D I A 
DIAGNOS'TIC,/. andarf/. In medicine, a term given 
to thofe figns which indicate the prefent date' of a 
difeafe, its nature, and caufe. 
DIA'GONAL, adj. \_diagonalc , Fr. of diagonalu, Lat. of 
cha, through, and yuma., Gr. an angle.] Reaching from one 
angle to another, fo as to divide a parallelogram into equal 
parts.—The monftrofity of thebadgeris ill-contrived, and 
with fome difadvantage ; the fhortnefs being fixed unto the 
legs of one fide, that might have been more properly 
placed upon the diagonal movers. Brown. 
DI A'GONA L,y. A line drawn from angle to angle, 
and dividing a fquare into equal parts.—When a man 
has in his mind the idea of two lines, viz. the fide and di¬ 
agonal of a fquare, Whereof the diagonal is an inch long, 
he may have the ideaalfo of the divifionof that line into 
a certain number of equal parts. Bockc. 
DIA'GONALLY, adv. In a diagonal direction.—‘The 
right and left are not defined by philofophers according 
to common acceptation, that is, refpedtively from one- 
man unto another, or anyconftant fite in each, as though 
that Ihould be the right in one, which, upon confront, or 
facing, (lands athwart or diagonally unto the other; but 
were, diftinguiflied according unto their activity, and pre¬ 
dominant locomotion, on either fide. Browne. 
DIA'GORAS, furnamed the Atheift, a philofopher 
of the eleatic left, native of the ifland of Melos. He 
was fold as a captive in his youth, and redeemed by De¬ 
mocritus, who bellowed upon him the advantages of a 
learned education, and trained him up in the ftudy of his 
own diftinguilhing principles. After having embraced 
the doCtrine, that atoms and a vacuum are the firfi prin¬ 
ciples of all things, and are both infinite, his mind was 
led, by no very difficult procefs, to reject all belief in a 
Deity, as inconfiftent with the fy Item which he had adopt¬ 
ed. Vanity, and a fondnefs for one of his literary pro¬ 
ductions, of which he had been robbed, and could not 
recover, are reported to have^ contributed in giving a 
turn to his mind in favour of atheiftic fentiments. By 
the freedom and indecency of his language, he drew on 
himfelf the indignation of the people of Athens, and 
was fummoned to give an account of his dodtrine in the 
courts of judicature. But, knowing the feverity of the 
Athenian laws againft perfons convicted of atheifm, he 
thought it molt prudent to abfeond ; when a decree was 
iffued, and inferibed upon a brazen column, by which a 
price was fet upon his head, and the reward of a talent 
offered to any one who Ihould kill him, or of two talents 
to any one who fhould bring him alive before his judges. 
This decree was ilfued in the ninety-firft Olympiad, or 
the year 416 before Chrift. Of the future fate of Diago- 
ras there are different accounts. According to fome 
writers, after efcaping from Athens, he' took Ihipping, 
and was caft away. According to others, he was for fome 
time a fugitive in different parts of Africa, and at laft fled 
to Corinth, where he died. He is reported to have 
drawn up a code of juft and ufeful laws, which were 
adopted by Nicodorus, the legiflator of the Mantineans. 
Of the different (lories concerning him, one appears de¬ 
ferring of being mentioned, becaufe it holds out a leffon 
againft improper conclufions from the common courfe of 
providence. Being on fhipboard during a violent ftorm, 
the tailors began to conlider their fituation. as a judg¬ 
ment inflicted on them by heaven, and plainly told him 
that theydefervedit,for havingreceived fo impious a perlon 
into their veil'd. Upon which, Diagoras pointed to fome 
other veflels that were in equal danger, and afked them, 
whether they thought that each of tliofe (hips alio carried 
in them a DiagOras ? 
DI'AGRAM, f. ($iaygtx/s,[/.ct, Gr.] A delineation of 
geometrical figures; a mathematical fcheme.—Many a 
fair precept in poetry is like a feeming demonftration in 
the mathematics ; very fpecious in the diagram, but fail¬ 
ing iq the-mechanic operation. Dryden. 
Dl'AGRAPH, f. [from ha, through; and Gr, 
to write.] A defeription. Scott. 
D 1 A 787 
DIAGRAPII'IC, or Diagraphical, adj. Belonging 
to fculpture and engraving. 
DI AGRY'DIA'l'ES, f. [from diagrydium, Lat.] Strong 
purgatives made with diagrydium. This word is cor¬ 
rupted from Dacrydium, which fee.—All choleric hu¬ 
mours ought to be evacuated by diagrydiates, mixed with 
tartar, or fome acid, or rhubarb powder. Floyer. 
DI AGRY'DJUM, J'. A preparation of fcammony, by 
baking or roafting it, inclofed in the fruit of quince ; a 
gum diftilling from fcammony. Properly Dacrydium. 
DI AHEX'APLA, or Diahexaple,/. Among farriers, 
a drink for horfes ; io called from its fix ingredients. 
DI'AL, or Sun-dial, J'. \_diale, Skinner ; of dialis, Lat. 
of the day.] An horological inftrument, marked with 
figures and lines, where a hand or lliadow Ihews the hour. 
See Horology. 
O, gentlemen, the time of life is Ihort : 
To fpend that fhortnefs bafely were too long, 
Though life did ride upon a dial’s point, 
Still ending at th’ arrival of an hour. Shahefpcare. 
DIAL-PLATE, f. That on which hours or lines are 
marked.—Strada tells us that the two friends, being each 
of them poflefted of a magnetical needle, made a kind of 
dial-plate, inferibing it with the four-and-twenty letters, 
in the fame manner as the hours of the day are marked 
upon the ordinary dial-plate. AddiJ'on. 
DI'ALECT, f. [(W/UaTor, Gr. ] The fUbdivifion of a 
language; as the Attic, Doric, Ionic, fEolic, dialeCts. 
Style ; manner of expreflion.—When themfelves do prac- 
tife that whereof they write, they change their dialed; ; 
and thofe words they limn, as if there were in them fome 
fecret fling. Hooker. —Language; fpeech.—If the con¬ 
ferring of a kindnefs did not bind the perfon upon whom 
it was conferred to the returns of gratitude, why, in the 
univerfal dialed of the world, are kindnefles (till called 
obligations ? South.— For all the ancient and modern Dia¬ 
lects, fee the article Language. 
DI ALEC'TIC, f. Gr. to reafon.] Logic; 
the art of reafoning. See the article Logic. 
DI AI.EC'TICAL, adj. Logical; argumental.—Thofe 
dialcdical fubtleties, that the fchoolmen employ about 
phyliological myfteries, more declare the wit of him that 
ufes them, than increafe the knowledge of iober lovers 
of truth. Boyle. 
. DIALEP'SIS, f. Gr.] A fpace between, a 
prevention. In furgery, the middle fpace in wounds and 
ulcers, which is left open for their cure. 
DI'ALIST, f. A conftructor of dials. — Scientific 
dialijls, by the geometric confiderations of lines, have 
found out rules to mark the irregular motion of the ftia- 
dow in all latitudes, and on all planes. Moron. 
DIA'LIUM, ]'. in botany, a genus'of the clafs dian- 
dria, order rponogynia. The generic characters are—• 
Calyx: none. Corolla: petals five, equal, feflile, ellip¬ 
tic, obtufe, deciduous. Stamina: filaments tvs^oj conic, 
very Ihort, fituated at the upper fide of the receptacle; 
anthene oblong, obtufe, as if of two conjoined. Piftil- 
lum: germ fuperior, ovate; ftyle fubulate, declined, 
length of the ftamens ; ftigma fimple, afeending towards 
the tip of the anthers.— KJ/lntial Charader. Calyx, none ; 
corolla, five-petalled ; ftamiha, at the upper fide of the 
receptacle. 
Dialium Indum, a Angle fpecies, is a tree, with alter¬ 
nate pinnate leaves, having feven ovatc-oblong, acumi¬ 
nate, petioled, even, leaflets, a hand in length ; flowers 
panicled, nodding. Native of the Eaft Indies. 
DI'ALLAGE, f. In rhetoric, a figure in which many 
arguments are adduced, but none of them conclufive. 
DI'ALLING, f. [jtoxajfciatherium, Lat.] The feiate- 
ric fcience ; the knowledge of (hadow ; the art of con- 
drafting fun-dials, See. on which the Ihadow may (hew 
the hour.—For the latcft'and moft approved modes of 
conftruCtion, fee the article Horology. 
DIA'LOGISM,/. In rhetoric, the loliloquy of per¬ 
fons 
