Diospyros 
Of the 1:VI specie's, only two are American, of which one 
i. Hi,- .-oi .n persimmon of the I lilted Slates. II. Vir- 
,,,,,,. s. limes called daft-plum. The wood Is hard 
ami heavv. and many species yield woods that are val- 
uable- for' carving, furniture -making, el. . IJ.i.ny is the 
heart-wood ..( .s.v.-ral .species, the l.e.st and most costly, 
uitli the blackest ami tln.-st .ji-ain. I., in-- obtained from 
ll. f.'lii-Hliiliinl Mauritius ami /'. /.'';. "- -of i .-.vl..n. I> 
./u.i'sitii of I'eylon yields ealamamler wood, and D. Knriii 
the in.irble U.....I of the Andaman islands. D. Kaki. the 
I'hineseor.lapanesc |ie, sinnnon, Is cultivated lor Us fruit, 
which resembles the plum iii appearance and flavor, and 
lias bi-cn introduced into southern lliin.pe and the I nit.-.l 
Slates. l>. I.Klns of .southern llm-upe has be, -n supposed 
to lie the I. .nis ..f the ancients, but its fruit Is hardly eat- 
able. It is used as a remedy for diarrhea. The fruit* of 
most of thi! species are excessively astringent when im- 
mature, owing to the amount of tannic acid which they 
contain. 
diothelism (di-oth'e-lizm), n. [Irreg. for *di- 
tltelium, < LGr. Mktyc. with t,vo volitions (< Gr. 
At-, two-, + Oihiv, will), + -ism.] In theol., the 
doctrine that Christ during his earthly life pos- 
sessed two wills, a human and a divine: op- 
posed to miHiotltelinm. Also di/nHtclixm. [Rare.] 
diothelite (di-oth'e-lit), n. [Irreg. for "ditlic- 
litr; as dinthel-ism + -ife 2 .] One who holds to 
the doctrine of diothelism. Also dyotlielite. 
dioxia (di-ok-si'a), n. [< Gr. AiofriCni, i. e., At 
offiuiv, in full $'&< 6ftjp xpptiuv avfKjxjvia (cf. 
itiitjiiitaiii, iliiiiicnte,6tc.): bi-eiuv, gen. pi. of ofefa. 
fern, of off;, sharp.] In Gr. music, the interval 
of a fifth: later called diapente (which see). 
dioxid (di-ok'sid), n. [< rfi- 2 + oxid.] An 
oxid consisting of one atom of a metal and two 
atoms of oxygen. Also written, erroneously, 
diliOJCid. Carbon dioxid Same as carbonic acid (which 
see, under car/wmiV). 
dioxy-. [< di- 2 + oxy(gen).] A chemical pro- 
fix signifying that the compound to which it is 
prefixed contains cither two oxygen atoms or 
two oxygen atoms additional to another com- 
pound. Thus, succinic acid has the formula 
C4H 8 O4, and dioxy-succinic acid has the for- 
mula CiHgOg. 
AS. nyppan, dippan (pret. dypte, pp. dypped) 
(= Dan. dyppe), dip, plunge, immerse, a sec- 
ondary form, orig. "dnpian (oquiv. to ONorth. 
i// IHIH, baptize, = OS. dopian = D. dnopeu = 
LG. dopen = OHG. ton/en, MHG. ton/en, G. 
taufen = Sw. dopa = Dan. diibe = Goth, daup- 
jan, all in souse of 'baptize,' the orig. and lit. 
sense 'dip' being found only in OHG., MHG., 
and Goth.), a causative verb, < de6p, Goth. 
tHiips, etc., deep: see deep. Belated words are 
dop, dapper, dap, rfafti, etc., and perhaps dim- 
ple.'} I. trans. 1. To plunge or immerse tem- 
porarily in water or other liquid, or into some- 
thing containing it ; lower into and then raise 
from water or other liquid : as, to dip a person 
in baptism; to dip a boat's oars; to dip one's 
hands into water. 
The priest shall dip his finger in the blood. Lev. IT. 6. 
The bason then being brought up to the bishop, he often 
iHii/ifl a large lettice into It, and several times sprinkled 
all the people. Pococke, Description of the East, II. 1. 18. 
2. To lower and raise as if in temporary im- 
mersion ; hence, to perform by a downward and 
an upward movement : as, to dip a Hag in salu- 
tation; the falcon dipped his wings for flight; 
to dip a courtesy. 3. To raise or take up by 
a dipping action; lift by bailing or scooping: 
as, to dip water out of a boat ; to dip out soup 
with a ladle; to dip up sand with a bucket. 
4. To immerse or submerge partly; plunge or 
sink to some extent into water ; nence, to 
plunge, as a person, into anything that in- 
volves activity or effort, as difficulties or en- 
tanglements; engage; entangle. 
He was a little dipt in the rebellion of t he commons. 
Dryden, Fables. 
In the green waves did the low bank dip 
Its fresh and green grass-covered daisied lip. 
William Hlorrix, Earthly Paradise, I. 405. 
6f. To engage as a pledge : generally used for 
the first mortgage. Latham. 
Put out the principal in trusty hands. 
Live on the use, ami never </'/' thy lands. 
Drydtn, tr. of I'ersins's Satires. 
6. To plunge into ; begin to sink into or be im- 
mersed in. [Rare.] 
But ere he [the sword Excalilmr] dipt the surface, rose an 
anil 
rlnthed in white samite, mystic, wonderful, 
And caught him by the hilt. 7'. ,;,-,-.,. Mnrte d' Arthur. 
7f. To affect as if by immersion; moisten ; wet. 
A cold shuddering dew 
Dips me nil o'er, as when the wrath of Jove 
Speaks thunder. Hilton, I'onms, 1. 803. 
1629 
U i- aw two boats overset and the gallant* forced to be 
pulled on shore by the heels. . . . Among others I saw the 
ministers . . . sadly dipped, f'py', Diary, May 1.1, 16BO. 
Dipping the axle, sec or/-. To dip snuff, to take 
-null LI dipping a stick into it and rubbing it upon the 
teeth and gums. (Southern U. S.] 
Sam rpcbinch smoked his pipe, and Peggy dipped tnuff, 
but Dyer declined joining them In using tobacco. 
The Century, XXXI. 586. 
To dip the flag. Sec/fa^. 
II. in trans. 1. To plunge into water or other 
liquid and quickly emerge. 
Unharmed the water-fowl may dtp 
In the Yolsinian mere. 
Maeaulau, Horatliu, vii. 
2. To plunge one's finger or hand, or a dipper, 
ladle, or the like, into anything; make a tran- 
sitory plunge or entrance ; hence, to engage or 
interest one's self temporarily or to a slight 
extent: with in or into: as, to dip into specu- 
lation. 
Who can call him his friend, 
That dip* in the same dih 1 
SlMk., T. of A., US. 2. 
Suppose 
I ./.;././ among the worst and Stains chose ? 
Itryden, tr. of Perslni's Satires, II. 38. 
We dipt in all 
That treat* of whatsoever Is. 
Tennytan, Princess, II. 
A blasphemy so like these MollnUts', 
I must suspect you dip into their books. 
llrmnung, Ring and Book, II. 39. 
3. To incline downward ; sink, as if below the 
horizon : as, the magnetic needle dips : specifi- 
cally, in geol., said of strata which are not hori- 
zontal. 
The sun's rim dipt, the stars rush out. 
Coleridge, Ancient Mariner, Hi. 
Where the steep upland dips into the marsh. 
Ixneell, Under the Willows. 
dip (dip), n. [<dip,r.] 1. The act of dipping; 
immersion for a short time in water or other 
liquid; a plunge; a bath: as, the dip of the 
oars ; a dip in the sea. 
The dip of the wild fowl, the rustling of trees. 
Whittier, Bridal of Pennacook, i. 
2. That which is dipped ; specifically, a candle 
made by dipping a wick repeatedly in melted 
tallow. 
He gazes around, 
And holds up his dip of sixteen to the pound. 
l:,irlt'iiii, Ingoldsby Legends, I. .-'.. 
It is a solitary purser's dip, as they are termed at sea. 
emitting but feeble rays. Marryat, Snarleyyow, I. xix. 
3. The act of dipping up, as with a ladle or 
dipper: as, to take a dip from the bowl. 4. 
Inclination downward; a sloping; a direction 
below a horizontal line ; depression. 
Hi 'n to the last dip of the vanishing sail 
She watch'd It. Tennyton, Enoch Ardcn. 
Specifically () In geol., the angle which a stratum of 
Dip of the Horizon. 
R Is the fttatlon vertically 
bore A at the tea-level ; DAB 
b an arc of a (treat circle hav- 
ing It* center at c . the center of 
the earth: the anyle ///'/> Is the 
true. and Ot K the apparent, dip. 
Outcrop of Rock, showing Dip and Strike. 
rock makes with a horizontal plane. The dip is the com- 
plement of the hade or underlay. See these words. 
If a stratum or bed of rock, instead of being quite level, 
be Inclined to one side, It is said to dip : the point of the 
compass to which it is inclined is said to lie the point of 
dip, and the degree of deviation from a level or horizon- 
tal line is called the amount of dip. 
Lyell, Manual of Geol., v. 
(4) In mining : (1) A heading driven to the dip in mines in 
which the beds of coal have a steep inclination. Also called 
dip-head. (2) Rarely, a heading driven to the rise. [North. 
Staffordshire, Eng.] (c) In teleg., the distance from a 
point in a wire midway between two adjacent supports to 
the middle point of a straight line joining the point* on 
these supports t which the wire is attached, (d) A cor- 
rection to be applied to the altitude of heavenly bodies 
observed at sea, varying according to the height of the ob- 
server's eye. 
5. Any liquid into^ which something is to be 
dipped. 
The bronzing dip may be prepared by dissolving in 1 
gal. hot water ) Ih. each nerrhlorlde of iron and perchlo 
ride of copper. The metal should not lie allowed to re- 
main in this .///I any longer than Is necessary to pro.lin ,- 
tin' desired colour. Wortthop Rrrr<i>l*, Sd ser., p. .'44. 
Specifically (a) Drawn butter, or milk thickened with 
Hour, served with toast, (d) A sauce served with pud- 
ding*. (Local, I. s.] 
diphtheria 
0. A pickpocket. [Thieves' slang.]- Dip of the 
horizon, the angular amount by which the hnrir/m 
line lies below the level of 
II ie It is due to the 
convexity of the earth, and 
is somewhat diminished by 
the refraction of light. The 
figure gives an exaggerated 
representation of the phe- 
nomenon, on the left without 
refraction and on the right 
with It. Dip of the nee- 
dle, the angle which the 
magnetic needle, freely 
poised on its center of grav- 
ity, and symmetrically 
formed In both its arms, 
makes with the plane of the 
horizon. It is otherwise 
termed the inclination of the 
needle. In the United States the dip of the needle varies 
from 55 to 70 ; at the magnetic poles it is 9n, and on the 
magnetic equator it is 0. Direction of the dip, the 
point of the compass toward which a stratum of rock I* 
dipaschal (di-pas'kal), a. [< Gr. A,., two-, + 
jrdo-^a, passover: see paschal.] Including two 
jpassovers. Carpenter. 
dip-bucket (dip'buk'et), n. A bucket contrived 
to turn and sink, or pour out readily, used on 
shipboard and in wells. 
dipchick (dip'chik), n. [< dip + chick* ; equiv. 
to dabcfiick, q. v.] Same as dabchick. Carew. 
dip-circle (dip'ser'kl), n. A form of dipping- 
compass (which see). 
One of the snow-houses (built not far from the observa- 
tory) was designed lor the dip-circle, and the other for the 
declinometer. C. F. Hall, Polar Expedition, p. 218. 
Dipeltidse (di-pel'ti-de), n. pi. [NL., < Dipel- 
tis + -ida!.] A family of xiphosurous merosto- 
matous crustaceans, represented by the genus 
Dipeltis, of Carboniferous age, having a dig- 
coidal elliptical body with a smooth abdomen 
differentiated from the cephalic shield. 
Dipeltis (di-pel'tis), n. [NL., < Gr. At-, two-, 
-t- iri'/.Tri, a shield.] The typical genus of Di- 
/niiiiiii: D. diplodiscus is an example. 
dipenthemimeres (di-pen-the-mim'e-rez), n. 
[? Gr. 6tircv6r//Uftep{K, < <'<-, two-, + xnm/fu/itpf/e, 
penthemimeres: see penthemimeres.] In anc. 
pros., a verse consisting of two penthemimeres, 
or groups of five half -feet (two and a half feet) 
each: as, for example, a line composed of a 
dactylic pentameter and an iambic monome- 
ter hypercatalectic, * w w w w | w ^ w w. 
dipetaious (di-pet'a-lus), a. [< Gr. Ai-, two-, + 
Ktrtdjov, a leaf (mod', a petal), + -ous.] In hot., 
having two petals. 
di petto (de pet'to). [It. : di, < L. de, from ; 
petto, < L. pectus, breast : see pectoral.] In 
music, with the natural voice, as opposed to 
falsetto. 
dip-head (dip'hed), n. Same as dip, 4 (6) (1). 
It frequently happens that the dip-head level intersect* 
the cutters In it* progress at a very oblique angle. 
Vre, Diet, III. 328. 
diphenic (di-fen'ik), a. [< di-* + phenic.] Used 
in the phrase diphenic acid, an oxidation pro- 
duct (CuHjoO^ of phenanthrene, one of the 
constituents of coal-tar. 
diphenylamine (dif-e-nil'a-min), it. [< d- 2 + 
plienyl + amine.] A crystalline substance, 
(C 6 H5) 2 NH. having an agreeable odor and 
weakly basic properties, prepared by the dry 
distillation of rosaniline blue, or by heating 
aniline hydrochlorid and aniline together, it 
Is used In the preparation of various dye-stuffs, and as a 
reagent in mlcrochemieal analysis for the detection of mi- 
nute quantities of nitrates and nitrites, which yield with 
it a dark-blue color. Diphenylamine-blue. Same as 
diphrelatic (dif-re-lat'ik), a. [< Gr. t 
a chariot-driver, < Aifpor., a chariot-board, the 
chariot itself, BO called because it accommo- 
dated two (the driver and his master), for *At- 
^opoc, bearing t wo, < AL-, two-, + -*Spof , < feptiv = 
E. bear 1 .] Of or pertaining to chariot-driving. 
diphtheria (dif- or dip-the'ri-&). . [NL. (so 
called with reference to the leathery nature of 
the membrane formed), < Gr. Ai<p8(pa, a prepared 
hide, skin, piece of leather, perhaps < oi+ctv, 
soften, knead till soft, akin toL. drpacre, knead, 
make supple, tan leather.] An infectious dis- 
ease, characterized by the formation over the 
affected and inflamed parts of a firm whitish or 
grayish pellicle, or false membrane (which is 
removed with difficulty and leaves a raw sur- 
face), and by general prostration. It is not infre- 
quently followed by more or less extended paralysis. The 
air-passages of the head are the im*t frequent seat of the 
diphtheritic membrane, although it may appear on other 
mucous surfaces and in wounds. The disease is very fre- 
iiiently fatal, and it* ravage* are extended by filth. Also 
