Dash"pot` (?), n. (Mach.) A pneumatic or hydraulic cushion for a falling weight, as in the valve gear of a steam engine, to prevent shock.
It consists of a chamber, containing air or a liquid, in which a piston (a), attached to the weight, falls freely until it enters a space (as below the openings, b) from which the air or liquid can escape but slowly (as through cock c), when its fall is gradually checked.
A cataract of an engine is sometimes called a dashpot.
Dash"y (?), a. [From Dash.] Calculated to arrest attention; ostentatiously fashionable; showy. [Colloq.]
Das"tard (?), n. [Prob. from Icel. dæstr exhausted. breathless, p. p. of dæsa to groan, lose one's breath; cf. dasask to become exhausted, and E. daze.] One who meanly shrinks from danger; an arrant coward; a poltroon.
You are all recreants and dashtards, and delight to live in slavery to the nobility.
Shak.
Das"tard, a. Meanly shrinking from danger; cowardly; dastardly. "Their dastard souls." Addison.
Das"tard, v. t. To dastardize. [R.] Dryden.
Das"tard*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dastardized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Dastardizing.] To make cowardly; to intimidate; to dispirit; as, to dastardize my courage. Dryden.
Das"tard*li*ness (?), n. The quality of being dastardly; cowardice; base fear.
Das"tard*ly, a. Meanly timid; cowardly; base; as, a dastardly outrage.
Das"tard*ness, n. Dastardliness.
Das"tard*y (?), n. Base timidity; cowardliness.
Das"we (?), v. i. See Dasewe [Obs.] Chaucer.
Da*sym"e*ter (?), n. [Gr. dasy`s rough, thick + -meter.] (Physics) An instrument for testing the density of gases, consisting of a thin glass globe, which is weighed in the gas or gases, and then in an atmosphere of known density.
Das`y*pæ"dal (?), a. (Zoöl.) Dasypædic.
||Das`y*pæ"des (?), n. pl. [NL., from Gr. dasy`s hairy, shaggy + &?;, &?;, a child.] (Zoöl.) Those birds whose young are covered with down when hatched.
Das`y*pæ"dic (?), a. (Zoöl.) Pertaining to the Dasypædes; ptilopædic.
Das"y*ure (ds"*r), n. [Gr. dasy`s thick, shaggy + o'yra` tail: cf. F. dasyure.] (Zoöl.) A carnivorous marsupial quadruped of Australia, belonging to the genus Dasyurus. There are several species.
Das`y*u"rine (?), a. (Zoöl.) Pertaining to, or like, the dasyures.
||Da"ta (?), n. pl. [L. pl. of datum.] See Datum.
Dat"a*ble (?), a. That may be dated; having a known or ascertainable date. "Datable almost to a year." The Century.
||Da*ta"ri*a (?), n. [LL., fr. L. datum given.] (R. C. Ch.) Formerly, a part of the Roman chancery; now, a separate office from which are sent graces or favors, cognizable in foro externo, such as appointments to benefices. The name is derived from the word datum, given or dated (with the indications of the time and place of granting the gift or favor).
Da"ta*ry (?), n. [LL. datarius. See Dataria.] 1. (R. C. Ch.) An officer in the pope's court, having charge of the Dataria.