Emily Dickinson Lexicon
Dictionary: DIL'A-TO-RI-NESS – DI-LU'VI-ATE
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DIL'A-TO-RI-NESS, n. [from dilatory. The quality of being dilatory or late; lateness; slowness in motion; delay in proceeding; tardiness.]
DIL'A-TO-RY, a. [Fr. dilatoire; It. dilatorio; Low L. dilatorius, from differo, dilatus. See Delay, and Dilate.]
- Literally, drawing out or extending in time: hence, slow; late; tardy; applied to things; as, dilatory councils or measures.
- Given to procrastination; not proceeding with diligence; making delay; slow; late; applied to persons; as, a dilatory messenger. A man is dilatory when he delays attendance, or performance of business, beyond the proper time.
- In law, intended to make delay; tending to delay; as, a dilatory plea, which is designed or which tends to delay the trial of a cause. – Blackstone.
DI-LEC'TION, n. [L. dilectio.]
A loving. – Martin.
DI-LEM'MA, n. [Gr. διλημμα, a syllogism which strikes on each side; δις and λημμα, an assumption, from λαμβανω, to take.]
- In logic, an argument equally conclusive by contrary suppositions. A young rhetorician said to an old sophist: “Instruct me in pleading, and I will pay you, when I gain a cause.” The master sued for the reward, and the scholar endeavored to elude the claim by a dilemma. If I gain my cause, I shall withhold your pay, because the award of the judge will be against you. If I lose it, I may withhold it, because I shall not yet have gained a cause.” The master replied: “If you gain your cause, you must pay me, because you are to pay me, when you gain a cause; if you lose it, you must pay me, because the judge will award it.” – Johnson.
- A difficult or doubtful choice; a state of things in which evils or obstacles present themselves on every side, and it is difficult to determine what course to pursue. A strong dilemma in a desperate case! / To act with infamy, or quit the place. – Swift.
DIL-ET-TAN'TE, n. [It.]
An admirer or lover of the fine arts; one who delights in promoting science or the fine arts. – Burke.
DIL'I-GENCE, n. [L. diligentia, from diligo, to love earnestly; di and lego, to choose.]
- Steady application in business of any kind; constant effort to accomplish what is undertaken; exertion of body or mind without unnecessary delay or sloth; due attention; industry; assiduity. Diligence s the philosopher's stone that turns every thing to gold. Brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure. – 2 Pet. i.
- Care; heed; heedfulness. Keep thy heart with all diligence. – Prov. iv.
- The name of a stage-coach, used in France.
DIL'I-GENT, a. [L. diligens.]
- Steady in application to business; constant in effort or exertion to accomplish what is undertaken; assiduous; attentive; industrious; not idle or negligent; applied to persons. Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings. – Prov. xxii.
- Steadily applied; prosecuted with care and constant effort; careful; assiduous; as, make diligent search. The judges shall make diligent inquisition. – Judges xix.
DIL'I-GENT-LY, adv.
With steady application and care; with industry or assiduity; not carelessly; not negligently. Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God. – Deut. vi.
DILL, n. [Sax. dil, dile; Sw. dill; Dan. dild; D. dille; G. dill.]
An annual plant of the genus Anethum, the seeds of which are moderately warming, pungent and aromatic.
DI-LU'CID, a. [L. dilucidus.]
Clear. [Not in use.]
DI-LU'CI-DATE, v.t.
To make clear. [Not in use. See Elucidate.]
DI-LU-CID-A'TION, n.
The act of making clear.
DI-LU'CID-LY, adv.
Clearly.
DIL'U-ENT, a. [L. diluens. See Dilute.]
- Making liquid or more fluid; making thin; attenuating.
- Weakening the strength of, by mixture with water.
DIL'U-ENT, n.
- That which thins or attenuates; that which makes more liquid.
- That which weakens the strength of; as water, which, mixed with wine or spirit, reduces the strength of it.
DI-LUTE', a.
Thin; attenuated; reduced in strength, as spirit or color. – Newton.
DI-LUTE', v.t. [L. diluo, dilutus; di, dis, and lavo, luo, to wash, contracted from lago or lugo. See Deluge.]
- Literally, to wash; but appropriately, to render liquid, or more liquid; to make thin, or more fluid. Thus sirup or melasses is made thin or more liquid by an admixture with water; and the water is said to dilute it. Hence,
- To weaken, as spirit or an acid, by an admixture of water, which renders the spirit or acid less concentrated. Thus, we dilute spirit, wine or a decoction, by adding to it water.
- To make weak or weaker, as color, by mixture. – Newton.
- To weaken; to reduce the strength or standard of; as, to dilute virtue. – Milner.
DI-LUT'ED, pp.
Made liquid; rendered more fluid; weakened, made thin, as liquids.
DI-LU'TED-LY, adv.
In a diluted form.
DI-LUT'ER, n.
That which makes thin, or more liquid.
DI-LUT-ING, ppr.
Making thin or more liquid; weakening.
DI-LU'TION, n.
The act of making thin, weak, or more liquid. Opposite to dilution is coagulation or thickening. – Arbuthnot.
DI-LU'VIAL, or DI-LU'VI-AN, a. [L. diluvium, a deluge, from diluo. See Dilute.]
- Pertaining to a flood or deluge, more especially to the deluge in Noah's days.
- Effected or produced by a deluge, particularly by the great flood in the days of Noah. Buckland.
DI-LU'VI-AL-IST, n.
One who explains geological phenomena by the deluge. – Lyell.
DI-LU'VI-ATE, v.t.
To run as a flood. [Not much used.] – Sandys.