Darksome - Date

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Coloq. Prince of darkness , the Devil; Satan. “In the power of the Prince of darkness.” Locke.

Syn. -- , , , . Darkness arises from a total, and dimness from a partial, want of light. A thing is obscure when so overclouded or covered as not to be easily perceived. As tha shade or obscurity increases, it deepens into gloom. What is dark is hidden from view; what is obscure is difficult to perceive or penetrate; the eye becomes dim with age; an impending storm fills the atmosphere with gloom. When taken figuratively, these words have a like use; as, the darkness of ignorance; dimness of discernment; obscurity of reasoning; gloom of superstition.
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dark-skinned adj. 1. same as . [Narrower terms: black (vs. white)]
Syn. -- colored, coloured.
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2. having a dark color; -- of skin color.
Syn. -- dusky, swart, swarthy.
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Darksome (?), a. Dark; gloomy; obscure; shaded; cheerless. [Poetic]
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He brought him through a darksome narrow pass
To a broad gate, all built of beaten gold. Spenser.
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darky (?), n. a negro; an African-American; -- an older term now considered offensive. [Slang]
Syn. -- darkie, darkey.
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darling (?), n. [OE. derling, deorling, AS. deórling; deóre dear + -ling. See , and .] One dearly beloved; a favorite.
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And can do naught but wail her darling's loss. Shak.
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darling, a. Dearly beloved; regarded with especial kindness and tenderness; favorite. “Some darling science.” I. Watts. “Darling sin.” Macaulay.
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Darlingtonia (?), n. [NL. Named after Dr. William Darlington, a botanist of West Chester, Penn.] (Bot.) A genus of California pitcher plants consisting of a single species. The long tubular leaves are hooded at the top, and frequently contain many insects drowned in the secretion of the leaves.
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Darmera n. a genus consisting of one species.
Syn. -- genus Darmera, Peltiphyllum, genus Peltiphyllum.
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Darn (därn), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Darned (därnd); p. pr. & vb. n. Darning.] [OE. derne, prob. of Celtic origin; cf. W. darnio to piece, break in pieces, W. & Arm. to E. tear. Cf. , v. t.] To mend as a rent or hole, with interlacing stitches of yarn or thread by means of a needle; to sew together with yarn or thread.
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He spent every day ten hours in his closet, in darning his stockings. Swift.
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Coloq. Darning last . See under . -- Coloq. Darning needle . (a) A long, strong needle for mending holes or rents, especially in stockings. (b) (Zoöl.) Any species of dragon fly, having a long, cylindrical body, resembling a needle. These flies are harmless and without stings. [In this sense, usually written with a hyphen.] Called also devil's darning-needle.
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Darn, n. A place mended by darning.
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Darn, v. t. A colloquial euphemism for .
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darned adj. an intensifying expletive; a eupehmism for damned; as, for no darned reason at all.
Syn. -- blasted, blessed, damn, damned, deuced, goddam, goddamn, goddamned, gosh-darned.
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darnel (dărnĕl), n. [OE. darnel, dernel, of uncertain origin; cf. dial. F. darnelle, Sw. dår-repe; perh. named from a supposed intoxicating quality of the plant, and akin to Sw. dåra to infatuate, OD. door foolish, G. thor fool, and Ee. dizzy.] (Bot.) Any grass of the genus Lolium, esp. the Lolium temulentum (bearded darnel), the grains of which have been reputed poisonous. Other species, as Lolium perenne (rye grass or ray grass), and its variety Lolium Italicum (Italian rye grass), are highly esteemed for pasture and for making hay.
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☞ Under darnel our early herbalists comprehended all kinds of cornfield weeds. Dr. Prior.
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Darner (dărnẽr), n. One who mends by darning.

{ Darnex (dărnĕks), Darnic (dărnĭk), } n. Same as .
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Daroo (dȧr�), n. (Bot.) The Egyptian sycamore (Ficus Sycamorus). See .
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Darr (dăr), n. (Zoöl.) The European black tern.

{ Darraign, Darrain, } (?), v. t. [OF. deraisnier to explain, defend, to maintain in legal action by proof and reasonings, LL. derationare; de- + rationare to discourse, contend in law, fr. L. ratio reason, in LL., legal cause. Cf. , and see .] 1. To make ready to fight; to array. [Obs.]
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Darrain your battle, for they are at hand. Shak.
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2. To fight out; to contest; to decide by combat. [Obs.] “To darrain the battle.” Chaucer .
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Darrein, a. [OF. darrein, darrain, fr. an assumed LL. deretranus; L. de + retro back, backward.] (Law) Last; as, darrein continuance, the last continuance.
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Dart (därt), n. [OF. dart, of German origin; cf. OHG. tart javelin, dart, AS. darað, daroð, Sw. dart dagger, Icel. darraðr dart.] 1. 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.
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And he [Joab] took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom. 2 Sa. xviii. 14.
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2. Anything resembling a dart; anything that pierces or wounds like a dart.
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The artful inquiry, whose venomed dart
Scarce wounds the hearing while it stabs the heart. Hannan More.
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3. A spear set as a prize in running. [Obs.] Chaucer.
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4. (Zoöl.) A fish; the dace. See .
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Coloq. Dart sac (Zoöl.), a sac connected with the reproductive organs of land snails, which contains a dart, or arrowlike structure.
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Dart, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Darted; p. pr. & vb. n. Darting.] 1. To throw with a sudden effort or thrust, as a dart or other missile weapon; to hurl or launch.
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2. To throw suddenly or rapidly; to send forth; to emit; to shoot; as, the sun darts forth his beams.
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Or what ill eyes malignant glances dart? Pope.
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Dart, v. i. 1. To fly or pass swiftly, as a dart.
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2. To start and run with velocity; to shoot rapidly along; as, the deer darted from the thicket.
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Dartars (?), n. [F. dartre eruption, dandruff. √240.] A kind of scab or ulceration on the skin of lambs.
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dartboard, dart board n. a circular board of wood or cork used as the target in the game of darts. It may have any of several patterns on it, such as concentric circles, or a central circle with rays.
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Darter (?), n. 1. One who darts, or who throw darts; that which darts.
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2. (Zoöl.) The snakebird, a water bird of the genus Plotus; -- so called because it darts out its long, snakelike neck at its prey. See .
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3. (Zoöl.) A small fresh-water etheostomoid fish. The group includes numerous genera and species, all of them American. See .
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Dartingly (?), adv. Like a dart; rapidly.
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Dartle (?), v. t. & i. To pierce or shoot through; to dart repeatedly: -- frequentative of dart.
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My star that dartles the red and the blue. R. Browning.
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Dartoic (?), a. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the dartos.
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Dartoid (?), a. [Dartos + -oid.] (Anat.) Like the dartos; dartoic; as, dartoid tissue.
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Dartos (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. � flayed.] (Anat.) A thin layer of peculiar contractile tissue directly beneath the skin of the scrotum.
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Dartrous (?), a. [F. dartreux. See .] (Med.) Relating to, or partaking of the nature of, the disease called tetter; herpetic.
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Coloq. 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.
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Darwinian (?), a. [From the name of Charles Darwin, an English scientist.] 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.
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☞ 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 .
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Darwinian, n. An advocate of Darwinism.
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Darwinianism (?), n. Darwinism.
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Darwinism (?), n. (Biol.) The theory or doctrines put forth by Darwin. See above. Huxley.
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Dase (dāz), v. t. See . [Obs.] Chaucer.
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Dasewe (?), v. i. [OE. dasewen, daswen; cf. AS. dysegian to be foolish.] To become dim-sighted; to become dazed or dazzled. [Obs.] Chauscer.
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Dash (dăsh), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dashed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Dashing.] [Of. Scand. origin; cf. Dan daske to beat, strike, Sw. & Icel. daska, Dan. & Sw. dask blow.] 1. To throw with violence or haste; to cause to strike violently or hastily; -- often used with against.
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If you dash a stone against a stone in the botton of the water, it maketh a sound. Bacon.
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2. To break, as by throwing or by collision; to shatter; to crust; to frustrate; to ruin.
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Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Ps. ii. 9.
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A brave vessel, . . .
Dashed all to pieces. Shak.
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To perplex and dash
Maturest counsels. Milton.
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3. To put to shame; to confound; to confuse; to abash; to depress. South.
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Dash the proud gamester in his gilded car. Pope.
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4. 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.
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I take care to dash the character with such particular circumstance as may prevent ill-natured applications. Addison.
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The very source and fount of day
Is dashed with wandering isles of night. Tennyson.
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5. To form or sketch rapidly or carelessly; to execute rapidly, or with careless haste; -- with off; as, to dash off a review or sermon.
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6. To erase by a stroke; to strike out; knock out; -- with out; as, to dash out a word.
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Dash, v. i. To rush with violence; to move impetuously; to strike violently; as, the waves dash upon rocks.
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[He] dashed through thick and thin. Dryden.
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On each hand the gushing waters play,
And down the rough cascade all dashing fall. Thomson.
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Dash, n. 1. Violent striking together of two bodies; collision; crash.
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2. A sudden check; abashment; frustration; ruin; as, his hopes received a dash.
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3. A slight admixture, infusion, or adulteration; a partial overspreading; as, wine with a dash of water; red with a dash of purple.
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Innocence when it has in it a dash of folly. Addison.
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4. 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.
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She takes upon her bravely at first dash. Shak.
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5. Energy in style or action; animation; spirit.
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6. A vain show; a blustering parade; a flourish; as, to make or cut a great dash. [Low]
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7. (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.
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8. (Mus.) (a) 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. (b) The line drawn through a figure in the thorough bass, as a direction to raise the interval a semitone.
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9. (Racing) A short, spirited effort or trial of speed upon a race course; -- used in horse racing, when a single trial constitutes the race.
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Dashboard (dăshbōrd), n. 1. 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.
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2. (Naut.) (a) The float of a paddle wheel. (b) A screen at the bow af a steam launch to keep off the spray; -- called also sprayboard.
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3. 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.
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Dasheen (dăshēn), n. 1. A tropical aroid (of the genus Caladium, syn. Colocasia) having an edible farinaceous root. It is related to the taro and to the tanier, but is much superior to it in quality and is as easily cooked as the potato. It is a staple food plant of the tropics, being prepared like potatoes, and has been introduced into the Southern United States.
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2. a herb of the Pacific islands grown throughout the tropics for its edible root and in temperate areas as an ornamental for its large glossy leaves.
Syn. -- taro, taro plant, dalo, Colocasia esculenta.
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3. the edible starchy tuberous root of taro plants.
Syn. -- taro, cocoyam, eddo.
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4. a tropical starchy tuberous root.
Syn. -- taro, taro root, cocoyam, edda.
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dasher (dăshẽr), n. 1. That which dashes or agitates; as, the dasher of a churn.
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2. A dashboard or splashboard. [U. S.]
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3. One who makes an ostentatious parade. [Low]
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Dashing, a. Bold; spirited; showy.
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The dashing and daring spirit is preferable to the listless. T. Campbell.
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Dashingly, adv. Conspicuously; showily. [Colloq.]
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A dashingly dressed gentleman. Hawthorne.
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Dashism (-ĭz'm), n. The character of making ostentatious or blustering parade or show. [R. & Colloq.]
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He must fight a duel before his claim to . . . dashism can be universally allowed. V. Knox.
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dashpot, dash-pot (dăshpŏt), 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.
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☞ 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.
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A cataract of an engine is sometimes called a dashpot.
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Dashy (?), a. [From .] Calculated to arrest attention; ostentatiously fashionable; showy. [Colloq.]
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Dastard (dăstẽrd), n. [Prob. from Icel. dæstr exhausted. breathless, p. p. of dæsa to groan, lose one's breath; cf. dasask to become exhausted, and E. daze.] One who meanly shrinks from danger; an arrant coward; a poltroon.
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You are all recreants and dashtards, and delight to live in slavery to the nobility. Shak.
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Dastard, a. Meanly shrinking from danger; cowardly; dastardly. “Their dastard souls.” Addison.
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Dastard, v. t. To dastardize. [R.] Dryden.
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Dastardize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dastardized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Dastardizing.] To make cowardly; to intimidate; to dispirit; as, to dastardize my courage. Dryden.
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Dastardliness (?), n. The quality of being dastardly; cowardice; base fear.
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Dastardly, a. Meanly timid; cowardly; base; as, a dastardly outrage.
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Dastardness, n. Dastardliness.
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Dastardy (?), n. Base timidity; cowardliness.
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Daswe (?), v. i. See [Obs.] Chaucer.
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Dasymeter (?), n. [Gr. dasys rough, thick + -meter.] (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.
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Dasypædal (?), a. (Zoöl.) Dasypædic.
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Dasypædes (?), n. pl. [NL., from Gr. dasys hairy, shaggy + �, �, a child.] (Zoöl.) Those birds whose young are covered with down when hatched.
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Dasypædic (?), a. (Zoöl.) Pertaining to the Dasypædes; ptilopædic.
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Dasyproctidae n. a natural family including the agoutis and pacas.
Syn. -- family Dasyproctidae.
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Dasypus n. the type genus of the Dasypodidae.
Syn. -- genus Dasypus.
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Dasyuridae n. a natural family including the dasyures, native cats, pouched mice, banded anteaters, and Tasmanian devils.
Syn. -- family Dasyuridae, family Dasyurinae.
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dasyure (dăsĭūr), n. [Gr. dasys thick, shaggy + o'yra tail: cf. F. dasyure.] 1. (Zoöl.) A carnivorous catlike marsupial quadruped of Australia, belonging to the genus Dasyurus, called also native cat. There are several species.
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2. (Zoöl.) any of several related animals, such as the Tasmanian devil; -- called also ursine dasyure.
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Dasyurine (?), a. (Zoöl.) Pertaining to, or like, the dasyures.
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Dasyurus n. the type genus of the family Dasyuridae: native cats.
Syn. -- genus Dasyurus.
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DAT n. [acronym, from Digital AudioTape.] digital audiotape, a digitally encoded tape recording of sound; -- in contrast to the usual analog audio tape. [acronym]
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Data (?), n. pl. [L. pl. of datum.] 1. See .
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2. 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. The term in this sense is used especially in reference to experimental observations collected in the course of a controlled scientific investigation.
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3. (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.
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database n. an organized body of related information.
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data-based adj. relying on observation or experiment.
Syn. -- experimental, observational.
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datable (?), a. That may be dated; having a known or ascertainable date. “Datable almost to a year.” The Century.
Syn. -- dateable. [ Webster]

Dataria (?), n. [LL., fr. L. datum given.] (R. C. Ch.) 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).
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Datary (?), n. [LL. datarius. See .] 1. (R. C. Ch.) An officer in the pope's court, having charge of the Dataria.
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2. The office or employment of a datary.
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Date, n.[F. datte, L. dactylus, fr. Gr. �, prob. not the same word as daktylos finger, but of Semitic origin.] (Bot.) The fruit of the date palm; also, the date palm itself.
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☞ This fruit is somewhat in the shape of an olive, containing a soft pulp, sweet, esculent, and wholesome, and inclosing a hard kernel.
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Coloq. Date palm , or Coloq. Date tree (Bot.), the genus of palms which bear dates, of which common species is Phœnix dactylifera. See Illust. -- Coloq. Date plum (Bot.), the fruit of several species of Diospyros, including the American and Japanese persimmons, and the European lotus (Diospyros Lotus). -- Coloq. Date shell , or Coloq. Date fish (Zoöl.), a bivalve shell, or its inhabitant, of the genus Pholas, and allied genera. See .
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