Duumvir - Dynastidan

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2. That which a person is bound by moral obligation to do, or refrain from doing; that which one ought to do; service morally obligatory.
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Forgetting his duty toward God, his sovereign lord, and his country. Hallam.
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3. Hence, any assigned service or business; as, the duties of a policeman, or a soldier; to be on duty.
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With records sweet of duties done. Keble.
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To employ him on the hardest and most imperative duty. Hallam.
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Duty is a graver term than obligation. A duty hardly exists to do trivial things; but there may be an obligation to do them. C. J. Smith.
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4. Specifically, obedience or submission due to parents and superiors. Shak.
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5. Respect; reverence; regard; act of respect; homage. “My duty to you.” Shak.
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6. (Engin.) The efficiency of an engine, especially a steam pumping engine, as measured by work done by a certain quantity of fuel; usually, the number of pounds of water lifted one foot by one bushel of coal (94 lbs. old standard), or by 1 cwt. (112 lbs., England, or 100 lbs., United States).
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7. (Com.) Tax, toll, impost, or customs; excise; any sum of money required by government to be paid on the importation, exportation, or consumption of goods.
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☞ An impost on land or other real estate, and on the stock of farmers, is not called a duty, but a direct tax. [U.S.]
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Coloq. Ad valorem duty , a duty which is graded according to the cost, or market value, of the article taxed. See . -- Coloq. Specific duty , a duty of a specific sum assessed on an article without reference to its value or market. -- Coloq. On duty , actually engaged in the performance of one's assigned task.
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Duumvir (?), n.; pl. E. Duumvirs (#), L. Duumviri (#). [L., fr. duo two + vir man.] (Rom. Antiq.) One of two Roman officers or magistrates united in the same public functions.
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Duumviral (?), a. [L. duumviralis.] Of or belonging to the duumviri or the duumvirate.
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Duumvirate (?), n. [L. duumviratus, fr. duumvir.] The union of two men in the same office; or the office, dignity, or government of two men thus associated, as in ancient Rome.
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Dux (?), n. [L., leader.] (Mus.) The scholastic name for the theme or subject of a fugue, the answer being called the comes, or companion.
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Duykerbok (?), n. [D. duiker diver + bok a buck, lit., diver buck. So named from its habit of diving suddenly into the bush.] (Zoöl.) A small South African antelope (Cephalous mergens); -- called also impoon, and deloo.
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Duyoung (?), n. (Zoöl.) See .
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D valve (?). (Mech.) A kind of slide valve. See Slide valve, under .
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Dvergr (?), n.; pl. Dvergar (#). [See .] (Scand. Myth.) A dwarf supposed to dwell in rocks and hills and to be skillful in working metals.
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Dwale (?), n. [OE. dwale, dwole, deception, deadly nightshade, AS. dwala, dwola, error, doubt; akin to E. dull. See , a.] 1. (Bot.) The deadly nightshade (Atropa Belladonna), having stupefying qualities.
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2. (Her.) The tincture sable or black when blazoned according to the fantastic system in which plants are substituted for the tinctures.
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3. A sleeping potion; an opiate. Chaucer.
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Dwang (?), n. [Cf. D. dwingen to force, compel.] 1. (Carp.) A piece of wood set between two studs, posts, etc., to stiffen and support them.
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2. (Mech.) (a) A kind of crowbar. (b) A large wrench. Knight.
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Dwarf (?), n.; pl. Dwarfs (#). [OE. dwergh, dwerf, dwarf, AS. dweorg, dweorh; akin to D. dwerg, MHG. twerc, G. zwerg, Icel. dvergr, Sw. & Dan. dverg; of unknown origin.] 1. An animal or plant which is much below the ordinary size of its species or kind.
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2. Especially: A diminutive human being, small in stature due to a pathological condition which causes a distortion of the proportions of body parts to each other, such as the limbs, torso, and head. A person of unusually small height who has normal body proportions is usually called a midget.
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☞ During the Middle Ages dwarfs as well as fools shared the favor of courts and the nobility.
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3. (Folklore) A small, usually misshapen person, typically a man, who may have magical powers; mythical dwarves were often depicted as living underground in caves.
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Dwarf is used adjectively in reference to anything much below the usual or normal size; as, a dwarf pear tree; dwarf honeysuckle.
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Coloq. Dwarf elder (Bot.), danewort. -- Coloq. Dwarf wall (Arch.), a low wall, not as high as the story of a building, often used as a garden wall or fence. Gwilt.
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Dwarf, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dwarfed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Dwarfing.] To hinder from growing to the natural size; to make or keep small; to stunt. Addison.
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Even the most common moral ideas and affections . . . would be stunted and dwarfed, if cut off from a spiritual background. J. C. Shairp.
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Dwarf, v. i. To become small; to diminish in size.
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Strange power of the world that, the moment we enter it, our great conceptions dwarf. Beaconsfield.
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Dwarfish, a. Like a dwarf; below the common stature or size; very small; petty; as, a dwarfish animal, shrub. -- Dwarfishly, adv. -- Dwarfishness, n.
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Dwarfling (?), n. A diminutive dwarf.
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Dwarfy (?), a. Much undersized. [R.] Waterhouse.

{ Dwaul, Dwaule } (?), v. i. [See , .] To be delirious. [Obs.] Junius.
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Dwell (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Dwelled (?), usually contracted into Dwelt (�); p. pr. & vb. n. Dwelling.] [OE. dwellen, dwelien, to err, linger, AS. dwellan to deceive, hinder, delay, dwelian to err; akin to Icel. dvelja to delay, tarry, Sw. dväljas to dwell, Dan. dvæle to linger, and to E. dull. See , and cf. .] 1. To delay; to linger. [Obs.]
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2. To abide; to remain; to continue.
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I 'll rather dwell in my necessity. Shak.
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Thy soul was like a star and dwelt apart. Wordsworth.
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3. To abide as a permanent resident, or for a time; to live in a place; to reside.
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The parish in which I was born, dwell, and have possessions. Peacham.
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The poor man dwells in a humble cottage near the hall where the lord of the domain resides. C. J. Smith.
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Coloq. To dwell in , to abide in (a place); hence, to depend on. “My hopes in heaven to dwell.” Shak. -- Coloq. To dwell on or Coloq. To dwell upon , to continue long on or in; to remain absorbed with; to stick to; to make much of; as, to dwell upon a subject; a singer dwells on a note.
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They stand at a distance, dwelling on his looks and language, fixed in amazement. Buckminster.

Syn. -- To inhabit; live; abide; sojourn; reside; continue; stay; rest.
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Dwell (?), v. t. To inhabit. [R.] Milton.
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Dweller (?), n. An inhabitant; a resident; as, a cave dweller. “Dwellers at Jerusalem.” Acts i. 19.
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Dwelling, n. Habitation; place or house in which a person lives; abode; domicile.
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Hazor shall be a dwelling for dragons. Jer. xlix. 33.
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God will deign
To visit oft the dwellings of just men. Milton.
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Philip's dwelling fronted on the street. Tennyson.
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Coloq. Dwelling house , a house intended to be occupied as a residence, in distinction from a store, office, or other building. -- Coloq. Dwelling place , place of residence.
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Dwelt (?), imp. & p. p.of .
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Dwindle (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Dwindled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Dwindling (?).] [From OE. dwinen to languish, waste away, AS. dwīnan; akin to LG. dwinen, D. dwijnen to vanish, Icel. dvīna to cease, dwindle, Sw. tvina; of uncertain origin. The suffix -le, preceded by d excrescent after n, is added to the root with a diminutive force.] To diminish; to become less; to shrink; to waste or consume away; to become degenerate; to fall away.
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Weary sennights nine times nine
Shall he dwindle, peak and pine. Shak.
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Religious societies, though begun with excellent intentions,
are said to have dwindled into factious clubs. Swift.
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Dwindle, v. t. 1. To make less; to bring low.
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Our drooping days are dwindled down to naught. Thomson.
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2. To break; to disperse. [R.] Clarendon.
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Dwindle, n. The process of dwindling; dwindlement; decline; degeneracy. [R.] Johnson.
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Dwindlement (?), n. The act or process of dwindling; a dwindling. [R.] Mrs. Oliphant.
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dwindling adj. gradually decreasing until little remains.
Syn. -- tapering, tapering off.
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dwindling n. the act or process of becoming gradually less until little remains; as, there is no greater sadness that the dwindling away of a family.
Syn. -- dwindling away.
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Dwine (?), v. i. [See .] To waste away; to pine; to languish. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Gower.
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Dy n. the chemical symbol for dysprosium, a rare earth element of atomic number 66.
Syn. -- dysprosium.
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Dyad (?), n. [L. dyas, dyadis, the number two. Gr. �: cf. F. dyade. See two, and cf. .] 1. Two units treated as one; a couple; a pair.
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2. (Chem.) An element, atom, or radical having a valence or combining power of two.
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Dyad, a. (Chem.) Having a valence or combining power of two; capable of being substituted for, combined with, or replaced by, two atoms of hydrogen; as, oxygen and calcium are dyad elements. See .
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Dyadic (?), a. [Gr. �, fr. � two.] Pertaining to the number two; of two parts or elements.
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Coloq. Dyadic arithmetic , the same as binary arithmetic.
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Dyaks (?), n. pl.; sing. Dyak. (Ethnol.) The aboriginal and most numerous inhabitants of Borneo. They are partially civilized, but retain many barbarous practices.
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Dyas (?), n. [L. dyas the number two.] (Geol.) A name applied in Germany to the Permian formation, there consisting of two principal groups.
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Dyaus prop. n. (Hinduism) the Hindu god of the sky.
Syn. -- Dyaus-pitar.
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Dyaus-pitar prop. n. (Hinduism) the Hindu god of the sky; same as .
Syn. -- Dyaus.
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dybbuk (dĭbbŭk; Hebrew dēb�k), n.; pl. dybbuks; Hebr. dybbukim (dēb�kēm). (Jewish folklore) the wandering soul of a dead person, or a demon, that enters the body of a living person and controls that body's behavior. It may be exorcised by religious rites.
Syn. -- dibbuk.
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Dye (dī), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dyed (dīd); p. pr. & vb. n. Dyeing.] [OE. deyan, dyen, AS. deágian.] To stain; to color; to give a new and permanent color to, as by the application of dyestuffs.
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Cloth to be dyed of divers colors. Trench.
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The soul is dyed by its thoughts. Lubbock.
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Coloq. To dye in the grain , Coloq. To dye in the wool (Fig.), to dye firmly; to imbue thoroughly.
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He might truly be termed a legitimate son of the revenue system dyed in the wool. Hawthorne.

Syn. -- See .
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Dye, n. 1. Color produced by dyeing.
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2. Material used for dyeing; a dyestuff.
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Dye, n. Same as , a lot. Spenser.
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dyed adj. 1. colored or impregnated with dye. [Narrower terms: dyed-in-the-wool, yarn-dyed; hennaed] undyed
Syn. -- tinted.
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2. having a new color imparted by impregnation with dye; having an artificially produced color; not naturally colored. [Narrower terms: bleached]
Syn. -- colored.
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dyed-in-the-wool adj. 1. thoroughly imbued; thoroughgoing; uncompromising; complete; unmitigated; through-and-through.
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2. dyed before being spun or woven into cloth.
Syn. -- yarn-dyed.
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Dyehouse (?), n. A building in which dyeing is carried on.
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Dyeing (?), n. The process or art of fixing coloring matters permanently and uniformly in the fibers of wool, cotton, etc.
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Dyer (?), n. One whose occupation is to dye cloth and the like.
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Coloq. dyer's rocket , Coloq. Dyer's weed . Same as .
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dyer's broom, dyer's-broom n. small Eurasian shrub (Genista tinctoria) having clusters of yellow flowers that yield a dye; common as weed in England and U.S.; sometimes grown as an ornamental.
Syn. -- woodwaxen, dyer's greenweed, dyer's weed, dyer's rocket, dyeweed, greenweed, whin, woadwaxen, Genista tinctoria.
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Dyestuff (?), n. A material used for dyeing.
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Dyewood (?), n. Any wood from which coloring matter is extracted for dyeing.
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Dying (?), a. 1. In the act of dying; destined to death; mortal; perishable; as, dying bodies.
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2. Of or pertaining to dying or death; as, dying bed; dying day; dying words; also, simulating a dying state.
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Dying, n. The act of expiring; passage from life to death; loss of life.
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Dyingly, adv. In a dying manner; as if at the point of death. Beau. & Fl.
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Dyingness, n. The state of dying or the stimulation of such a state; extreme languor; languishment. [R.]
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Tenderness becomes me best, a sort of dyingness; you see that picture, Foible, -- a swimmingness in the eyes; yes, I'll look so. Congreve.
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Dyke (?), n. See . The spelling dyke is restricted by some to the geological meaning.
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Dynactinometer (?), n. [Gr. � power + E. actinometer.] An instrument for measuring the intensity of the photogenic (light-producing) rays, and computing the power of object glasses.
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Dynam (?), n. [Cf. F. dyname. See .] A unit of measure for dynamical effect or work; a foot pound. See . Whewell.
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Dynameter (?), n. [Gr. � power + -meter: cf. F. dynamètre. Cf. .] 1. A dynamometer.
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2. (Opt.) An instrument for determining the magnifying power of telescopes, consisting usually of a doubleimage micrometer applied to the eye end of a telescope for measuring accurately the diameter of the image of the object glass there formed; which measurement, compared with the actual diameter of the glass, gives the magnifying power.
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Dynametrical (?), a. Pertaining to a dynameter.

{ Dynamic (?), Dynamical (?), } a. [Gr. � powerful, fr. � power, fr. � to be able; cf. L. durus hard, E. dure: cf. F. dynamique.] 1. Of or pertaining to dynamics; belonging to energy or power; characterized by energy or production of force.
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Science, as well as history, has its past to show, -- a past indeed, much larger; but its immensity is dynamic, not divine. J. Martineau.
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The vowel is produced by phonetic, not by dynamic, causes. J. Peile.
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2. Relating to physical forces, effects, or laws; as, dynamical geology.
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As natural science has become more dynamic, so has history. Prof. Shedd.
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Coloq. Dynamical electricity . See under .
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WordNet lists a number of narrower terms for dynamic and dynamical adj. [Narrower terms: can-do; driving; energizing, energising, kinetic; forceful, slashing, vigorous; projectile; propellant, propellent, propelling, propulsive; renascent, resurgent; self-propelled, self-propelling; high-octane, high-powered, high-power, high-voltage]
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Dynamically, adv. In accordance with the principles of dynamics or moving forces. J. Peile.
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dynamic RAM n. [Random Access Memory.] (Computers) a type of using circuits that require periodic refresh cycles in order to retain the stored information. Contrasted to static ram, which maintains the memory state as long as the power is still applied. [acron.] dynamic RAM is cheaper to manufacture, but because of the need for a refresh cycle, is generally slower to access than static RAM. It is usually implemented in integrated rircuit chips containing thousands to millions of bits of information storage capacity, and is commonly used as the main type of memory circuit in personal computers.
Syn. -- DRAM, D-RAM.
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Dynamics (?), n. 1. That branch of mechanics which treats of the motion of bodies (Kinematics) and the action of forces in producing or changing their motion (kinetics). Dynamics is held by some recent writers to include statics and not kinematics.
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2. The moving moral, as well as physical, forces of any kind, or the laws which relate to them.
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3. (Mus.) That department of musical science which relates to, or treats of, the power of tones.
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Dynamism (?), n. [Cf. F. dynamisme. See .] The doctrine of Leibnitz, that all substance involves force.
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Dynamist (?), n. One who accounts for material phenomena by a theory of dynamics.
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Those who would resolve matter into centers of force may be said to constitute the school of dynamists. Ward (Dyn. Sociol. ).
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Dynamitard (?), n. A political dynamiter. [A form found in some newspapers.]
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Dynamite (?), n. [Gr. � power. See .] (Chem.) An explosive substance consisting of nitroglycerin absorbed by some inert, porous solid, as infusorial earth, sawdust, etc. It is safer than nitroglycerin, being less liable to explosion from moderate shocks, or from spontaneous decomposition.
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Dynamiter (?), n. One who uses dynamite; esp., one who uses it for the destruction of life and property.
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Dynamiting (?), n. Destroying by dynamite, for political ends.
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Dynamiting is not the American way. The Century.
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Dynamitism (?), n. The work of dynamiters.
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Dynamization (?), [Gr. � power. See .] (Homeop.) The act of setting free the dynamic powers of a medicine, as by shaking the bottle containing it.
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Dynamo (?), n. A dynamo-electric machine.
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Dynamo-electric (?), a. [Gr. � power + E. electric. See .] Pertaining to the development of electricity, especially electrical currents, by power; producing electricity or electrical currents by mechanical power.
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Dynamograph (?), n. [Gr. � power + -graph. See .] (Physiol.) A dynamometer to which is attached a device for automatically registering muscular power.
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Dynamometer (?), n. [Cf. F. dynamomètre. See .] An apparatus for measuring force or power; especially, muscular effort of men or animals, or the power developed by a motor, or that required to operate machinery.
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☞ It usually embodies a spring to be compressed or weight to be sustained by the force applied, combined with an index, or automatic recorder, to show the work performed.

{ Dynamometric (?), Dynamometrical (?), } a. Relating to a dynamometer, or to the measurement of force doing work; as, dynamometrical instruments.
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Dynamometry (?), n. The art or process of measuring forces doing work.
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Dynast (?), n. [L. dynastes, Gr. �, fr. � to be able or strong: cf. F. dynaste. See .] 1. A ruler; a governor; a prince.
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2. A dynasty; a government. [Obs.]
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Dynasta (?), n. [NL. See .] A tyrant. [Obs.] Milton.
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Dynastic (?), a. [Gr. � of a dynast, fr. �: cf. F. dunastique.] Of or relating to a dynasty or line of kings. Motley.
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Dynastical (?), a. Dynastic.
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Dynastidan (?), n. [Gr. �, fem. of �. See . The name alludes to the immense size of some species.] (Zoöl.) One of a group of gigantic, horned beetles, including Dynastus Neptunus, and the Hercules beetle (Dynastus Hercules) of tropical America, which grow to be six inches in length.
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