dormouse 
1737 
rattc = G. scMnfratte (lit. 'sloop-rat'), a dor- dorriet. . An obsolete form of dory 1 , 
Dorrite (dflr'it), w. [< Dorr (see def.) + -ite*.] 
In (7. <S. Aist., one of those who engaged in 
or favored the revolutionary movement for a 
reformation of the then existing oligarchical 
State government of Rhode Island in 1841-42, 
led by Thomas W. Dorr. The effort ended In a slight 
insurrection called the " Dorr rebellion," after the irregu- 
Common Dormouse (.\tnscarjinuj 
avtllanariui"]. 
nouse.] A rodent of the family Myoxidte. The 
onnoiise is peculiar auionu rodent- In having no circuit]. 
The Kenerni appearance is 
Squirrel-like, hence the 
nmne t'tinfi; / ,//(>< I 
times given to these ani- 
mals ; hut the structure 
aiul ycnctal alliniiics are 
inuriue. The dormice are 
confined to the old world, 
and are widely distribut- 
ed in Europe and Asia, 
with some outlying forms 
in Africa. Their shape is 
neat and gracile ; they 
have full eyes, shapely 
limbs, and a long hairy 
tail, which in Myoxus 
proper is busily and dis- 
tichous throughout, in 
Muscardinus bushy but 
cylindrical, in Kliomys 
tufted and flattened at 
the end, and in Qraphi- 
urus shorter and like a 
lead-pencil. There are about 12 species of the 4 genera 
named. The common dormouse is Muxcardinun avella- 
narius, only at" ml as large as the house-mouse ; the fat 
dormouse or loir (Myoxus alit) and the garden-dormouse 
or lerot (Kliinnys nitrla) are both much larger. The dor- 
mice hibernate in a lethargic or torpid state, occasionally 
waking up in mild weather, and availing themselves of a 
stock of provisions which they have hoarded. 
I would 
I were a Dor-House for a hundred yeer. 
That I might sleep full twenty Lustres heer. 
Sylvester, tr. of Du Bartas's Triumph of Faith, iv. S3. 
He was made for other purpose then to be euer eating 
as swine, euer sleeping as Vormise. 
Dtkker, Seven Deadly Sins, p. SO. 
Dormouse phalangers. See Dromicia. striped dor- 
mouse, a book-name of the hackee, chipmunk, or ground- 
squirrel of the United States, Tamias striatvs. Pennant. 
dorneckt, dornext, . Obsolete forms of dor- 
nick. 
dornick (ddr'nik), n. [Also formerly or dial. 
dornik, dornique, dornock, dorneck, darnick, and 
(as if pi.) dorncr, darnix, etc. (cf. Icel. dornikar, 
a kind of water-tight boots), so called from 
Dornick (OFlem. Dornick, Flem. Doornik = F. 
Tournai = ML. Turnacum, Tornacum, Tournay), 
a town in Belgium where this cloth was origi- 
nally made. A similar cloth is said to have been 
made at Dornoch in Sutherlandshire, Scot- 
land.] If. A stout -linen cloth, especially a 
damask linen having a simple diaper pattern, 
formerly much used for church vestments, 
altar-hangings, etc. 
He fand his chalnier weill arrayit 
With dornik work on buird display!!. 
Sir D. Lyndsay, Squyer Meldrum, 1. 884. 
2. Linsey-woolsey : in this sense darnick. Halli- 
wetl. [Prov. Eng.] 3. [Appar. from a fancied 
resemblance to the figures of dornick, 1.] A 
pebble or cobblestone ; any small fragment of 
rock. [Western U. 8.] 
dornixt, . An obsolete form of dornick. 
dornock (ddr'nok), n. See dornick. 
doront (do'ron), n. [L., < Gr. fupov, a gift, also 
(perhaps not the same word) a handbreadth: 
see dorema, donate.] 1. A gift; a present. 
2. As an ancient Greek unit of length, a hand- 
breadth or palm. 
Doronicum (do-ron'i-kum), n. [NL.] A genus 
of composite plants, much resembling the ar- 
nica, natives of Europe and temperate Asia. 
D. Caucamcum and D. Pardalianches are cultivated for 
their (lowers, and are commonly known as leopard't-bane. 
Dorosoma (dor-o-so'mS), . [NL., < Gr. S6pv, 
a spear, -I- aa/ta, body;" in allusion to the form 
of the body in the young.] The typical genus 
of clupeoid fishes of the family Dorosomidce; 
gizzard-shad. D. cepedianum is the common 
gizzard- or hickory-shad orthread-herringof the 
United States. See cut under gizzard-shad. 
Dorosomatidae (dor'o-so-mat'i-de), n.pl. [NL.] 
Same as Dorosomidec. 
Dorosomidse (dor-o-so'mi-de), n. pi. [< Doro- 
soma + -id<B.l A family of malacopterygian 
fishes, typified by the genus Dorosoma. They 
have an oblong, rather deep body, carinated belly, thin 
deciduous scales, small head, and small mouth overarched 
by the blunt snout, with narrow, short maxillaries having 
each a single supplemental bone. They have a general 
likeness to a shad, and the species in the United States 
are generally called gizzard-shads. They are mud-loving 
fishes, occurring in coast as well as inland waters of warm 
regions, and of little or no value as food. 
dorp (dorp), H. [< D. dorp = LO. dorp = AS. 
and E. thorp, a village: see thorp."] A small 
village. [Rare.] 
No neigh 1 1' .u riii- dorp, no lodging to be found, 
But blcaky plains, and hare unhospitahle ground. 
Vnjdtn, Hind and Panther, 1. 1905. 
dorr 1 , n. See dor 1 . 
dorr 2 t, v. and n. See dor' 2 . 
lar adoption by a majority of the people of a new con- 
stitution and the election of Dorr as governor ; hut its ob- 
ject was in great part effected by a constitution legally 
formed and adopted in the autumn of 1842. 
dorsa. . Plural of dorsum. 
dorsabdominal (d6r-sab-dom'i-nal), a. [< L. 
iliirxiiiu, the back, + abdomen, abdomen: see ab- 
dominal. ] Pertaining to the back and the belly : 
specifically said of the situation of parts, or 
direction of a line or plane, between the dorsal 
and abdominal or ventral aspects of the body: 
as, a dorsabdominal axis ; a dorsabdominal di- 
rection. Also dorsiventral, dorsoventral.Doi- 
sabdomlnal symmetry, a kind of symmetry or reversed 
repetition on the opposite (dorsal and abdominal) sides of 
a plane passing througli the middle of the body perpen- 
dicularly to both the median vertical or longitudinal and 
the transverse planes ; one of the three kinds of symmetry 
which an organism may present, the other two being bilat- 
eral symmetry and anteroposterior symmetry. It la less 
evident than either of the other two, and usually inap- 
preciable. 
dorsabdominally (d6r-sab-dom'i-nal-i), adv. 
In a dorsabdominal direction or relative posi- 
tion ; from back to belly, and conversely ; dor- 
siventrally: as, a line drawn dorsabdominally. 
dorsad (dor' sad), adv. [< L. dorsum, the back, 
+ ad, toward.] In mint., toward the dorsum 
or back ; backward, with reference to the ani- 
mal itself, without regard to its posture: as, 
the spinal cord lies dorsad of the bodies of the 
vertebra; the aorta arches dorsad as well as 
sinistrad: opposed to ventrad, and in Verte- 
brata equivalent to neurad. 
dorsadiform (d&r'sad-i-f6rm), a. [< dorsad + 
-i-form7] In ichth., having that form in which 
the tendency of extension of the body is up- 
ward above the shoulders, as the common perch 
and many other fishes. Gill. 
dorsal (d&r'sal), a. and n. [< F. dorsal = Sp. Pg. 
dorsal = It. dorsale, < ML. dorsalis (L. dorsu- 
alis), pertaining to the back, < L. dorsum, the 
back: see dorse 1 , dorsum.'] I. a. 1. In ana t. : 
(a) Of or pertaining to the back : as, the dorsal 
fin of a fish ; dorsal muscles, nerves, etc. (6) 
Of or pertaining to the back of a part or organ : 
as, the dorsal aspect of the hand ; the dorsal sur- 
face of the breast-bone; the 
dorsal artery of the penis. 
2. In en torn., pertaining to the 
upper surface of the thorax or 
abdomen Dorsal eyes, Inzoul, 
those eyes which are situated nearly 
In the middle of the upper surface, 
as In certain Arachnida. Dorsal 
fin, In ichthyol., the fin or fin-like 
integumentary expansion generally 
developed on the back of aquatic 
vertebrates that is, leptocardians, 
myzonts, selachians, true fishes, and 
cetaceans. Abbreviated d. or D. See 
cut under /in. Dorsal laminae, in 
einbryol., longitudinal folds of blas- 
toderm forming a ridge on each side 
of the primitive groove of a verte- 
brate embryo, and eventually unit- 
ing over it to convert it into the cere- 
brospinal canal : opposed to ventral 
lannnif, which similarly Inclose the 
rest of the body. 
A linear depression, the primitive 
groove, makes its appearance on the 
surface of the blastoderm, and tile 
substance of the mesoblast along 
each side of this groove grows up, carrying with it the 
superjacent epiblast Thus are produced the two dorsal 
lamina. Huxley, An at. Vert., p. 12. 
Dorsal muscles, in human ana/., those muscles which 
lie upon the back. Those of the so-called first and second 
layers, however, pertain to the anterior extremity or fore 
limn. Dorsal nerves, those spinal nerves which emerge 
in relation with dorsal vertebra. 
Dorsal punctures, in en- 
ttnn., impressed dots, few In 
number and determinate in posi- 
tion, found on the elytra of cer- 
tain beetles, principally the Ca- 
rabidtf. They are of great ser- 
vice in distinguishing species, 
and are not to t>e confounded with 
the ordinary irregular punctures 
of the surface. Dorsal seg- 
ments, in entniu., the segments 
of the abdomen , seen from above, 
and numbered from the tiase to 
' H--IH1UIH , * , ucur.ii thp nrwY T^nfcal aiivfa/*a in 
spine; 4, diapopnysfc or l ; P 6 ?:" Dorsal surface, 111 
n .traverse process; i. facet <">itom., the upper surface of the 
for articulation of head of whole insect, including the elytra 
rib: /', demi-facet for head if these are present. Dorsal 
S3Str3ffiL.%35.VE *. In **.. the outer suture 
prezyitaixiphysisT --. loiei * "dge ' a carpel or pod, cor- 
do.. or posuygapophysis, responding to the niidvein of the 
Early Vertebrate Em- 
bryo of Chick. 
a, cephalic end ; b, 
caudal end ; c, primi- 
tive groove ; rf, dorsal 
laminae, closing over c ,' 
f, several protoverte- 
bnc. 
Side View of Human Thora- 
cic or Dorsal Vertebra, 
centrum; t', neural 
dorsibranchiate 
carpellary leaf. Dorsal vertebra, In anal., those Tr- 
telinc which lie hetween the n r \ical and lumbar verte- 
bra; thoracic vertebra-, fic.)iientl\ the only ones which 
bear free-Jointed ribs. Abbreviated d, or D. See cut In 
preceding column. Dorsal vessel, in cntam., the long 
blood-vessel, or heart, lying along the back of an insect. 
II. n. 1. In ichth., a dorsal fin. Pennant. 
2. In anat., a dorsal vertebra. 3. EccUs. See 
the extract. 
The orphrey of the chasuble was often distinguished 
Into three parts ; that in the front being called the "pec- 
toral," the other, behind, the "dorsal,' and the two over 
the shoulders the ''numerals." 
Rock, Church of our Fathers, 1. 868, note. 
dorsally (d6r'sal-i), adv. 1. In a dorsal situa- 
tion; on the back; by the back. 2. In a dor- 
sal direction ; toward the back ; dorsad. 
At the point of their junction there is usually a single 
median process projecting dorsally. 
W. H. Flower, Osteology, p. 12. 
Donally to the alimentary tract the ccxloin is spacious. 
K. R. Lanketter, Encyc. Brit., XVI. S& 
dorsalmost (ddr'sal-most), a. superl. [< dor- 
sal + -most.] Next to the back. [Bare.] 
The dartalmost pair of tentacles are the only ones which 
actually belong to that part of the disc which forms the 
great dorsal hood. K. R. Lankeiter, Encyc. Brit,, XVI. 674. 
dorsalward. dorsalwards (ddr'sal-wftrd. 
-w&rdz), adv. [< dorsal + -ward, -wards.] 
Same as dorsad. [Rare.] 
The dorsal division of the cceloni has passed dorsal- 
wardt. Jour. Micros. Science, XXVIII. 395. 
dorsch (dfirsh), n. [Cf. G. dorscli, the haddock, < 
LG. dorsch = Icel. thorskr = Sw. Dan. torsk, a 
codfish, > E. torsk, q. v.] The young of the 
common cod. 
dorse 1 (d6rs), n. [< OF. dors, dos, back (cf. 
ders, also dim. derselet, a canopy : see dorsel), 
P. dos = Sp. Pg. It. dorso, < L. dorsum, the 
back (of beasts, later also of men), a ridge, in 
ML. the back of anything; perhaps akin to Gr. 
teipfj, Stpii, the neck, a ridge, deipaf, a ridge.] 
It. The back. 
He had a very choice library of books, all richly bound, 
with gilt dorses. Wood, Athente Oxon. 
2. A piece of stuff used to cover the back of a 
settle or chair, or hung at the back of an altar 
or at the sides of a chancel; especially, a piece 
of rich stuff forming the back of a chair of state 
or a throne, reaching from the canopy to the 
floor of the dais. In ecclesiastical use now dos- 
sal. Formerly also dorser, dorsel, dosser. 
A dorte and redorse of crymsyn velvet with flowers of 
gold, In length two yards three quarters. 
Will of Sir K. Sutton. 
dorse 2 (ddrs), . [See dorsch.] A young cod, 
formerly supposed to be a distinct species 
called the vanable cod, Gadtts callarias. 
dorsed (ddrst), a. [As dorsel + -co?.] In her., 
same as aversant. 
dorselt (ddr'sel), n. [< OF. dorsal, < ML. dor- 
sale, tapestry, also called dorsalicum, dorsitale, 
dorsile, dorserium, dorsarium, dorsoritim (> E. 
dorser, q. v.), and (accom. to the F.) dossale, 
dossuale, and dosserium (> E. dosser, q. v.); so 
called because hung at the back of one sit- 
ting down, < L. dorsum, the back : see dorse 1 , 
dorsal.] 1. Same as dorse 1 , 2. 2. [OF. dossal.] 
A kind of woolen stuff. 3. Same as dorser, 2. 
dorsert (ddr'ser), . [= Sc. dorsour, < ME. dor- 
sour, dorsure, dorsere, dorcere, < ML. dorserium, 
dorsorium, equiv. to dorsale, > E. dorsel, a cano- 
py: see dorsel. Same as dosser, q. v.] 1. Same 
as dorse 1 , 2. Prompt. Pan. 2. A pannier or 
basket. Also dorsel, dosser. 
She is tin n d. 
By this, some farmer's dairymaid ; I may meet her 
Riding from market one day 'twixt her dorters. 
Fletcher and Shirley, Night- Walker, 1. 1. 
What makes so many scholars then come from Oxford 
and Cambridge, like market-women, with dorsers full of 
lamentable tragedies and ridiculous comedies? 
Shirlrii, Witty Fair One, IT. 
Dorsibranchiata (d6r-si-brang-ki-a'tfi), n. pi. 
[NL., neut. pi. of dorsibranchiatun : see dorsi- 
branchiate.] In Cuvier's system, the second or- 
der of Annelides, including free marine worms. 
It closely approximated in significance to the order Cfurto- 
l/oda of modern naturalists. They have the branchlte on 
the back, whence the name. 
dorsibranchiate (ddr-si-brang'ki-at), a. and n. 
[< XL. dorsibranchiatus, < L. dorsum, the back, 
+ bronchia, gills.] I. a. 1. Haying gills on the 
back; notobranchiate, as certain nudibranchi- 
ate gastropods and many marine annelids. 
2. Specifically, having dorsal gills, as the Dor- 
*il>rnnchiata ; of or pertaining to the Dorsi- 
branchiata. 
II. n. A member of the Dorsibranchiata. 
