Dictionary: DI'O-CE-SAN – DIPH'THONG

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DI'O-CE-SAN, n.

A bishop; one in possession of a diocese, and having the ecclesiastical jurisdiction over it.

DI'O-CESE, n. [Gr. διοκησις, administration, a province or jurisdiction; δια and οικησις, residence; οικεω, to dwell; οικος, a house. Diocess is a very erroneous orthography.]

The circuit or extent of a bishop's jurisdiction; an ecclesiastical division of a kingdom or state, subject to the authority of a bishop. In England there are two provinces or circuits of archbishop's jurisdiction, Canterbury and York. The province of Canterbury contains twenty-one dioceses, and that of York three, besides the Isle of Man. Every diocese is divided into archdeaconries, of which there are sixty; and each archdeaconry, into rural deaneries; and every deanery, into parishes. – Blackstone. A diocese was originally a division of the Roman empire for the purpose of civil government, a prefecture. But the term, is now exclusively appropriated to ecclesiastical jurisdiction. – Encyc.

DI-OC-TA-HE'DRAL, a. [dis and octahedral.]

In crystalography, having the form of an octahedral prism with tetrahedral summits. – Cleaveland.

DI'O-DON, n.

The sun-fish; a genus of fishes of a singular form, appearing like the fore part of the body of a deep fish amputated in the middle. – Dict. Nat. Hist.

DI-OIC'OUS, a.

Diecian, – which see.

DI'O-MEDE, n.

An aquatic fowl of the web-footed kind, about the size of a common domestic hen, but its neck and legs much longer. – Dict. Nat. Hist.

DI-ON'TE, n.

A variety of trap-rock, composed of feldspar and amphibole.

DI-OP'SIDE, n. [Gr. διοψις.]

A rare mineral, regarded by Haüy as a variety of augite, and called by Jameson a subspecies of oblique-edged augite, occurring in prismatic crystals, of a vitreous luster, and of a pale green, or a greenish or yellowish white. The variety with four-sided prisms has been called Mussite, from Mussa in Piedmont. It resembles the Sahlite. – Cleaveland.

DI-OP'TASE, n.

Emerald copper ore, a translucent mineral, occurring crystalized in six-sided prisms. – Cyc.

DI-OP'TRIC, or DI-OP'TRICAL, a. [Gr. διοπτρικος, from διοπτομαι, to see through; δια and οπτομαι, to see.]

  1. Affording a medium for the sight; assisting the sight in the view of distant objects; as, a dioptric glass. – Boyle.
  2. Pertaining to dioptrics, or the science of refracted light.

DI-OP'TRICS, n.

That part of optics which treats of the refractions of light passing through different mediums, as through air, water or glass. – Harris.

DI-O-RA'MA, n. [Gr. δια and οραμα, from οραω.]

An exhibition of paintings, so arranged as to receive shades of light and various hues, by means of movable blinds. – Maunder.

DI-O-RAM'IC, a.

Pertaining to diorama.

DI'O-RISM, n. [Gr. διορισμα.]

Definition. [Rarely used.] – More.

DI-O-RIS'TIC, a.

Distinguishing; defining. [Rarely used.]

DI-O-RIS'TIC-AL-LY, adv.

In a distinguishing manner. [Rarely used.]

DI-OR'THO-SIS, n. [Gr.]

A surgical operation, by which crooked or distorted limbs are restored to their proper shape.

DI-OS-POL'IT-AN, a.

Pertaining to Diospolis, a city in Egypt, called also Thebes. – Gliddon.

DI-O'TA, n. [L. and Gr.]

In ancient sculpture, a sort of vase with two handles, used for wine. – Elmes.

DIP, n.

Inclination downward; a sloping; a direction below a horizontal line; depression; as, the dip of the needle. The dip of a stratum, in geology, is its greatest inclination to the horizon, or that on a line perpendicular to its direction or course; called also the pitch. – Cyc.

DIP, v.i.

  1. To sink; to immerse in a liquid. – L'Estrange.
  2. To enter; to pierce. – Granville.
  3. To engage; to take a concern; as, to dip into the funds.
  4. To enter slightly; to look cursorily, or here and there; as, to dip into a volume of history. – Pope.
  5. To choose by chance; to thrust and take. – Dryden.
  6. To incline downward; as, the magnetic needle dips. [See Dipping.]

DIP, v.t. [pret. and pp. dipped or dipt; Sax. dippan; Goth. daupyan; D. doopen; G. tupfen; Sw. döpa, doppa; Dan. dypper; It. tuffare; Russ. toplyu; Gr. δυπτω; allied probably to dive, Heb. Ch. טבע. The primary sense is to thrust or drive, for the same word in Syr. and Ar. signifies to stamp or impress a mark, Gr. τυποω, whence type; and τυπτω, to strike, Eng. tap, seems to be of the same family. Class Db, No. 28.]

  1. To plunge or immerse, for a moment or short time, in water or other liquid substance; to put into a fluid and withdraw. The priest shall dip his finger in the blood. – Lev. iv. Let him dip his foot in oil. – Deut. xxxiii. One dip the pencil, and one string the lyre. – Pope.
  2. To take with a ladle or other vessel by immersing it in a fluid; as, to dip water from a boiler; often with out, as to dip out water.
  3. To engage; to take concern; used intransitively, but the passive participle is used. He was a little dipt in the rebellion of the commons. – Dryden.
  4. To engage as a pledge; to mortgage. [Little used.] – Dryden.
  5. To moisten; to wet. [Unusual.] – Milton.
  6. To baptize by immersion.

DIP'-CHICK, n.

A small bird that dives.

DI-PET'A-LOUS, a. [Gr. δις and πεταλον, a leaf or petal.]

Having two flower-leaves or petals; two-petaled. – Martyn.

DIPH'THONG, n. [Gr. διφθογγος; δις and φθογγος, sound; L. diphthongus.]

A coalition or union of two vowels pronounced in one syllable. In uttering a diphthong, both vowels are pronounced; the sound is not simple, but the two sounds are so blended as to be considered as forming one syllable, as in joy, noise, bound, out. [The pronunciation dipthong is vulgar.]