Part 12

Knolles.

||Dal*ma"ni*a (?), n. [From Dalman, the geologist.] (Paleon.) A genus of trilobites, of many species, common in the Upper Silurian and Devonian rocks.

||Dal`ma*ni"tes (?), n. Same as Dalmania.

Dal*ma"tian (?), a. Of or pertaining to Dalmatia.

Dalmatian dog (Zoöl.), a carriage dog, shaped like a pointer, and having black or bluish spots on a white ground; the coach dog.

Dal*mat"i*ca (?), n., Dal*mat"ic (&?;), n. [LL. dalmatica: cf. F. dalmatique.] 1. (R. C. Ch.) A vestment with wide sleeves, and with two stripes, worn at Mass by deacons, and by bishops at pontifical Mass; -- imitated from a dress originally worn in Dalmatia.

2. A robe worn on state ocasions, as by English kings at their coronation.

||Dal` se"gno (?). [It., from the sign.] (Mus.) A direction to go back to the sign &?; and repeat from thence to the close. See Segno.

Dal*to"ni*an (?), n. One afflicted with color blindness.

Dal"ton*ism (?), n. Inability to perceive or distinguish certain colors, esp. red; color blindness. It has various forms and degrees. So called from the chemist Dalton, who had this infirmity. Nichol.

Dam (dm), n. [OE. dame mistress, lady; also, mother, dam. See Dame.] 1. A female parent; -- used of beasts, especially of quadrupeds; sometimes applied in contempt to a human mother.

Our sire and dam, now confined to horses, are a relic of this age (13th century) . . . .Dame is used of a hen; we now make a great difference between dame and dam.

T. L. K. Oliphant.

The dam runs lowing up and down, Looking the way her harmless young one went.

Shak.

2. A king or crowned piece in the game of draughts.

Dam, n. [Akin to OLG., D., & Dan. dam, G. & Sw. damm, Icel. dammr, and AS. fordemman to stop up, Goth. Faúrdammjan.] 1. A barrier to prevent the flow of a liquid; esp., a bank of earth, or wall of any kind, as of masonry or wood, built across a water course, to confine and keep back flowing water.

2. (Metal.) A firebrick wall, or a stone, which forms the front of the hearth of a blast furnace.

Dam plate (Blast Furnace), an iron plate in front of the dam, to strengthen it.

Dam, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dammed (dmd); p. pr. & vb. n. Damming.] 1. To obstruct or restrain the flow of, by a dam; to confine by constructing a dam, as a stream of water; -- generally used with in or up.

I'll have the current in this place dammed up.

Shak.

A weight of earth that dams in the water.

Mortimer.

2. To shut up; to stop up; to close; to restrain.

The strait pass was dammed With dead men hurt behind, and cowards.

Shak.

To dam out, to keep out by means of a dam.