DUB, dub, _v.t._ to confer knighthood, from the ceremony of striking the
shoulder with the flat of a sword: to confer any name or dignity: to smooth
with an adze: to rub a softening and waterproof mixture into, as leather:
to dress a fly for fishing:--_pr.p._ dub'bing; _pa.p._ dubbed.--_n._
DUB'BING, the accolade: a preparation of grease for softening leather--also
DUB'BIN. [Conn. with O. Fr. _a-douber_, to equip with arms; but O. Fr.
_dober_ may be Teut.]
DUB, dub, _n._ (_Scot._) a pool of foul water: a puddle.
DUBIOUS, d[=u]'bi-us, _adj._ doubtful: undetermined: causing doubt: of
uncertain event or issue.--_adv._ D[=U]'BIOUSLY.--_ns._ D[=U]'BIOUSNESS,
DUB[=I]'ETY, DUBIOS'ITY, doubtfulness. [L. _dubius_.]
DUBITATE, d[=u]'bi-t[=a]t, _v.i._ to doubt, hesitate.--_adj._
D[=U]'BITABLE.--_ns._ D[=U]'BITANCY, DUBIT[=A]'TION.--_adj._
D[=U]'BITATIVE.--_adv._ D[=U]'BITATIVELY. [L. _dubiti[=a]re_, _-[=a]tum_.]
DUCAL, d[=u]'kal, _adj._ pertaining to a duke.--_adv._ D[=U]'CALLY.
DUCAT, duk'at, _n._ a gold coin, formerly much used on the Continent, its
commonest value being about 9s. 4d., though there were silver ducats in
Italy worth 3s. 4d.--_n._ DUCATOON', an old silver coin in Venice and
elsewhere, worth 5 to 6 shillings. [O. Fr. _ducat_--It.
_ducato_--_ducatus_, a duchy. The name was applied to an Apulian silver
coin of 1140. The first gold ducat struck at Venice in 1284 bore the
legend--'Sit tibi Christe datus quem tu regis iste _Ducatus_' ('Be this
duchy, which thou rulest, dedicated to thee, O Christ'), which may have
helped to spread the name, though it did not originate it.]
DUCHY, duch'i, _n._ the territory of a duke, a dukedom.--_ns._ DUCH'ESS,
the consort or widow of a duke; DUCH'Y-COURT, the court of a duchy, esp.
that of the duchy of Lancaster.
DUCK, duk, _n._ a kind of coarse cloth for small sails, sacking, &c. [Dut.
_doeck_, linen cloth; Ger. _tuch_.]
DUCK, duk, _v.t._ to dip for a moment in water.--_v.i._ to dip or dive: to
lower the head suddenly: to cringe, yield.--_n._ a quick plunge, dip: a
quick lowering of the head or body, a jerky bow.--_ns._ DUCK'ER, one who
ducks: a diving-bird; DUCK'ING; DUCK'ING-POND; DUCK'ING-STOOL, a stool or
chair in which scolds were formerly tied and ducked in the water as a
punishment. [A.S. _dúcan_, to duck, dive; Ger. _tauchen_, Dut. _duiken_.]
DUCK, duk, _n._ name given to any member of the family _Anatidæ_, the
prominent marks of which are short webbed feet, with a small hind-toe not
reaching the ground, the netted scales in front of the lower leg, and the
long bill: the female duck as distinguished from the male _drake_: in
cricket (originally _duck's egg_), the zero (0), which records in a
scoring-sheet that a player has made no runs: (_coll._) a darling,
sweetheart: a financial defaulter--esp. LAME DUCK: also of things.--_ns._
DUCK'-ANT, a Jamaican termite nesting in trees; DUCK'-BILL, an aquatic
burrowing and egg-laying Australian mammal, about 18 inches long, with soft
fur, broadly webbed feet, and depressed duck-like bill--also called
_Duck-mole_, _Platypus_, and _Ornithorhynchus_.--_adj._ DUCK'-BILLED,
having a bill like a duck.--_n._ DUCK'-HAWK, the moor-buzzard or
marsh-harrier: the peregrine falcon of the United States.--_adj._
DUCK'-LEGGED, short-legged.--_ns._ DUCK'LING, a young duck; DUCK'S'-FOOT,
the lady's mantle; DUCK'-WEED, a name for several species of _Lemna_ and
_Wolffia_ growing in ditches; BOMBAY DUCK, bummals; WILD'-DUCK, the
mallard.--BREAK ONE'S DUCK (_cricket_), to make one's first run (see
above); MAKE, PLAY, DUCKS AND DRAKES, to use recklessly: squander, waste
(with _with_, _of_)--from the skipping of a flat stone across the surface
of water. [A.S. _duce_, a duck, from, _dúcan_, to duck, dive.]
DUCT, dukt, _n._ a tube conveying fluids in animal bodies or plants. [L.
_ductus_--_duc[)e]re_, to lead.]
DUCTILE, duk'til, _adj._ easily led: yielding: capable of being drawn out
into threads.--_ns._ DUCTILIM'ETER, an instrument for measuring the
ductility of metals; DUCTIL'ITY, capacity of being drawn out without
breaking. [Fr.,--L. _ductilis_--_duc[)e]re_, to lead.]
DUD, dud, _n._ (_coll._) in _pl._ poor or ragged clothes, tatters.--_n._
DUD'DERY, a shop where old clothes are sold, rags collectively.--_adj._
DUD'DY, ragged. [There is a M. E. _dudd_, birrus, a cloak, which may be
Celt.]
DUDDER, dud'er, _n._ (_prov._) confusion.
DUDE, d[=u]d, _n._ (_slang_) a fop or dandy, esp. remarkable for the
exquisite make and quality of his clothes.--_adj._ D[=U]'DISH.--_n._
D[=U]'DISM. [Hardly from _dud_.]
DUDEEN, d[=u]-d[=e]n', _n._ a short clay tobacco-pipe.
DUDGEON, duj'un, _n._ resentment: grudge. [There is an Anglo-Fr. _digeon_,
wood hafts of knives, &c., but a connection cannot be stated. Skeat
suggests dubiously W. _dygen_, malice, _dychan_, a jeer.]