D I V 
[In war.] The aCt or purpofe of drawing the enemy off 
from fome delign, by threateningorattackinga diftant part. 
DIVER'SITY, f. \_diverfte, i r. from 'diveiftas, Lat.] 
Difference; difllmiiitude; unlikene'fs.—The molt com¬ 
mon diverfity of human conftitutions arifes from the folid 
parts, as to their, different degrees of (Length and tenfion. 
Arbuthnot. —Variety.—Society cannot fubfift without a 
diverfity of ftations; and if God fhould grant every one a 
middle Ration, he would defeat the very fcheme of hap- 
pittefs propofed in it. Rogers. —Diftinct being; not iden¬ 
tity.—Conlidering any thing as exifting at any determined 
time and place, we compare it with itf'elf exifting at ano¬ 
ther time, and thereon form the ideas of identity and di¬ 
verfity. Locke. —Variegation : 
A waving glow his bloomy beds difplay, 
Bluffing in bright diverfties of day. Pope. 
DI'VERSLY, adv. In different ways; differently; 
varioufly.—The univerfal matter, which Mofes compre- 
hendeth under the names of heaven and earth, is by divers 
iiverfly underftood. Raleigh. —Indifferent directions; to 
different points: 
On life’s vaft ocean diverfy we fail ; 
R'eafon the card, but paflioti is the gale. Pope. 
To DIVE'RT, v. a. \_diverto, Lat. ] To turn off from 
any direction or courfe.—They diverted raillery from im¬ 
proper objects, and gave a new turn to ridicule, Addifon. 
Knots, by the conflux of the meeting fap, 
InfeCt the found pine, and divert his grain, 
Tortive and errant, from his courfe of growth. Skahef 
To draw forces to a different part.—The kings of Eng¬ 
land would have had an abfolute conqueft of Ireland, if 
their whole power had been employed ; but (till there 
arofe fundry occafions, which divided and diverted their 
power fome other way. Davies. —To withdraw the mind. 
—They avoid pleafure, left they fhould have their affec¬ 
tions tainted by any fenfuality, and diverted from the love 
of him who is to be the only comfort. Addifon. 
Alas, how fimple, to thefe cates compar’d, 
Was that crude apple that diverted Eve ! Milton. 
To pleafe ; to exhilarate.—An ingenious gentleman did 
divert or in ft met the kingdom by his papers. Swift. —To 
fubvert; to deltroy ; in Shakelpeare, unlefs it belong to 
the firft fenfe : 
Frights, changes, horrors, 
Divert and crack, rend and deracinate 
The unity and married calm of dates. Shakefpeare. 
DIVER'TER, f. Any thing that diverts or alleviates. 
—Angling was, after tedious (tudy, a relt to his mind, a 
cheerer of his fpirits, and a diverter of fadnefs. Walton. 
To DIVERT'ISE, v. a. [ divertifer , Fr. diverto, Lat.] 
To pleafe; to exhilarate ; to divert. A word little ufed .—■ 
Let orators inftruct, let them divertife, and let them move 
us; this is what is properly meant by the word. fait. Dryd. 
DIVER'TISEMENT, f. \_divertijfement , Fr.] Diver- 
fion ; delight; pleafure. Not much in vfe. —How fond fo- 
cver men are of bad divertifement, it will prove mirth 
which ends in heavinefs. Government of the Tongue. 
DIVER'TIVE, adj. Recreative; amufive; exhilarat¬ 
ing. A word not fully authorized.—I would not exclude 
the common accidents of life, nor even things of a plea- 
fant and divertive nature, fo they are innocent, from con- 
verfation. Rogers. 
DI'VES, i.e. Rich. A title ufually applied to the 
rich man in the gofpel. 
DI'VES, a town of France, in the department of the 
Calvados, and chief place of a canton, in the diftriCt of 
Pont l’Eveque : four leagues north-eaft of Caen. 
To DIVE'ST, v. a. [ devefir , Fr. The Engliff word is 
therefore more properly written devef. See Devest.] 
To ftrip ; to make naked ; to denude.—Let us divefi tire 
gay phantom of temporal happinefs of all that falfe luftre 
Yot, V. No. 324. 
D I V W9 
and ornament in'which the pride, tire paflions, and the 
folly, of men have dreffed it up. Rogers. 
Then of his arms Androgens he dlvefs ; 
His.fword, his (Field, he takes, and plumed crefts. 
Denham. 
DIVES'TURE,/. The aft of putting off.—The di- 
vejlure of mortality difpenfes them from thofe laborious 
and avocating duties which are here requifite to be per¬ 
formed. Boyle. 
DIVI'DABLE, adj. Separate ; different; parted. Not 
in ufe. 
How could communities maintain 
Peaceful commerce from dividable (bores ? Shakefpeare. 
DIVI'DANT, adj. Different; feparate. Not in ufe. 
Twinn’d brothers of one womb, 
Whofe procreation, refidence, and birth 
Scarce is dividant, touch with (everal fortunes. Shakefp. 
To DIVI'DE, v.a. [ divido, Lat.] To part one whole 
into different pieces.— Divide thlp living child into two, 
and give half to the one, and half to the other. 1 Kings. 
—To feparate; to keep apart, by (landing as a partition 
between.—Let there be a firmament in the midft of the 
waters, and let" it divide the waters from the waters. 
Gcncfs. —To difunite by difeord.—There fliall five in one 
houfe be divided. Luke. —To deal out; to give in (hares. 
—Divide the prey into two parts ; between them that took 
the war upon them, who went out t^ battle ; and between 
all the congregation. Numb. —To diftufe : 
And all the while mod heavenly melody 
About the bed fweet muficke did divide , 
Him to beguile of grief and agony. Spenfer. 
To DIVI'DE, v.n. To part; to funder.—To break 
friendftiip : 
Love cools, friendftiip falls off. 
Brothers divide. Shakefpeare. 
DI'VIDEND,yi A ftiare; the part allotted in divi- 
fion ; the intereft paid on the public funds; the divifion 
of a bankrupt’s effects: fee thofe articles.—Each perfoti 
(hall adapt to himfelf his peculiar (hare, like other divi¬ 
dends. Decay of. Piety. —[In arithmetic.] Dividend is the 
number given to be divided by fome other number, called 
the divifor. Or it is the number given to be divided, or 
feparated, into a certain number of equal parts, viz. as 
many as the divifor contains units; and the number of 
fuch equal parts is called the quotient. Or, more gene¬ 
rally, the dividend contains the divifor, as many times as 
the quotient contains unity. See Arithmetic. 
DIVIDEN'DA, f. [in old records.] An indenture, 
one part of an indenture. 
DIVI'DER, f. That which parts any tiling into pieces. 
A diftributor; lie who deals out to each his (hare—Who 
made me a. judge or divider over you >. Luke. —Adifuniter; 
the perfon or caufe that breaks concord.—Money, the 
great divider of the world, hath, by.a ({range revolution, 
been the great uniter of a divided people. Swift. —A par¬ 
ticular kind of compaffes. 
DIVI'DUAL, adj. \_dividuus, Lat.] Divided ; (hared 
or participated in common with others: 
She fliines, 
Revolv’d on heav’n’s great axle, and her reign 
With tlioufand leffer lights dividual holds, 
With thoufand thoufand ftars! ' Milton. 
DIVINA'TION, f [ divinatio, Lat.] Divination is a 
prediction or foretelling of future things, which are of a 
fecret and hidden nature, and cannot be known by any 
human means. Aylijfe. —Surely there is no enchantment 
againft Jacob, neither is there any divination againft Ifrael. 
Numbers.— The excellency of the foul is feen by its power 
of divining in dreams-, that feveral fuch divinations have 
been made, none can queftion who believes the holy writ¬ 
ings. Addifon. —Conjectural pvefage or prediction : 
10 Y 1 Tell 
