DRENCH, drensh, _v.t._ to fill with drink or liquid: to wet thoroughly: to
soak: to physic by force: (_obs._) to drown.--_n._ a draught: a dose of
physic forced down the throat.--_n._ DRENCH'ER. [A.S. _drencan_, to give to
drink, from _drincan_, to drink; Ger. _tränken_, to soak. See DRINK.]
DRENT, drent (_Spens._), obsolete _pa.t._ of DRENCH.
DRESS, dres, _v.t._ to put straight or in order, as troops: to put clothes
upon: to prepare: to cook: to trim: to deck: to cleanse a sore: to
manure.--_v.i._ to come into line: to put on clothes:--_pa.t._ and _pa.p._
dressed or drest.--_n._ the covering or ornament of the body: a lady's
gown: style of dress.--_ns._ DRESS'-CIR'CLE, part of a theatre (usually the
first gallery) set apart for people in evening dress; DRESS'-COAT, a fine
black coat with narrow or cut-away skirts, worn when in full dress;
DRESS'ER, one who dresses: a medical student who dresses wounds: a table on
which meat is dressed or prepared for use: a kind of kitchen sideboard with
rows of shelves for plates, dishes, &c.--_n.pl._ DRESS'-GOODS, cloths for
making women's and children's gowns, frocks, &c.--_ns._ DRESS'ING, dress or
clothes: manure given to land: matter used to give stiffness and gloss to
cloth: the sauce, &c., used in preparing a dish for the table, stuffing,
&c.: the bandage, &c., applied to a sore: an ornamental moulding: a
thrashing; DRESS'ING-CASE, a case of toilet requisites used in dressing
one's self: DRESS'ING-GOWN, a loose garment used in dressing, or in
deshabille; DRESS'ING-JACK'ET, DRESS'ING-SACK, a jacket worn by women in
dressing: DRESS'ING-ROOM; DRESS'ING-T[=A]'BLE; DRESS'MAKER, a person who
makes gowns or dresses for women.--_adj._ DRESS'Y, fond of dress.--EVENING
DRESS, FULL DRESS, the costume prescribed by fashion for evening
receptions, dinners, balls, &c. [O. Fr. _dresser_, to prepare--L.
_dirig[)e]re_, _directum_, to direct.]
DREST, drest, _pa.t._ and _pa.p._ of DRESS.
DREVILL, an old form of DRIVEL, a slave.
DREW, dr[=oo]--did draw--_pa.t._ of DRAW.
DRIB, drib, _v.t._ to cut off in small portions: to filch or steal: to lead
on by degrees. [Akin to DRUB.]
DRIBBLE, drib'l, _v.i._ to fall in small drops: to drop quickly: to slaver,
as a child or an idiot.--_v.t._ to let fall in drops: to give out in small
portions: at football, &c., to keep the ball moving forward little by
little.--_v.t._ DRIB, to dribble, drivel.--_n._ a driblet.--_ns._
DRIB'BLER; DRIB'LET, DRIB'BLET, a small drop: a small quantity. [Dim. of
DRIP.]
DRICKSIE. See DROXY.
DRIER, dr[=i]'[.e]r, _n._ that which dries: a machine for extracting
moisture from wet cloths, grain, &c.: a substance causing paint to dry more
rapidly.
DRIFT, drift, _n._ a driving: a heap of matter driven together, as snow:
the direction in which a thing is driven: a slow current in the sea caused
by the wind: leeway: the object aimed at: the meaning of words used:
(_geol._) detritus, such as broken rock, sand, gravel: (_mining_) a
horizontal excavation or passage.--_v.t._ to drive into heaps, as
snow.--_v.i._ to be floated along: to be driven into heaps.--_ns._
DRIFT'AGE, that which is drifted: the amount of deviation from a ship's
course due to leeway; DRIFT'-AN'CHOR, an anchor for keeping the ship's head
to the wind; DRIFT'-BOLT, a steel bolt used to drive out other bolts;
DRIFT'-ICE, floating masses of ice drifting before the wind; DRIFT'LAND, an
old tribute paid for the privilege of driving cattle through a
manor.--_adj._ DRIFT'LESS, without drift or aim.--_ns._ DRIFT'-MIN'ING,
gold-mining by means of drifts in the gravel and detritus of old
river-beds; DRIFT'-NET, a net kept upright in the water by floats above and
weights below; DRIFT'-SAIL, a sail immersed in the water, used for
lessening the drift of a vessel during a storm; DRIFT'-WAY, a road over
which cattle were driven: (_min._) drift; DRIFT'-WEED, gulf-weed: tangle;
DRIFT'-WOOD, wood drifted by water.--_adj._ DRIFT'Y, full of or forming
drifts. [See DRIVE.]
DRILL, dril, _v.t._ to bore, pierce: to make with a drill: to exercise
soldiers, pupils, &c.--to sow seeds, &c., in rows.--_n._ an instrument for
boring stone, metal, teeth, or hard substances (not wood), actuated by a
kind of bow, by a brace, or otherwise: a large boring instrument used in
mining: a ridge with seed or growing plants on it (turnips, potatoes, &c.):
the plants in such a row: the machine for sowing the seed in
drill-husbandry.--_ns._ DRILL'-BAR'ROW, a grain-drill driven by hand;
DRILL'-HAR'ROW, a harrow for working between drills; DRILL'-HUS'BANDRY, the
method of sowing seed in drills or rows; DRILL'ING-MACHINE',
DRILL'ING-LATHE, DRILL'-PRESS, machines for boring with a drill or drills;
DRILL'-MAS'TER, one who teaches drill, one who trains in anything, esp. in
a mechanical manner; DRILL'-PLOUGH, a plough for sowing grain in drills;
DRILL'-SER'GEANT, a sergeant who drills soldiers. [Prob. borrowed from Dut.
_drillen_, to bore; _dril_, _drille_, a borer.]
DRILL, dril, _n._ a species of baboon found in Western Africa, resembling
the mandrill, but smaller. [A contr. of _mandrill_.]
DRILLING, dril'ing, _n._ stout twilled linen or cotton cloth.--Also DRILL.
[Ger. _drillich_, ticking--L. _trilix_, three-threaded; _tres_, three,
_licium_, thread.]