DAD, dad, DADDY, dad'i, _n._ father, a word used by children.--_n._ DADD'Y-LONG-LEGS, the crane-fly, a familiar insect with long body, legs, and antennae. [Prob. Celt., W. _tad_, Bret, _tad_, _tat_; cf. Gr. _tata_.]
DAD, dad, _v.t._ to throw against something: to dash.--_n._ a lump: a piece: a blow. [Der. unknown.]
DADDLE, dad'l, _v.i._ to walk in an unsteady manner, as a child or very old person: to totter:--_pr.p._ dadd'ling; _pa.p._ dadd'led. [Perh. conn. with DAWDLE.]
DADDLE, dad'l, _n._ (_slang_) the hand.
DADDOCK, dad'ok, _n._ (_prov._) the heart of a rotten tree.
DADO, d[=a]'do, _n._ in classical architecture, the cubic block forming the body of a pedestal: a skirting of wood along the lower part of the walls of a room, often represented merely by wall-paper, painting, &c. [It.,--L.
_datus_ (_talus_, a die, being understood), given or thrown forth--_d[=a]re_, to give.]
DaeDAL, d[=e]'dal, DaeDALIAN, de-d[=a]'li-an, _adj._ formed with art: displaying artistic skill: intricate. [From L. _Daedalus_, Gr. _Daidalos_, the mythical artist who constructed the Cretan labyrinth.]
DaeMON, d[=e]'mon, _n._ a spirit holding a middle place between gods and men, like the daemon or good genius of Socrates.--_adj._ Dae'MONIC, supernatural: of power or intelligence more than human. [L. _daemon_--Gr.
_daim[=o]n_, a spirit, a genius, and later a devil. See DEMON.]
DAFF, daf, _v.i._ to play, to play the fool.--_n._ DAFF'ING (_Scot._), foolery, gaiety. [M. E. _daf_, deaf, prob. Ice. _dawfr_ (Sw. _dof_, Dan.
_dov_), deaf.]
DAFF, daf, _v.t._ (_Shak._) to put off. [A variant of DOFF.]
DAFFODIL, daf'o-dil, DAFFODILLY, daf'o-dil-i, DAFFODOWNDILLY, daf'o-down-dil'i, _n._ a yellow flower of the lily tribe--also called _King's spear_. [M. E. _affodille_--O. Fr. _asphodile_--Gr. _asphodelus_; the _d_ is prefixed accidentally.]
DAFT, daft, _adj._ (_Scot._) silly, weak-minded, insane, unreasonably merry.--_adv._ DAFT'LY.--_n._ DAFT'NESS. [See DAFF.]
DAG, dag, _n._ a dagger: a hand-gun or heavy pistol, used in the 15th and 16th centuries.--Also DAGGE. [Fr. _dague_; Celt.; cf. Bret. _dag_.]
DAGGER, dag'[.e]r, _n._ a short sword for stabbing at close quarters: (_print._) a mark of reference ([Dagger]), the double dagger ([Double Dagger]) being another.--AT DAGGERS DRAWN, in a state of hostility; LOOK DAGGERS, to look in a hostile manner. [M. E. _dagger_--W. _dagr_ (Ir.
_daigear_); cf. Fr. _dague_.]
DAGGLE, dag'l, _v.t._ and _v.i._ to wet or grow wet by dragging on the wet ground.--_n._ DAGG'LE-TAIL, a slattern.--_adj._ slatternly. [Freq. of prov.
Eng. _dag_, to sprinkle, from a Scand. root seen in Sw. _dagg_.]
DAGO, d[=a]'go, _n._ (_U.S._) a name applied loosely to Spanish- and Italian-born men. [Prob. a corr. of Sp. _Diego_--L. _Jacobus_.]
DAGOBA, dag'o-ba, _n._ in Ceylon, a dome-like structure of solid masonry, containing relics of a Buddhist saint. [Singh. _d[=a]gaba_.]
DAGON, d[=a]'gon, _n._ the national god of the Philistines, half-man, half-fish. [Heb. _d[=a]g[=o]n_--_dag_, fish.]
DAGUERREOTYPE, da-ger'o-t[=i]p, _n._ a method of taking pictures on metal plates by the light of the sun: a photograph fixed on a plate of copper by a certain process.--_adj._ DAGUER'R[=E]AN.--_n._ DAGUERR[=E]'OTYPY, the art of daguerreotyping. [Fr., from Louis _Daguerre_ (1789-1851).]
DAGWOOD. See DOGWOOD.
DAHABEEAH, da-ha-b[=e]'a, _n._ a Nile-boat with oars, one or two masts, and lateen sails.--Also DAHABI'EH, DAHABI'YEH. [Ar. _dahab[=i]ya_.]
DAHLIA, d[=a]l'i-a, _n._ a genus of garden plants with large flowers. [From _Dahl_, a Swedish botanist.]
DAIDLE, d[=a]'dl, _v.i._ a Scotch form of _daddle_: also to draggle.--_adj._ DAID'LING, feeble: dawdling.
DAIKER, d[=a]'ker, _v.i._ (_prov._) to deck out.
DAILY, d[=a]'li, _adj._ and _adv._ every day.--_n._ a daily paper.
DAIMIO, d[=i]'myo, _n._ a Japanese territorial noble under the old feudal system. [Jap.]
DAINTY, d[=a]n'ti, _adj._ pleasant to the palate: delicate: fastidious: (_Spens._) elegant.--_n._ that which is dainty, a delicacy.--_adj._ DAINT (_Spens._).--_adv._ DAIN'TILY.--_n._ DAIN'TINESS. [M. E. _deintee_, anything worthy or costly. O. Fr. _daintie_, worthiness--L.
_dignitat-em_--_dignus_, worthy.]
DAIRY, d[=a]'ri, _n._ the place where milk is kept, and butter and cheese made: an establishment for the supply of milk.--_ns._ DAI'RY-FARM; DAI'RYING; DAI'RYMAID; DAI'RYMAN. [M. E. _deye_.--Ice. _deigja_, a dairymaid; orig. a kneader of dough.]
DAIS, d[=a]'is, _n._ a raised floor at the upper end of the dining-hall where the high table stood: a raised floor with a seat and canopy: the canopy over an altar, &c. [O. Fr. _dais_--Low L. _discus_, a table--L.
_discus_, a quoit--Gr. _diskos_, a disc.]
DAISY, d[=a]'zi, _n._ a common wild-flower, growing in pastures and meadows--the name given also to other plants, as the _Ox-eye daisy_, which is a chrysanthemum.--_adj._ DAI'SIED, covered with daisies.--_n._ DAI'SY-CUT'TER, a fast-going horse that does not lift its feet high: a cricket-ball skimmed along the ground. [A. S. _daeges eage_, day's eye, the sun.]
DAK, dak, DAWK, dawk, _n._ in India, the mail-post: travelling in palanquins carried by relays of bearers. [Hind. _d[=a]k_, a relay of men.]
DAKOIT. See DACOIT.
DALAI-LAMA. See LAMA.
DALE, d[=a]l, DELL, del, _n._ the low ground between hills: the valley through which a river flows.--_n._ DALES'MAN, specifically, an inhabitant of the dales of the Lake District. [Ice. _dalr_, Sw. _dal_; Ger. _thal_.]
DALI, da'li, _n._ a timber-tree of Guiana, its wood used for staves, &c.
DALILA. See DELILAH.
DALL, dal, _n._ a tile with incised surface: (_pl._) rapids.
DALLOP, dal'op, _n._ (_prov._), a tuft of grass.
DALLY, dal'i, _v.i._ to lose time by idleness or trifling: to play: to exchange caresses:--_pa.p._ dall'ied.--_ns._ DALL'IANCE, dallying, toying, or trifling: interchange of embraces: delay; DALL'IER, a trifler. [M. E.
_dalien_, to play; prob. from A.S. _dweligan_, to err; cf. Ice. _dvala_, to delay, Dut. _dwalen_, to err; prob. conn. with _dwell_.]
DALMAHOY, dal'ma-hoi, _n._ a bushy bob-wig, worn in the 18th cent. by chemists, &c.
DALMATIAN, dal-m[=a]'shun, _adj._ belonging to _Dalmatia_, a strip of Austrian territory along the Adriatic.--DALMATIAN DOG, the spotted coach-dog, resembling the pointer in shape.
DALMATIC, dal-mat'ik, _n._ a loose-fitting, wide-sleeved ecclesiastical vestment, worn specially by deacons in the R.C. Church, also sometimes by bishops. [Low L. _dalmatica_, a robe worn by persons of rank in the early Christian centuries, on the pattern of a dress worn in _Dalmatia_.]
DALT, dalt, _n._ (_Scot._) a foster-child. [Gael. _dalta_.]
DALTONISM, dal'ton-izm, _n._ colour-blindness: inability to distinguish certain colours.--_adj._ DALT[=O]'NIAN. [So called from the chemist John _Dalton_ (1766-1844), who had this infirmity.]
DAM, dam, _n._ an embankment to restrain water: the water thus confined.--_v.t._ to keep back water by a bank:--_pr.p._ dam'ming; _pa.p._ dammed. [Teut.; Dut. _dam_, Ger. _damm_, &c.]
DAM, dam, _n._ a mother, applied to quadrupeds. [A form of _dame_.]