Dictionary: DIC'TION – DIE

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DIC'TION, n. [L. dictio, from dico, to speak. Class Dg.]

Expression of ideas by words; style; manner of expression. – Dryden.

DIC'TION-A-RY, n. [Fr. dictionnaire; It. dizionario; Sp. diccionario; from L. dictio, a word, or a speaking.]

A book containing the words of a language arranged in alphabetical order, with explanations of their meanings; a lexicon. – Johnson.

DIC'TUM, n. [L.]

A saying or assertion.

DID, v. [pret. of Do, contracted from doed. I did, thou didst, he did; we did, you or ye did, they did.]

Have ye not read what David did when be was hungry? – Matth. xii. The proper signification is, made, executed, performed; but it is used also to express the state of health. And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to know how Esther did. – Esth. ii. Did is used as the sign of the past tense of verbs, particularly in interrogative and negative sentences; as, did he command you to go. He did not command me. It is also used to express emphasis; as, I did love him beyond measure.

DI-DAC'TIC, or DI-DAC'TIC-AL, a. [Gr. διδακτικος, from διδασκω, to teach.]

Adapted to teach; preceptive; containing doctrines, precepts, principles or rules; intended to instruct; as, a didactic poem or essay.

DI-DAC'TIC-AL-LY, adv.

In a didactic manner; in a form to teach.

DI-DAC'TYLE, n.

An animal having two toes.

DI-DAC'TYL-OUS, a. [Gr. δι, δις, and δακτυλος.]

Having two toes.

DI'DAP-PER, n. [from dip.]

A bird that dives into the water, a species of Colymbus.

DI-DAS'CAL-IC, a. [Gr. διδασκαλικος, from διδασκω, to teach.]

Didactic; perceptive; giving precepts. [Little used.] – Prior.

DID'DER, v.i. [Teut. diddern; qu. titter, totter.]

To shiver with cold. [Not used.] – Sherwood.

DID'DLE, v.i.

To totter, as a child in walking.

DI-DEC-A-HE'DRAL, a. [di and decahedral.]

In crystallography, having the form of a decahedral prism with pentahedral summits. – Cleaveland.

DI-DEL'PHYC, a.

Relating to animals of the genus Didelphys, to which the opossum belongs.

DI-DEL'PHYS, n. [Gr. δις, twice; and δελφυς, uterus.]

A genus of marsupial animals, including the opossum.

DI-DEL'PHYS, n.

A genus or sort of quadrupeds. – Chaucer.

DI-DO-DEC-A-HE'DRAL, a. [di and dodecahedral.]

In crystallography, having the form of a dodecahedral prism with hexahedral summits. – Cleaveland.

DI-DRACH'MA, n. [Gr.]

A piece of money, the fourth of an ounce of silver.

DIDST, v.

The second person of the preterite of do.

DI-DUC'TION, n. [L. diductio; di and duco, to draw.]

Separation by withdrawing one part from the other. – Boyle.

DID'Y-MOUS, a. [from the Greek.]

Twin. – Botany.

DID'Y-NAM, n. [Gr. δι, δις, and δυναμις, power.]

In botany, a plant of four stamens, disposed in two pairs, one being shorter than the other.

DID-Y-NAM'I-AN, a.

Containing four stamens, disposed in pairs, one shorter than the other.

DI-DYN'A-MOUS, a.

Pertaining to plants of the class Didynamia. – Smith.

DIE, n.1 [plur. Dice. Fr. ; It. dado; Sp. and Port. id.; Arm. diçz; Ir. disle.]

  1. A small cube, marked on its faces with numbers from one to six, used in gaming, by being thrown from a box. He ventured his all on the cast of a die.
  2. Any cubic body; a flat tablet. – Watts.
  3. In architecture, the cubical part of the pedestal, between its base and cornice.
  4. Hazard; chance. Such is the die of war. – Spenser.