Webster's Unabridged Dictionary - Letter D - Page 4
Dampening (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Dampen.
Dampen (v. t.) To make damp or moist; to make slightly wet.
Dampen (v. t.) To depress; to check; to make dull; to lessen.
In a way that considerably dampened our enthusiasm. -- The Century.
Dampen (v. i.) To become damp; to deaden. -- Byron.
Dampen (v.) Smother or suppress; "Stifle your curiosity" [syn: stifle, dampen] [ant: excite, stimulate].
Dampen (v.) Make moist; "The dew moistened the meadows" [syn: moisten, wash, dampen].
Dampen (v.) Deaden (a sound or noise), especially by wrapping [syn: muffle, mute, dull, damp, dampen, tone down].
Dampen (v.) Reduce the amplitude (of oscillations or waves).
Dampen (v.) Make vague or obscure or make (an image) less visible; "muffle the message" [syn: dampen, deaden, damp].
Dampen (v.) Check; keep in check (a fire).
Dampen (v.) Lessen in force or effect; "soften a shock"; "break a fall" [syn: dampen, damp, soften, weaken, break].
Damper (n.) That which damps or
checks; as:
Damper (n.) A valve or movable plate in the flue or other part of
a stove, furnace, etc., used to check or regulate the draught of air.
Damper (n.) A contrivance, as in a pianoforte, to deaden vibrations; or, as in other pieces of mechanism, to check some action at a particular time.
Nor did Sabrina's presence seem to act as any damper at the modest little festivities. -- W. Black.
Damper (n.) A movable iron plate that regulates the draft in a stove or chimney or furnace.
Damper (n.) A device that decreases the amplitude of electronic, mechanical, acoustical, or aerodynamic oscillations [syn: damper, muffler].
Damper (n.) A depressing restraint; "rain put a damper on our picnic plans".
Dampish (a.) Moderately damp or moist. -- Damp"ish*ly, adv. -- Damp"ish*ness, n.
Dampish (a.) Slightly wet; "clothes damp with perspiration"; "a moist breeze"; "eyes moist with tears" [syn: damp, dampish, moist].
Dampne (v. t.) To damn. [Obs.] -- Chaucer.
Dampness (n.) Moderate humidity; moisture; fogginess; moistness.
Dampness (n.) A slight wetness [syn: damp, dampness, moistness].
Damp off () To decay and perish through excessive moisture.
Dampy (a.) Somewhat damp. [Obs.] -- Drayton.
Dampy (a.) Dejected; gloomy; sorrowful. [Obs.] "Dispel dampy throughts." -- Haywards.
Damsel (n.) A young person, either male or female, of noble or gentle extraction; as, Damsel Pepin; Damsel Richard, Prince of Wales. [Obs.]
Damsel (n.) A young unmarried woman; a girl; a maiden.
With her train of damsels she was gone, In shady walks the scorching heat to shun. -- Dryden.
Sometimes a troop of damsels glad, . . . Goes by to towered Camelot. -- Tennyson.
Damsel (n.) (Milling) An attachment to a millstone spindle for shaking the hopper.
Damsel (n.) A young unmarried woman [syn: damsel, demoiselle, damoiselle, damosel, damozel].
Compare: Damascene
Damascene (n.) A kind of plum, now called damson. See Damson.
Compare: Damask
Damask (a.) Pertaining to, or originating at, the city of Damascus; resembling the products or manufactures of Damascus.
Damask (a.) Having the color of the damask rose.
But let concealment, like a worm i' the bud, Feed on her damask cheek. -- Shak.
Damask color, A deep rose-color like that of the damask rose.
Damask plum, A small dark-colored plum, generally called damson.
Damask rose (Bot.), A large, pink, hardy, and very fragrant variety of rose ({Rosa damascena) from Damascus. "Damask roses have not been known in England above one hundred years." -- Bacon.
Damask steel, or Damascus steel, Steel of the kind originally made at Damascus, famous for its hardness, and its beautiful texture, ornamented with waving lines; especially, that which is inlaid with damaskeening; -- formerly much valued for sword blades, from its great flexibility and tenacity.
Damson (n.) A small oval plum of a blue color, the fruit of a variety of the Prunus domestica; -- called also damask plum.
Damson (n.) Dark purple plum of the damson tree [syn: damson, damson plum].
Dan (n.) A title of honor equivalent to master, or sir. [Obs.]
Old Dan Geoffry, in gently spright The pure wellhead of poetry did dwell. -- Spenser.
What time Dan Abraham left the Chaldee land. -- Thomson.
Dan (n.) (Mining) A small truck or sledge used in coal mines.
Dan, () A judge.
Dan, () The fifth son of Jacob. His mother was Bilhah, Rachel's maid (Gen. 30:6, "God hath judged me", Heb. dananni).
The blessing pronounced on him by his father was, "Dan shall judge his people" (49:16), probably in allusion to the judgeship of Samson, who was of the tribe of Dan.
The tribe of Dan had their place in the march through the wilderness on the north side of the tabernacle (Num. 2:25, 31; 10:25). It was the last of the tribes to receive a portion in the Land of Promise. Its position and extent are described in Josh. 19:40-48.
The territory of Dan extended from the west of that of Ephraim and Benjamin to the sea. It was a small territory, but was very fertile. It included in it, among others, the cities of Lydda, Ekron, and Joppa, which formed its northern boundary. But this district was too limited. "Squeezed into the narrow strip between the mountains and the sea, its energies were great beyond its numbers." Being pressed by the Amorites and the Philistines, whom they were unable to conquer, they longed for a wider space. They accordingly sent out five spies from two of their towns, who went north to the sources of the Jordan, and brought back a favourable report regarding that region. "Arise," they said, "be not slothful to go, and to possess the land," for it is "a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth" (Judg. 18:10). On receiving this report, 600 Danites girded on their weapons of war, and taking with them their wives and their children, marched to the foot of Hermon, and fought against Leshem, and took it from the Sidonians, and dwelt therein, and changed the name of the conquered town to Dan (Josh. 19:47). This new city of Dan became to them a new home, and was wont to be spoken of as the northern limit of Palestine, the length of which came to be denoted by the expression "from Dan to Beersheba", i.e., about 144 miles. "But like Lot under a similar temptation, they seem to have succumbed to the evil influences around them, and to have sunk down into a condition of semi-heathenism from which they never emerged. The mounds of ruins which mark the site of the city show that it covered a considerable extent of ground. But there remains no record of any noble deed wrought by the degenerate tribe. Their name disappears from the roll-book of the natural and the spiritual Israel.", Manning's Those Holy Fields.
This old border city was originally called Laish. Its modern name is Tell el-Kady, "Hill of the Judge." It stands about four miles below Caesarea Philippi, in the midst of a region of surpassing richness and beauty.
Dan, () This name occurs in Ezek 27:19, Authorize Version; but the words there, "Dan also," should be simply, as in the Revised Version, "Vedan," an Arabian city, from which various kinds of merchandise were brought to Tyre. Some suppose it to have been the city of Aden in Arabia. (See MAHANEH-{DAN.)
Dan, judgment; he that judges.
Danaide (n.) (Mach.) Water wheel having a vertical axis, and an inner and outer tapering shell, between which are vanes or floats attached usually to both shells, but sometimes only to one.
Danaite (n.) (Min.) A cobaltiferous variety of arsenopyrite.
Danalite (n.) (Min.) A mineral occuring in octahedral crystals, also massive, of a reddish color. It is a silicate of iron, zinc manganese, and glucinum, containing sulphur.
Danburite (n.) (Min.) A borosilicate of lime, first found at Danbury, Conn. It is near the topaz in form. -- Dana.
Danced (imp. & p. p.) of Dance.
Dancing (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Dance.
Dance (v. i.) To move with measured steps, or to a musical accompaniment; to go through, either alone or in company with others, with a regulated succession of movements, (commonly) to the sound of music; to trip or leap rhythmically.
Jack shall pipe and Gill shall dance. -- Wither.
Good shepherd, what fair swain is this Which dances with your daughter? -- Shak.
Dance (v. i.) To move nimbly or merrily; to express pleasure by motion; to caper; to frisk; to skip about.
Then, 'tis time to dance off. -- Thackeray.
More dances my rapt heart Than when I first my wedded mistress saw. -- Shak.
Shadows in the glassy waters dance. -- Byron.
Where rivulets dance their wayward round. -- Wordsworth.
To dance on a rope, or To dance on nothing, to be hanged.
Dance (v. t.) To cause to dance, or move nimbly or merrily about, or up and down; to dandle.
To dance our ringlets to the whistling wind. -- Shak.
Thy grandsire loved thee well; Many a time he danced thee on his knee. -- Shak.
To dance attendance, To come and go obsequiously; to be or remain in waiting, at the beck and call of another, with a
view to please or gain favor.
A man of his place, and so near our favor, To dance attendance on their lordships' pleasure. -- Shak.
Dance (n.) The leaping, tripping, or measured stepping of one who dances; an amusement, in which the movements of the persons are regulated by art, in figures and in accord with music.
Dance (n.) (Mus.) A tune by which dancing is regulated, as the minuet, the waltz, the cotillon, etc.
Note: The word dance was used ironically, by the older writers, of many proceedings besides dancing.
Of remedies of love she knew parchance For of that art she couth the olde dance. -- Chaucer.
Dance of Death (Art), An allegorical representation of the power of death over all, -- the old, the young, the high, and the low, being led by a dancing skeleton.
Morris dance. See Morris.
To lead one a dance, To cause one to go through a series of movements or experiences as if guided by a partner in a dance not understood.
Dance (n.) An artistic form of nonverbal communication.
Dance (n.) A party of people assembled for dancing.
Dance (n.) A series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music [syn: dancing, dance, terpsichore, saltation].
Dance (n.) A party for social dancing.
Dance (v.) Move in a graceful and rhythmical way; "The young girl danced into the room".
Dance (v.) Move in a pattern; usually to musical accompaniment; do or perform a dance; "My husband and I like to dance at home to the radio" [syn: dance, trip the light fantastic, trip the light fantastic toe].
Dance (v.) Skip, leap, or move up and down or sideways; "Dancing flames"; "The children danced with joy".
Dance, () Found in Judg. 21:21, 23; Ps. 30:11; 149:3; 150:4; Jer. 31:4, 13, etc., as the translation of _hul_, which points to the whirling motion of Oriental sacred dances. It is the rendering of a word (rakad') which means to skip or leap for joy, in Eccl. 3:4; Job 21:11; Isa. 13:21, etc.
In the New Testament it is in like manner the translation of different Greek words, circular motion (Luke 15:25); leaping up and down in concert (Matt. 11:17), and by a single person (Matt. 14:6).
It is spoken of as symbolical of rejoicing (Eccl. 3:4. Comp. Ps. 30:11; Matt. 11: 17). The Hebrews had their sacred dances expressive of joy and thanksgiving, when the performers were usually females (Ex. 15:20; 1 Sam. 18:6).
The ancient dance was very different from that common among Western nations. It was usually the part of the women only (Ex. 15:20; Judg. 11:34; comp. 5:1). Hence the peculiarity of David's conduct in dancing before the ark of the Lord (2 Sam. 6:14). The women took part in it with their timbrels. Michal should, in accordance with the example of Miriam and others, have herself led the female choir, instead of keeping aloof on the occasion and "looking through the window." David led the choir "uncovered", i.e., wearing only the ephod or linen tunic. He thought only of the honour of God, and forgot himself.
From being reserved for occasions of religious worship and festivity, it came gradually to be practised in common life on occasions of rejoicing (Jer. 31:4). The sexes among the Jews always danced separately. The daughter of Herodias danced alone (Matt. 14:6).
Dance , (v. i.) To leap about to the sound of tittering music, preferably with arms about your neighbor's wife or daughter. There are many kinds of dances, but all those requiring the participation of the two sexes have two characteristics in common: they are conspicuously innocent, and warmly loved by the vicious.
Dancer (n.) 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.
Dancer (n.) A performer who dances professionally [syn: dancer, professional dancer, terpsichorean].
Dancer (n.) A person who participates in a social gathering arranged for dancing (as a ball) [syn: dancer, social dancer].
Danceress (n.) A female dancer. [Obs.] -- Wyclif.
Dancette (a.) (Her.) Deeply indented; having large teeth; thus, a fess dancette has only three teeth in the whole width of the escutcheon.
Dancing (p. a. & vb. n.) 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.
Dancing (n.) Taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music [syn: dancing, dance, terpsichore, saltation].
Dancy (a.) (Her.) Same as Dancette.
Dandelion (n.) (Bot.) 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.
Dandelion (n.) Any of several herbs of the genus Taraxacum having long tap roots and deeply notched leaves and bright yellow flowers followed by fluffy seed balls [syn: dandelion, blowball].
Dander (n.) Dandruff or scurf on the head.
Dander (n.) Anger or vexation; rage. [Low] -- Halliwell.
Dander (v. i.) To wander about; to saunter; to talk incoherently. [Prov. Eng.] -- Halliwell.
Dander (n.) Small scales from animal skins or hair or bird feathers that can cause allergic reactions in some people.
Dander (n.) A feeling of anger and animosity; "having one's hackles or dander up" [syn: dander, hackles].
Dandi (n.) A boatman; an oarsman. [India]
Dandie (n.) (Zool.) One of a breed of small terriers; -- called also Dandie Dinmont. Dandie Dinmont
Dandified (a.) Made up like a dandy; having the dress or manners of a dandy; buckish.
Dandified (imp. & p. p.) of Dandify.
Dandifying (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Dandify.
Dandify (v. t.) To cause to resemble a dandy; to make dandyish.
Dandified (a.) Affecting extreme elegance in dress and manner [syn: dandified, dandyish, foppish].
Dandiprat (n.) A little fellow; -- in sport or contempt. "A dandiprat hop-thumb." -- Stanyhurst.
Dandiprat (n.) A small coin.
Henry VII. stamped a small coin called dandiprats. -- Camden.
Dandled (imp. & p. p.) of Dandle.
Dandling (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Dandle.
Dandle (v. t.) 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.?
Dandle (v. t.) 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.
Dandle (v. t.) To play with; to put off or delay by trifles; to wheedle. [Obs.]
Captains do so dandle their doings, and dally in the service, as it they would not have the enemy subdued. -- Spenser.
Dandle (v.) Move (a baby) up and down in one's arms or on one's knees.
Dandle (v.) Pet; "the grandfather dandled the small child".
Dandler (n.) One who dandles or fondles.
Dandriff (n.) See Dandruff. -- Swift.
Dandruff (n.) A scurf which forms on the head, and comes off in small or particles. [Written also dandriff.]
Dandies (n. pl. ) of Dandy.
Dandy (n.) 好時髦的男子；花花公子；【口】第一流的東西（或人）One who affects special finery or gives undue attention to dress; a fop; a coxcomb.
Dandy (n.) (Naut.) A sloop or cutter with a jigger on which a lugsail is set.
Dandy (n.) (Naut.) A small sail carried at or near the stern of small boats; -- called also jigger, and mizzen.
Dandy (n.) 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
Dandy (a.) 服飾浮華的；花花公子的；【口】上等的，極好的 Very good; "he did a bully job"; "a neat sports car"; "had a great time at the party"; "you look simply smashing" [syn: bang-up, bully, corking, cracking, dandy, great, groovy, keen, neat, nifty, not bad(p), peachy, slap-up, swell, smashing].
Dandy (n.) A man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance [syn: dandy, dude, fop, gallant, sheik, beau, swell, fashion plate, clotheshorse].
Dandy (n.) A sailing vessel with two masts; a small mizzen is aft of the rudderpost [syn: yawl, dandy].
Dandy-cock (n. fem.) Alt. of Dandy-hen.
Dandy-hen (n. fem.) A bantam fowl.
Dandyish (a.) Like a dandy.
Dandyism (n.) The manners and dress of a dandy; foppishness. -- Byron.
Dandyism (n.) The manner and dress of a fop or dandy [syn: foppishness, dandyism].
Dandyize (v. t. & i.) To make, or to act, like a dandy; to dandify.
Dandyling (n.) A little or insignificant dandy; a contemptible fop.
Dane (n.) A native, or a naturalized inhabitant, of Denmark.
Great Dane. (Zool.) See Danish dog, under Danish. Danegeld
Danegeld (n.) Alt. of Danegelt.
Danegelt (n.) (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 (n.) (Bot.) A fetid European species of elder ({Sambucus Ebulus); dwarf elder; wallwort; elderwort; -- called also Daneweed, Dane's weed, and Dane's-blood.
Note: [Said to grow on spots where battles were fought against the Danes.].
Dang () imp. of Ding. [Obs.]
Dang (v. t.) To dash. [Obs.]
Till she, o'ercome with anguish, shame, and rage, Danged down to hell her loathsome
carriage. -- Marlowe.
Compare: Ding
Ding (v. t.) [imp. & p. p. Dinged, Dang (Obs.), or Dung (Obs.); p. pr. & vb. n. Dinging.] [OE. dingen, dengen; akin to AS. dencgan to knock, Icel. dengja to beat, hammer, Sw. d[aum]nga, G. dengeln.] To dash; to throw violently. [Obs.]
To ding the book a coit's distance from him. -- Milton.
Ding (v. t.) To cause to sound or ring.
To ding (anything) in one's ears, to impress one by noisy repetition, as if by hammering.
Danger (n.) Authority; jurisdiction; control. [Obs.]
In dangerhad he . . . the young girls. -- Chaucer.
Danger (n.) Power to harm; subjection or liability to penalty. [Obs.]
See In one's danger, below.
You stand within his danger, do you not? -- Shak.
Covetousness of gains hath brought [them] in dangerof this statute. -- Robynson (More's Utopia).
Danger (n.) Exposure to injury, loss, pain, or other evil; peril; risk; insecurity.
Danger (n.) Difficulty; sparingness. [Obs.] -- Chaucer.
Danger (n.) Coyness; disdainful behavior. [Obs.] -- Chaucer.
In one's danger, In one's power; liable to a penalty to be inflicted by him. [Obs.] 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. [Obs.] -- Shak.
Syn: Peril; hazard; risk; jeopardy.
Usage: 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 (v. t.) To endanger. [Obs.] -- Shak.
Dangerful (a.) Full of danger; dangerous. [Obs.] -- Dan"ger*ful*ly, adv. [Obs.] -- Udall.
Dangerless (a.) Free from danger. [R.]
Dangerous (a.) 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.
Dangerous (a.) Causing danger; ready to do harm or injury.
If they incline to think you dangerous To less than gods. -- Milton.
Dangerous (a.) In a condition of danger, as from illness; threatened with death. [Colloq.] -- Forby. Bartlett.
Dangerous (a.) Hard to suit; difficult to please. [Obs.]
My wages ben full strait, and eke full small; My lord to me is hard and dangerous. -- Chaucer.
Dangerous (a.) Reserved; not affable. [Obs.] "Of his speech dangerous." -- Chaucer. -- Dan"ger*ous*ly, adv. -- Dan"ger*ous*ness, n.
Dangerous (a.) (A2) 危險的，有威脅的；不安全的 A dangerous person, animal, thing, or activity could harm you.
// Dangerous chemicals.
// The men are armed and dangerous.
// His parents won't let him play ice hockey because they think it's too dangerous.
// [ + to infinitive ] It's dangerous to take more than the recommended dose.
Dangled (imp. & p. p.) of Dangle.
Dangling (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Dangle.
Dangle (v. i.) 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 To dangle 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 (v. t.) 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 (n.) (Bot.) 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 (n.) One who dangles about or after others, especially after women; a trifler. " Danglers at toilets." --Burke.
Daniel (n.) 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 (a.) Belonging to the Danes, or to their language or country.
Danish (n.) The language of the Danes.
Danish dog (Zool.), One of a large and powerful breed of dogs reared in Denmark; -- called also great Dane. See Illustration in Appendix.
Danite (n.) A descendant of Dan; an Israelite of the tribe of Dan. -- Judges xiii. 2.
Danite (n.) One of a secret association of Mormons, bound by an oath to obey the heads of the church in all things. [U. S.]
Dank (a.) Damp; moist; humid; wet.
Now that the fields are dank and ways are mire. -- Milton.
Cheerless watches on the cold, dank ground. -- Trench.
Dank (n.) Moisture; humidity; water. [Obs.]
Dank (n.) A small silver coin current in Persia.
Dankish (a.) Somewhat dank. -- Dank"ish*ness, n.
In a dark and dankish vault at home. -- Shak.
Dannebrog (n.) The ancient battle standard of Denmark, bearing figures of cross and crown.
Order of Dannebrog, An ancient Danish order of knighthood.
Danseuse (n.) A professional female dancer; a woman who dances at a public exhibition as in a ballet.