [ Dan.] Danish. [ Obsolete]

Dansker Dansk"er noun A Dane. [ Obsolete]

Inquire me first what Danskers are in Paris.

Shak.

Dantean Dan·te"an adjective Relating to, emanating from or resembling, the poet Dante or his writings.