| dicta- | <prefix> Prefix used to signify two hundred. Origin: G. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| dictamnus | <botany> A suffrutescent, D. Fraxinella (the only species), with strong perfume and showy flowers. The volatile oil of the leaves is highly inflammable. Origin: L. See Dittany. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| dictatress | A woman who dictates or commands. "Earth's chief dictatress, ocean's mighty queen." (Byron) Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| diction | Choice of words for the expression of ideas; the construction, disposition, and application of words in discourse, with regard to clearness, accuracy, variety, etc.; mode of expression; language; as, the diction of Chaucer's poems. "His diction blazes up into a sudden explosion of prophetic grandeur." (De Quincey) Synonym: Diction, Style, Phraseology. Style relates both to language and thought; diction, to language only; phraseology, to the mechanical structure of sentences, or the mode in which they are phrased. The style of Burke was enriched with all the higher graces of composition; his diction was varied and copious; his phraseology, at times, was careless and cumbersome. "Diction is a general term applicable alike to a single sentence or a connected composition. Errors in grammar, false construction, a confused disposition of words, or an improper application of them, constitute bad diction; but the niceties, the elegancies, the peculiarities, and the beauties of composition, which mark the genius and talent of the writer, are what is comprehended under the name of style." Origin: L. Dicto a saying, a word, fr. Dicere, dictum, to say; akin to dicare to proclaim, and to E. Teach, token: cf. F. Diction. See Teach, and cf. Benison, Dedicate, Index, Judge, Preach, Vengeance. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| dictionalrian | A lexicographer. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| dictionary | 1. A book containing the words of a language, arranged alphabetically, with explanations of their meanings; a lexicon; a vocabulary; a wordbook. "I applied myself to the perusal of our writers; and noting whatever might be of use to ascertain or illustrate any word or phrase, accumulated in time the materials of a dictionary." (Johnson) 2. Hence, a book containing the words belonging to any system or province of knowledge, arranged alphabetically; as, a dictionary of medicine or of botany; a biographical dictionary. Origin: Cf. F. Dictionnaire. See Diction. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| dictyocaulus | Nematodes parasitic in the bronchi of herbivorous animals. (12 Dec 1998) |
| dictyocaulus infections | Infection with nematodes of the genus dictyocaulus. In deer, cattle, sheep, and horses the bronchi are the site of infestation. (12 Dec 1998) |
| dictyogen | <botany> A plant with netveined leaves, and monocotyledonous embryos, belonging to the class Dictyogenae, proposed by Lindley for the orders Dioscoreaceae, Smilaceae, Trilliaceae, etc. Origin: Gr. A net + -gen. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| dictyoma | <tumour> A benign tumour of the ciliary epithelium with a net-like structure resembling embryonic retina. Origin: G. Dikyton, net (retina), + -oma, tumour (05 Mar 2000) |
| dictyosome | <cell biology> Organelle found in plant cells and functionally equivalent to the Golgi apparatus of animal cells. Origin: Gr. Soma = body (18 Nov 1997) |
| dictyosteliida | An order of protozoa characterised by their ability to aggregate to form multicellular pseudoplasmodium, which give rise to a multispored fruiting body. A stalk tube is present. (12 Dec 1998) |
| Dictyostelium | <botany> A genus of the Acrasidae, the cellular slime moulds. (18 Nov 1997) |
| dictyotene | Prolonged diplotene of meiosis: the stage at which oocyte nuclei remain during yolk production. (18 Nov 1997) |