DOUBLE ENTENDRE, doobl' ong-tongdr, _n._ an equivoque, a word or phrase with two meanings, one usually more or less indecent. [Fr. of 17th century, superseded now by (_mot_) _a double entente_.]
DOUBLET, dub'let, _n._ a pair: an inner garment: name given to words that are really the same, but vary somewhat in spelling and signification, as _desk_, _disc_, and _dish_, _describe_ and _descry_. [O. Fr., dim. of _double_.]
DOUBLOON, dub-loon', _n._ an obsolete Spanish gold coin double the value of a pistole--varying from 33s. in 1772 to 20s. 8d. in 1848. [Sp. _doblon_.]
DOUBT, dowt, _v.i._ to waver in opinion: to be uncertain: to hesitate: to suspect: to believe with fear or hesitation: (_Scot._) to think, even without the sense of hesitation.--_v.t._ to hold in doubt: to distrust.--_p.adj._ DOUBT'ED (_Spens._), questioned: feared, redoubted. [O.
Fr. _douter_--L. _dubit[=a]re_, akin to _dubius_, doubtful, moving in two (_duo_) directions.]
DOUBT, dowt, _n._ uncertainty of mind: suspicion: fear: a thing doubted or questioned.--_adj._ DOUBT'ABLE.--_n._ DOUB'TER.--_adj._ DOUBT'FUL, full of doubt: undetermined: not clear: not secure: suspicious: not confident.--_adv._ DOUBT'FULLY.--_n._ DOUBT'FULNESS.--_p.adj._ DOUBT'ING, that doubts, undecided.--_advs._ DOUBT'INGLY; DOUBT'LESS, without doubt: certainly; DOUBT'LESSLY.
DOUC, dook, _n._ a species of monkey in Cochin-China.
DOUCE, d[=oo]s, _adj._ (_obs._) sweet: (_Scot._) sober, peaceable, sedate.--_adv._ DOUCE'LY.--_n._ DOUCE'NESS.--_n.pl._ DOUC'ETS, the stones of a deer.--_n._ DOUCEUR (d[=oo]-s[.e]r'), sweetness of manner (_obs._): something intended to please, a present or a bribe. [Fr. _doux_, _douce_, mild--L. _dulcis_, sweet.]
DOUCHE, d[=oo]sh, _n._ a jet of water directed upon the body from a pipe: an apparatus for throwing such. [Fr.,--It. _doccia_, a water-pipe--L.
_duc[)e]re_, to lead.]
DOUCINE, doo-s[=e]n', _n._ (_archit._) a cyma recta. [Fr.]
DOUGH, d[=o], _n._ a mass of flour or meal moistened and kneaded, but not baked.--_adjs._ DOUGH'-BAKED, half-baked, defective in intelligence; DOUGH'FACED (_U.S._) pliable, truckling.--_n._ DOUGH'INESS.--_adj._ DOUGH'-KNEAD'ED (_Milt._), soft.--_n._ DOUGH'-NUT, sweetened dough fried in fat.--_adj._ DOUGH'Y, like dough: soft. [A.S. _dah_; Ger. _teig_, Ice.
_deig_, dough; prov. _dow_ and _duff_.]
DOUGHTY, dow'ti, _adj._ able, strong: brave.--_adv._ DOUGH'TILY.--_n._ DOUGH'TINESS. [A.S. _dyhtig_, valiant--_dugan_, to be strong; Ger.
_tuchtig_, solid.]
DOUM-PALM. Same as DOOM-PALM.
DOUP, dowp, _n._ (_Scot._) bottom, buttocks.--_n._ CAN'DLE-DOUP, a candle-end. [Cf. Ice. _daup_.]
DOUR, d[=oo]r, _adj._ (_Scot._) obstinate: bold. [Fr.,--L. _durus_, hard.]
DOURA. See DURRA.
DOUSE, DOWSE, dows, _v.t._ to plunge into water.--_v.i._ to fall suddenly into water. [Cf. Sw. _dunsa_, fall heavily. Prob. from sound; cf. _souse_.]
DOUSE, DOWSE, dows, _v.t._ to strike: to strike or lower a sail.--_n._ a heavy blow. [Prob. related to Old Dut. _dossen_, to beat.]
DOUSE, DOWSE, dows, _v.t._ to put out, extinguish (esp. in the _slang_ DOUSE THE GLIM, put out the light). [Prob. a corr. of the obs. verb _dout_ below; more likely a particular use of _douse_, to strike.]
DOUT, dowt, _v.t._ to put out, extinguish.--_n._ DOUT'ER. [_Do out._]
DOVE, duv, _n._ a pigeon (esp. in comp., as _ringdove_, _turtle-dove_, &c.): a word of endearment: an emblem of innocence, gentleness, also of the Holy Spirit--the 'Holy Dove' (Matt. iii. 16).--_v.t._ to treat as a dove.--_ns._ DOVE'-COL'OUR, a grayish, bluish, pinkish colour; DOVE'COT, -COTE, a small cot or box in which pigeons breed.--_adjs._ DOVE'-DRAWN (_Shak._), drawn by doves; DOVE'-EYED, meek-eyed.--_ns._ DOVE'-HOUSE, a dovecot; DOVE'LET, a small dove.--_adj._ DOVE'-LIKE, innocent.--_ns._ DOVE'S'-FOOT, the common name for _Geranium molle_; DOVE'SHIP, the character or quality of a dove.--FLUTTER THE DOVECOTS, to disturb commonplace, conventional people, as the eagle would a dovecot (see Shak., _Cor._ V. vi. 115). [A.S. _dufe_ in _dufe-doppa_; Ger. _taube_.]
DOVEKIE, duv'ki, _n._ the little auk, a diving bird of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.
DOVER, d[=o]'ver, _v.i._ (_Scot._) to slumber lightly, doze off.--_v.t._ to send off into a light sleep.--_n._ a slight unsettled sleep.
DOVER'S POWDER, d[=o]'verz pow'der, _n._ a valuable sudorific medicine, compounded of ipecacuanha root, powdered opium, and sulphate of potash.
[From Dr Thomas _Dover_, 1660-1742.]
[Illustration]
DOVETAIL, duv't[=a]l, _n._ a mode of fastening boards together by fitting pieces shaped like a wedge or a dove's tail spread out (_tenons_) into corresponding cavities (_mortises_).--_v.t._ to fit one thing into another.
DOW, dow, _v.i._ (_obs._) to be good for a purpose: (_Scot._) to be able.--_p.adjs._ DOCHT, DOUGHT. [A.S. _dugan_.]
DOWAGER, dow'a-j[.e]r, _n._ a widow with a dower or jointure: a title given to a widow to distinguish her from the wife of her husband's heir. [O. Fr.
_douagere_--Low L. _dotarium_--L. _dot[=a]re_, to endow.]
DOWDY, dow'di, _adj._ untidy, carelessly dressed, soft and slack in habit.--_n._ an untidy woman.--_adv._ DOW'DILY.--_ns._ DOW'DINESS, DOW'DYISM.--_adj._ DOW'DYISH. [Ety. unknown.]
DOWEL, dow'el, _n._ a pin of wood or iron inserted in the edges of two adjacent boards for the purpose of fastening them together.--_v.t._ to fasten by means of dowels.--_ns._ DOW'EL-JOINT; DOW'EL-PIN. [Prob. related to Ger. _dobel_, a plug.]
DOWER, dow'[.e]r, _n._ a jointure, that part of the husband's property which his widow enjoys during her life--sometimes used for DOW'RY.--_adjs._ DOW'ABLE, that may be endowed; DOW'ERED, furnished with dower.--_n._ DOW'ER-HOUSE, the house set apart for the widow.--_adj._ DOW'ERLESS. [O.
Fr. _douaire_--Low L. _dotarium_--L. _dot[=a]re_, to endow.]
DOWF, dowf, _adj._ (_Scot._) dull, heavy, spiritless.--_n._ DOWF'NESS.
[Prob. Ice. _daufr_, deaf.]
DOWIE, dow'i, _adj._ (_Scot._) dull, low-spirited, sad. [Prob. A.S. _dol_, dull.]
DOWLAS, dowlas, _n._ a coarse linen cloth. [From _Daoulas_ or _Doulas_, near Brest, in Brittany.]
DOWLE, dowl, _n._ (_Shak._) a portion of down in a feather.
DOWN, down, _n._ the soft hair under the feathers of fowls: the hairy covering of the seeds of certain plants: anything which soothes or invites to repose.--_n._ DOWN'-BED.--_p.adj._ DOWNED, filled or covered with down.--_ns._ DOWN'INESS; DOWN'-QUILT.--_adj._ DOWN'Y, covered with or made of down: like down: soft: soothing: (_slang_) knowing.--THE DOWNY (_slang_), bed. [Ice. _dunn_; Ger. _daune_, _dune_.]
DOWN, down, _n._ a bank of sand thrown up by the sea (same as DUNE): a treeless land: (_pl._) a tract of hilly land, used for pasturing sheep, as the North Downs (Kent) and South Downs (Sussex)--also given to the famous roadstead off the east coast of Kent, inside the Goodwin Sands. [A.S.
_dun_, a hill; prob. from Celt. _dun_, as in _Dun_keld, &c.]
DOWN, down, _adv._ from a higher to a lower position: on the ground: from earlier to later times: from thick to thin, from large to small (to boil down, to cut down): from more to less (to beat down a price).--_prep._ along a descent: from a higher to a lower position or state.--_v.t._ to knock down: to dispirit--also used as a kind of interjection, with _get_, _go_, _come_, _kneel_, &c. understood.--_n._ a tendency to be down upon, a grudge against: a descent, reverse of fortune.--_v.i._ DOWN'-BEAR, to bear or press down.--_adj._ DOWN'CAST, dejected.--_ns._ DOWN'COME, a fall, ruin, a heavy pour of rain; DOWN'-DRAUGHT, a current of air downwards; DOWN'-EAST'ER, one living 'down east' from the speaker, a New Englander, and esp. an inhabitant of Maine; DOWN'FALL, fall, failure, humiliation, ruin: a falling down, as of rain.--_adjs._ DOWN'FALLEN, ruined; DOWN'-GYVED (_Shak._), hanging down like fetters.--_n._ DOWN'-HAUL, a rope by which a jib, &c., is hauled down when set.--_adjs._ DOWN'-HEART'ED, dejected; DOWN'HILL, descending, sloping.--_n._ DOWN'-LINE, the line of a railway leading from the capital, or other important centre, to the provinces.--_adj._ DOWN'LOOKED (_Dryden_), downcast, gloomy.--_ns._ DOWN'-LY'ING, time of retiring to rest: a woman's lying-in; DOWN'POUR, a heavy fall of rain, &c.--_adv._ DOWN'RIGHT (_obs._), perpendicular: in plain terms: utterly.--_adj._ plain spoken: brusque: utter (as in _downright madness_).--_ns._ DOWN'RIGHTNESS; DOWN'RUSH, a rushing down (as of gas, hot air, &c.); DOWN'-SET'TING, a setting down, a snub; DOWN'-SIT'TING, sitting down, time of rest (Ps. cxxxix. 2).--_advs._ DOWN'STAIRS, in, or to, a lower story; DOWN'-STREAM, with the current.--_ns._ DOWN'-THROW, act of throwing down, state of being thrown down: a sinking of strata below the level of the surrounding beds; DOWN'-TRAIN, a railway train proceeding from the chief terminus.--_adj._ DOWN'-TRODDEN, trampled on, tyrannised over.--_advs._ DOWN'WARD, DOWN'WARDS, from higher to lower: from source to outlet: from more ancient to modern: in the lower part.--_adj._ DOWN'WARD.--DOWN EAST (_U.S._), in or into Maine and adjoining parts of New England; DOWN IN THE MOUTH, in low spirits; DOWN ON ONE'S LUCK, in ill-luck; DOWN SOUTH, in the southern states; DOWN TO THE COUNTRY, away into the country, from London (hence 'down to the Derby,' 'down to Scotland'); DOWN WITH YOUR MONEY, lay it down, pay it.--A DOWN-TRAIN, a train away from London.--LAY DOWN THE LAW, to expound authoritatively. [A corr. of M. E. _a-dawn_, _adun_--A.S. _of dune_, 'from the hill'--A.S. _dun_, a hill.]
DOWRY, dow'ri, _n._ the property which a woman brings to her husband at marriage--sometimes used for _dower_. [See DOWER.]
DOWSE, dows, _v.t._ and _v.i._ See DOUSE.
DOWSE, dows, _v.i._ to use the divining-rod.--_n._ DOWS'ER, a water diviner.
DOXOLOGY, doks-ol'o-ji, _n._ a hymn expressing praise and honour to the Trinity.--_adj._ DOXOLOG'ICAL. [Gr. _doxologia_--_doxa_, praise, and _legein_, to speak.]
DOXY, dok'si, _n._ (_Shak._) a mistress: a woman of loose character. [Prob.
conn. with East Fries. _dok_, a bundle, Low Ger. _dokke_.]
DOXY, dok'si, _n._ opinion--'Orthodoxy,' said Warburton, 'is my doxy--heterodoxy is another man's doxy.' [Gr. _doxa_, opinion.]
DOYEN, dwaw'yong, _n._ dean, senior member (of an academy, diplomatic corps, &c.). [Fr.,--Lat. _d[=e]canus_.]
DOYLEY. See DOILY.