date-mark 
date-mark (dat'mark), n. A special mark 
stamped on an article of gold or silver to indi- 
cate the year of manufacture. Thus, in the Lon- 
don Goldsmiths' Company, during the twenty years from 
1856 to 1875 this mark was a letter of the alphabet in small 
Old English character ; for the next twenty years, begin- 
ning in 1876 and ending in 1895, Roman capitals were 
adopted. 
date-palm (dat'pam'), n. The common name 
of Pltatiiix dactylifera, the palm-tree of Scrip- 
ture : also called date-tree. Next to the cocoanut- 
tree, the date is unquestionably the most interesting and 
useful of the palm tribe. As with the cocoanut-tree, 
nearly every part is applied to some useful purpose, and 
the fruit not only 
affords the princi- 
pal food of the in- 
habitants of vari- 
ous countries, but 
is a source of a large 
part of their traffic. 
It is cultivated in 
immense numbers 
all over the north- 
ern part of Africa 
as well as in south- 
western Asia, and 
is found through 
southern Europe, 
though rarely pro- 
ductive there. Its 
stem shoots up to 
the height of from 
60 to 80 feet, with- 
out branch or divi- 
sion, and is of near- 
ly the same thick- 
ness throughout its 
length. From the 
summit it throws 
out a magnificent 
crown of large fea- 
ther-shaped leaves, 
and a number of 
spadices, each of 
which in the fe- 
male plant bears 
Date-palm (Phrxnix dactylifera}. 
a bunch of from 180 to 200 dates, each bunch weighing 
from 20 to 25 pounds. The fruit is eaten fresh or dried. 
The best dates of commerce are obtained from the coasts 
of the Persian gulf, where the tree is cultivated with great 
care, and where over 100 varieties are known. The date- 
palm was probably originally derived from the wild date- 
palm, P. sylvestris, which is found throughout India, and 
is planted very extensively in Bengal, chiefly for the pro- 
duction of toddy and sugar. See Phoenix. 
date-plum (dat'plum), . A name for the 
edible fruit of several species of the genus 
Diospyros, and also for the trees. See Diospy- 
ros. 
dater (da'ter), n. 1. One who dates. 2f. A 
datary. See datary^-. 
Dataire [F.], a dater of writings ; and (more particular- 
ly) the dater or despatcher of the Pope's bulls. Cotgrave. 
date-shell (dat'shel), n. [< date 3 + shell.'] A 
mussel-shell of the stone-boring genus Litho- 
domus (or Lithophagus), of the family Mytilidie, 
Date-shell (Lithodomus Iithophagi4s']. 
as the Mediterranean Z. dactylus, abounding in 
the subaqueous columns of the temple of Sera- 
pis at Pozzuoli, near Naples : so called from its 
shape or appearance. See Lithodomus. 
date-sugar (dat'shug"ar), n. Sugar produced 
from the sap of the date-palm, and from some 
other species of the same genus. 
date-tree (dat'tre), n. The date-palm. 
The date-trees of El-Medinah merit their celebrity. Their 
stately columnar stems here seem higher than in other 
lands, and their lower fronds are allowed to tremble in the 
breeze without mutilation. 
K. F. Burton, El-Medinah, p. 245. 
date-wine (dat'win), n. The fermented sap of 
the date-palm. See sindag. 
datholite (dath'o-llt), n. See datolite. 
dation (da'shon)I n. [< L. datio(n-), < dare, pp. 
datus, give : see date\ date 2 .'] In civil law, the 
act of giving : as, the dation of an office : distin- 
guished from donation or gift in that it does not 
imply beneficence or liberality in the giver. 
da tirarsi (da te-rar'si). [It. , to be drawn out : 
da, < L. de, of (to) ; tirar, < F. tirer, draw ; si, < 
L. se, reft, pron., itself, themselves: see tear 1 
and se.] In music, when following the name of 
instruments, a term denoting that they are fur- 
nished with slides : as, trornbi da tirarsi, corni da 
tirarsi, trumpets or horns with slides. 
Datisca (da-tis'ka), n. [NL.] A genus of ex- 
ogenous herbs, type of the order Datiseacece. 
It includes two species, one of which is found in southern 
California, aud the other, D. cannabina, an herbaceous 
dicecious perennial, is a native of the southern parts of 
1462 
Europe, where it is used as a substitute for Peruvian 
bark, its a yellow dye, and in the manufacture of cordage. 
Datiscaceae (dat-is-ka'se-e), n. pi. [NL. , < Da- 
tisca + -aceee. ] A small natural order of plants, 
with apetalous flowers, but having closer affini- 
ties with the Cncurbitaceai and Beyoniacea; than 
with any of the apetalous orders, and united 
by Baillon with the Saxifragaceai. There are 
only three genera, of which Datisca is the best- 
known. 
datiscin (da-tis'in), n. [< Datisca + -i2.] A 
substance (C 21 Ho 2 O 12 ) having the appearance 
of grape-sugar, first extracted by Braconnot 
from the leaves of Datisca cannabina. It has 
been used as a yellow dye. 
datisi (da-ti'si), . The mnemonic name given 
by Petrus Hispanus to that mood of the third 
figure of syllogism in which the major premise is 
universal and affirmative, and the minor premise 
and conclusion are particular and affirmative. 
These distinctions of quantity and quality are indicated 
by the vowels of the word, o-t-i. The letter s after the 
second vowel shows that the mood is reduced to direct 
reasoning by the simple conversion of the minor, and the 
initial rf shows that the resulting mood is darii. The fol- 
lowing is an example of a syllogism in datisi: All men 
irrationally prejudiced have weak minds; but some men 
irrationally prejudiced are learned ; hence, some learned 
men have weak minds. 
dative (da'tiv), a. and n. [= F. datif = Pr. da- 
tiu = Sp. Pg. It. dativo = D. datief = G. Dan. 
Sw. dativ, < L. dativus, of or belonging to giv- 
ing (in lit. sense, apart from grammar, first in 
LL.); casits dativus (tr. Gr. TTTOOI; &minfj), or 
simply dativus, the dative case ; < datus, pp. 
of dare, give: see date 1 , date 2 ."] I. a. 1. In 
gram., noting one of the cases of nouns and 
pronouns and adjectives in Indo-European lan- 
guages, and in some others, used most com- 
monly to denote the indirect or remoter object 
of the action of a verb, that to or for which 
anything is done. This case is found in all the ancient 
languages of our family, and is widely preserved even 
among the later. Though nowhere distinguished in form 
from the accusative or objective in modern English, it is 
really present in such expressions as, give him his due ; 
show this man the way ; and him, whom, them, and (in 
part) her are historically datives, retaining a dative ter- 
mination. The precise value of the original Indo-Euro- 
pean dative is a matter of doubt and dispute. Abbre- 
viated dat. 
2. In law : (a) Noting that which may be given 
or disposed of at pleasure ; being in one's gift. 
(b) Removable, in distinction from perpetual : 
said of an officer, (c) Given or appointed by a 
magistrate or a court of justice, in distinction 
from what is given by law or by a testator: as, 
an executor dative in Scots law (equivalent to 
an administrator) Decree dative, executor da- 
tive. See decree, executor. 
II. n. The dative case. See I., 1. Ethical da- 
tive. See ethical. 
datively (da'tiv-li), adv. In the manner of the 
dative case ; as a dative. 
The pronoun of the first or second person, used datively. 
Tlte Century, XXXII. 898. 
datolite (dat'o-lit), n. [So called from its ten- 
dency to divide into granular portions ; < Gr. 
Sarucdat, divide, + Mao;, stone.] A borosili- 
cate of calcium, occurring most commonly in 
brilliant glassy crystals, which are colorless or 
of a pale-green tint, white, grayish, or red; also 
in a white, opaque, massive form, looking like 
porcelain, and in radiated columnar form with 
botrypidal surf ace (the variety botryolite). it is 
found in Norway, the Tyrol, and Italy, and in fine crystals 
in New Jersey, Connecticut, and the Lake Superior min- 
ing-region. Haytorite is a pseudomorph of chalcedony 
after datolite. Also datholite, humboldtite. 
dattock (dat'ok), n. The wood of a leguminous 
tree of western Africa, Detarium Senegalense. 
It is hard and dense, and resembles mahogany 
in color. 
datum (da'tum), n. ; pi. data (-ta). [< L. da- 
tum, a gift, present, ML. also an allowance, con- 
cession, tribute (also in fern, data), prop. neut. 
of datus, pp. of dare, give : see date^, date 2 .'] 1. 
A fact given ; originally, one of the quantities 
stated, or one of the geometrical figures sup- 
posed constructed, in a mathematical problem, 
and from which the required magnitude or figure 
is to be determined. But Euclid uses the correspond- 
ing Greek term (SeSo/xeroc) in a second sense, as meaning 
any magnitude or figure which we know how to determine. 
2. A fact either indubitably known or treated 
as such for the purposes of a particular discus- 
sion; a premise. 3. A position of reference, 
by which other positions are defined. 
As a general datum, in philosophical chronology, Cum- 
berland came about a century after Bacon, and about 
ninety years before Adam Smith. 
Bibliotheca Sacra, XLIII. 528. 
Thorn-apple (Datura 
Stramonium\, with cross- 
daub 
Data Of consciousness, the original convictions of the 
mind ; propositions that must be believed but cannot be 
proved. 
Many philosophers have attempted to establish on the 
principles of common sense propositions which are not 
original data of consciousness ; while the original data of 
cimscwusneKX, from which their propositions were derived, 
and to which they owed their whole necessity and truth 
these data the same philosophers were (strange to say) 
not disposed to admit. Sir W. Hamilton. 
Datum-line, in engin. and surveying, the base-line of a 
section, from which all the heights and depths are mea- 
sured in the plans of a railway, etc. 
datum-plane (da'tum-plan), n. In craniom., 
a given horizontal plane from which measure- 
ments of skulls proceed, or to which the di- 
mensions of skulls are referred. 
The horizontal datum-plane adopted by German craui- 
ologists. Science, V. 499. 
Datura (da-tu'ra), n. [NL., < Hind, dhaturd, a 
plant (Datura fasttiosa).~\ A genus of solana- 
ceous plants, with angu- 
lar-toothed leaves, large 
funnel-shaped flowers, and 
prickly, globular, 4-valved 
pods. There are several spe- 
cies, all of them possessing poi- 
sonous properties and a dis- 
agreeable odor. D. Stramonium 
is the thorn-apple, all parts of 
which have strong narcotic 
properties. It is sometimes em- 
ployed as a remedy for neural- 
gia, convulsions, etc., and the 
leaves and root are smoked for 
asthma. The plant is supposed 
to be a native of western Asia, 
but is now found as a weed 
of cultivation in almost all the . 
temperate and warmer regions section of seed-vessel, 
of the globe. In some parts of 
the United States it is called the jimson (which see). D. 
fastuosa and D. Metel of India possess qualities similar to 
D. Stramonium. D. arborea, also known as Brur/manria, 
suaveolens, a native of South America, is a shrubby plant 
with very large fragrant white blossoms, and is sometimes 
found in greenhouses. 
daturine (da-tu'rin), n. [< Datura + -me 2 .] 
A poisonous alkaloid found in the thorn-apple. 
See Datura. Same as atropin. 
daub (dab), v. t. [Also formerly dawb, < ME. 
dauben, dawben, < OF. dauber, whiten, white- 
wash, also, in deflected senses, furnish, also 
(with var. dober) beat, swinge, plaster, < L. 
dealbare, whiten, whitewash, plaster, parget, 
LL. also purify (see dealbate), < de (intensive) 
+ albare, whiten, < albus, white ; cf. aube = alb 1 , 
< L. alba. The resemblance to Celtic forms 
seems to be accidental : W. dwb = Ir. dob = 
Gael, dob, plaster; W. dwbio = Ir. dobaim = 
Gael, "dob, v., plaster. Cf. adobe.'] 1. To 
smear with soft adhesive matter ; plaster ; cov- 
er or coat with mud, slime, or other soft sub- 
stance. 
She took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with 
slime and with pitch. Ex. ii. 3. 
So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with 
untempered morter. Ezek. xiii. 14. 
2. To soil ; defile ; besmear. 
Multitudes of horses and other cattle that are always 
dawbinff the streets. 
B. Mandenille, Fable of the Bees, Pref. 
He's honest, though daubed with the dust of the mill. 
A. Cunningham, The Miller. 
Hence 3. To paint ignorantly, coarsely, or 
badly. 
If a picture is daubed with many bright colours, the vul- 
gar admire it. Watts. 
4. To give a specious appearance to; patch 
up ; disguise ; conceal. 
So smooth he daub'd his vice with show of virtue. 
Sliat., Kich. III., iii. 5. 
Faith is necessary to the susception of baptism ; and 
themselves confess it, by striving to find out new kinds of 
faith to daub the matter up. 
Jer. Taylor, Works (ed. 1835), II. 394. 
She is all Truth, and hates the lying, masking, daubiny 
World, as I do. Wycherley, Plain Dealer, i. 1. 
5. To dress or adorn without taste; deck vul- 
garly or ostentatiously ; load as with finery. 
Yet since princes will have such things, it is better they 
should be graced with elegancy than daubed with cost. 
Jiacon, Essays. 
Let him be daub'd with lace. 
Dryden, tr. of Juvenal's Satires. 
daub (dab), n. [< daub, v.~\ 1. A cheap kind 
of mortar ; plaster made of mud. 
A square house of wattle and daith. 
D. Livingstone, Missionary Travels (ed. 1858), p. 409. 
2. A viscous, adhesive application ; a smear. 
3. A daubing or smearing stroke. [Scotch.] 
Many a time have I gotten a wipe with a towel ; but 
never a daub with a dishclout before. Scotch proverb. 
4. A coarse, inartistic painting. 
