| dis- | 1. <prefix> A prefix from the Latin, whence F. Des, or sometimes de-, dis-. The Latin dis- appears as di- before b, d, g, l, m, n, r, v, becomes dif- before f, and either dis- or di- before j. It is from the same root as bis twice, and duo, E. Two. See Two, and cf. Bi-, Di-, Dia-. Dis- denotes separation, a parting from, as in distribute, disconnect; hence it often has the force of a privative and negative, as in disarm, disoblige, disagree. Also intensive, as in dissever. Walker's rule of pronouncing this prefix is, that the s ought always to be pronounced like z, when the next syllable is accented and begins with "a flat mute [b, d, v, g, z], a liquid [l, m, n, r], or a vowel; as, disable, disease, disorder, disuse, disband, disdain, disgrace, disvalue, disjoin, dislike, dislodge, dismay, dismember, dismiss, dismount, disnatured, disrank, disrelish, disrobe." Dr. Webster's example in disapproving of Walker's rule and pronouncing dis- as diz in only one (disease) of the above words, is followed by recent orthoepists. See Disable, Disgrace, and the other words, beginning with dis-, in this Dictionary. 2. A prefix from Gr. Twice. See Di-. (29 Oct 1998) |
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| water can | <botany> Any one of several species of Nuphar; the yellow frog lily; so called from the shape of the seed vessel. See Nuphar, and cf. Candock. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| watering-can scrotum | Urinary fistulas in scrotum and perineum, resulting from disease of the perineal urethra. (05 Mar 2000) |
| REP | <radiobiology, unit> A roentgen equivalent physical is a unit of absorbed radiation approximately equivalent to a roentgen, an international unit of x- or gamma-radiation. An obsolete unit of measurement; that quantity of ionizing radiation of any kind which, upon absorption by living tissue, produces an energy gain per gram of tissue equivalent to that produced by 1 roentgen of X-rays or gamma-rays. Acronym: rep See: rad. (05 Mar 2000) |
| rep protein | <protein> A protein that triggers a plasmid's replication. An acronym for Repetitive Extragenic Palindromicprotein, this protein is an enzyme produced by a mutant strain of E. Coli that unwinds the DNA helix. (09 Oct 1997) |
| rep-silver | Money anciently paid by servile tenants to their lord, in lieu of the customary service of reaping his corn or grain. See: Reap. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |