Webster's Unabridged Dictionary - Letter D - Page 6

Daroo (n.) (Bot.) The Egyptian sycamore ({Ficus Sycamorus). See Sycamore.

Darr (n.) (Zool.) The European black tern. Darraign

Darraign (v. t.) Alt. of Darrain.

Darrain (v. t.) To make ready to fight; to array. [Obs.]

Darrain your battle, for they are at hand. -- Shak.

Darrain (v. t.) To fight out; to contest; to decide by combat. [Obs.] "To darrain the battle." -- Chaucer.

Darrein (a.) (Law) Last; as, darrein continuance, the last continuance.

Darrein. () A corruption of the French word "dernier," the last. It is sometimes used as, "darrein continuance," the last continuance. When any matter has arisen in discharge of the defendant in action, he may take advantage of it, provided he pleads itpuis darrein continuance; for if he neglect to do so, he waives his right. Vide article darrein continuance.

Dart (n.) A pointed missile weapon, intended to be thrown by the hand; a short lance; a javelin; hence, any sharp-pointed missile weapon, as an arrow.

And he [Joab] took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom. -- 2 Sa. xviii. 14.

Dart (n.) Anything resembling a dart; anything that pierces or wounds like a dart.

The artful inquiry, whose venomed dart Scarce wounds the hearing while it stabs the heart. -- Hannan More.

Dart (n.) A spear set as a prize in running. [Obs.] -- Chaucer.

Dart (n.) (Zool.) A fish; the dace. See Dace.

Dart sac (Zool.), A sac connected with the reproductive organs of land snails, which contains a dart, or arrowlike structure.

Darted (imp. & p. p.) of Dart.

Darting (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Dart.

Dart (v. t.) To throw with a sudden effort or thrust, as a dart or other missile weapon; to hurl or launch.

Dart (v. t.) To throw suddenly or rapidly; to send forth; to emit; to shoot; as, the sun darts forth his beams.

Or what ill eyes malignant glances dart? -- Pope.

Dart (v. i.) To fly or pass swiftly, as a dart.

Dart (v. i.) To start and run with velocity; to shoot rapidly along; as, the deer darted from the thicket.

Dart (n.) A small narrow pointed missile that is thrown or shot.

Dart (n.) A tapered tuck made in dressmaking.

Dart (n.) A sudden quick movement [syn: flit, dart].

Dart (v.) Move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart; "The hummingbird flitted among the branches" [syn: flit, flutter, fleet, dart].

Dart (v.) Run or move very quickly or hastily; "She dashed into the yard" [syn: dart, dash, scoot, scud, flash, shoot].

Dart (v.) Move with sudden speed; "His forefinger darted in all directions as he spoke."

Dart, () Dynamic Advertising Reporting & Targeting [technology] (WWW, Doubleclick)

Dart, () An instrument of war; a light spear. "Fiery darts" (Eph. 6:16) are so called in allusion to the habit of discharging darts from    the bow while they are on fire or armed with some combustible material. Arrows are compared to lightning (Deut. 32:23, 42; Ps. 7:13; 120:4).

Dartars (n.) A kind of scab or ulceration on the skin of lambs. Dartboard

Compare: Snakebird

Snakebird (n.) (Zool.) Any one of four species of aquatic birds of the genus Anhinga or Plotus. They are allied to the gannets and cormorants, but have very long, slender, flexible necks, and sharp bills.

Note: The American species ({Anhinga anhinga syn. Plotus anhinga) inhabits the Southern United States and tropical America; -- called also darter, and water turkey. The Asiatic species ({Anhinga melanogaster}) is native of Southern Asia and the East Indies. Two other species inhabit Africa and Australia respectively.

Snakebird (n.) (Zool.) The wryneck.

Compare: Wryneck

Wryneck (n.) (Med.) A twisted or distorted neck; a deformity in which the neck is drawn to one side by a rigid contraction of one of the muscles of the neck; torticollis.

Wryneck (n.) A person suffering from torticollis.

Wryneck (n.) (Zool.) Any one of several species of Old World birds of the genus Jynx or subfamily Jynginae, allied to the woodpeckers; especially, the common European species ({Jynx torguilla); -- so called from its habit of turning the neck around in different directions. Called also cuckoo's mate, snakebird, summer bird, tonguebird, and writheneck.

Snakebird (n.) Fish-eating bird of warm inland waters having a long flexible neck and slender sharp-pointed bill [syn: snakebird, anhinga, darter].

A twisted or distorted neck; a deformity in which the neck is drawn to one side by a rigid contraction of one of the muscles of the neck; torticollis.

Snakebird (n.) A person suffering from torticollis.

Snakebird (n.) (Zool.) Any one of several species of Old World birds of the genus Jynx or subfamily Jynginae, allied to the woodpeckers; especially, the common European species ({Jynx torguilla); -- so called from its habit of turning the neck around in different directions. Called also cuckoo's mate, snakebird, summer bird, tonguebird, and writheneck.

Snakebird (n.) Fish-eating bird of warm inland waters having a long flexible neck and slender sharp-pointed bill [syn: snakebird, anhinga, darter].

Darter (n.) One who darts, or who throw darts; that which darts.

Darter (n.) (Zool.) The snakebird, a water bird of the genus Plotus; -- so called because it darts out its long, snakelike neck at its prey. See Snakebird.

Darter (n.) (Zool.) A small fresh-water etheostomoid fish. The group includes numerous genera and species, all of them American. See Etheostomoid.

Compare: Etheostomoid

Etheostomoid (a.) (Zool.) Pertaining to, or like, the genus Etheostoma. -- n. Any fish of the genus Etheostoma and related genera, allied to the perches; -- also called darter. The etheostomoids are small and often bright-colored fishes inhabiting the fresh waters of North America. About seventy species are known, snail darter ({Percina tanasi"> including the rare snail darter ({Percina tanasi), 3 inches long, found only in the Tennessee River and classified as a threatened species. See Darter.

Darter (n.) Fish-eating bird of warm inland waters having a long flexible neck and slender sharp-pointed bill [syn: snakebird, anhinga, darter].

Darter (n.) A person or other animal that moves abruptly and rapidly; "squirrels are darters."

Dartingly (adv.) Like a dart; rapidly.

Dartle (v. t. & i.) To pierce or shoot through; to dart repeatedly: -- frequentative of dart.

My star that dartles the red and the blue. -- R. Browning.

Dartoic (a.) (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the dartos.

Dartoid (a.) (Anat.) Like the dartos; dartoic; as, dartoid tissue.

Dartos (n.) (Anat.) A thin layer of peculiar contractile tissue directly beneath the skin of the scrotum.

Dartrous (a.) (Med.) Relating to, or partaking of the nature of, the disease called tetter; herpetic.

Dartrous diathesis, A morbid condition of the system predisposing to the development of certain skin diseases, such as eczema, psoriasis, and pityriasis. Also called rheumic diathesis, and herpetism. -- Piffard.

Darwinian (a.) Pertaining to Darwin; as, the Darwinian theory, a theory of the manner and cause of the supposed development of living things from certain original forms or elements.

Note: This theory was put forth by Darwin in 1859 in a work entitled "The Origin of species by Means of Natural Selection." The author argues that, in the struggle for existence, those plants and creatures best fitted to the requirements of the situation in which they are placed are the ones that will live; in other words, that Nature selects those which are to survive. This is the theory of natural selection or the survival of the fittest. He also argues that natural selection is capable of modifying and producing organisms fit for their circumstances. See Development theory, under Development.

Darwinian (n.) An advocate of Darwinism.

Darwinian (a.) Of or relating to Charles Darwin's theory of organic evolution; "Darwinian theories."

Darwinian (n.) An advocate of Darwinism.

Darwinianism (n.) Darwinism.

Darwinism (n.) (Biol.) The theory or doctrines put forth by Darwin. See above.  -- Huxley.

Darwinism (n.) A theory of organic evolution claiming that new species arise and are perpetuated by natural selection.

Dase (v. t.) See Daze. [Obs.] -- Chaucer.

Dasewe (v. i.) To become dim-sighted; to become dazed or dazzled. [Obs.] -- Chauscer.

Dashed (imp. & p. p.) of Dash.

Dashing (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Dash.

Dash (v. t.) To throw with violence or haste; to cause to strike violently or hastily; -- often used with against.

If you dash a stone against a stone in the botton of the water, it maketh a sound. -- Bacon.

Dash (v. t.) To break, as by throwing or by collision; to shatter; to crust; to frustrate; to ruin.

Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. -- Ps. ii. 9.

A brave vessel, . . . Dashed all to pieces. -- Shak.

To perplex and dash Maturest counsels. -- Milton.

Dash (v. t.) To put to shame; to confound; to confuse; to abash; to depress. -- South.

Dash the proud gamester in his gilded car. -- Pope.

Dash (v. t.) To throw in or on in a rapid, careless manner; to mix, reduce, or adulterate, by throwing in something of an inferior quality; to overspread partially; to bespatter; to touch here and there; as, to dash wine with water; to dash paint upon a picture.

I take care to dash the character with such particular circumstance as may prevent ill-natured applications. -- Addison.

The very source and fount of day Is dashed with wandering isles of night. -- Tennyson.

Dash (v. t.) To form or sketch rapidly or carelessly; to execute rapidly, or with careless haste; -- with off; as, to dash off a review or sermon.

Dash (v. t.) To erase by a stroke; to strike out; knock out; -- with out; as, to dash out a word.

Dash (v. i.) To rust with violence; to move impetuously; to strike violently; as, the waves dash upon rocks.

[He] dashed through thick and thin. -- Dryden.

On each hand the gushing waters play, And down the rough cascade all dashing fall. -- Thomson.

Dash (n.) Violent striking together of two bodies; collision; crash.

Dash (n.) A sudden check; abashment; frustration; ruin; as, his hopes received a dash.

Dash (n.) A slight admixture, infusion, or adulteration; a partial overspreading; as, wine with a dash of water; red with a dash of purple.

Innocence when it has in it a dash of folly. -- Addison.

Dash (n.) A rapid movement, esp. one of short duration; a quick stroke or blow; a sudden onset or rush; as, a bold dash at the enemy; a dash of rain.

She takes upon her bravely at first dash. -- Shak.

Dash (n.) Energy in style or action; animation; spirit.

Dash (n.) A vain show; a blustering parade; a flourish; as, to make or cut a great dash. [Low]

Dash (n.) (Punctuation) A mark or line [--], in writing or printing, denoting a sudden break, stop, or transition in a sentence, or an abrupt change in its construction, a long or significant pause, or an unexpected or epigrammatic turn of sentiment. Dashes are also sometimes used instead of marks or parenthesis. -- John Wilson.

Dash (n.) (Mus.) The sign of staccato, a small mark [/] denoting that the note over which it is placed is to be performed in a short, distinct manner.

Dash (n.) (Mus.) The line drawn through a figure in the thorough bass, as a direction to raise the interval a semitone.

Dash (n.) (Racing) A short, spirited effort or trial of speed upon a race course; -- used in horse racing, when a single trial constitutes the race.

Dash (n.) Distinctive and stylish elegance; "he wooed her with the confident dash of a cavalry officer" [syn: dash, elan, flair, panache, style].

Dash (n.) A quick run [syn: dash, sprint].

Dash (n.) A footrace run at top speed; "he is preparing for the 100-yard dash."

Dash (n.) A punctuation mark (-) used between parts of a compound word or between the syllables of a word when the word is divided at the end of a line of text [syn: hyphen, dash].

Dash (n.) The longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code [syn: dash, dah].

Dash (n.)  The act of moving with great haste; "he made a dash for the door" [syn: dash, bolt].

Dash (v.) Run or move very quickly or hastily; "She dashed into the yard" [syn: dart, dash, scoot, scud, flash, shoot].

Dash (v.) Break into pieces, as by striking or knocking over; "Smash a plate" [syn: smash, dash].

Dash (v.) Hurl or thrust violently; "He dashed the plate against the wall"; "Waves were dashing against the rock" [syn: crash, dash].

Dash (v.) Destroy or break; "dashed ambitions and hopes."

Dash (v.) Cause to lose courage; "dashed by the refusal" [syn: daunt, dash, scare off, pall, frighten off, scare away, frighten away, scare].

Dash (v.) add an enlivening or altering element to; "blue paint dashed with white."

Dashboard (n.) A board placed on the fore part of a carriage, sleigh, or other vehicle, to intercept water, mud, or snow, thrown up by the heels of the horses; -- in England commonly called splashboard.

Dashboard (n.) (Naut.) The float of a paddle wheel.

Dashboard (n.) (Naut.) A screen at the bow af a steam launch to keep off the spray; -- called also sprayboard.

Dashboard (n.) an instrument panel beneath the front window of a motor vehicle (such as an automobile or truck), containing indicating gauges and dials, such as the speedometer and fuel gauges, and sometimes certain control knobs or other devices.

Dashboard (n.) Protective covering consisting of a panel to protect people from the splashing water or mud etc. [syn: splashboard, splasher, dashboard].

Dashboard (n.) Instrument panel on an automobile or airplane containing dials and controls [syn: dashboard, fascia].

Dasher (n.) That which dashes or agitates; as, the dasher of a churn.

Dasher (n.) A dashboard or splashboard.

Dasher (n.) One who makes an ostentatious parade.

Dashing (a.) Bold; spirited; showy.

Dashingly (adv.) Conspicuously; showily. [Colloq.]

A dashingly dressed gentleman. -- Hawthorne.

Dashingly (adv.) In a highly fashionable manner; "he was dashingly Handsome."

Dashism (n.) The character of making ostentatious or blustering parade or show. [R. & Colloq.]

He must fight a duel before his claim to . . . dashism can be universally allowed. -- V. Knox. dashpot

Dashpot (n.) (Mach.) A mechanical damping device containing a piston that moves in a fluid-filled chamber to serve as a pneumatic or hydraulic cushion for a falling weight, as in the valve gear of a steam engine, to prevent shock.

Note: It consists of a chamber, containing air or a liquid, in which a piston (a), attached to the weight, falls freely until it enters a space (as below the openings, b) from which the air or liquid can escape but slowly (as through cock c), when its fall is gradually checked.

Note: A cataract of an engine is sometimes called a dashpot.

Compare: Cataract

Cataract (n.) A great fall of water over a precipice; a large waterfall.

Cataract (n.) (Surg.) An opacity of the crystalline lens, or of its capsule, which prevents the passage of the rays of light and impairs or destroys the sight.

Cataract (n.) (Mach.) A kind of hydraulic brake for regulating the action of pumping engines and other machines; -- sometimes called dashpot.

Dashpot (n.)  A device for cushioning, damping, or reversing the motion of a piece of machinery, consisting of a cylinder in which a piston operates to create a pressure or vacuum on an enclosed gas or to force a fluid in or out of the chamber through narrow openings.

Dashpot (n.) A device consisting of a piston that moves within a cylinder containing oil, used to dampen and control motion.

Dashy (a.) Calculated to arrest attention; ostentatiously fashionable; showy. [Colloq.]

Dastard (n.) One who meanly shrinks from danger; an arrant coward; a poltroon.

You are all recreants and dashtards, and delight to live in slavery to the nobility. -- Shak.

Dastard (a.) Meanly shrinking from danger; cowardly; dastardly. "Their dastard souls." --Addison.

Dastard (v. t.) To dastardize. [R.] -- Dryden.

Dastard (a.) Despicably cowardly; "the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on...December 7th"- F.D. Roosevelt [syn: dastard(a), dastardly].

Dastard (n.) A despicable coward.

Dastardized (imp. & p. p.) of Dastardize.

Dastardizing (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Dastardize.

Dastardize (v. t.) To make cowardly; to intimidate; to dispirit; as, to dastardize my courage. -- Dryden.

Dastardliness (n.) The quality of being dastardly; cowardice; base fear.

Dastardliness (n.) Despicable cowardice.

Dastardly (a.) Meanly timid; cowardly; base; as, a dastardly outrage.

Dastardly (a.) Despicably cowardly; "the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on...December 7th"- F.D. Roosevelt [syn: dastard(a), dastardly].

Dastardness (n.) Dastardliness.

Dastardy (n.) Base timidity; cowardliness.

Daswe (v. i.) See Dasewe. [Obs.] -- Chaucer.

Dasymeter (n.) (Physics) An instrument for testing the density of gases, consisting of a thin glass globe, which is weighed in the gas or gases, and then in an atmosphere of known density.

Dasymeter (n.) Densimeter consisting of a thin glass globe that is weighed in a gas to determine its density.

Dasypaedal (a.) (Zool.) Dasypaedic.

Dasypaedes (n. pl.) (Zool.) Those birds whose young are covered with down when hatched.

Dasypaedic (a.) (Zool.) Pertaining to the Dasypaedes; ptilopaedic.

Dasyure (n.) (Zool.) A carnivorous marsupial quadruped of Australia, belonging to the genus Dasyurus. There are several species.

Dasyure (n.) (Zool.) Any of several related animals, such as the Tasmanian devil; -- called also ursine dasyure.

Dasyurine (a.) (Zool.) Pertaining to, or like, the dasyures.

Data (n. pl.) See Datum.

Data (n. pl.) A collection of facts, observations, or other information related to a particular question or problem; as, the historical data show that the budget deficit is only a small factor in determining interest rates.

Note: The term in this sense is used especially in reference to experimental observations collected in the course of a controlled scientific investigation.

Data (n. pl.) (Computers) information, most commonly in the form of a series of binary digits, stored on a physical storage medium for manipulation by a computer program. It is contrasted with the program which is a series of instructions used by the central processing unit of a computer to manipulate the data. In some conputers data and execuatble programs are stored in separate locations.

Datum (n.; pl. Data.) [L. See 2d Date.] Something given or admitted; a fact or principle granted; that upon which an inference or an argument is based; -- used chiefly in the plural.

Any writer, therefore, who . . . furnishes us with data sufficient to determine the time in which he wrote. -- Priestley.

Datum (n.; pl. Data.) A single piece of information; a fact; especially a piece of information obtained by observation or experiment; -- used mostly in the plural.

Datum (n.; pl. Data.) pl. (Math.) The quantities or relations which are assumed to be given in any problem.

Datum (n.; pl. Data.) (Surveying) a point, line, or level surface used as a reference in measuring elevations. -- RHUD

Datum line (Surv.), The horizontal or base line, from which the heights of points are reckoned or measured, as in the plan of a railway, etc.

Data (n.) A collection of facts from which conclusions may be drawn; "statistical data" [syn: data, information].

Data

Raw data

(Or "raw data")

Numbers, characters, images, or other method of recording, in a form which can be assessed by a human or (especially) input into a computer, stored and processed there, or transmitted on some digital channel.  Computers nearly always represent data in binary.

Data on its own has no meaning, only when interpreted by some kind of data processing system does it take on meaning and become information.

For example, the binary data 01110101 might represent the integer 117 or the ASCII lower case U character or the blue component of a pixel in some video.  Which of these it represents is determined by the way it is processed (added, printed, displayed, etc.).  Even these numbers, characters or pixels however are still not really information until their context is known, e.g. my bank balance is £117, there are two Us in "vacuum", you have blue eyes.

(2007-09-10)

Datable (a.) That may be dated; having a known or ascertainable date. "Datable almost to a year." -- The Century.

Syn: dateable.

Datable (a.) That can be given a date; "a concrete and datable happening" -- C.W.Shumaker [syn: datable, dateable] [ant: undatable].

Dataria (n.) Formerly, a part of the Roman chancery; now, a separate office from which are sent graces or favors, cognizable in foro externo, such as appointments to benefices. The name is derived from the word datum, given or dated (with the indications of the time and place of granting the gift or favor).

Datary (n.) (R. C. Ch.) An officer in the pope's court, having charge of the Dataria.

Datary (n.) The office or employment of a datary.

Datary, (n.) A high ecclesiastic official of the Roman Catholic Church, whose important function is to brand the Pope's bulls with the words _Datum Romae_.  He enjoys a princely revenue and the friendship of God.

Date (n.) The fruit of the date palm; also, the date palm itself.

Note: This fruit is somewhat in the shape of an olive, containing a soft pulp, sweet, esculent, and wholesome, and inclosing a hard kernel.

Date palm, or Date tree (Bot.), The genus of palms which bear dates, of which common species is Ph[oe]nix dactylifera. See Illust.

Date plum (Bot.), The fruit of several species of Diospyros, including the American and Japanese persimmons, and the European lotus ({Diospyros Lotus).

Date shell, or Date fish (Zool.), A bivalve shell, or its inhabitant, of the genus Pholas, and allied genera. See Pholas.

Date (n.) That addition to a writing, inscription, coin, etc., which specifies the time (as day, month, and year) when the writing or inscription was given, or executed, or made; as, the date of a letter, of a will, of a deed, of a coin. etc.

And bonds without a date, they say, are void. -- Dryden.

Date (n.) The point of time at which a transaction or event takes place, or is appointed to take place; a given point of time; epoch; as, the date of a battle.

He at once, Down the long series of eventful time, So fixed the dates of being, so disposed To every living soul of every kind The field of motion, and the hour of rest. -- Akenside.

Date (n.) Assigned end; conclusion. [R.]

What Time would spare, from Steel receives its date. -- Pope.

Date (n.) Given or assigned length of life; dyration. [Obs.]

Good luck prolonged hath thy date. -- Spenser.

Through his life's whole date. -- Chapman.

To bear date, To have the date named on the face of it; -- said of a writing.

Dated (imp. & p. p.) of Date.

Dating (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Date.

Date (v. t.) To note the time of writing or executing; to express in an instrument the time of its execution; as, to date a letter, a bond, a deed, or a charter.

Date (v. t.) To note or fix the time of, as of an event; to give the date of; as, to date the building of the pyramids.

Note: We may say dated at or from a place.

The letter is dated at Philadephia. -- G. T. Curtis.

You will be suprised, I don't question, to find among your correspondencies in foreign parts, a letter dated from Blois. -- Addison.

In the countries of his jornal seems to have been written; parts of it are dated from them. -- M. Arnold.

Date (v. i.) To have beginning; to begin; to be dated or reckoned; -- with from.

The Batavian republic dates from the successes of the French arms. -- E. Everett.

Date (n.) The specified day of the month; "what is the date today?" [syn: date, day of the month].

Date (n.) A participant in a date; "his date never stopped talking" [syn: date, escort].

Date (n.) A meeting arranged in advance; "she asked how to avoid kissing at the end of a date" [syn: date, appointment, engagement].

Date (n.) A particular but unspecified point in time; "they hoped to get together at an early date" [syn: date, particular date].

Date (n.) The present; "they are up to date"; "we haven't heard from them to date."

Date (n.) The particular day, month, or year (usually according to the Gregorian calendar) that an event occurred; "he tried to memorizes all the dates for his history class."

Date (n.) A particular day specified as the time something happens; "the date of the election is set by law."

Date (n.) Sweet edible fruit of the date palm with a single long woody seed.

Date (v.) Go on a date with; "Tonight she is dating a former high school sweetheart."

Date (v.) Stamp with a date; "The package is dated November 24" [syn: date, date stamp].

Date (v.) Assign a date to; determine the (probable) date of; "Scientists often cannot date precisely archeological or prehistorical findings."

Date (v.) Date regularly; have a steady relationship with; "Did you know that she is seeing an older man?"; "He is dating his former wife again!" [syn: go steady, go out, date, see].

Date (v.) Provide with a dateline; mark with a date; "She wrote the letter on Monday but she dated it Saturday so as not to reveal that she procrastinated."

Date, () A string unique to a time duration of 24 hours between 2 successive midnights defined by the local time zone.  The specific representation of a date will depend on which calendar convention is in force; e.g., Gregorian, Islamic, Japanese, Chinese, Hebrew etc. as well as local ordering conventions such as UK: day/month/year, US: month/ day/ year.

Inputting and outputting dates on computers is greatly complicated by these localisation issues which is why they tend to operate on dates internally in some unified form such as seconds past midnight at the start of the first of January 1970.

Many software and hardware representations of dates allow only two digits for the year, leading to the year 2000 problem.

Unix manual page: date(1), ctime(3).

(1997-07-11)

Date, () The fruit of a species of palm (q.v.), the Phoenix dactilifera.

This was a common tree in Palestine (Joel 1:12; Neh. 8:15). Palm branches were carried by the Jews on festive occasions, and especially at the feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 23:40; Neh. 8:15).

Date. () The designation or indication in an instrument of writing, of the time, and usually of the time and place, when and where it was made. When the place is mentioned in the date of a deed, the law intends, unless the contrary appears, that it was executed at the place of the date. Plowd. 7 b., 31 H. VI. This word is derived from the Latin datum, because when deeds and agreements were written in that language, immediately before the day, month and year in which they were made, was set down, it was usual to put the word datum, given.  

Date. () All writings ought to bear a date, and in some it is indispensable in order to make them valid, as in policies of insurance; but the date in these instruments is not inserted in the body of the writing because as each subscription makes a separate contract, each underwriter sets down the day, month and year he makes his subscription. Marsh. Ins. 336.

Date. () Deeds, and other writings, when the date is an impossible one, take effect from the time of deliver; the presumption of law is, that the deed was dated on the day it bears date, unless, as just mentioned, the time is impossible; for example, the 32d day of January.

Date. () The proper way of dating, is to put the day, month, and year of our Lord; the hour need not be mentioned, unless specially required; an instance of which may be taken from the Pennsylvania Act of the 16th June, 1836, sect. 40, which requires the sheriff, on receiving a writ of fieri facias, or other writ of execution, to endorse thereon the day of the month, the year, and the hour of the day whereon he received the same.

Date. () In public documents, it is usual to give not only the day, the month, and the year of our Lord, but also the year of the United States, when issued by authority of the general government; or of the commonwealth, when issued under its authority. Vide, generally, Bac. Ab. Obligations, C; Com. Dig, Fait, B 3; Cruise, Dig. tit, 32, c. 20, s. 1-6; 1 Burr. 60; 2 Rol. Ab. 27, 1. 22; 13 Vin. Ab. 34; Dane's Ab. Index, h.t. See Almanac.

Dateless (a.) Without date; having no fixed time.

Dateless (a.) Not having a social companion for an occasion; as, to be dateless for the prom.

Dateless (a.) Having no known beginning and presumably no end; "the dateless rise and fall of the tides"; "time is endless"; "sempiternal truth" [syn: dateless, endless, sempiternal].

Dateless (a.) Of such great duration as to preclude the possibility of being assigned a date; "dateless customs."

Dateless (a.) Not bearing a date; "a dateless letter" [syn: dateless, undated].

Dateless (a.) Unaffected by time; "few characters are so dateless as Hamlet"; "Helen's timeless beauty" [syn: dateless, timeless].

Dater (n.) One who dates.

Datiscin (n.) (Chem.) A white crystalline glucoside extracted from the bastard hemp ({Datisca cannabina).

Dative (a.) (Gram.) Noting the case of a noun which expresses the remoter object, and is generally indicated in English by to or for with the objective.

Dative (a.) (Law) In one's gift; capable of being disposed of at will and pleasure, as an office.

Dative (a.) (Law) Removable, as distinguished from perpetual; -- said of an officer.

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