DRU 



291 



DUG 



DROP'SY, corrupted from hydropsy, from 

 v3g, water, and ar^, the face; a preter- 

 natural collection of watery fluid in the 

 cellular substances of the body. The dis- 

 ease has different names according to its 

 situation. When diffused through the 

 cellular membrane, it is aiiasarca; in the 

 cavity of the cranium, it is hydrocephalus ; 

 in the chest, it is hydrothorax ; in the ab- 

 domen, it is ascites; in the uterus, hydro- 



metra; and in the scrotum, hydrocele. 



2. In botany, a disease peculiar to succu- 

 lent plants, arising from an excessive ac- 

 cumulation of water in the system. 



DROS'ERA, the Sun-dew, a genus of per- 

 ennial plants. Pentandria Pentagynia. 

 JS'amefrom J^fxraj, dew, because the leaves 

 are beset with glands resembling dew- 

 drops. There are three British species. 



DROSOM'ETER, from fyoiro;, dew, and 

 fMT%oi, measure. An instrument con- 

 trived to measure the quantity of dew- 

 that gathers on a body which has been 

 exposed to the open air during the night. 

 It consists of a balance, one end of which 

 is furnished with a receptacle for the 

 dew, and the other end is loaded with a 

 counterpoise protected from it. 



DROVS. 1. In husbandry, a narrow 

 channel or drain much used in the irri- 

 gation of land. 2. In masonry, an epi- 

 thet referring to a description of tooling 

 on the faces of hard stones. Droved ashler 

 is the coarsest of hewn stone for building. 

 Droved and stripped applies to a series of 

 grooves, an eighth of an inch deep, cut 

 with a three-quarter chisel, leaving a 

 droved space between each. This sort of 

 hewing is common in Scotland. 



DRUO'GET, a coarse but slight woollen 

 fabric, used for covering carpets, and as 

 an article of clothing by females of the 

 poorer classes. The article manufactured 

 under this name in Scotland has usually 

 the warp of coarse flax, and is commonly 

 striped blue and white. 



DRUIDS, from "Welch derw, an oak, and 

 ffwyz, knowledge. The priests and philo- 

 sophers of the ancient Britons and other 

 Celtic tribes. They sacrificed under the 

 oak. 



DRUM, Ir. drama. 1. A martial instru- 

 ment of music, consisting of a hollow 

 wooden cylinder, with vellum stretched 

 over the ends, to be beaten with sticks by 



& drummer. 2. In mechanics, a hollow 



cylinder or barrel flxcd on an axle, round 

 which ropes or bands are passed, for the 

 purpose of communicating motion to other 



parts of the machine. 3. In architecture, 



the bell-formed part of the Corinthian 



and Composite capitals. 1. The drum 



cf the ear is called technically the tympa- 

 num (q. v.V 



DRUPE, Lat. drvpa, a stone-fruit formed 

 01 a coriaceous seed-vessel, enclosed in a 



nut : from drupes, over- ripe olives. Fruits 

 of this character are called drupaceous: 

 the peach and apricot are examples. 



DRUSE fGerman), a gland: the name 

 given to a hollow space in veins of ore 

 generally lined with crystals. 



Dai. In painting, a term applied where 

 the outline is too strongly marked, and 

 the colours of the objects do not unite 



with those around them. In sculpture, 



applied to a want of tenderness in the 

 forms. 



DRY'INQ OIL. Linseed and other oils 

 which have oeen heated with oxide of 

 lead. 



DRY-ROT, a term used to denote a rapid 

 decay of timber by which the interior 

 substance is converted into a dry powder, 

 which issues from minute circular cavi- 

 ties, resembling the borings of worms. 

 Many modes have from time to time been 

 suggested for preventing this disease, but 

 none have as yet proved completely suc- 

 cessful. 



DRY'-STOVE. A glazed structure for con- 

 taining the plants of dry arid climates. 



DU'ALISM. Those systems of philosophy 

 which refer all existence to two ultimate 

 principles. 



DPB'BER, a leathern vessel, bottle, or 

 jar, used in India to hold oil, ghee, &c. 

 Dubbers are of all sizes, from a quart up 

 to a barrel. 



DUB'BIXG-OUT. Used by plasterers to 

 signify the bringing of an uneven surface 

 to a plane by pieces of tile, slate, plaster, 

 and the like. 



DU'CAL, from dttke. The ducal coronet 

 consists of a circlet of gold, with eii, r ht 

 strawberry or parsley leaves of equal 

 height about the rim. 



DUC'AT, from duke. A coin in several 

 countries of Europe struck in the domi- 

 nions of a duke. 



DUCATOO'N, from ducat. A silver coin 

 struck chiefly in Holland and Flanders. 



DU'CES TECUM (bring with thee). A -writ 

 commanding a person to appear on a cer- 

 tain day in the Court of Chancery, and to 

 bring with him certain writings which 

 the Court would view. 



DUCH'Y COURT, a court of the Duchy 

 Chamber of Lancaster, held at "West- 

 minster. 



DccTiLiM'ETER,an instrument for com- 

 paring the degrees of ductility of differ- 

 ent metals. 



DUCTIL'ITY, from ductilis, a property 

 of some metals, as gold, silver, copper, 

 iron, &c., in consequence of which they 

 may be elongated or drawn into wire. It 

 is to be distinguished from malleability 

 and laminability (q. v.). 



DOET, Ital. duetto, a piece of music 

 composed in two parts ; it may be vocal 

 or instrumental. 



DL'GONO. In zooloyy, the halicore dtt~ 



u 2 



