Loading earlier words…
Didymium

A rare metallic substance usually associated with the metal cerium; -- hence its name. It was formerly supposed to be an element, but has since been found to consist of two simpler elementary substances, neodymium and praseodymium. See Neodymium, and Praseodymium.

Didynamia

A Linn/an class of plants having four stamens disposed in pairs of unequal length.

Didynamous

Of or pertaining to the Didynamia; containing four stamens disposed in pairs of unequal length.

Die

A small cube, marked on its faces with spots from one to six, and used in playing games by being shaken in a box and thrown from it. See Dice.

Dieffenbachia

a genus of evergreen perennial herbs of tropical America with lush foliage and poisonous sap; often cultivated as houseplants.

Diegesis

A narrative or history; a recital or relation.

diehard

stubbornly and vigorously resisting in the face of seemingly hopeless odds; as, diehard opposition.

Dielectric

Any substance or medium that transmits the electric force by a process different from conduction, as in the phenomena of induction; a nonconductor, separating a body electrified by induction, from the electrifying body.

Diencephalon

The interbrain or thalamencephalon; -- sometimes abbreviated to dien. See Thalamencephalon.

Dieresis Diaeresis

The separation or resolution of one syllable into two; -- the opposite of syn/resis.

Diervilla

small genus of low deciduous shrubs; the bush honeysuckles.

Diesinker

An engraver of dies for stamping coins, medals, etc.

Diesis

A small interval, less than any in actual practice, but used in the mathematical calculation of intervals.

Diestock

A stock to hold the dies used for cutting screws.

diestrual diestrous

in a period of sexual inactivity; -- of animals that have several estrous cycles in one breeding season.

diestrus

a state or interval of sexual inactivity or quiescence between periods of activity; -- of animals having several estrous cycles in one breeding season.

Diet

A legislative or administrative assembly in Germany, Poland, and some other countries of Europe; a deliberative convention; a council; as, the Diet of Worms, held in 1521. Any of various national or local assemblies; Occasionally, the Reichstag of the German Empire, Reichsrath of the Austrian Empire, the federal legislature of Switzerland, etc. The legislature of Denmark, Sweden, Japan, or Hungary. The state assembly or any of various local assemblies in the states of the German Empire, as the legislature (Landtag) of the kingdom of Prussia, and the Diet of the Circle (Kreistag) in its local government. The local legislature (Landtag) of an Austrian province. The federative assembly of the old Germanic Confederation (1815 -- 66). In the old German or Holy Roman Empire, the great formal assembly of counselors (the Imperial Diet or Reichstag) or a small, local, or informal assembly of a similar kind (the Court Diet, or Hoftag).

Dietarian

One who lives in accordance with prescribed rules for diet; a dieter.

Dietary

A rule of diet; a fixed allowance of food, as in workhouse, prison, etc.

Dieter

One who diets; one who prescribes, or who partakes of, food, according to hygienic rules.

Dietetical Dietetic

Of or performance to diet, or to the rules for regulating the kind and quantity of food to be eaten.

Dietetics

That part of the medical or hygienic art which relates to diet or food; rules for diet.

Dietetist

A physician who applies the rules of dietetics to the cure of diseases.

Diethylamine

A colorless, volatile, alkaline liquid, NH(C2H5)2, having a strong fishy odor resembling that of herring or sardines. Cf. Methylamine.

Dietine

A subordinate or local assembly; a diet of inferior rank.

Diffame

Evil name; bad reputation; defamation.

Diffarreation

A form of divorce, among the ancient Romans, in which a cake was used. See Confarreation.

Differ

To cause to be different or unlike; to set at variance.

Difference

To cause to differ; to make different; to mark as different; to distinguish.

Different

Distinct; separate; not the same; other.

differentia

The formal or distinguishing part of the essence of a species, by which it is distinguished from other members of its genus; the characteristic attribute of a species; specific difference; as, a proper definition must have both genus and differentia.

differentiable

possessing a differential coefficient or derivative; -- of a mathematical expression.

differential

Relating to or indicating a difference; creating a difference; discriminating; special; as, differential characteristics; differential duties; a differential rate.

Differential

An increment, usually an indefinitely small one, which is given to a variable quantity.

differentiated

made different (especially in the course of development) or shown to be different; as, the differentiated markings of butterflies; the regionally differentiated results. Opposite of undifferentiated.

Difficile

Difficult; hard to manage; stubborn.

Difficult

To render difficult; to impede; to perplex.

Difficulty

The state of being difficult, or hard to do; hardness; arduousness; -- opposed to easiness or facility; as, the difficulty of a task or enterprise; a work of difficulty.

Diffidence

The state of being diffident; distrust; want of confidence; doubt of the power, ability, or disposition of others.

Diffident

Wanting confidence in others; distrustful.

Diffluent

Flowing apart or off; dissolving; not fixed.

Difform

Irregular in form; -- opposed to uniform; anomalous; hence, unlike; dissimilar; as, to difform corolla, the parts of which do not correspond in size or proportion; difform leaves.

Difformity

Irregularity of form; diversity of form; want of uniformity.

Diffract

To break or separate into parts; to deflect, or decompose by deflection, a/ rays of light.

Diffraction

The deflection and decomposition of light in passing by the edges of opaque bodies or through narrow slits, causing the appearance of parallel bands or fringes of prismatic colors, as by the action of a grating of fine lines or bars.

Diffusate

Material which, in the process of catalysis, has diffused or passed through the separating membrane.

Diffuse

Poured out; widely spread; not restrained; copious; full; esp., of style, opposed to concise or terse; verbose; prolix; as, a diffuse style; a diffuse writer.

Diffused

Spread abroad; dispersed; loose; flowing; diffuse.

Diffuseness

The quality of being diffuse; especially, in writing, the use of a great or excessive number of word to express the meaning; copiousness; verbosity; prolixity.

Diffuser

One who, or that which, diffuses.

Diffusibility

The quality of being diffusible; capability of being poured or spread out.

Diffusible

Capable of flowing or spreading in all directions; that may be diffused.

Diffusion

The act of diffusing, or the state of being diffused; a spreading; extension; dissemination; circulation; dispersion.

Diffusive

Having the quality of diffusing; capable of spreading every way by flowing; spreading widely; widely reaching; copious; diffuse.

Diffusiveness

The quality or state of being diffusive or diffuse; extensiveness; expansion; dispersion. Especially of style: Diffuseness; want of conciseness; prolixity.

Diffusivity

Tendency to become diffused; tendency, as of heat, to become equalized by spreading through a conducting medium.

Dig

A thrust; a punch; a poke; as, a dig in the side or the ribs. See Dig, v. t., 4.

dig

To understand; as, do you dig me?.

Digamist

One who marries a second time; a deuterogamist.

Digamma

A letter (/, /) of the Greek alphabet, which early fell into disuse.

Digammated Digammate

Having the digamma or its representative letter or sound; as, the Latin word vis is a digammated form of the Greek 'i`s.

Digamous

Pertaining to a second marriage, that is, one after the death of the first wife or the first husband.

Digamy

Act, or state, of being twice married; deuterogamy.

Digastric

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.

Digenea

A division of Trematoda in which alternate generations occur, the immediate young not resembling their parents.

Digenesis

The faculty of multiplying in two ways; -- by ova fecundated by spermatic fluid, and asexually, as by buds. See Parthenogenesis.

Digest

That which is digested; especially, that which is worked over, classified, and arranged under proper heads or titles A compilation of statutes or decisions analytically arranged. The term is applied in a general sense to the Pandects of Justinian (see Pandect), but is also specially given by authors to compilations of laws on particular topics; a summary of laws; as, Comyn's Digest; the United States Digest.

Digestedly

In a digested or well-arranged manner; methodically.

Digestion

The act or process of digesting; reduction to order; classification; thoughtful consideration.

Digestive

That which aids digestion, as a food or medicine.

Digger

One who, or that which, digs.

Diggers

A degraded tribe of California Indians; -- so called from their practice of digging roots for food.

Digging

The act or the place of digging or excavating.

Dight

To prepare; to put in order; hence, to dress, or put on; to array; to adorn.

Loading more words…