| divi-divi | <botany> A small tree of tropical America (Caesalpinia coriaria), whose legumes contain a large proportion of tannic and gallic acid, and are used by tanners and dyers. Origin: Native name. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| divicine | A base with alkaloidal properties present in Lathyrus sativus which is responsible, in part at least, for the latter's poisonous action. See: lathyrism. (05 Mar 2000) |
| divide | 1. To part asunder (a whole); to sever into two or more parts or pieces; to sunder; to separate into parts. "Divide the living child in two." (1 Kings III. 25) 2. To cause to be separate; to keep apart by a partition, or by an imaginary line or limit; as, a wall divides two houses; a stream divides the towns. "Let it divide the waters from the waters." (Gen. I. 6) 3. To make partition of among a number; to apportion, as profits of stock among proprietors; to give in shares; to distribute; to mete out; to share. "True justice unto people to divide." (Spenser) "Ye shall divide the land by lot." (Num. Xxxiii. 54) 4. To disunite in opinion or interest; to make discordant or hostile; to set at variance. "If a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom can not stand." (Mark III. 24) "Every family became now divided within itself." (Prescott) 5. To separate into two parts, in order to ascertain the votes for and against a measure; as, to divide a legislative house upon a question. 6. <mathematics> To subject to arithmetical division. 7. <logic> To separate into species; said of a genus or generic term. 8. <mechanics> To mark divisions on; to graduate; as, to divide a sextant. 9. To play or sing in a florid style, or with variations. Synonym: To sever, dissever, sunder, cleave, disjoin, disunite, detach, disconnect, part, distribute, share. Origin: L. Dividere, divisum; di- = dis- + root signifying to part; cf. Skr. Vyadh to pierce; perh. Akin to L. Vidua widow, and E. Widow. Cf. Device, Devise. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| divided | Referring to the blade of a leaf when it is cut into distinct divisions to, or almost to, the midvein. (09 Oct 1997) |
| divided dose | A definite fraction of a full dose; given repeatedly at short intervals so that the full dose is taken within a specified period, usually one day. Synonym: fractional dose. (05 Mar 2000) |
| divided spectacles | An early form of bifocal spectacles in which the lower half of the lens is for near vision, the upper half for distant vision. Synonym: divided spectacles. (05 Mar 2000) |
| dividend | 1. A sum of money to be divided and distributed; the share of a sum divided that falls to each individual; a distribute sum, share, or percentage; applied to the profits as appropriated among shareholders, and to assets as apportioned among creditors; as, the dividend of a bank, a railway corporation, or a bankrupt estate. 2. <mathematics> A number or quantity which is to be divided. Origin: L. Dividendum thing to be divided, neut. Of the gerundive of dividere: cf. F. Dividende. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| divider | 1. One who, or that which, divides; that which separates anything into parts. 2. One who deals out to each his share. "Who made me a judge or a divider over you?" (Luke xii. 14) 3. One who, or that which, causes division. "Hate is of all things the mightiest divider." (Milton) "Money, the great divider of the world." (Swift) 4. An instrument for dividing lines, describing circles, etc, compasses. See Compasses. The word dividers is usually applied to the instrument as made for the use of draughtsmen, etc.; compasses to the coarser instrument used by carpenters. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| dividing | That divides; separating; marking divisions; graduating. Dividing engine, a machine for graduating circles (as for astronomical instruments) or bars (as for scales); also, for spacing off and cutting teeth in wheels. Dividing sinker. <machinery> . See Sinker. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| dividingly | By division. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| divine | 1. Of or belonging to God; as, divine perfections; the divine will. "The immensity of the divine nature." 2. Proceeding from God; as, divine judgments. "Divine protection." 3. Appropriated to God, or celebrating his praise; religious; pious; holy; as, divine service; divine songs; divine worship. 4. Pertaining to, or proceeding from, a deity; partaking of the nature of a god or the gods. "The divine Apollo said." 5. Godlike; heavenly; excellent in the highest degree; supremely admirable; apparently above what is human. In this application, the word admits of comparison; as, the divinest mind. Sir J. Davies. "The divine Desdemona." "A divine sentence is in the lips of the king." (Prov. Xvi. 10) "But not to one in this benighted age Is that diviner inspiration given." (Gray) 6. Presageful; foreboding; prescient. "Yet oft his heart, divine of something ill, Misgave him." (Milton) 7. Relating to divinity or theology. "Church history and other divine learning." (South) Synonym: Supernatural, superhuman, godlike, heavenly, celestial, pious, holy, sacred, preeminent. Origin: F. Divin, L. Divinus divine, divinely inspired, fr. Divus, dius, belonging to a deity; akin to Gr, and L. Deus, God. See Deity. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| divineress | A woman who divines. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| diving | That dives or is used or diving. <zoology> Diving beetle, any beetle of the family Dytiscidae, which habitually lives under water; called also water tiger. Diving bell, a hollow inverted vessel, sometimes bell-shaped, in which men may descend and work under water, respiration being sustained by the compressed air at the top, by fresh air pumped in through a tube from above. Diving dress. See Submarine armor. Diving stone, a kind of jasper. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| diving goiter | A freely movable goiter that is sometimes above and sometimes below the sternal notch. Synonym: wandering goiter. (05 Mar 2000) |
| diving reflex | A reflex by which immersing the face or body in water, especially cold water, tends to cause bradycardia and peripheral vasoconstriction; mean aortic pressure is little affected because the reduction in cardiac output tends to balance the increased peripheral resistance that reduces peripheral blood flow. Although relatively minor in most humans, the changes can be profound in some diving species of animal, e.g., ducks and seals. (05 Mar 2000) |