Emily Dickinson Lexicon

DAB'BLING-LY, adv.

In a dabbling manner.

DAB'CHICK, n. [dab or dip, and chick.]

A small waterfowl.

DAB'STER, n. [Qu. from adept, with ster, Sax. steoran, to steer.]

One who is skilled; one who is expert; a master of his business. [Not an elegant word. See Dapper.]

DA-CAPO, adv. [It.]

In music, a direction to close with the first strain.

DACE, n. [D. daas. Qu. Fr. vendoise.]

A fish, the Cyprinus leuciscus; a small river fish, resembling the roach. Walton.

DAC'TYL, n. [Gr. δακτυλος, a finger; L. dactylus; probably a shoot. See Digit.]

A poetical foot consisting of three syllables, the first long, and the others short, like the joints of a finger; as, tēgmĭnĕ, cārmĭnĕ.

DAC'TYL-AR, a.

Pertaining to a dactyl; reducing from three to two syllables. Scott's Essays.

DAC'TYL-ET, n.

A dactyl. Bp. Hall.

DAC'TYL-IC, a.

Pertaining to or consisting of dactyls; as, dactylic verses; a dactylic flute, a flute consisting of unequal intervals. Encyc.

DAC'TYL-IST, n. [from dactyl.]

One who writes flowing verse. Warton.

DAC-TYL'O-GLYPH, n. [Gr. δακτυλος, finger, and γλυφω, to engraph.]

An engrapher of stones for finger rings. Elmes.

DAC-TYL-OG'RA-PHY, n. [Gr. δακτυλος, and γραφω, to write.]

A description of engraved finger rings and precious stones.

DAC-TYL-OL'O-GY, n. [Gr. δακτυλος, finger, and λογος, discourse.]

1. The act or the art of communicating ideas or thoughts by the fingers. Deaf and dumb persons acquire a wonderful dexterity in this art.
2. The science which treats of the history and qualities of finger rings. Elmes.

DAC-TYL'O-MAN-CY, n. [Gr. δακτυλος, and μαντικη, divination.]

Divination by finger rings. Elmes.

DAD, or DAD'DY, n. [W. tad; Ir. taid; Arm. tad; Corn. tad or taz; ancient L. tata; Port. taita; Gypsy, dad, dada; Sans. tada; Hindoo dada; Russ. tiatia; Finn. taat.]

Father; a word used by infants, from whom it is taken. The first articulations of infants or young children are dental or labial; dental, in tad, dad, and labial, in mamma, papa.

DAD'DLE, v.i.

To walk with tottering, like a child or an old man. [Little used.]

DADE, v.t.

To hold up by leading strings. [Little used.] Drayton.

DA'DO, n. [Ital. a die.]

The plain part of a column between the base and the cornice; the die. Dict. Or cubical base of a column. Thomson.

DAE'DAL, a. [DÆ'DAL. L. Dædalus, Gr. Δαιδαλος, an ingenious artist.]

1. Various; variegated. Spenser.
2. Skillful.

DAE-DA'LI-AN, a. [DÆ-DA'LI-AN. See DEDALIAN.]

DAFF, or DAFFE, n. [Ice. dauf, allied to deaf.]

A stupid blockish fellow. [Obs.] Chaucer.

DAFF, v.t.¹

To daunt. [Local.] Grose.

DAFF, v.t.²

To toss aside; to put off. [See Doff.] Shak.

DAF'FO-DIL, n. [D. affodille; G. doppelte narcisse, double narcissus; It. asfodillo; Fr. asphodele; L. asphodelus; Gr. ασφοδελος.]

A plant of the genus Narcissus, of several species. These have a bulbous root, and beautiful flowers of various colors, white, yellow and purple. Encyc.

DAG, n.¹ [Fr. dague, from thrusting.]

A dagger; a hand-gun; a pistol. [Not in use.] Burton.