daedalenchyma 
fusion.] In hot., a name of entangled cells, as 
in some fungi. [Not now in use.] 
daedalian, . See dcdalian. 
daedaloid (ded'a-loid), . [< Dinldlen + -ot<l.~) 
Resembling Ihi'ilnli'ii ; labyrinthiform. 
daedalous, ". SIM- /ii/idioun. 
daemon, daemonic, <;tc. HIT (/</<///. dr. 
daesman, . HIT (/<*/. 
daff 't (daf), " [< ME. ilnf. iliiffe, appar. < Icel. 
ilniifr = Hw. i/i'if = Dan. iliir, deaf, stupid, = 
K. ili n f: see deaf.] A fool ; an idiot ; ablock- 
Ili'ild. 
1 Kill bell hiilde 11 '/'//. a rokl'liay. 
Chaucer, Reeve's Tale, I. -!. 
"Tlnm diitrd ilii/f," IIIIIH! she, "ilullo ariie till wittes ; 
TII litt'l latyn thow lernedest leile, in thi ;^i>uthe." 
/'/,/> //uiriiiiiA(B), I. Kttt. 
daff' (daf), /-. ,'. [< daff i, ,,.] To be foolish; 
inako sport ; play ; toy. [Scotch.] 
\\ . II hanld our court 'mill the roaring Hug, 
Anil da/ In the lashan' tide. 
Mermauien of Clyilr. Edinburgh Mag., May, 1820. 
('i.nie yont the green an' rfo/Twi' rue, 
My charming dainty Davy. 
1'ieken, Poems, I. 175. 
daff-t (daf), v. t. [A var. of doff, q. v.] 1. To 
toss aside ; put off ; doff. 
The nimble-footed madcap, I'rince of Wales. 
And Ills comrades, that :lajf'd the world aside 
And bid it pass. Shale., 1 Hen. IV., Iv. 1. 
There my white stole of chastity I ilaff'd. 
Shale., Lover's Complaint, I. 297. 
2. To turn (one) aside. 
And da/'d me to a cabin hang'd with care, 
To descant on the doubts of my decay. 
Shalt., Pass. Pilgrim, xiv. 
daffadilly, daffadowndilly. . See daffodil. 
daffing (daf'ing), n. [Verbal n. of daff 1 , v.] 
1. Thoughtless gayety; foolery. [Scotch.] 
I'ntil wi' da/in' weary grown, 
Upon a knowe they sat them down. 
Kitnu, The Twa boga. 
2. Insanity. 
Going to France, there he falls into a phrenzie and da f- 
liiif which keeped him to his death. Melville, MS., p. 68. 
daffish (daf'ish), a. [< duff 1 + -is}, 1 .] Shy; 
foolish; bashful. [Scotch.] 
daffle (daf '!), r. i. ; pret. and pp. daffltd, ppr. 
daffling. [Freq. of daff 1 , r.] To become fool- 
ish, or feeble in memory, as by reason of ace. 
[Prov. Bug.] 
daffler (daf'ler), . An old foolish person. 
[Prov. Eng.] 
daffqck (daf 'ok), M. [Appar. < duff 1 , ., + -odt.] 
A dirty slattern. [Prov. Eng.] 
daffodil (daf'o-dil), . [There are many fanci- 
ful variations of this name : daffodilly, daffa- 
tlilly, duffmloirndill/f, daffadowndilly, daffydowii- 
diUij, daffy, formerly also affodilly, etc-., the last- 
mentioned pointing to the earlier form affodil, 
affodill, < ME. affodylle, affadyll (the prosthetic 
d, like the other variations, being prob. due to 
caprice), < ML. affodill us (> OF. affrodille, aph- 
i-oilille), < L. asnhodilus (>OF. aspliodile), prop. 
a.t/iliodelns. < GT. do-^ooVAof, > E. asphodel: see 
The name has been transferred in 
Eng. to the narcis- 
sus.] The popular 
name of the Karrix- 
XHX I'xciulo-Narcis- 
su-s, natural order 
Aniaryllidticea:, of 
which there are 
many varieties in 
cultivation. The sol- 
itary nodding (lowers, 
ui)t)n a flattened scape, 
are of a bright primrose- 
yellow color, with a cy- 
lindrical crown longer 
than the funnel-shaped tnlie. The hoop-petticoat daffo- 
dil, .V. IltifiHK-tHli/ii/t, has solitary erect yellow flowers. 
The rush daffodil is another species, .V. Iriniuiru*, having 
a short crown and a slender drooping tnlie. 
O wondrous skill ! and sweet wit of the man 
That her in dajtTarfUlies sleeping made. 
mr, K <.)., in. xi. 3i 
Daffodil*, 
That come before the swallow dares, and take 
The winds of March with beauty. sW.,W.T.,lv. 3. 
A n isy blonde, and in a college gown, 
That clad her like an April dafutlillii. 
Tentt'i..-"*!. I'rineess, ii. 
Checkered daffodil, the fritillary. friiillnn'ti .V./,<i.;n<. 
Peruvian daffodil, an amaryliidaceoai plant, ftmtm 
.1 i/nrtn-i!''.---. nMnbUng a pancratium. (See also nfa-tlfi/i>- 
1 111 
Daflla (daf'i-la), . [NL. (W. K. Leach, IHL'4); 
a nonsense word.] A genus of fresh-water or 
river ducks, of the subfamily Anatimr. n,, v hnvc 
a trim and elegant form, with a lunK -slim rink : and tlu- 
adult male has a narrow cunt-ate tail, the two iniddl'' 
feathers of which are liuiK-exserted, linear-acute, and 
j 
daffodilly, daffodowndilly, . See 
daffy (daf'i), n. A short form for di. 
91 
daffodil. 
rmuil I Dafila muta . 
nearly as long a the wing from the carpal joint Ui the end 
of the first primary. The type of the genus Is the well- 
known pintail or sprigtail duck, Dajila atuta, widely dis- 
tributed in Europe, Asia, and America. There are 5 other 
species, all American. The genus is also called Trathelo- 
iirttii, J'tecilcitetta, and /'haxiitnitrtiJt. 
daft (daft), a. [Sc. and E. dial., < ME. daft, 
var. of deft, stupid, foolish, mild, simple: see 
deft.] 1. Simple; stupid; foolish; weak-mind- 
ed; silly: applied to persons or things. 
You are the dafttst donnet I ever saw on two legs. 
Cornhill May. 
That his honour, Monkbarns, would hae dune sic a dnft- 
like thing, as to gie grund weel worth fifty shillings an 
acre for a mailing that would be dear o' a pund Scots, 
Scittt, Antiquary, iv. 
Let us think no more of this daft business. Scott. 
2. Insane. 3. Playful; frolicsome Daft 
days, the Christmas holidays : so called from the merri- 
ment Indulged in at that season. To go daft, or clean 
daft, to lose one's wits or common sense ; become foolish 
or insane : act as if crazy. 
daftly (daft'li), adv. In a daft manner ; fool- 
ishly; insanely. 
daftness (daft'nes), n. The quality of being 
daft. [Scotch.] 
Can you tell us of any instance of his dttftnrjul 
Gait, The Entail, II. 17S. 
dagi (dag), H. [< Sw. dagg = Icel. diigg (dagg-) 
=T>au. du<i = E. deipi, q. v.] In parts of Scot- 
land, a thin or gentle rain, a thick fog or mist, 
or a heavy shower. Jamieson. 
dag 1 (dag), r. ; pret. and pp. dogged, ppr. dog- 
ging. K Sw. dagga (= Icel. diiggra), bedew, < 
dagg = Icel. diigg, dew: see dag 1 , n. Cf. rfcic 1 , 
r. Hence the freq. daggle, q. v.] I. trans. To 
bedew; daggle. 
II. i trans. 1. To rain gently; drizzle: as, it 
dags. 2. To run thick. [Prov. Eng.] 
dag'-'t (dag), M. [Also written dagge ; = MD. D. 
dagge = MLG. dogge, < OF. dague, F. daguc = 
Sp. daga = Pg. daga, adaga = It. daga ; of 
Celtic origin : cf . Owael. daga, a dagger, a pis- 
tol, = Bret, dag, a dagger. See further under 
dagger^ ai]( i dag3.~\ 1. A dagger (which see). 
JohnxoH. 
Daga and Pistols ! 
To bite his thumb at me : 
Randolph, Muses Looking-glass. 
2. A pistol; a long, heavy pistol, with the han- 
dle only slightly curved, formerly in use. Also 
called, especially in Scotland, tad: Planche. 
He killed one of the theeues horses with his calluer, 
and shot a Turke thornw lioth cheeks with a day. 
Hakluiit'i I'm/ages, I. 424. 
3. [From the verb.] A stab or thrust with a 
dagger. Minslieu, 1617. 
dag'-'t (dag), r. t. [< ME. daggen (= MD. </,/- 
uni. pierce, stab), < OF. daguer, stab with a 
dagger; from the noun.] 1. To pierce or stab 
with a dagger. 
Dartes the Duche-mene daltene ajaynes. 
With dcrfe dynttez of dede, dagffeti thnrghe scheldez. 
Xorte Arthure (E. E. T. S.), 1. 2KB. 
I am told it wu one Ross of Lancaster . . . half drew 
a dagger he wore Instead of a sword, and swore any man 
who uttereil such sentiments ought t" ! dawnl. 
t;<ii{nti,, . in stevi-iH. p. n:>. 
2. To cut into slips. 3. To cut out a pattern 
on (the edge of a garment). 4. To cut off the 
skirts of, as the fleece of sheep. Ke r*> //. 
dagger 
dag'H (dag), H. [< ME. dagge, an ornamental 
point nr slit on the edge of garments, a latchet; 
a particular use of dag". 
a dagger, not found in 
that sense in ME.] A 
loose pendent end; a 
pointed strip or extremi- 
ty. S|K-i-ilieally () A leather 
strap; a ihot-UtclMti nr tin- 
like. 
Ili^lie -tin"- knu],|,ed with 
iaggtt. 
li'ini. of the Hone, I. 7458. 
(6) An imminent al (minted form, 
one of many in In which tin- e.lue 
of agarment was cut, producing 
an enectsoinethlng like a fringe : 
used especially in tbe - '-..11.1 
half of the fourteenth century. 
Also S(>elleil 
\Vulile they blnine the bnine- 
that brousti- newe gywis, 
And dryue out the ilagye* and 
all the liui'lir i -oii-. 
Kiehartl the Itedele**, III. 193. 
daggar (dag'iir), . [Cf. 
dagger 1 .] A local English * 
name of one of the scyl- Due's 
lioid sharks. 
dagger, r. and H. Same as dag 2 , day*. 
dagged (dag'cd), p. a. [Pp. of dag 2 
Pointed. 
Sleeveless Dalmatic (about 
D.] 
They schot speiris and dffijijit arrowes qtihair the cuin- 
paneis war thickest. Kiua, Hist. Refonnation, p. 30. 
dagger 1 (dag'er), H. [< ME. dagger = Icel. 
iliti/gin-dr = Dan. daggert ; of Celtic origin: < 
W. dayr = Ir. daigear = Bret, dager, a dagger; 
cf. Bret, dag = OGael. daga, a dagger: see 
' t</ 2 , n.] 1. An edged and pointed weapon 
for thrusting, 
shorter than 
a sword, and 
used, common- 
ly in connec- 
tion with the 
rapier, by 
swordsmen in 
the sixteenth 
and seven- 
teenth cen- 
turies, held in 
the left hand 
to parry the 
thrust of an ad- 
versary's ra- 
u.iixers. pier. The dag- 
ger was also the 
common weapon of private combat, for the dagger of the 
middle ages, see wijtericurdf. 
Thou must wear thy sword by thy side, 
And thy danger handsomely at thy back. 
The longer thou lipejtt the morefuftl, etc. (157O). 
Is this a <//<//.; which I see liefore uie, 
The handle toward my hand? 
Shale., Macbeth, ii. I. 
2. Any straight stabbing-weapon, as the dirk, 
poniard, stiletto, etc. 3. In printing, an obe- 
CaterpUtar and Moth of Poplar- or Cottomrood-dagger 
.Icronycta fofHli\ natural size. 
