| diagraph | A drawing instrument, combining a protractor and scale. Origin: Gr. To draw: cf. F. Diagraphe. See Diagram. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
|---|---|
| diagraphic | Alternative form of descriptive. Origin: Cf. F. Diagraphique. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| diagraphical | Alternative form of descriptive. Origin: Cf. F. Diagraphique. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| diagraphics | The art or science of descriptive drawing; especially, the art or science of drawing by mechanical appliances and mathematical rule. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| diaheliotropic | <botany> Relating or, or manifesting, diaheliotropism. Origin: Gr. Through, at variance + sun + turning. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| diaheliotropism | <botany> A tendency of leaves or other organs of plants to have their dorsal surface faced towards the rays of light. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| diakinesis | The final stage of the first prophase of meiosis. The chromosomes condense to their greatest extent during this stage and normally the nucleolus disappears and the fragments of the nuclear envelope disperse. (18 Nov 1997) |
| dial | 1. An instrument, formerly much used for showing the time of day from the shadow of a style or gnomon on a graduated arc or surface; especially, a sundial; but there are lunar and astral dials. The style or gnomon is usually parallel to the earth's axis, but the dial plate may be either horizontal or vertical. 2. The graduated face of a timepiece, on which the time of day is shown by pointers or hands. 3. A miner's compass. <zoology> Dial bird, an Indian bird (Copsychus saularius), allied to the European robin. The name is also given to other related species. Dial lock, a lock provided with one or more plates having numbers or letters upon them. These plates must be adjusted in a certain determined way before the lock can be operated. Dial plate, the plane or disk of a dial or timepiece on which lines and figures for indicating the time are placed. Origin: LL. Dialis daily, fr. L. Dies day. See Deity. 1. To measure with a dial. "Hours of that true time which is dialed in heaven." (Talfourd) 2. <chemical> To survey with a dial. Origin: Dialed or Dialled; Dialing or Dialling. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| dial manometer | aneroid manometer |
| dialect | 1. Means or mode of expressing thoughts; language; tongue; form of speech. "This book is writ in such a dialect As may the minds of listless men affect. Bunyan. The universal dialect of the world." (South) 2. The form of speech of a limited region or people, as distinguished from ether forms nearly related to it; a variety or subdivision of a language; speech characterised by local peculiarities or specific circumstances; as, the Ionic and Attic were dialects of Greece; the Yorkshire dialect; the dialect of the learned. "In the midst of this Babel of dialects there suddenly appeared a standard English language." (Earle) "[Charles V] could address his subjects from every quarter in their native dialect." (Prescott) Synonym: Language, idiom, tongue, speech, phraseology. See Language, and Idiom. Origin: F. Dialecte, L. Dialectus, fr. Gr, fr. To converse, discourse. See Dialogue. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| dialectics | That branch of logic which teaches the rules and modes of reasoning; the application of logical principles to discursive reasoning; the science or art of discriminating truth from error; logical discussion. Dialectics was defined by Aristotle to be the method of arguing with probability on any given problem, and of defending a tenet without inconsistency. By Plato, it was used in the following senses: 1. Discussion by dialogue as a method of scientific investigation. 2. The method of investigating the truth by analysis. 3. The science of ideas or of the nature and laws of being higher metaphysics. By Kant, it was employed to signify the logic of appearances or illusions, whether these arise from accident or error, or from those necessary limitations which, according to this philosopher, originate in the constitution of the human intellect. Origin: L. Dialectica (sc. Ars), Gr. (sc): cf. F. Dialectique. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| dialectology | <study> That branch of philology which is devoted to the consideration of dialects. Origin: Dialect. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| Dialister | An obsolete genus of bacteria, the type species of which, Dialister pneumosintes, is now placed in the genus Bacteroides. (05 Mar 2000) |
| diallage | <chemical> A dark green or bronze-coloured laminated variety of pyroxene, common in certain igneous rocks. Origin: Gr. Change, alluding to the change and inequality of luster between the natural joints of the mineral. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| diallel | Meeting and intersecting, as lines; not parallel; opposed to parallel. Origin: Gr. Crossing. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |