dive 
Straight into the river Kwasind 
I'lmurd as if li" were :in otter, 
It'' ' <l [in early editions dove] as ff he were a beaver. 
Longfellow, Hiawatha, vii. 
Hence 2. To make a plunge in any way; 
plunge suddenly downward or forward, espe- 
cially so as to disappear: as, to dive down a 
precipice or into a forest. 
she stood for a moment, then ditve Into the dense fog 
which lui'l floated in from the river, and disappeared. 
0. W. Cable, Old Creole Days, p. 23. 
3. To plunge or enter deeply into something 
that engrosses the attention ; engage deeply in 
anything: as, to dive to the bottom of a sub- 
ject ; to dive into the whirl of business. 
How can they pretend to dine Into the secrets of the 
human heart? Goldsmith, Citizen of the World, IviL 
I 
Dived in a hoard of tales that dealt with knights, 
Half-legend, half-historic. Tennyson, Princess, Prol. 
II. trans. To explore by diving. [Rare.] 
The Curtii bravely <I'<"1 the gulf of fame. 
Sir J, Denham. 
dive (div), n. [< dive, v.] 1 . A descent or plunge 
head first into water or other fluid ; a " header" : 
as, a dive from a spring-board. 2. A sudden 
attack or swoop: as, to make a dive. 3. A 
disreputable place of resort, where drinking 
and other forms of vice are indulged in, and, 
commonly, vulgar entertainments are given : so 
called because often situated in basements or 
other half-concealed places into which the re- 
sorters may "dive" with little risk of observa- 
tion. [Colloq.] 
There are 150 gambling dives, the approaches to which 
re generally so barricaded as to defy iwlice detection. 
N. A. Ken., CXL1II. 33. 
They (the New York police] have been well backed up in 
closing the more iniquitous dives and disreputable resorts. 
Contemporary Kev., L1IL 227. 
divedappert, divedoppert (div'dap'er, -dop'- 
er), . [See didapper7\ 1. Same as didapper. 
Certaine dnui-doppers or water-foules. 
Uakluyt't Voyages, II. 59. 
2. A pert fellow : in contempt. 
There's no good fellowship in this dandiprat, 
This dice-dapper as is In other pages. 
Middleton, More Dissemblers besides Women, ill. 1. 
divel 1 (div'l), w. An obsolete or dialectal form 
of devil. 
divel 2 ! (di-vel'), v. t. [< L. divellere, pull asun- 
der, rend, < di- for dis-, asunder, + vellere, pull.] 
To pull asunder; rend. 
At the first Uttering, their eyes are fastly closed that is, 
by coalition or joining together of the eye-lids, and so con- 
tinue until about the twelfth day ; at which time they 
begin to separate, and may be easily diuelled or parted 
asunder. Sir T. Browne, Vulg. Err., ill. 27. 
divelize (div'l-iz), v. t. An obsolete or dialectal 
form of devilize. 
diyellent (di-vel'ent), a. [= F. divellent, < L. 
divellen(t-)s, ppr. of divellere, pull asunder: see 
divelV.] Drawing asunder ; separating. /Swart. 
[Rare.] 
divellicate (di-vel'i-kat), v. t. [< L. di- for dis-, 
asunder, + vellicatus, pp. of vellicare, pull, 
pluck, < vellere, pull. Of. divefi.] To pull in 
pieces. [Obsolete or rare.] 
My brother told me you had used him dishonestly, and 
had divellicated his character behind his back. 
Fiflding, Amelia, v. 6. 
diver 1 (di'ver), n. [< ME. diver, dyver.] 1 . One 
who or that which dives or plunges into water. 
The sayd dytter dyde all that busynes beynge vnderneth 
the water. Sir R. Guylforde, Pylgrymage, p. 76. 
The king he call'd his divers all, 
To dive for his young son. 
Young Hunting (Child's Ballads, III. 299). 
Specifically (a) One who makes a business of diving, as 
for pearl-oysters, to examine sunken vessels, etc. See sub- 
marine armor, under armor, (b) A bird that habitually 
dives, as a loon, grebe, auk, or penguin ; specifically, one 
or any of the birds variously known as Brachypterce, Her- 
gitores, Urinatores, Pyi'opodts, or Spheniscomorpka. The 
term is especially applied to the loons, family Colymbidit 
(which see). There are three leading species : the great 
northern diver, CoIi/mftiM tori/vat us ; the black-throated 
diver, C. oraHrat ; and the red-throated diver, C. septets 
trionalis. All three inhabit the northern hemisphere 
generally, and are noted not only for their quickness in 
dlvttg, but also for the length of time they remain and the 
distance they traverse under water, in which they move 
both by swimming with the feet and by paddling with the 
whi^K. See Ivnn. Also <lirin<i-l>inl. 
2. One who plunges into or engages deeply in 
anything Cartesian diver. See Cartesian. 
diver 2 t, w. See dynour. 
divert (di'verb), M. [< L. diverbium, the dia- 
logue of a comedy (an imperfect translation 
of Gr. <5SAoj<of, dialogue), < di- for dis-, apart 
(or else repr. Gr. 6ia), + verbum = E. word. 
Cf. prvverb.] A saying in which the two mem- 
1703 
bers of a sentence are contrasted; an anti- 
thetical proverb. [Rare.] 
Kn^land is a paradise for women, a hell for horses ; Italy 
a paradise for horses, a hell for women : as the dieeroe 
goes. Burton, Anat. of Mel., p. 687. 
diverberatet (di-ver'be-rat), v. t. [< L. ili- 
verberatus, pp. of diveroerare, strike asunder, 
cleave, divide, < di-, dis-, asunder, + verberare, 
strike, beat, whip : see verberate, and cf . rever- 
berate.] To cleave or penetrate through, as 
sound. 
These cries for blamelesse blood diverberate 
Tlie high resounding Heau'u's convexitie. 
Dame*, Holy Koode, p. 14. 
diverberationt (di-v6r-be-ra'shon) ; n. [< L. di- 
verberatus, pp. of diverberare, strike asunder, 
cleave, diviae, strike, beat : see diverberate, and 
cf. reverberation.'] A cleaving or penetrating, 
as sound. 
diverbium (dl-ver'bi-um), n. ; pi. diverbia (-&). 
[L.: see diverb.] In the anc. Bom. drama, any 
passage declaimed or recited by the actors with- 
out musical accompaniment or singing ; the dia- 
logue, or a scene in dialogue : opposed to canti- 
cum. The diverbia are generally composed in 
iambic trimeters (senarii). 
diverge (di-verj'), v. i. ; pret. and pp. diverged, 
ppr. diverging. [= D. divergeren = G. divergi- 
ren = Dan. divergere = Sw. divergera, < F. di- 
ver ger = Sp. diver gir = Pg. diverger, diver -gir 
= it. divergere, < ML. "dwergere, < L. di-, dis-, 
apart, + vergere, incline, verge, tend: see verge, 
converge.] 1. To move or lie in different di- 
rections from a common point ; branch off: op- 
posed to converge. 
In the catchment-basin all the branches converge to the 
main stream ; in the delta they all diverge from the trunk 
channel. Huxley, Physiography, p. 145. 
Hence 2. In general, to become or be sepa- 
rated from another, or one from another ; take 
different courses or directions: as, diverging 
trains of thought; lives that diverge one from 
the other. 
And wider yet in thought and deed 
Diverge our pathways, one in youth. 
Whittier, Memories. 
3. To differ from a typical form ; vary from a 
normal state or from the truth. 4. In math., 
to become larger (in modulus) without limit : 
said of an infinite series when, on adding the 
terms, beginning with the first, the sum in- 
creases indefinitely toward infinity. A series 
may be divergent without diverging. See di- 
vergent series, under divergent. 
divergement (di-verj'ment), . [< diverge + 
-went.] The act of diverging. Clarke. [Rare.] 
divergence (di-ver'jens), n. [Sometimes also 
devergence; = G. divergenz = Dan. Sw. diver- 
gens, < F. divergence = Sp. Pg. divergencia = It. 
dirergenza, < ML. "divergentia, < 'divergen(t-)s, 
ppr. of "divergere, diverge : see divergent and 
-ence.] I. The act or state of diverging, or 
moving or pointing in different directions (not 
directly opposed) from a common point ; a re- 
ceding one from another: opposed to conver- 
gence: as, the divergence of lines. 
The nearer the direction of the incident rays to that of 
the optic axis, the less the divergence between the ordi- 
nary and the extraordinary rays. 
Spottuwoode, Polarisation, p. 20. 
Double images in sleepiness are certainly due to diver- 
gence, not convergence, of the optic axes. 
Le Conte, Sight, p. 253. 
Hence 2. Departure from a course or stan- 
dard; differentiation in action or character; de- 
viation : as, the divergence of religious sects ; 
divergence from rectitude. 
In our texts, it is true, the employmentof the case-end- 
ings is usually according to their original signification ; 
the number of divergences from this is relatively small. 
Amer. Jour. Pkilol., V. 494. 
3. In math., the negative of the scalar part of 
the result of operating with the Hamiltonian 
operator upon a vector function, it is so called be- 
cause if the vector function represents displacements of 
the parts of a fluid, the divergence represents the decre- 
ment of density at any point due to this displacement. 
Angle of divergence. See angles. 
divergency (di-ver'jen-si), n. [As divergence.] 
The state of being divergent, or of having di- 
verged. Also rarely devcrgency. 
divergent (di-ver'jent). a. '[= D. divergent, < F. 
ilii-cri/cnt = Sp. Pg. It. divergente, < ML. *di- 
vergen(t-)s, ppr. of 'dirergere, diverge : see di- 
verge.] 1. Moving or situated in different di- 
rections from a common point, as lines which 
intersect: opposed to convergent. 2. In gen- 
eral, separating or separated one from another ; 
following different courses or directions. 
Divergent Parabola. /'/ o". 
diverse 
There was hardly an expedition, hardly a negotiation. In 
which bickerings and divergent counsels did not appear. 
Leeky, Eng. in Ibth lent., i. 
3. Deviating from something taken us a stan- 
dard or reference ; variant. 
In England the ideas of the multitude are perilously 
divergent from those of the thinking claw. 
J. H. Seeley, Nat Religion, p. 199. 
Divergent parabola, a name given by Newton to a cu- 
bic paraliola or cubic curve hav- 
ing tlic line at infinity as its in- 
flexional tangent. Divergent 
rays, rays which, proceeding 
from a point of a visible object, 
continually depart from one an- 
other in proportion as they re- 
cede from the object : opposed 
to convergent rays. Concave 
lenses render parallel rays di- 
vergent, convex lenses con- 
vergent. Divergent series, 
an infinite series such that, if 
we begin adding the terms to- 
gether in their order, we do not 
ultimately approximate indefi- 
nitely toward a Unite limit, but 
either oscillate from one value 
to another or move toward in- 
finity. Only in the latter case, according to the usage 
of mathematicians, is a divergent series said to diverge. 
Thus, for Instance, the infinite series 1-1+1 1 + 11 + 1 
Is divergent without diverging. Divergent strabismus. 
See strabismus. Divergent Wings, In enlom., wings 
which In repose are horizontal but spread apart, reced- 
ing from the abdomen, as In many flies. 
diverging (di-v6r'jing), p. a. [Ppr. of diverge, 
v.] Same as divergent. 
divergingly (di-ver'jing-li), adv. In a diverg- 
ing manner. 
divers (di'verz), a. [< ME. divers, dyvers, di- 
verse, dyverse, < OF. divers, F. divers = Pr. di- 
vers = Sp. Pg. It. diverse, < L. diversus, various, 
different, also written divorsus, pp. of divertere, 
divortere, turn or go different ways, part, sepa- 
rate, divert : see divert. According to modern 
analogies, the word divers would be written di- 
verse (pron. dJ'vers); association with the F. 
original favored the spelling divers; and this 
form, with the plurality involved in the word, 
caused it to be regarded as a plural (whence 
the pron. di'verz). Hence in mod. speech di- 
vers is used only with a plural noun. It is now 
obsolete or archaic, the form diverse, regarded 
as directly from the L., having taken its place. 
In earlier use divers and diverse are merely dif- 
ferent spellings of the same word ; early quo- 
tations are therefore here all put under divers. 
See diverse.] It. Different in kind, quality, or 
manner; various. 
In Egypt also there ben dyverse Langages and dyverse 
Lettres, and of other manere condicioun, than there ben 
In other parties. Mandeville, Travels, p. 53. 
Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds. 
Deut. \ M i. 9. 
At what a divers price do divers men 
Act the same things ! 
IS. Jonson, Fall of Mortimer, i. 1. 
Thus, like Sampsons Foxes, their heads are diuers wayes, 
but they are tyeu together by the tayles. 
Purchag, Pilgrimage, p. 39. 
2. Several ; sundry ; more than one, but not a 
great number: as, we have divers examples of 
this kind. 
There be divers fishes that cast their spawn on flags or 
stones. / . Walton, Complete Angler, p. 47. 
I believe, besides Zoroaster, there were divers that writ 
before Moses. Sir T. Browne, Rellgio Medici, I. 23. 
He has divers MRS. , but most of them astrological, to w<* 
study he is addicted. Evelyn, Diary, July 23, 1678. 
= Syn. Divers, Diverse. Dicers implies difference only, and 
is always used with a plural noun ; diverse (with either 
a singular or a plural noun) denotes difference with op- 
position. Thus, the evangelists narrate the same events 
in divers manners, but not in diverse. Trench. 
diverse (di-vers' or di'vers), a. [Same as di- 
vers, but resting more closely on the L. diver- 
sus: see divers.] 1. Different in kind ; essen- 
tially different ; different as individuals of one 
kind or as different kinds, but not as being 
affected by different accidents. Thus, Philip 
drunk and Philip sober, though different, are 
not diverse. 
Four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one 
from another. Dan. vii. 3. 
The Pilgrims were clothed with such kind of raiment as 
was diverse from the raiment of any that traded In that 
Fair. Bunyan, Pilgrim's Progress, p. 155. 
Woman is not undevelopt man, 
But diverse. Tennyson, Princess, vii. 
Owing to this variety of Interchangeable names for the 
chaplaincy question, diverse minds were enabled to form 
the same judgment concerning it. 
Qtorgt Eliot, Middleman*. I. 201. 
2f. Capable of assuming many forms; various; 
multiform. 
Eloquence is a diverse thing. B. Jonson. 
-Syn. Divers, Diverse. See divers. 
