Dex*ter"i*ty (?), n. [L. dexteritas, fr. dexter: cf. F. dextérité. See Dexter.] 1. Right-handedness.
2. Readiness and grace in physical activity; skill and ease in using the hands; expertness in manual acts; as, dexterity with the chisel.
In youth quick bearing and dexterity.
Shak.
3. Readiness in the use or control of the mental powers; quickness and skill in managing any complicated or difficult affair; adroitness.
His wisdom . . . was turned . . . into a dexterity to deliver himself.
Bacon.
He had conducted his own defense with singular boldness and dexterity.
Hallam.
Syn. -- Adroitness; activity; nimbleness; expertness; skill; cleverness; art; ability; address; tact; facility; aptness; aptitude; faculty. See Skill.
Dex"ter*ous (?), a. [L. dexter. See Dexter.] [Written also dextrous.] 1. Ready and expert in the use of the body and limbs; skillful and active with the hands; handy; ready; as, a dexterous hand; a dexterous workman.
2. Skillful in contrivance; quick at inventing expedients; expert; as, a dexterous manager.
Dexterous the craving, fawning crowd to quit.
Pope.
3. Done with dexterity; skillful; artful; as, dexterous management. "Dexterous sleights of hand." Trench.
Syn. -- Adroit; active; expert; skillful; clever; able; ready; apt; handy; versed.
Dex"ter*ous*ly (?), adv. In a dexterous manner; skillfully.
Dex"ter*ous*ness, n. The quality of being dexterous; dexterity.
Dex"trad (?), adv. [L. dextra the right hand + ad to.] (Anat.) Toward the right side; dextrally.
Dex"tral (?), a. [From Dexter.] Right, as opposed to sinistral, or left.
Dextral shell (Zoöl.), a spiral shell the whorls of which turn from left right, or like the hands of a watch when the apex of the spire is toward the eye of the observer.
Dex*tral"i*ty (?), n. The state of being on the right-hand side; also, the quality of being right- handed; right-handedness. Sir T. Browne.
Dex"tral*ly (&?;), adv. Towards the right; as, the hands of a watch rotate dextrally.
Dex*trer" (?), n. A war horse; a destrer. [Obs.] "By him baiteth his dextrer." Chaucer.
Dex"trin (?), n. [Cf. F. dextrine, G. dextrin. See Dexter.] (Chem.) A translucent, gummy, amorphous substance, nearly tasteless and odorless, used as a substitute for gum, for sizing, etc., and obtained from starch by the action of heat, acids, or diastase. It is of somewhat variable composition, containing several carbohydrates which change easily to their respective varieties of sugar. It is so named from its rotating the plane of polarization to the right; -- called also British gum, Alsace gum, gommelin, leiocome, etc. See Achroödextrin, and Erythrodextrin.
Dex"tro- (?). A prefix, from L. dexter, meaning, pertaining to, or toward, the right; (Chem. & Opt.) having the property of turning the plane of polarized light to the right; as, dextrotartaric acid.
Dex*trog"er*ous (?), a. (Physics & Chem.) See Dextrogyrate.
Dex`tro*glu"cose` (?), n. [Dextro- + glucose.] (Chem.) Same as Dextrose.
Dex`tro*gy"rate (?), a. [Dextro- + gyrate.] (Chem. & Opt.) Same as Dextrorotatory.
Dex*tron"ic (?), a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or derived from, dextrose; as, dextronic acid.
Dextronic acid, a sirupy substance obtained by the partial oxidation of various carbohydrates, as dextrose, etc.
Dex`tro*ro"ta*ry (?), a. (Physics & Chem.) See Dextrotatory.
Dex`tro*ro"ta*to*ry (?), a. [Dextro- + rotatory.] (Chem. & Opt.) Turning, or causing to turn, toward the right hand; esp., turning the plane of polarization of luminous rays toward the right hand; as, dextrorotatory crystals, sugars, etc. Cf. Levorotatory.
{ Dex*tror"sal (?), Dex"trorse` (?), } a. [L. dextrorsum, contr. fr. dextrovorsum, dextroversum, toward the right side; dexter right + versus, vorsus, p. p. of vertere, vortere, to turn.] Turning from the left to the right, in the ascending line, as in the spiral inclination of the stem of the common morning-glory.
At present scientists predicate dextrorse or sinistrorse quality of the plant regarded objectively; formerly the plant was regarded subjectively, and what is now called dextrorse was then considered sinistrorse.
Dex"trose` (dks"trs`), n. [See Dexter.] (Chem.) A sirupy, or white crystalline, variety of sugar, C6H12O6 (so called from turning the plane of polarization to the right), occurring in many ripe fruits. Dextrose and levulose are obtained by the inversion of cane sugar or sucrose, and hence called invert sugar. Dextrose is chiefly obtained by the action of heat and acids on starch, and hence called also starch sugar. It is also formed from starchy food by the action of the amylolytic ferments of saliva and pancreatic juice.
The solid products are known to the trade as grape sugar; the sirupy products as glucose, or mixing sirup. These are harmless, but are only about half as sweet as cane sugar or sucrose.
Dex"trous (?), a., Dex"trous*ly, adv., Dex"trous*ness, n. Same as Dexterous, Dexterously, etc.
Dey (?), n. [See Dairy.] A servant who has charge of the dairy; a dairymaid. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Dey (?), n.; pl. Deys (#). [Turk. di, orig., a maternal uncle, then a friendly title formerly given to middle-aged or old people, especially among the Janizaries; and hence, in Algiers, consecrated at length to the commanding officer of that corps, who frequently became afterward pasha or regent of that province; hence the European misnomer of dey, as applied to the latter: cf. F. dey.] The governor of Algiers; -- so called before the French conquest in 1830.
Deye (?), v. i. To die. [Obs.] Chaucer.
{ Deyn"te, Deyn"tee (?) }, n. & a. See Dainty. [Obs.] Chaucer.
De*zinc`i*fi*ca"tion (?), n. The act or process of freeing from zinc; also, the condition resulting from the removal of zinc.
De*zinc"i*fy (?), v. t. [Pref. de- + zinc + -fy.] To deprive of, or free from, zinc.
||Dhole (?), n. (Zoöl.) A fierce, wild dog (Canis Dukhunensis), found in the mountains of India. It is remarkable for its propensity to hunt the tiger and other wild animals in packs.
||Dho"ny (?), n. A Ceylonese boat. See Doni.
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||Dhoor"ra, ||Dhour"ra, or Dhur"ra (&?;), n. Indian millet. See Durra.
||Dhow (?), n. [Ar. do?] A coasting vessel of Arabia, East Africa, and the Indian Ocean. It has generally but one mast and a lateen sail. [Also written dow.]
Di- (?). [Gr. di`s- twice; akin to &?; two, L. bis twice. See Two, and cf. Bi-, Dia-. The L. pref. dis- sometimes assumes the form di-. See Dis-.] A prefix, signifying twofold, double, twice; (Chem.) denoting two atoms, radicals, groups, or equivalents, as the case may be. See Bi-, 2.
{ Di"a- (?), Di- }. [Gr. dia` through; orig., dividing into two parts; akin to &?; two. See Two, and cf. 1st Di-.] A prefix denoting through; also, between, apart, asunder, across. Before a vowel dia-becomes di-; as, diactinic; dielectric, etc.
Di"a*base (?), n. [F. diabase, fr. Gr. &?; a crossing or passing over, fr. &?;; &?; + &?; to go; -- so called by Brongniart, because it passes over to diorite.] (Min.) A basic, dark-colored, holocrystalline, igneous rock, consisting essentially of a triclinic feldspar and pyroxene with magnetic iron; -- often limited to rocks pretertiary in age. It includes part of what was early called greenstone.
Di*ab`a*te"ri*al (?), a. [Gr. &?; &?; (sc. &?;) offerings before crossing the border, fr. &?; to pass over. See Diabase.] Passing over the borders. [R.] Mitford.
Di`a*be"tes (?), n. [NL., from Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to pass or cross over. See Diabase.] (Med.) A disease which is attended with a persistent, excessive discharge of urine. Most frequently the urine is not only increased in quantity, but contains saccharine matter, in which case the disease is generally fatal.
||Diabetes mellitus [NL., sweet diabetes], that form of diabetes in which the urine contains saccharine matter. -- ||Diabetes insipidus [NL., lit., diabetes], the form of diabetes in which the urine contains no abnormal constituent.
{ Di`a*bet"ic (?), Di`a*bet"ic*al (?), } a. Pertaining to diabetes; as, diabetic or diabetical treatment. Quian.
Diabetic sugar. (Chem.) Same as Dextrose.
{ ||Dia`ble*rie" (?), Di*ab"le*y (?), } n. [F. diablerie, fr. diable devil, L. diabolus. See Devil.] Devilry; sorcery or incantation; a diabolical deed; mischief.
{ Di`a*bol"ic (?), Di`a*bol"ic*al (?), } a. [L. diabolicus, Gr. &?; devilish, slanderous: cf. F. diabolique. See Devil.] Pertaining to the devil; resembling, or appropriate, or appropriate to, the devil; devilish; infernal; impious; atrocious; nefarious; outrageously wicked; as, a diabolic or diabolical temper or act. "Diabolic power." Milton. "The diabolical institution." Motley. -- Di`a*bol"ic*al*ly, adv. -- Di`a*bol"ic*al*ness, n.
Di`a*bol"i*fy (?), v. t. [L. diabolus devil + -fy.] To ascribed diabolical qualities to; to change into, or to represent as, a devil. [R.] Farindon.
Di*ab"o*lism (?), n. 1. Character, action, or principles appropriate to the devil.