Dictionary: DROP'-STONE – DROWN'ING

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DROP'-STONE, n.

Spar in the shape of drops. – Woodward.

DROP'SY, n. [L. hydrops; Gr. ὑδρωψ, from ὑδωρ, water, and ωψ, the face. Formerly written hydropisy; whence by contraction, dropsy.]

In medicine, an unnatural collection of water, in any part of the body, proceeding from a greater effusion of serum by the exhalent arteries, than the absorbents take up. It occurs most frequently in persons of lax habits, or in bodies debilitated by disease. The dropsy takes different names, according to the part affected; as, ascites, or dropsy of the abdomen; hydrocephalus, or water in the head; anasarca, or a watery swelling over the whole body, &c. – Encyc.

DROP'-WORT, n.

The name of a plant, the Spiræa filipendula. The hemlock drop-wort, and the water drop-wort, are species of Œnanthe.

DRO-SOM'E-TER, n. [Gr. δροσος, dew, and μετρον, measure.]

An instrument for measuring the quantity of dew on the surface of a body in the open air.

DROSS, n. [Sax. dros; D. droes; G. druse, strangles, glanders; D. droessem, G. drusen, dregs; perhaps from rejecting or throwing off.]

  1. The recrement or despumation of metals; the scum or extraneous matter of metals, thrown off in the process of melting.
  2. Rust; crust of metals; an incrustation formed on metals by oxydation. – Addison.
  3. Waste matter; refuse; any worthless matter separated from the better part; impure matter. The world's glory is but dross unclean. – Spenser.

DROSS'I-NESS, n.

Foulness; rust; impurity; a state of being drossy. – Boyle.

DROSS'LESS, a.

Free from dross. – Stevens.

DROSS'Y, a.

  1. Like dross; pertaining to dross.
  2. Full of dross; abounding with scorious or recrementitious matter; as, drossy gold.
  3. Worthless; foul; impure. – Donne.

DROTCH'EL, n.

An idle wench; a sluggard. [Not in use.]

DROUGHT, n. [See DROUTH.]

DROUGHT'I-NESS, n.

Drouthiness.

DROUGHT'Y, a.

Drouthy.

DROUM'Y, a.

Troubled; dirty. [Obs.] Bacon. [Chaucer has drovy.]

DROUTH, n. [contracted from Sax. drugothe, D. droogte, from drigan or drygan, to dry. See Dry. This is usually written drought, after the Belgic dialect; but improperly. The word generally used is now, as it was written by Bacon, drouth or drowth; its regular termination is th.]

  1. Dryness; want of rain or of water; particularly, dryness of the weather, which affects the earth, and prevents the growth of plants; aridness; aridity. – Temple. Bacon.
  2. Dryness of the throat and mouth; thirst; want of drink. – Milton.

DROUTH'I-NESS, n.

A state of dryness of the weather; want of rain.

DROUTH'Y, a.

  1. Dry, as the weather; arid; wanting rain.
  2. Thirsty; dry; wanting drink.

DROVE, n. [Sax. draf; from drive.]

  1. A collection of cattle driven; a number of animals, as oxen, sheep or swine, driven in a body. We speak of a herd of cattle, and a flock of sheep, when a number is collected; but properly a drove is a herd or flock driven. It is applicable to any species of brutes. Hence,
  2. Any collection of irrational animals, moving or driving forward; as, a finny drove. – Milton.
  3. A crowd of people in motion. Where droves, as at a city gate, may pass. – Dryden.
  4. A road for driving cattle. [English.]

DROVE, v. [pret. of Drive.]

DROV'ER, n.

  1. One who drives cattle or sheep to market. Usually in New England, a man who makes it his business to purchase fat cattle and drive them to market.
  2. A boat driven by the tide. – Spenser.

DROWN, v.i.

To be suffocated in water or other fluid; to perish in water. Methought what pain it was to drown. – Shak.

DROWN, v.t. [Dan. drugner; Sw. dränckia; Sax. adrencan, to drown, to drench; from the root of drench and drink.]

  1. Literally, to overwhelm in water; and appropriately, to extinguish life by immersion in water or other fluid; applied to animals: also, to suspend animation by submersion.
  2. To overwhelm in water; as, to drown weeds.
  3. To overflow; to deluge; to inundate; as, to drown land.
  4. To immerse; to plunge and lose; to overwhelm; as, to drown one's self in sensual pleasure.
  5. To overwhelm; to overpower. My private voice is drowned amid the senate. – Addison.

DROWN'ED, n.

He or that which drowns.

DROWN'ED, pp.

Deprived of life by immersion in a fluid; overflowed; inundated; overwhelmed.

DROWN'ING, a.

Perishing in water, as a drowning man.

DROWN'ING, ppr.

Destroying life by submersion in a liquid; overflowing; overwhelming.