DUCKINGDuck"ing, n. & a.
Defn: , from Duck, v. t. & 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.
DUCK-LEGGEDDuck"-legged`, a.
Defn: Having short legs, like a waddling duck; short-legged. Dryden.
DUCKLINGDuck"ling, n.
Defn: A young or little duck. Gay.
DUCKMEAT; DUCK'S-MEATDuck"meat`, or Duck's"-meat`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: Duckweed.
DUCK'S-BILLDuck's"-bill`, a.
Defn: Having the form of a duck's bill. Duck's-bill limpet (Zoöl.), a limpet of the genus Parmaphorus; — so named from its shape.
DUCK'S-FOOTDuck's"-foot`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: The May apple (Podophyllum peltatum).
DUCKWEEDDuck"weed`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: 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, n. Etym: [L. ductus a leading, conducting, conduit, fr. ducere, ductum, to lead. See Duke, and cf. Douche.]
1. Any tube or canal by which a fluid or other substance is conducted or conveyed.
2. (Anat.)
Defn: One of the vessels of an animal body by which the products of glandular secretion are conveyed to their destination.
3. (Bot.)
Defn: A large, elongated cell, either round or prismatic, usually found associated with woody fiber.
Note: Ducts are classified, according to the character of the surface of their walls, or their structure, as annular, spiral, scalariform, etc.
4. Guidance; direction. [Obs.] Hammond.
DUCTIBLEDuc"ti*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being drawn out [R.] Feltham.
DUCTILEDuc"tile, a. Etym: [L. ductilis, fr. ducere to lead: cf. F. 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, adv.— Duc"tile*ness, n.
DUCTILIMETERDuc`ti*lim"e*ter, n. Etym: [Ductile + -meter.]
Defn: An instrument for accurately determining the ductility of metals.
DUCTILITYDuc*til"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. ductilité.]
1. The property of a metal which allows it to be drawn into wires or filaments.
2. Tractableness; pliableness. South.
DUCTIONDuc"tion, n. Etym: [L. ductio, fr. ducere to lead.]
Defn: Guidance. [Obs.] Feltham.
DUCTLESSDuct"less, a.
Defn: Having to duct or outlet; as, a ductless gland.
DUCTORDuc"tor, n. Etym: [L., fr. ducere to lead.]
1. One who leads. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
2. (Mach.)
Defn: 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.
DUCTUREDuc"ture, n.
Defn: Guidance. [Obs.] South.
DUDDER Dud"der, v. t. Etym: [In Suffolk, Eng., to shiver, shake, tremble; also written dodder.]
Defn: To confuse or confound with noise. Jennings.
DUDDERDud"der, v. i.
Defn: To shiver or tremble; to dodder.I dudder and shake like an aspen leaf. Ford.
DUDDERDud"der, n. Etym: [From Duds.]
Defn: A peddler or hawker, especially of cheap and flashy goods pretended to be smuggled; a duffer. [Eng.]
DUDDERYDud"der*y, n.
Defn: A place where rags are bought and kept for sale. [Eng.]
DUDEDude, n.
Defn: A kind of dandy; especially, one characterized by anultrafashionable style of dress and other affectations. [Recent]The social dude who affects English dress and English drawl. TheAmerican.
DUDEENDu*deen", n.
Defn: A short tobacco pipe. [Written also dudheen.] [Irish]
DUDGEONDudg"eon, n.
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.
DUDGEONDudg"eon, n. Etym: [W. dygen anger, grudge.]
Defn: Resentment; ill will; anger; displeasure.I drink it to thee in dudgeon and hostility.Sir T. Scott.
DUDGEONDudg"eon, a.
Defn: Homely; rude; coarse. [Obs.]By my troth, though I am plain and dudgeon, I would not be an ass.Beau. & Fl.
DUDISHDud"ish, a.
Defn: Like, or characterized of, a dude.
DUDS Duds, n. pl. Etym: [Scot. dud rag, pl. duds clothing of inferior quality.]
1. Old or inferior clothes; tattered garments. [Colloq.]
2. Effects, in general.[Slang]
DUEDue, a. Etym: [OF. deu, F. dû, p. p. of devoir to owe, fr. L. debere.See Debt, Habit, and cf. 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.
DUEDue, adv.
Defn: Directly; exactly; as, a due east course.
DUEDue, n.
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.
DUEDue, v. t.
Defn: To endue. [Obs.] Shak.
DUEBILLDue"bill`, n. (Com.)
Defn: A brief written acknowledgment of a debt, not made payable to order, like a promissory note. Burrill.
DUEFULDue"ful, a.
Defn: Fit; becoming. [Obs.] Spenser.
DUELDu"el, n. Etym: [It. duello, fr. L. duellum, orig., a contest betweentwo, which passed into the common form bellum war, fr. duo two: cf.F. duel. See Bellicose, Two, and cf. Duello.]
Defn: 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.
DUELDu"el, v. i. & t.
Defn: To fight in single combat. [Obs.]
DUELERDu"el*er, n.
Defn: One who engages in a duel. [R.] [Written also dueller.] South.
DUELINGDu"el*ing, n.
Defn: e act or practice of fighting in single combat. Also adj.[Written also duelling.]
DUELISTDu"el*ist, n. Etym: [F. duelliste.]
Defn: One who fights in single combat. [Written also duellist.] A duelist . . . always values himself upon his courage, his sense of honor, his fidelity and friendship. Hume.
DUELODu*e"lo, n. Etym: [It. See Duel.]
Defn: A duel; also, the rules of dueling. [Obs.] Shak.
DUENA; DUENYADu*e"ña, n. Etym: [Sp.]
Defn: See Doña.
DUENESSDue"ness, n.
Defn: Quality of being due; debt; what is due or becoming. T.Goodwin.
DUENNADu*en"na, n.; pl. Duennas. Etym: [Sp. dueña, doña, fr. L. domina. SeeDame.]
1. The chief lady in waiting on the queen of Spain. Brande.
2. An elderly lady holding a station between a governess and companion, and appointed to have charge over the younger ladies in a Spanish or a Portuguese family. Brande & C.
3. Any old woman who is employed to guard a younger one; a governess. Arbuthnot.
DUETDu*et", n. Etym: [Duetto.] (Mus.)
Defn: A composition for two performers, whether vocal or instrumental.
DUETTINODu`et*ti"no, n. Etym: [It ., dim. fr. duetto a duet.]
Defn: A duet of short extent and concise form.
DUETTODu*et"to, n. Etym: [It., fr. It & L. duo two. See Two.]
Defn: See Duet.
DUFFDuff, n. Etym: [From OE. dagh. . See Dough.]
1. Dough or paste. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
2. A stiff flour pudding, boiled in a bag; — a term used especially by seamen; as, plum duff.
DUFFELDuf"fel, n. Etym: [D. duffel, from Duffel, a town not far fromAntwerp.]
Defn: A kind of coarse woolen cloth, having a thick nap or frieze.[Written also duffle.]Good duffel gray and flannel fine. Wordsworth.
DUFFEL BAGDuffel bag.
Defn: A sack to hold miscellaneous articles, as tools, supplies, or the like.
DUFFERDuf"fer, n.
1. A peddler or hawker, especially of cheap, flashy articles, as sham jewelry; hence, a sham or cheat. [Slang, Eng.] Halliwell.
2. A stupid, awkward, inefficient person.[Slang]
DUFFLEDuf"fle, n.
Defn: See Duffel.
DUFRENITEDu*fren"ite, n. Etym: [From Dufrénoy, a French geologist.] (Min.)
Defn: A mineral of a blackish green color, commonly massive or in nodules. It is a hydrous phosphate of iron.
DUG Dug, n. Etym: [Akin to Sw. dägga to suckle (a child), Dan. dægge, and prob. to Goth. daddjan.
Defn: A teat, pap, or nipple; — formerly that of a human mother, now that of a cow or other beast. With mother's dug between its lips. Shak.
DUGDug, imp. & p. p.
Defn: of Dig.
DUGONGDu*gong", n. Etym: [Malayan d, or Javan. duyung.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: An aquatic herbivorous mammal (Halicore dugong), of the order Sirenia, allied to the manatee, but with a bilobed tail. It inhabits the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, East Indies, and Australia. [Written also duyong.]
DUGOUTDug"out`, n.
1. A canoe or boat dug out from a large log. [U.S.] A man stepped from his slender dugout. G. W. Cable.
2. A place dug out.
3. A house made partly in a hillside or slighter elevation. [Western U.S.] Bartlett.
DUGWAYDug"way`, n.
Defn: A way or road dug through a hill, or sunk below the surface of the land. [U.S.]
DUKE Duke n. Etym: [F. duc, fr. L. dux, ducis, leader, commander, fr. ducere to lead; akin to AS. teón to draw; cf. AS. heretoga (here army) an army leader, general, G. herzog duke. See Tue, and cf. Doge, Duchess, Ducat, Duct, Adduce, Deduct.]
1. A leader; a chief; a prince. [Obs.] Hannibal, duke of Carthage. Sir T. Elyot. All were dukes once, who were "duces" — captains or leaders of their people. Trench.
2. In England, one of the highest order of nobility after princes and princesses of the royal blood and the four archbishops of England and Ireland.
3. In some European countries, a sovereign prince, without the title of king. Duke's coronet. See Illust. of Coronet. — To dine with Duke Humphrey, to go without dinner. See under Dine.
DUKEDuke, v. i.
Defn: To play the duke. [Poetic]Lord Angelo dukes it well in his absence. Shak.
DUKEDOMDuke"dom, n.
1. The territory of a duke.
2. The title or dignity of a duke. Shak.
DUKELINGDuke"ling, n.
Defn: A little or insignificant duke. Ford.
DUKESHIPDuke"ship, n.
Defn: The quality or condition of being a duke; also, the personality of a duke. Massinger.
DUKHOBORS; DUKHOBORTSY Du*kho*bors", Du*kho*bor"tsy, n. pl. [Russ. dukhobortsy spirit wrestlers; dukh spirit + bortsy wrestlers.]
Defn: A Russian religious sect founded about the middle of the 18th century at Kharkov. They believe that Christ was wholly human, but that his soul reappears from time to time in mortals. They accept the Ten Commandments and the "useful" portions of the Bible, but deny the need of rulers, priests, or churches, and have no confessions, icons, or marriage ceremonies. They are communistic, opposed to any violence, and unwilling to use the labor of animals. Driven out of Russia proper, many have emigrated to Cyprus and Canada. See Raskolnik, below.
DULCAMARADul`ca*ma"ra, n. Etym: [NL., fr. L. dulcis sweet + amarus bitter.](Bot.)
Defn: A plant (Solanum Dulcamara). See Bittersweet, n.,
3 (a).
DULCAMARINDul`ca*ma"rin, n. (Chem.)
Defn: A glucoside extracted from the bittersweet (Solanum Dulcamara), as a yellow amorphous substance. It probably occasions the compound taste. See Bittersweet, 3(a).
DULCEDulce, v. t.
Defn: To make sweet; to soothe. [Obs.]
DULCENESSDulce"ness, n.
Defn: Sweetness. [Obs.] Bacon.
DULCET Dul"cet, a. Etym: [OF. doucet, dim. of dous sweet, F. doux, L. dulcis; akin to Gr. Doucet.]
1. Sweet to the taste; luscious. [Obs.] She tempers dulcet creams. Milton.
2. Sweet to the ear; melodious; harmonious. Their dainty lays and dulcet melody. Spenser.
DULCIANADul`ci*an"a, n. Etym: [NL., fr. L. dulcis sweet.] (Mus.)
Defn: A sweet-toned stop of an organ.
DULCIFICATIONDul`ci*fi*ca"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. dulcification.]
Defn: The act of dulcifying or sweetening. Boyle.
DULCIFIEDDul"ci*fied, a.
Defn: Sweetened; mollified. Dulcified spirit or spirits, a compound of alcohol with mineral acids; as, dulcified spirits of niter.
DULCIFLUOUSDul*cif"lu*ous, a. Etym: [L. dulcis sweet + fluere to flow.]
Defn: Flowing sweetly. [R.]
DULCIFYDul"ci*fy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dulcified; p. pr. & vb. n.Dulcifying.] Etym: [L. dulcis sweet + -fy: cf. F. dulcifier.]
1. (Pharm.)
Defn: To sweeten; to free from acidity, saltness, or acrimony.Wiseman.
2. Fig. : To mollify; to sweeten; to please. As she . . . was further dulcified by her pipe of tobacco. Hawthorne.
DULCILOQUYDul*cil"o*quy, n. Etym: [L. dulcis sweet + loqui to speak.]
Defn: A soft manner of speaking.
DULCIMER Dul"ci*mer, n. Etym: [It. dolcemele,r Sp. dulcemele, fr. L. dulcis sweet + melos song, melody, Gr. doulcemele. See Dulcet, and Melody.] (Mus.) (a) An instrument, having stretched metallic wires which are beaten with two light hammers held in the hands of the performer. (b) An ancient musical instrument in use among the Jews. Dan. iii. 5. It is supposed to be the same with the psaltery.
DULCINEA Dul*cin"e*a, n. Etym: [Sp., from Dulcinea del Toboso the mistress of the affections of Don Quixote.]
Defn: A mistress; a sweetheart.I must ever have some Dulcinea in my head. Sterne.
DULCINESSDul"ci*ness, n.
Defn: See Dulceness. [Obs.]
DULCINODul*ci"no, n. (Mus.)
Defn: See Dolcino.
DULCITEDul"cite, n. Etym: [Cf. F. dulcite, fr. L. dulcis sweet.] (Chem.)
Defn: A white, sugarlike substance, C6H8.(OH)2, occurring naturally in a manna from Madagascar, and in certain plants, and produced artificially by the reduction of galactose and lactose or milk sugar.
DULCITUDEDul"ci*tude, n. Etym: [L. dulcitudo, fr. dulcis sweet.
Defn: Sweetness. [R.] Cockeram.
DULCORATE Dul"co*rate, v. t. Etym: [L. dulcoratus, p. p. of dulcorare, fr. dulcor sweetness, fr. dulcis sweet.]
Defn: To sweeten; to make less acrimonious. [R.] Bacon.
DULCORATIONDul`co*ra"tion, n. Etym: [LL. dulcoratio.]
Defn: The act of sweetening. [R.] Bacon.
DULEDGEDu"ledge, n. (Mil.)
Defn: One of the dowels joining the ends of the fellies which form the circle of the wheel of a gun carriage. Wilhelm.
DULIADu*li"a, n. Etym: [LL., fr. Gr. (R. C. Ch.)
Defn: An inferior kind of veneration or worship, given to the angels and saints as the servants of God.
DULL Dull, a. [Compar. Duller; superl. Dullest.] Etym: [AS. dol foolish; akin to gedwelan to err, D. dol mad, dwalen to wander, err, G. toll mad, Goth. dwals foolish, stupid, cf. Gr. dhvr to cause to fall. Cf. Dolt, Dwale, Dwell, Fraud.]
1. Slow of understanding; wanting readiness of apprehension; stupid; doltish; blockish. "Dull at classical learning." Thackeray. She is not bred so dull but she can learn. Shak.
2. Slow in action; sluggish; unready; awkward. This people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing. Matt. xiii. 15. O, help my weak wit and sharpen my dull tongue. Spenser.
3. Insensible; unfeeling. Think me not So dull a devil to forget the loss Of such a matchless wife. Beau. & Fl.
4. Not keen in edge or point; lacking sharpness; blunt. "Thy scythe is dull." Herbert.
5. Not bright or clear to the eye; wanting in liveliness of color or luster; not vivid; obscure; dim; as, a dull fire or lamp; a dull red or yellow; a dull mirror.
6. Heavy; gross; cloggy; insensible; spiritless; lifeless; inert. "The dull earth." Shak. As turning the logs will make a dull fire burn, so changes of study a dull brain. Longfellow.
7. Furnishing little delight, spirit, or variety; uninteresting; tedious; cheerless; gloomy; melancholy; depressing; as, a dull story or sermon; a dull occupation or period; hence, cloudy; overcast; as, a dull day. Along life's dullest, dreariest walk. Keble.
Syn. — Lifeless; inanimate; dead; stupid; doltish; heavy; sluggish; sleepy; drowsy; gross; cheerless; tedious; irksome; dismal; dreary; clouded; tarnished; obtuse. See Lifeless.
DULLDull, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Duller; p. pr. & vb. n. Dulling.]
1. To deprive of sharpness of edge or point. "This . . . dulled their swords." Bacon. Borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. Shak.
2. To make dull, stupid, or sluggish; to stupefy, as the senses, the feelings, the perceptions, and the like. Those [drugs] she has Will stupefy and dull the sense a while. Shak. Use and custom have so dulled our eyes. Trench.
3. To render dim or obscure; to sully; to tarnish. "Dulls the mirror." Bacon.
4. To deprive of liveliness or activity; to render heavy; to make inert; to depress; to weary; to sadden. Attention of mind . . . wasted or dulled through continuance. Hooker.
DULLDull, v. i.
Defn: To become dull or stupid. Rom. of R.
DULLARDDull"ard, n. Etym: [Dull + -ard.]
Defn: A stupid person; a dunce. Shak.— a.
Defn: Stupid. Bp. Hall.
DULL-BRAINEDDull"-brained`, a.
Defn: Stupid; doltish. Shak.
DULL-BROWEDDull"-browed`, a.
Defn: Having a gloomy look.
DULLERDull"er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, dulls.
DULL-EYEDDull"-eyed`, a.
Defn: Having eyes wanting brightness, liveliness, or vivacity. Shak.
DULLHEADDull"head`, n.
Defn: A blockhead; a dolt. Ascham.
DULLISHDull"ish, a.
Defn: Somewhat dull; uninteresting; tiresome. "A series of dullish verses." Prof. Wilson.
DULLNESSDull"ness, n.
Defn: The state of being dull; slowness; stupidity; heaviness; drowsiness; bluntness; obtuseness; dimness; want of luster; want of vividness, or of brightness. [Written also dulness.] And gentle dullness ever loves a joke. Pope.
DULL-SIGHTEDDull"-sight`ed, a.
Defn: Having poor eyesight.
DULLSOMEDull"some, a.
Defn: Dull. [R.] Gataker.
DULL-WITTEDDull"-wit`ted, a.
Defn: Stupid.
DULLYDul"ly, adv.
Defn: In a dull manner; stupidly; slowly; sluggishly; without life orspirit.Supinely calm and dully innocent. G. Lyttelton.
DULOCRACYDu*loc"ra*cy, n.
Defn: See Doulocracy.
DULSEDulse, n. Etym: [Cf. Gael. duileasg; duille leaf + uisge water. Cf.Whisky.] (Bot.)
Defn: A seaweed of a reddish brown color, which is sometimes eaten, as in Scotland. The true dulse is Sarcophyllis edulis; the common is Rhodymenia. [Written also dillisk.] The crimson leaf of the dulse is seen To blush like a banner bathed in slaughter. Percival.
DULWILLYDul"wil*ly, n. Etym: [Prob. imitative.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The ring plover. [Prov. Eng.]
DULYDu"ly, adv.
Defn: In a due, fit, or becoming manner; as it (anything) ought to be; properly; regularly.
DUMALDu"mal, a. Etym: [L. dumus bramble.]
Defn: Pertaining to, or set with, briers or bushes; brambly. [R.]
DUMBDumb, a. Etym: [AS. dumb; akin to D. dom stupid, dumb, Sw. dumb,Goth. dumbs; cf. Gr. Deaf, and cf. Dummy.]
1. Destitute of the power of speech; unable; to utter articulate sounds; as, the dumb brutes. To unloose the very tongues even of dumb creatures. Hooker.
2. Not willing to speak; mute; silent; not speaking; not accompanied by words; as, dumb show. This spirit, dumb to us, will speak to him. Shak. To pierce into the dumb past. J. C. Shairp.
3. Lacking brightness or clearness, as a color. [R.] Her stern was painted of a dumb white or dun color. De Foe. Deaf and dumb. See Deaf-mute. — Dumb ague, or Dumb chill, a form of intermittent fever which has no well-defined "chill." [U.S.] — Dumb animal, any animal except man; — usually restricted to a domestic quadruped; — so called in contradistinction to man, who is a "speaking animal." — Dumb cake, a cake made in silence by girls on St. Mark's eve, with certain mystic ceremonies, to discover their future husbands. Halliwell. — Dumb cane (Bot.), a west Indian plant of the Arum family (Dieffenbachia seguina), which, when chewed, causes the tongue to swell, and destroys temporarily the power of speech. — Dumb crambo. See under crambo. — Dumb show. (a) Formerly, a part of a dramatic representation, shown in pantomime. "Inexplicable dumb shows and noise." Shak. (b) Signs and gestures without words; as, to tell a story in dumb show. — To strike dumb, to confound; to astonish; to render silent by astonishment; or, it may be, to deprive of the power of speech.
Syn.— Silent; speechless; noiseless. See Mute.
DUMBDumb, v. t.
Defn: To put to silence. [Obs.] Shak.
DUMB-BELLDumb"-bell`, n.
Defn: A weight, consisting of two spheres or spheroids, connected by a short bar for a handle; used (often in pairs) for gymnastic exercise.
DUMBLEDORDum"ble*dor`, n. Etym: [The first part is prob. of imitative origin.See Dor a beetle.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A bumblebee; also, a cockchafer. [Prov. Eng.]
DUMBLYDumb"ly, adv.
Defn: In silence; mutely.
DUMBNESSDumb"ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being dumb; muteness; silence; inability to speak.
DUMB-WAITERDumb"-wait`er, n.
Defn: A framework on which dishes, food, etc., are passed from one room or story of a house to another; a lift for dishes, etc.; also, a piece of furniture with movable or revolving shelves.
DUMDUM BULLETDum"dum bul"let. (Mil.)
Defn: A kind of manstopping bullet; — so named from Dumdum, inIndia, where bullets are manufactured for the Indian army.
DUMETOSEDu"me*tose`, a. Etym: [From L. dumetum a thicket.] (Bot.)
Defn: Dumose.
DUMFOUNDDum"found`, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dumfounded; p. pr. & vb. n.Dumfounding.]
Defn: To strike dumb; to confuse with astonishment. [Written also dumbfound.] Spectator.
DUMFOUNDERDum"found`er, v. t.
Defn: To dumfound; to confound. [Written also dumbfounder.]
DUMMADORDum"ma*dor`, n.
Defn: A dumbledor.
DUMMERERDum"mer*er, n.
Defn: One who feigns dumbness. [Obs.] Burton.
DUMMYDum"my, a. Etym: [See Dumb.]
1. Silent; mute; noiseless; as a dummy engine.
2. Fictitious or sham; feigned; as, a dummy watch. Dummy car. See under Car.
DUMMYDum"my, n.; pl. Dummies (.
1. One who is dumb. H. Smith.
2. A sham package in a shop, or one which does not contain what its exterior indicates.
3. An imitation or copy of something, to be used as a substitute; a model; a lay figure; as, a figure on which clothing is exhibited in shop windows; a blank paper copy used to show the size of the future book, etc.
4. (Drama)
Defn: One who plays a merely nominal part in any action; a sham character.
5. A thick-witted person; a dolt. [Colloq.]
6. (Railroad)
Defn: A locomotive with condensing engines, and, hence, without the noise of escaping steam; also, a dummy car.
7. (Card Playing)
Defn: The fourth or exposed hand when three persons play at a four- handed game of cards.
8. A floating barge connected with a pier. Knight. To play dummy, to play the exposed or dummy hand in cards. The partner of the dummy plays it.
DUMOSE; DUMOUS Du`mose", Du"mous, a. Etym: [L. dumosus, fr. dumus a thornbush, a bramble.]
1. Abounding with bushes and briers.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: Having a compact, bushy form.
DUMPDump, n. Etym: [See Dumpling.]
Defn: A thick, ill-shapen piece; a clumsy leaden counter used by boys in playing chuck farthing. [Eng.] Smart.
DUMPDump, n. Etym: [Cf. dial. Sw. dumpin melancholy, Dan.dump dull, low,D. dompig damp, G. dumpf damp, dull, gloomy, and E. damp, or ratherperh. dump, v. t. Cf. Damp, or Dump, v. t.]
1. A dull, gloomy state of the mind; sadness; melancholy; low spirits; despondency; ill humor; — now used only in the plural. March slowly on in solemn dump. Hudibras. Doleful dumps the mind oppress. Shak. I was musing in the midst of my dumps. Bunyan.
Note: The ludicrous associations now attached to this word did not originally belong to it. "Holland's translation of Livy represents the Romans as being `in the dumps' after the battle of Cannæ." Trench.
2. Absence of mind; revery. Locke.
3. A melancholy strain or tune in music; any tune. [Obs.] "Tune a deploring dump." "Play me some merry dump." Shak.
4. An old kind of dance. [Obs.] Nares.
DUMPDump, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dumped; p. pr. & vb. n. Dumping.] Etym:[OE. dumpen to throw down, fall down, cf. Icel. dumpa to thump, Dan.dumpe to fall suddenly, rush, dial. Sw. dimpa to fall down plump. Cf.Dump sadness.]
1. To knock heavily; to stump. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
2. To put or throw down with more or less of violence; hence, to unload from a cart by tilting it; as, to dump sand, coal, etc. [U.S.] Bartlett. Dumping car or cart, a railway car, or a cart, the body of which can be tilted to empty the contents; — called also dump car, or dump cart.
DUMPDump, n.
1. A car or boat for dumping refuse, etc.
2. A ground or place for dumping ashes, refuse, etc.
3. That which is dumped.
4. (Mining)
Defn: A pile of ore or rock.
DUMPAGEDump"age, n.
1. The act of dumping loads from carts, especially loads of refuse matter; also, a heap of dumped matter.
2. A fee paid for the privilege of dumping loads.
DUMPINESSDump"i*ness, n.
Defn: The state of being dumpy.
DUMPISHDump"ish, a.
Defn: Dull; stupid; sad; moping; melancholy. " A . . . dumpish andsour life." Lord Herbert.— Dump"ish*ly, adv.— Dump"ish*ness, n.
DUMPLEDum"ple, v. t. Etym: [See Dumpling.]
Defn: To make dumpy; to fold, or bend, as one part over another. [R.]He was a little man, dumpled up together. Sir W. Scott.
DUMPLINGDump"ling, n. Etym: [Dimin. of dump an illshapen piece; cf. D.dompelen to plunge, dip, duck, Scot. to dump in to plunge into, andE. dump, v. t.]
Defn: A roundish mass of dough boiled in soup, or as a sort of pudding; often, a cover of paste inclosing an apple or other fruit, and boiled or baked; as, an apple dumpling.
DUMPYDump"y, a. [Compar. Dumpier; superl. Dumpiest.] Etym: [
1. From Dump a short ill-shapen piece.
2. From Dump sadness.]
1. Short and thick; of low stature and disproportionately stout.
2. Sullen or discontented. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
DUMPY LEVELDump"y lev"el. (Surv.)
Defn: A level having a short telescope (hence its name) rigidly fixed to a table capable only of rotatory movement in a horizontal plane. The telescope is usually an inverting one. It is sometimes called the Troughton level, from the name of the inventor, and a variety improved by one Gavatt is known as the Gavatt level.
DUNDun, n. Etym: [See Dune.]
Defn: A mound or small hill.
DUNDun, v. t.
Defn: To cure, as codfish, in a particular manner, by laying them, after salting, in a pile in a dark place, covered with salt grass or some like substance.
DUNDun, v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Dunned; p. pr. & vb. n. Dunning.] Etym:[AS. dyne noise, dynian to make a noise, or fr. Icel. dynr, duna,noise, thunder, duna to thunder; the same word as E. din. Din.]
Defn: To ask or beset, as a debtor, for payment; to urgeimportunately.Hath she sent so soon to dun Swift.
DUNDun, n.
1. One who duns; a dunner. To be pulled by the sleeve by some rascally dun. Arbuthnot.
2. An urgent request or demand of payment; as, he sent his debtor a dun.
DUN Dun, a. Etym: [AS. dunn. of Celtic origin; cf. W. dwn, Ir. & Gael. donn.]
Defn: Of a dark color; of a color partaking of a brown and black; of a dull brown color; swarthy. Summer's dun cloud comes thundering up. Pierpont. Chill and dun Falls on the moor the brief November day. Keble. Dun crow (Zoöl.), the hooded crow; — so called from its color; — also called hoody, and hoddy. — Dun diver (Zoöl.), the goosander or merganser.
DUNBIRD Dun"bird`, n. Etym: [Named from its color.] (Zoöl.) (a) The pochard; — called also dunair, and dunker, or dun-curre. (b) An American duck; the ruddy duck.
DUNCEDunce, n. Etym: [From Joannes Duns Scotus, a schoolman called theSubtle Doctor, who died in 1308. Originally in the phrase "a Dunsman". See Note below.]
Defn: One backward in book learning; a child or other person dull or weak in intellect; a dullard; a dolt. I never knew this town without dunces of figure. Swift.
Note: The schoolmen were often called, after their great leader Duns Scotus, Dunsmen or Duncemen. In the revival of learning they were violently opposed to classical studies; hence, the name of Dunce was applied with scorn and contempt to an opposer of learning, or to one slow at learning, a dullard.
DUNCEDOMDunce"dom, n.
Defn: The realm or domain of dunces. [Jocose] Carlyle.
DUNCERYDun"cer*y, n.
Defn: Dullness; stupidity.
DUNCICALDun"ci*cal, a.
Defn: Like a dunce; duncish.The most dull and duncical commissioner. Fuller.
DUNCIFYDun"ci*fy, v. t. Etym: [Dunce + -fy.]
Defn: To make stupid in intellect. [R.] Bp. Warburton.
DUNCISHDun"cish, a.
Defn: Somewhat like a dunce. [R.] — Dun"cish*ness, n. [R.]
DUNDERDun"der, n. Etym: [Cf. Sp. redundar to overflow.]
Defn: The lees or dregs of cane juice, used in the distillation ofrum. [West Indies]The use of dunder in the making of rum answers the purpose of yeastin the fermentation of flour. B. Edwards.
DUNDERHEAD Dun"der*head`, n. Etym: [Prov. Eng. also dunderpoll, from dunder, same as thunder.]
Defn: A dunce; a numskull; a blockhead. Beau. & Fl.
DUNDER-HEADEDDun"der-head`ed, a.
Defn: Thick-headed; stupid.
DUNDERPATEDun"der*pate`, n.
Defn: See Dunderhead.
DUNE Dune, n. Etym: [The same word as down: cf. D. duin. See Down a bank of sand.]
Defn: A low hill of drifting sand usually formed on the coats, but often carried far inland by the prevailing winds. [Written also dun.] Three great rivers, the Rhine, the Meuse, and the Scheldt, had deposited their slime for ages among the dunes or sand banks heaved up by the ocean around their mouths. Motley.
DUNFISHDun"fish, n.
Defn: Codfish cured in a particular manner, so as to be of a superior quality.
DUNG Dung, n. Etym: [AS. dung; akin to G. dung, dünger, OHG. tunga, Sw. dynga; cf. Icel. dyngja heap, Dan. dynge, MHG. tunc underground dwelling place, orig., covered with dung. Cf. Dingy.]
Defn: The excrement of an animal. Bacon.
DUNGDung, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dunged; p. pr. & vb. n. Dunging.]
1. To manure with dung. Dryden.
2. (Calico Print.)
Defn: To immerse or steep, as calico, in a bath of hot water containing cow dung; — done to remove the superfluous mordant.
DUNGDung, v. i.
Defn: To void excrement. Swift.
DUNGAREEDun`ga*ree", n.
Defn: A coarse kind of unbleached cotton stuff. [Written also dungari.] [India]
DUNGEON Dun"geon, n. Etym: [OE. donjoun highest tower of a castle, tower, prison, F. donjon tower or platform in the midst of a castle, turret, or closet on the top of a house, a keep of a castle, LL. domnio, the same word as LL. dominus lord. See Dame, Don, and cf. Dominion, Domain, Demesne, Danger, Donjon.]
Defn: A close, dark prison, commondonjon or keep of a castle, thesebeing used as prisons.Down with him even into the deep dungeon. Tyndale.Year after year he lay patiently in a dungeon. Macaulay.
DUNGEONDun"geon, v. t.
Defn: To shut up in a dungeon. Bp. Hall.
DUNGFORKDung"fork`, n.
Defn: A fork for tossing dung.
DUNGHILLDung"hill`, n.
1. A heap of dung.
2. Any mean situation or condition; a vile abode. He . . . lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill. 1. Sam. ii. 8. Dunghill fowl, a domestic fowl of common breed.
DUNGMEERDung"meer`, n. Etym: [Dung + (prob.) meer a pool.]
Defn: A pit where dung and weeds rot for manure.
DUNGYDung"y, a.
Defn: Full of dung; filthy; vile; low. Shak.
DUNGYARDDung"yard`, n.
Defn: A yard where dung is collected.
DUNKERDun"ker, n. Etym: [G. tunken to dip.]
Defn: One of a religious denomination whose tenets and practices are mainly those of the Baptists, but partly those of the Quakers; — called also Tunkers, Dunkards, Dippers, and, by themselves, Brethren, and German Baptists.
Note: The denomination was founded in Germany in 1708, but after a few years the members emigrated to the United States. Seventh-day Dunkers, a sect which separated from the Dunkers and formed a community, in 1728. They keep the seventh day or Saturday as the Sabbath.
DUNLIN Dun"lin, n. Etym: [Prob. of Celtic origin; cf. Gael. dun hill (E. dune), and linne pool, pond, lake, E. lin.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A species of sandpiper (Tringa alpina); — called also churr, dorbie, grass bird, and red-backed sandpiper. It is found both in Europe and America.
DUNNAGEDun"nage, n. Etym: [Cf. Dun a mound.] (Naut.)
Defn: Fagots, boughs, or loose materials of any kind, laid on the bottom of the hold for the cargo to rest upon to prevent injury by water, or stowed among casks and other cargo to prevent their motion.
DUNNERDun"ner, n. Etym: [From Dun to ask payment from.]
Defn: One employed in soliciting the payment of debts.
DUNNISHDun"nish, a.
Defn: Inclined to a dun color. Ray.
DUNNOCKDun"nock, n. Etym: [Cf. Dun,a.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The hedge sparrow or hedge accentor. [Local, Eng.]
DUNNYDun"ny, a.
Defn: Deaf; stupid.[Prov. Eng.] My old dame Joan is something dunny, and will scarce know how to manage. Sir W. Scott.
DUNTDunt, n. Etym: [Dint.]
Defn: A blow. [Obs.] R. of Glouc.
DUNTEDDunt"ed, a.
Defn: Beaten; hence, blunted. [Obs.]Fencer's swords . . . having the edge dunted. Fuller.
DUNTERDun"ter, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A porpoise. [Scott.] Dunter goose (Zoöl.) the eider duck. J.Brand.
DUODu"o, n. Etym: [It. duo, fr. L. duo two. See Duet.] (Mus.)
Defn: A composition for two performers; a duet.
DUODECAHEDRAL; DUODECAHEDRONDu`o*dec`a*he"dral, a., Du`o*dec`a*he"dron (, n.
Defn: See Dodecahedral, and Dodecahedron.
DUODECENNIAL Du`o*de*cen"ni*al, a. Etym: [L. duodecennis; duodecim twelve + annus year.]
Defn: Consisting of twelve years. [R.] Ash.
DUODECIMALDu`o*dec"i*mal, a. Etym: [L. duodecim twelve. See Dozen.]
Defn: Proceeding in computation by twelves; expressed in the scale oftwelves.— Du`o*dec"i*mal*ly, adv.
DUODECIMALDu`o*dec"i*mal, n.
1. A twelfth part; as, the duodecimals of an inch.
2. pl. (Arch.)
Defn: A system of numbers, whose denominations rise in a scale of twelves, as of feet and inches. The system is used chiefly by artificers in computing the superficial and solid contents of their work.
DUODECIMFIDDu`o*dec"im*fid, a. Etym: [L. duodecim twelve + findere to cleave.]
Defn: Divided into twelve parts.
DUODECIMO Du`o*dec"i*mo, a. Etym: [L. in duodecimo in twelfth, fr. duodecimus twelfth, fr. duodecim twelve. See Dozen.]
Defn: Having twelve leaves to a sheet; as, a duodecimo from, book, leaf, size, etc.
DUODECIMODu*o*dec"i*mo, n.; pl. Duodecimos (.
Defn: 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 12º.
DUODECUPLEDu`o*dec"u*ple, a. Etym: [L. duo two + decuple.]
Defn: Consisting of twelves. Arbuthnot.
DUODENALDu`o*de"nal, a. Etym: [Cf. F. duodénal.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to the duodenum; as, duodenal digestion.
DUODENARYDu`o*den"a*ry, a. Etym: [L. duodenarius, fr. duodeni twelve each: cf.F. duodénaire.]
Defn: Containing twelve; twelvefold; increasing by twelves; duodecimal.
DUODENUMDu`o*de"num, n. Etym: [NL., fr. duodeni twelve each: cf. F. duodenum.So called because its length is about twelve fingers' breadth.](Anat.)
Defn: The part of the small intestines between the stomach and the jejunum. See Illust. of Digestive apparatus, under Digestive.
DUOGRAPHDu"o*graph, n. [L. duo two + -graph.] (Photo-engraving)
Defn: A picture printed from two half-tone plates made with the screen set at different angles, and usually printed in two shades of the same color or in black and one tint.
DUOLITERALDu`o*lit"er*al, a. Etym: [L. duo two + E. literal.]
Defn: Consisting of two letters only; biliteral. Stuart.
DUOMODuo"mo, n. Etym: [It. See Done.]
Defn: A cathedral. See Dome, 2.Of tower or duomo, sunny sweet. Tennyson.
DUOTONEDu"o*tone, n. [L. duo two + tone.] (Photoengraving)
Defn: Any picture printed in two shades of the same color, as duotypes and duographs are usually printed.
DUOTYPEDu"o*type, n. [L. duo two + type.] (Photoengraving)
Defn: A print made from two half-tone plates made from the same negative, but etched differently.
DUPDup, v. t. Etym: [Contr. fr. do up, that is, to lift up the latch.Cf. Don, Doff.]
Defn: To open; as, to dup the door. [Obs.] Shak.
DUPABLEDup"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being duped.
DUPEDupe, n. Etym: [F., prob. from Prov. F. dupe, dube; of unknownorigin; equiv. to F. huppe hoopoe, a foolish bird, easily caught. Cf.Armor. houpérik hoopoe, a man easily deceived. Cf. also Gull, Booby.]
Defn: One who has been deceived or who is easily deceived; a gull; as, the dupe of a schemer.
DUPEDupe, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Duped; p. pr. & vb. n. Duping.] Etym: [Cf.F. duper, fr. dupe. See Dupe, n.]
Defn: To deceive; to trick; to mislead by imposing on one's credulity; to gull; as, dupe one by flattery. Ne'er have I duped him with base counterfeits. Coleridge.
DUPERDup"er, n.
Defn: One who dupes another.
DUPERYDup"er*y, n. Etym: [F. duperie, fr. duper.]
Defn: The act or practice of duping. [R.]
DUPION Du"pi*on, n. Etym: [F. doupion, It. doppione, fr. doppio double, L. duplus. See Double, and cf. Doubloon.]
Defn: A double cocoon, made by two silkworms.
DUPLEDu"ple, a. Etym: [L. duplus. See Double.]
Defn: Double. Duple ratio (Math.), that in which the antecedent term is double the consequent, as of 2 to 1, 8 to 4, etc.
DUPLEXDu"plex, a. Etym: [L., fr. duo two + plicare to fold. See Two, andComplex.]
Defn: Double; twofold. Duplex escapement, a peculiar kind of watch escapement, in which the scape-wheel has two sets of teeth. See Escapement. — Duplex lathe, one for turning off, screwing, and surfacing, by means of two cutting tools, on opposite sides of the piece operated upon. — Duplex pumping engine, a steam pump in which two steam cylinders are placed side by side, one operating the valves of the other. — Duplex querela Etym: [L., double complaint] (Eccl. Law), a complaint in the nature of an appeal from the ordinary to his immediate superior, as from a bishop to an archbishop. Mozley & W. — Duplex telegraphy, a system of telegraphy for sending two messages over the same wire simultaneously. — Duplex watch, one with a duplex escapement.
DUPLICATE Du"pli*cate, a. Etym: [L. duplicatus, p. p. of duplicare to double, fr. duplex double, twofold. See Duplex.]
Defn: Double; twofold. Duplicate proportion or ratio (Math.), the proportion or ratio of squares. Thus, in geometrical proportion, the first term to the third is said to be in a duplicate ratio of the first to the second, or as its square is to the square of the second. Thus, in 2, 4, 8, 16, the ratio of 2 to 8 is a duplicate of that of 2 to 4, or as the square of 2 is to the square of 4.
DUPLICATEDu"pli*cate, n.
1. That which exactly resembles or corresponds to something else; another, correspondent to the first; hence, a copy; a transcript; a counterpart. I send a duplicate both of it and my last dispatch. Sir W. Temple.
2. (Law)
Defn: 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. Burrill.
DUPLICATEDu"pli*cate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Duplicated; p. pr. & vb. n.Duplicating.]
1. To double; to fold; to render double.
2. To make a duplicate of (something); to make a copy or transcript of. Glanvill.
3. (Biol.)
Defn: To divide into two by natural growth or spontaneous action; as, infusoria duplicate themselves.
DUPLICATIONDu`pli*ca"tion, n. Etym: [L. duplicatio: cf. F. duplication.]
1. The act of duplicating, or the state of being duplicated; a doubling; a folding over; a fold.
2. (Biol.)
Defn: The act or process of dividing by natural growth or spontaneous action; as, the duplication of cartilage cells. Carpenter. Duplication of the cube (Math.), the operation of finding a cube having a volume which is double that of a given cube.
DUPLICATIVEDu"pli*ca*tive, a.
1. Having the quality of duplicating or doubling.
2. (Biol.)
Defn: Having the quality of subdividing into two by natural growth."Duplicative subdivision." Carpenter.
DUPLICATUREDu"pli*ca*ture, n. Etym: [Cf. F. duplicature.]
Defn: A doubling; a fold, as of a membrane.
DUPLICITY Du*plic"i*ty, n.; pl. Duplicities. Etym: [F. duplicité, L. duplicitas, fr. duplex double. See Duplex.]
1. Doubleness; a twofold state. [Archaic] Do not affect duplicities nor triplicities, nor any certain number of parts in your division of things. I. Watts.
2. 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. Far from the duplicity wickedly charged on him, he acted his part with alacrity and resolution. Burke.
3. (Law) (a) The use of two or more distinct allegations or answers, where one is sufficient. Blackstone. (b) In indictments, the union of two incompatible offenses. Wharton.
Syn. — Double dealing; dissimulation; deceit; guile; deception; falsehood.
DUPPERDup"per, n.
Defn: See 2d Dubber.
DURDur, a. Etym: [G., fr. L. durus hard, firm, vigorous.] (Mus.)
Defn: Major; in the major mode; as, C dur, that is, C major.
DURADu"ra, n.
Defn: Short form for Dura mater.
DURABILITYDu`ra*bil"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. durabilitas.]
Defn: The state or quality of being durable; the power of uninterrupted or long continuance in any condition; the power of resisting agents or influences which tend to cause changes, decay, or dissolution; lastingness. A Gothic cathedral raises ideas of grandeur in our minds by the size, its height, . . . its antiquity, and its durability. Blair.
DURABLE Du"ra*ble, a. Etym: [L. durabilis, fr. durare to last: cf. F. durable. See Dure.]
Defn: Able to endure or continue in a particular condition; lasting; not perishable or changeable; not wearing out or decaying soon; enduring; as, durable cloth; durable happiness. Riches and honor are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. Prov. viii. 18. An interest which from its object and grounds must be so durable. De Quincey.
Syn. — Lasting; permanent; enduring; firm; stable; continuing; constant; persistent. See Lasting.
DURABLENESSDu"ra*ble*ness, n.
Defn: Power of lasting, enduring, or resisting; durability.The durableness of the metal that supports it. Addison.
DURABLYDu"ra*bly, adv.
Defn: In a lasting manner; with long continuance.
DURALDu"ral, a. (Anat.)
Defn: Pertaining to the dura, or dura mater.
DURA MATER Du"ra ma"ter. Etym: [L., lit., hard mother. The membrane was called mater, or mother, because it was formerly thought to give rise to every membrane of the body.] (Anat.)
Defn: The tough, fibrous membrane, which lines the cavity of the skull and spinal column, and surrounds the brain and spinal cord; — frequently abbreviated to dura.
DURAMEN Du*ra"men, n. Etym: [L., hardness, a hardened, i. e., ligneous, vine branch, fr. durare to harden. See Dure.] (Bot.)
Defn: The heartwood of an exogenous tree.
DURANCE Dur"ance, n. Etym: [OF. durance duration, fr. L. durans, -antis, p. pr. durare to endure, last. See Dure, and cf. Durant.]
1. Continuance; duration. See Endurance. [Archaic] Of how short durance was this new-made state! Dryden.
2. Imprisonment; restraint of the person; custody by a jailer; duress. Shak. "Durance vile." Burns. In durance, exile, Bedlam or the mint. Pope.
3. (a) A stout cloth stuff, formerly made in imitation of buff leather and used for garments; a sort of tammy or everlasting. Where didst thou buy this buff let me not live but I will give thee a good suit of durance. J. Webster.
(b) In modern manufacture, a worsted of one color used for window blinds and similar purposes.
DURANCYDur"an*cy, n.
Defn: Duration. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.
DURANTDur"ant, n. Etym: [F. durant, p. pr. of durer to last. Cf. Durance.]
Defn: See Durance, 3.
DURANTE Du*ran"te, prep. Etym: [L., abl. case of the p. pr. of durare to last.] (Law)
Defn: During; as, durante vita, during life; durante bene placito, during pleasure.
DURATIONDu*ra"tion, n. Etym: [OF. duration. See Dure.]
Defn: The state or quality of lasting; continuance in time; theportion of time during which anything exists.It was proposed that the duration of Parliament should be limited.Macaulay.Soon shall have passed our own human duration. D. Webster.
DURATIVEDur"a*tive, a.
Defn: Continuing; not completed; implying duration.Its durative tense, which expresses the thought of it as going on. J.Byrne.
DURBAR Dur"bar, n. Etym: [Hind. darbar, fr. Per dar house, court, hall of audience; dar door, gate + bar court, assembly.]
Defn: An audience hall; the court of a native prince; a state levee; a formal reception of native princes, given by the governor general of India. [India] [Written also darbar.]
DURE Dure, a. Etym: [L. durus; akin to Ir. & Gael. dur , stubborn, W. dir certain, sure, cf. Gr.
Defn: Hard; harsh; severe; rough; toilsome. [R.]The winter is severe, and life is dure and rude. W. H. Russell.
DURE Dure, v. i. Etym: [F. durer, L. durare to harden, be hardened, to endure, last, fr. durus hard. See Dure, a.]
Defn: To last; to continue; to endure. [Obs.] Sir W. Raleigh. Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while. Matt. xiii. 21.
DUREFULDure"ful, a.
Defn: Lasting. [Obs.] Spenser.
DURELESSDure"less, a.
Defn: Not lasting. [Obs.] Sir W. Raleigh.
DURENE Du"rene, n. Etym: [L. durus hard; — so called because solid at ordinary temperatures.] (Chem.)
Defn: A colorless, crystalline, aromatic hydrocarbon, C6H2(CH3)4, off artificial production, with an odor like camphor.
DURESS Du"ress, n. Etym: [OF. duresse, du, hardship, severity, L. duritia, durities, fr. durus hard. See Dure.]
1. Hardship; constraint; pressure; imprisonment; restraint of liberty. The agreements . . . made with the landlords during the time of slavery, are only the effect of duress and force. Burke.
2. (Law)
Defn: The state of compulsion or necessity in which a person is influenced, whether by the unlawful restrain of his liberty or by actual or threatened physical violence, to incur a civil liability or to commit an offense.
DURESSDu*ress", v. t.
Defn: To subject to duress. "The party duressed." Bacon.
DURESSORDu*ress"or, n. (Law)
Defn: One who subjects another to duress Bacon.
DURGADur"ga, n. (Myth.)
Defn: Same as Doorga.
DURHAMDur"ham, n.
Defn: One or a breed of short-horned cattle, originating in the county of Durham, England. The Durham cattle are noted for their beef-producing quality.
DURIAN; DURIONDu"ri*an, or Du"ri*on, n. (Bot.)
Defn: The fruit of the durio. It is oval or globular, and eight or ten inches long. It has a hard prickly rind, containing a soft, cream-colored pulp, of a most delicious flavor and a very offensive odor. The seeds are roasted and eaten like chestnuts.