Diminutive of liberty.
Shaftesbury.
Di*min"u*tive, n. 1. Something of very small size or value; an insignificant thing.
Such water flies, diminutives of nature.
Shak.
2. (Gram.) A derivative from a noun, denoting a small or a young object of the same kind with that denoted by the primitive; as, gosling, eaglet, lambkin.
Babyisms and dear diminutives.
Tennyson.
The word sometimes denotes a derivative verb which expresses a diminutive or petty form of the action, as scribble.
Di*min"u*tive*ly, adv. In a diminutive manner.
Di*min"u*tive*ness, n. The quality of being diminutive; smallness; littleness; minuteness.
Dim"ish (?), a. See Dimmish.
Di*mis"sion (?), n. [L. dimissio. See Dimit, and cf. Dismission.] Leave to depart; a dismissing. [Obs.] Barrow.
Dim"is*so*ry (?; 277), a. [L. dimissorius: cf. F. dimissoire. See Dimit.] Sending away; dismissing to another jurisdiction; granting leave to depart.
Letters dimissory (Eccl.), letters given by a bishop dismissing a person who is removing into another diocese, and recommending him for reception there. Hook.
Di*mit" (?), v. t. [L. dimittere to send away, le&?; go; di- = dis- + mittere to send. See Dismiss.] To dismiss, let go, or release. [Obs.]
Dim"i*ty (?), n. [Prob. fr. Gr. &?; of double thread, dimity; di- = di`s- twice + &?; a thread of the warp; prob. through D. diemet, of F. dimite, démitte. Cf. Samite.] A cotton fabric employed for hangings and furniture coverings, and formerly used for women's under-garments. It is of many patterns, both plain and twilled, and occasionally is printed in colors.
Dim"ly, adv. In a dim or obscure manner; not brightly or clearly; with imperfect sight.
{ Dim"mish (?), Dim"my (?), } a. Somewhat dim; as, dimmish eyes. "Dimmy clouds." Sir P. Sidney.
Dim"ness, n. [AS. dimness.] 1. The state or quality &?; being dim; lack of brightness, clearness, or distinctness; dullness; obscurity.
2. Dullness, or want of clearness, of vision or of intellectual perception. Dr. H. More.
Syn. -- Darkness; obscurity; gloom. See Darkness.
Di"morph` (?), n. [Gr. &?; two-formed; di`s- twice (see Di-) + &?; form.] (Crystallog.) Either one of the two forms of a dimorphous substance; as, calcite and aragonite are dimorphs.
Di*mor"phic (?), a. Having the property of dimorphism; dimorphous.
Di*mor"phism (?), n. [Cf. F. dimorphisme.] 1. (Biol.) Difference of form between members of the same species, as when a plant has two kinds of flowers, both hermaphrodite (as in the partridge berry), or when there are two forms of one or both sexes of the same species of butterfly.
Dimorphism is the condition of the appearance of the same species under two dissimilar forms.
Darwin.
2. (Crystallog.) Crystallization in two independent forms of the same chemical compound, as of calcium carbonate as calcite and aragonite.
Di*mor"phous (?), a. [Cf. F. dimorphe.] 1. (Biol.) Characterized by dimorphism; occurring under two distinct forms, not dependent on sex; dimorphic.
2. (Crystallog.) Crystallizing under two forms fundamentally different, while having the same chemical composition.
Dim"ple (?), n. [Prob. a nasalized dim. of dip. See Dip, and cf. Dimble.] 1. A slight natural depression or indentation on the surface of some part of the body, esp. on the cheek or chin. Milton.
The dimple of her chin.
Prior.