DAPPER, dap'[.e]r, _adj._ quick: little and active: neat: spruce.--_n._
DAPP'ERLING, a dapper little fellow. [Dut. _dapper_, brave; cf. Ger.
_tapfer_, quick, brave.]
DAPPLE, dap'l, _adj._ marked with spots.--_v.t._ to variegate with
spots.--_adjs._ DAPP'ERLY (_Scot._), variegated; DAPP'LE-BAY, of bay
colour, variegated with dapples; DAPP'LED; DAPP'LE-GRAY. [See DIMPLE.]
DARBIES, där'biz, _n.pl._ (_slang_) handcuffs. [App. from the personal name
_Darby_.]
DARBYITES, där'bi-[=i]ts, _n.pl._ a name given to the Plymouth Brethren.
[From their principal founder, J. N. _Darby_ (1800-82).]
DARE, d[=a]r, _v.i._ to be bold enough: to venture:--_pa.t._ durst.--_v.t._
to challenge: to defy.--_n._ (_Shak._) boldness, a challenge.--_n._
DARE'-DEV'IL, a rash, venturesome fellow.--_adj._ unreasonably rash and
reckless.--_adjs._ DARE'FUL (_Shak._), full of daring, adventurous;
DAR'ING, bold: courageous: fearless.--_n._ boldness.--_n._ DAR'ING-DO (see
DERRING-DOE).--_adj._ DAR'ING-HARD'Y (_Shak._), foolhardy.--_adv._
DAR'INGLY.--I DARE SAY, I suppose. [A.S. _durran_, pres. _dearr_; Goth.
_daursan_; akin to Gr. _tharsein_.]
DARE, d[=a]r, _v.t._ to frighten, terrify. [M. E. _daren_, to be in fear;
cf. Dan. _dirre_, to tremble.]
DARE, d[=a]r. Same as DACE.
DARG, darg, _n._ a day's work: (_Scot._) a task. [Contr. from _dawerk_,
_day-wark_, day-work.]
DARIC, dar'ik, _n._ an old gold coin larger than an English sovereign,
named after _Darius_ I. of Persia.
DARK, därk, _adj._ without light: black, or somewhat black: gloomy:
difficult to understand: unenlightened: secret: sinister.--_n._ absence of
light: obscurity: a state of ignorance.--_adv._ (_Shak._) in a state of
dark.--_v.t._ DARK'EN, to make dark: to render ignorant: to sully.--_v.i._
to grow dark or darker.--_n._ DARK'-HOUSE (_Shak._), a mad-house.--_adj._
DARK'ISH, somewhat dark: dusky.--_v.i._ DARK'LE, to grow dark.--_adv._ and
_adj._ DARK'LING, dark: in the dark.--_advs._ DARK'LINGS (_poet._), in the
dark; DARK'LY.--_n._ DARK'NESS.--_adj._ DARK'SOME, dark: (_poet._)
gloomy.--_ns._ DARK'Y, DARK'EY, a negro: (_slang_) a policeman's
lantern.--DARK AGES, the period of intellectual darkness in Europe, from
the 5th to the 15th century.--DARKEN THE DOOR, to enter in at the door.--A
DARK HORSE, in racing, a horse whose capabilities are not known: a
candidate about whom it is not known till the last moment that he is a
candidate.--KEEP DARK, to be silent or secret; KEEP IT DARK, to
conceal.--THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS, Satan. [A.S. _deorc_.]
DARLING, där'ling, _n._ a little dear: one dearly beloved: a favourite.
[_Dear_, and dim. suff. _-ling_ = _l-ing_.]
DARN, därn, _v.t._ to mend a hole by imitating the texture of the
stuff.--_n._ the place darned.--_n._ DARN'ING-NEEDLE. [W. _darn_, a piece,
a patch.]
DARN, därn, _v.i._ a minced form of _damn_.
DARNEL, där'nel, _n._ an annual of the rye-grass genus, the tares of
Scripture. [Prob. conn. with O. Fr. _darne_, stupid, from its supposed
narcotic properties.]
DARRAIGN, DARRAIN. See DERAIN.
DART, därt, _n._ a pointed weapon for throwing with the hand: anything that
pierces.--_v.t._ to hurl suddenly: to send or shoot forth.--_v.i._ to start
or shoot forth rapidly--freq. DAR'TLE.--_adv._ DART'INGLY. [O. Fr. _dart_;
from a Low Ger. root.]
DART. See DACE.
DARTER, därt'[.e]r, _n._ a genus of birds nearly allied to cormorants,
heron-like in gait and gesture.