Webster's Unabridged Dictionary - Letter D - Page 52
Diked (imp. & p. p.) of Dike.
Diking (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Dike.
Dike (v. t.) To surround or protect with a dike or dry bank; to secure with a bank.
Dike (v. t.) To drain by a dike or ditch.
Dike (v. i.) To work as a ditcher; to dig. [Obs.]
He would thresh and thereto dike and delve. -- Chaucer.
Diker (n.) A ditcher.
Diker (n.) One who builds stone walls; usually, one who builds them without lime.
Dilacerated (imp. & p. p.) of Dilacerate.
Dilacerating (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Dilacerate.
Dilacerate (v. t.) To rend asunder; to tear to pieces.
Dilaceration (n.) The act of rending asunder.
Dilaniate (v. t.) To rend in pieces; to tear.
Dilaniation (n.) A rending or tearing in pieces; dilaceration.
Dilapidated (imp. & p. p.) of Dilapidate.
Dilapidating (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Dilapidate.
Dilapidate (v. i.) (v. i. & v. t.) 使荒廢；毀壞；浪費 To get out of repair; to fall into partial ruin; to become decayed; as, the church was suffered to dilapidate. -- Johnson.
Dilapidate (v. t.) To bring into a condition of decay or partial ruin, by misuse or through neglect; to destroy the fairness and good condition of; -- said of a building.
If the bishop, parson, or vicar, etc., dilapidates the buildings, or cuts down the timber of the patrimony. -- Blackstone.
Dilapidate (v. t.) To impair by waste and abuse; to squander.
The patrimony of the bishopric of Oxon was much dilapidated. -- Wood.
Dilapidate (v.) Bring into a condition of decay or partial ruin by neglect or misuse.
Dilapidate (v.) Fall into decay or ruin; "The unoccupied house started to decay" [syn: decay, crumble, dilapidate].
Dilapidated (a.) 快要倒塌的；損壞的，破爛的；dilapidate 的動詞過去式、過去分詞 Decayed; fallen into partial ruin; injured by bad usage or neglect.
A deserted and dilapidated buildings. -- Cooper.
Dilapidation (n.) 荒廢；破損；浪費 The act of dilapidating, or the state of being dilapidated, reduced to decay, partially ruined, or squandered.
Tell the people that are relived by the dilapidation of their public estate. -- Burke.
Dilapidation (n.) Ecclesiastical waste; impairing of church property by an incumbent, through neglect or by intention.
The business of dilapidations came on between our bishop and the Archibishop of York. -- Strype.
Dilapidation (n.) (Law) The pulling down of a building, or suffering it to fall or be in a state of decay. -- Burrill.
Dilapidation (n.) A state of deterioration due to old age or long use [syn: decrepitude, dilapidation].
Dilapidation (n.) The process of becoming dilapidated [syn: dilapidation, ruin].
Dilapidation () Literally, this signifies the injury done to a building by taking stones from it; but in its figurative, which is also its technical sense, it means the waste committed or permitted upon a building.
Dilapidator (n.) One who causes dilapidation. -- Strype.
Dilapidator (n. pl. Dilapidators) One who dilapidates; a person causing dilapidation.
Dilatability (n.) The quality of being dilatable, or admitting expansion; -- opposed to contractibility.
Dilatable (a.) Capable of expansion; that may be dilated; -- opposed to contractible; as, the lungs are dilatable by the force of air; air is dilatable by heat.
Dilatation (n.) Prolixity; diffuse discourse. [Obs.] "What needeth greater dilatation?" -- Chaucer.
Dilatation (n.) 擴張；【醫】擴張術 The act of dilating; expansion; an enlarging on all sides; the state of being dilated; dilation.
Dilatation (n.) (Anat.) A dilation or enlargement of a canal or other organ.
Dilatation (n.) The state of being stretched beyond normal dimensions [syn: dilatation, distension, distention].
Dilatation (n.) The act of expanding an aperture; "the dilation of the pupil of the eye" [syn: dilation, dilatation].
Dilatator (n.) (Anat.) A muscle which dilates any part; a dilator.
Dilated (imp. & p. p.) of Dilate.
Dilating (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Dilate.
Dilate (v. t.) 擴大；使膨脹 To expand; to distend; to enlarge or extend in all directions; to swell; -- opposed to contract; as, the air dilates the lungs; air is dilated by increase of heat.
Dilate (v. t.) To enlarge upon; to relate at large; to tell copiously or diffusely. [R.]
Do me the favor to dilate at full What hath befallen of them and thee till now. -- Shak.
Syn: To expand; swell; distend; enlarge; spread out; amplify; expatiate.
Dilate (v. i.) 擴大；膨脹；詳述；細說[（+on/ upon）] To grow wide; to expand; to swell or extend in all directions.
His heart dilates and glories in his strength. -- Addison.
Dilate (v. i.) To speak largely and copiously; to dwell in narration; to enlarge; -- with on or upon.
But still on their ancient joys dilate. -- Crabbe.
Dilate (a.) Extensive; expanded. [Obs.] -- B. Jonson.
Dilate (v.) Become wider; "His pupils were dilated" [syn: dilate, distend].
Dilate (v.) Add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing; "She elaborated on the main ideas in her dissertation" [syn: elaborate, lucubrate, expatiate, exposit, enlarge, flesh out, expand, expound, dilate] [ant: abbreviate, abridge, contract, cut, foreshorten, reduce, shorten].
Dilated (a.) 擴張的；擴大的；膨脹的；dilate的動詞過去式、過去分詞 Expanded; enlarged. -- Shak.
Dilated (a.) (Bot.) Widening into a lamina or into lateral winglike appendages.
Dilated (a.) (Zool.) Having the margin wide and spreading.
Dilatedly (adv.) In a dilated manner.
Dilater (n.) One who, or that which, dilates, expands, o r enlarges.
Dilation (n.) Delay. [Obs.] -- Bp. Hall.
Dilation (n.) 擴張；擴大部分 The act of dilating, or the state of being dilated; expansion; dilatation. -- Mrs. Browning.
At first her eye with slow dilation rolled. -- Tennyson.
A gigantic dilation of the hateful figure. -- Dickens.
Dilation (n.) A lengthy discussion (spoken or written) on a particular topic.
Dilation (n.) The act of expanding an aperture; "the dilation of the pupil of the eye" [syn: dilation, dilatation].
Dilative (a.) 膨脹（性）的 Causing dilation; tending to dilate, on enlarge; expansive. -- Coleridge.
Dilatometer (n.) (Physiol.) 膨脹計 An instrument for measuring the dilatation or expansion of a substance, especially of a fluid.
Dilator (n.) 使擴張的人（物）；擴張器 One who, or that which, widens or expands.
Dilator (n.) (Anat.) A muscle that dilates any part.
Dilator (n.) (Med.) An instrument for expanding a part; as, a urethral dilator.
Dilator (n.) A muscle or nerve that dilates or widens a body part.
Dilator (n.) A drug that causes dilation.
Dilator (n.) A surgical instrument that is used to dilate or distend an opening or an organ [syn: dilator, dilater].
Dilatorily (adv.) 慢吞吞地；遲緩地 With delay; tardily.
Dilatoriness (n.) 遲緩；拖延 The quality of being dilatory; lateness; slowness; tardiness; sluggishness.
Dilatoriness (n.) Slowness as a consequence of not getting around to it [syn: dilatoriness, procrastination].
Dilatory (a.) 慢的；拖延的 Inclined to defer or put off what ought to be done at once; given the procrastination; delaying; procrastinating; loitering; as, a dilatory servant.
Dilatory (a.) Marked by procrastination or delay; tardy; slow; sluggish; -- said of actions or measures.
Alva, as usual, brought his dilatory policy to bear upon his adversary. -- Motley.
Dilatory plea (Law), A plea designed to create delay in the trial of a cause, generally founded upon some matter not connected with the merits of the case.
Syn: Slow; delaying; sluggish; inactive; loitering; behindhand; backward; procrastinating. See Slow.
Dilatory (a.) Wasting time [syn: dilatory, laggard, poky, pokey].
Dilatory. () That which is intended for delay. It is a maxim, that delays in law are odious, dilationes in lege sunt odiosae. Plowd. 75.
Dildo (n.) A burden in popular songs. [Obs.]
Delicate burthens of dildos and fadings. -- Shak.
Dildo (n.) (Bot.) A columnar cactaceous plant of the West Indies (Cereus Swartzii).
Dildo (n.)【俚】（女子同性戀者用的）人造陰莖 A device shaped like an erect penis, used by some women for sexual stimulation. [Slang]
Dildo (n.) A vibrating device that substitutes for an erect penis to provide vaginal stimulation.
Dilection (n.) Love; choice. [Obs.] -- T. Martin.
Dilemma (n.) (Logic) 困境，進退兩難 [C]；【邏】兩難推理，兩刀論法 An argument which presents an antagonist with two or more alternatives, but is equally conclusive against him, whichever alternative he chooses.
Note: The following are instances of the dilemma. A young rhetorician applied to an old sophist to be taught the art of pleading, and bargained for a certain reward to be paid when he should gain a cause. The master sued for his reward, and the scholar endeavored to elude his claim by a dilemma. "If I gain my cause, I shall withhold your pay, because the judge's award will be against you; if I lose it, I may withhold it, because I shall not yet have gained a cause." "On the contrary," says the master, "if you gain your cause, you must pay me, because you are to pay me when you gain a cause; if you lose it, you must pay me, because the judge will award it." -- Johnson.
Dilemma (n.) A state of things in which evils or obstacles present themselves on every side, and it is difficult to determine what course to pursue; a vexatious alternative or predicament; a difficult choice or position.
A strong dilemma in a desperate case!
To act with infamy, or quit the place. -- Swift.
Horns of a dilemma, alternatives, each of which is equally difficult of encountering.
Dilemma (n.) State of uncertainty or perplexity especially as requiring a choice between equally unfavorable options [syn: dilemma, quandary].
Dilettant (a.) Of or pertaining to dilettanteism; amateur; as, dilettant speculation. -- Carlyle.
Dilettant (n.) A dilettante.
Though few art lovers can be connoisseurs, many are dilettants. -- Fairholt.
Dilettanti (n. pl. ) of Dilettante.
Dilettante (v. t.) An admirer or lover of the fine arts; popularly, an amateur; especially, one who follows an art or a branch of knowledge, desultorily, or for amusement only.
The true poet is not an eccentric creature, not a mere artist living only for art, not a dreamer or a dilettante, sipping the nectar of existence, while he keeps aloof from its deeper interests. -- J. C. Shairp.
Dilettante (a.) Showing frivolous or superficial interest; amateurish; "his dilettantish efforts at painting" [syn: dilettante, dilettantish, dilettanteish, sciolistic].
Dilettante (n.) An amateur who engages in an activity without serious intentions and who pretends to have knowledge [syn:
dabbler, dilettante, sciolist].
Dilettanteish (a.) Somewhat like a dilettante.
Dilettanteish (a.) Showing frivolous or superficial interest; amateurish; "his dilettantish efforts at painting" [syn: dilettante, dilettantish, dilettanteish, sciolistic].
Dilettanteism (n.) The state or quality of being a dilettante; the desultory pursuit of art, science, or literature.
Dilettantish (a.) Dilettanteish.
Dilettantish (a.) Showing frivolous or superficial interest; amateurish; "his dilettantish efforts at painting" [syn: dilettante, dilettantish, dilettanteish, sciolistic].
Dilettantism (n.) Same as Dilettanteism. -- F. Harrison.
Diligence (n.) A four-wheeled public stagecoach, used in France.
Diligence (n.) 勤勉，勤奮；【律】注意的程度；【廢】匆忙，迅速 The quality of being diligent; carefulness; careful attention; -- the opposite of negligence.
Diligence (n.) Interested and persevering application; devoted and painstaking effort to accomplish what is undertaken; assiduity in service.
That which ordinary men are fit for, I am qualified in; and the best of me is diligence. -- Shak.
Diligence (n.) (Scots Law) Process by which persons, lands, or effects are seized for debt; process for enforcing the attendance of witnesses or the production of writings.
To do one's diligence, give diligence, use diligence, to exert one's self; to make interested and earnest endeavor.
And each of them doth all his diligence To do unto the fest['e] reverence. -- Chaucer.
Syn: Attention; industry; assiduity; sedulousness; earnestness; constancy; heed; heedfulness; care; caution. -- Diligence, Industry. Industry has the wider sense of the two, implying an habitual devotion to labor for some valuable end, as knowledge, property, etc. Diligence denotes earnest application to some specific object or pursuit, which more or less directly has a strong hold on one's interests or feelings. A man may be diligent for a time, or in seeking some favorite end, without meriting the title of industrious. Such was the case with Fox, while Burke was eminent not only for diligence, but industry; he was always at work, and always looking out for some new field of mental effort.
The sweat of industry would dry and die, But for the end it works to. -- Shak.
Diligence and accuracy are the only merits which an historical writer ascribe to himself. -- Gibbon.
Diligence (n.) Conscientiousness in paying proper attention to a task; giving the degree of care required in a given situation.
Diligence (n.) Persevering determination to perform a task; "his diligence won him quick promotions"; "frugality and industry are still regarded as virtues" [syn: diligence, industriousness, industry].
Diligence (n.) A diligent effort; "it is a job requiring serious application" [syn: application, diligence].
Diligence. () In Scotland, there are certain forms of law, whereby a creditor endeavors to make good his payment, either by affecting the person of his debtor, or by securing the subjects belonging to him from alienation, or by carrying the property of these subjects to himself. They are either real or personal.
Diligence. () Real diligence is that which is proper to heritable or real rights,. and of this kind there are two sorts: 1. Inhibitions. 2. Adjudication, which the law has substituted in the place of apprising.
Diligence. () Personal diligence is that by which the person of the debtor may be secured, or his personal estate affected. Ersk. Pr. L. Scotl. B. 2, t. 11, s. 1.
Diligence. () contracts. The doing things in proper time.
Diligence. () It may be divided into three degrees, namely: ordinary diligence, extraordinary diligence, and slight diligence. It is the reverse of negligence. (q.v.) Under that article is shown what degree of negligence, or want of diligence, will make a party to a contract responsible to the other. Vide Story, Bailm. Index h.t.; Ayl. Pand. 113 1 Miles, Rep. 40.
Diligency (n.) Diligence; care; persevering endeavor. [Obs.] -- Milton.
Diligent (a.) Prosecuted with careful attention and effort; careful; painstaking; not careless or negligent.
The judges shall make diligent inquisition. -- Deut. xix. 18.
Diligent (a.) Interestedly and perseveringly attentive; steady and earnest in application to a subject or pursuit; assiduous; industrious.
Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings. -- Prov. xxii. 29.
Diligent cultivation of elegant literature. -- Prescott.
Syn: Active; assiduous; sedulous; laborious; persevering; attentive; industrious.
Diligent (a.) Quietly and steadily persevering especially in detail or exactness; "a diligent (or patient) worker"; "with persevering (or patient) industry she revived the failing business" [syn: diligent, persevering].
Diligent (a.) Characterized by care and perseverance in carrying out tasks; "a diligent detective investigates all clues"; "a diligent search of the files" [ant: negligent].
Diligently (adv.) In a diligent manner; not carelessly; not negligently; with industry or assiduity.
Ye diligently keep commandments of the Lord your God. -- Deut. vi. 17.
Diligently (adv.) With diligence; in a diligent manner; "we may diligently observe the Lord's supper on the first day of the week, diligently preach the gospel, or minister to the saint."
Compare: Apiaceae
Apiaceae (prop. n.) A natural family of plants bearing flowers in umbels; examples are: parsley; carrot; anise; caraway; celery; dill.
Syn: Umbelliferae, family Umbelliferae, family Apiaceae, carrot family.
Dill (n.) (Bot.) An herb ({Peucedanum graveolens), the seeds of which are moderately warming, pungent, and aromatic, and were formerly used as a soothing medicine for children; -- called also dillseed. -- Dr. Prior.
Dill (v. t.) To still; to calm; to soothe, as one in pain. [Obs.]
Dill (n.) Aromatic Old World herb having aromatic threadlike foliage and seeds used as seasoning [syn: dill, Anethum graveolens].
Dill (n.) Aromatic threadlike foliage of the dill plant used as seasoning [syn: dill, dill weed].
Dilling (n.) A darling; a favorite. [Obs.]
Whilst the birds billing, Each one with his dilling. -- Drayton.
Dilluing (n.) (Min.) A process of sorting ore by washing in a hand sieve. [Written also deluing.]
Dilly (n.) A kind of stagecoach. "The Derby dilly." -- J. H. Frere.
Dilly (n.) Something remarkable, highly unusual, or exceptionally effective; as, a dilly of a movie; when I make a mistake, it's a dilly.
Dilly-dally (v. i.) To loiter or trifle; to waste time.
Dilly-dally (v.) Postpone doing what one should be doing; "He did not want to write the letter and procrastinated for days" [syn: procrastinate, stall, drag one's feet, drag one's heels, shillyshally, dilly-dally, dillydally].
Dilogical (a.) Ambiguous; of double meaning. [Obs.] -- T. Adams.
Dilogies (n. pl. ) of Dilogy.
Dilogy (n.) (Rhet.) An ambiguous speech; a figure in which a word is used an equivocal sense. [R.]
Dilucid (a.) Clear; lucid. [Obs.] -- Bacon. -- Di*lu"cid*ly, adv. [Obs.] -- Di`lu*cid"i*ty, n. [Obs.]
Dilucidate (v. t.) To elucidate. [Obs.] -- Boyle.
Dilucidation (n.) The act of making clear. [Obs.] -- Boyle.
Diluent (a.) Diluting; making thinner or weaker by admixture, esp. of water. -- Arbuthnot.
Diluent (n.) That which dilutes.
Diluent (n.) (Med.) 稀釋液 An agent used for effecting dilution of the blood; a weak drink.
There is no real diluent but water. -- Arbuthnot.
Diluent (n.) A diluting agent [syn: dilutant, diluent, thinner].
Diluted (imp. & p. p.) of Dilute.
Diluting (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Dilute.
Dilute (v. t.) 稀釋 [（+with）]；削弱；降低 To make thinner or more liquid by admixture with something; to thin and dissolve by mixing.
Mix their watery store.
With the chyle's current, and dilute it more. -- Blackmore.
Dilute (v. t.) To diminish the strength, flavor, color, etc., of, by mixing; to reduce, especially by the addition of water; to temper; to attenuate; to weaken.
Lest these colors should be diluted and weakened by the mixture of any adventitious light. -- Sir I. Newton.
Dilute (v. i.) 變稀薄 To become attenuated, thin, or weak; as, it dilutes easily.
Dilute (a.) 經稀釋的；減弱了的 Diluted; thin; weak.
A dilute and waterish exposition. -- Hopkins.
Dilute (a.) Reduced in strength or concentration or quality or purity; "diluted alcohol"; "a dilute solution"; "dilute acetic acid" [syn: diluted, dilute] [ant: undiluted].
Dilute (v.) Lessen the strength or flavor of a solution or mixture; "cut bourbon" [syn: dilute, thin, thin out, reduce, cut].
Dilute (v.) Corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones; "adulterate liquor" [syn: load, adulterate, stretch, dilute, debase].
Diluted (a.) Reduced in strength; thin; weak. -- Di*lut"ed*ly, adv.
Diluted (a.) Reduced in strength or concentration or quality or purity; "diluted alcohol"; "a dilute solution"; "dilute acetic acid" [syn: diluted, dilute] [ant: undiluted].
Dilutee (n.) (pl. - s) 代用不熟練工人 An unskilled worker performing a task previously a part or process of a skilled operation. --> compare Dilution sense 2.
Diluteness (n.) The quality or state of being dilute. -- Bp. Wilkins.
Diluter (n.) One who, or that which, dilutes or makes thin, more liquid, or weaker.
Dilution (n.) 稀釋 The act of diluting, or the state of being diluted. -- Arbuthnot.
Dilution (n.) A diluted solution.
Dilution (n.) Weakening (reducing the concentration) by the addition of water or a thinner [ant: concentration].
Diluvial (a.) （《聖經》所載，諾亞方舟中）洪水的；洪水引起的 Of or pertaining to a flood or deluge, esp. to the great deluge in the days of Noah; diluvian.
Diluvial (a.) (Geol.) Effected or produced by a flood or deluge of water; -- said of coarse and imperfectly stratified deposits along ancient or existing water courses. Similar unstratified deposits were formed by the agency of ice. The time of deposition has been called the Diluvian epoch.
Diluvial (a.) Of or connected with a deluge [syn: diluvian, diluvial].