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The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary: Section D and E · Project Gutenberg — chapter 20 of 964 · ~515 words · public domain

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Of remedies of love she knew parchance For of that art she couth the olde dance.

Chaucer.

Dance of Death (Art), an allegorical representation of the power of death over all, -- the old, the young, the high, and the low, being led by a dancing skeleton. -- Morris dance. See Morris. -- To lead one a dance, to cause one to go through a series of movements or experiences as if guided by a partner in a dance not understood.

Dan"cer (?), n. One who dances or who practices dancing.

The merry dancers, beams of the northern lights when they rise and fall alternately without any considerable change of length. See Aurora borealis, under Aurora.

Dan"cer*ess, n. A female dancer. [Obs.] Wyclif.

Dan`cet`té" (?), a. [Cf. F. danché dancetté, dent tooth.] (Her.) Deeply indented; having large teeth; thus, a fess dancetté has only three teeth in the whole width of the escutcheon.

Dan"cing (?), p. a. & vb. n. from Dance.

Dancing girl, one of the women in the East Indies whose profession is to dance in the temples, or for the amusement of spectators. There are various classes of dancing girls. -- Dancing master, a teacher of dancing. -- Dancing school, a school or place where dancing is taught.

Dan"cy (?), a. (Her.) Same as Dancetté.

Dan"de*li`on (?), n. [F. dent de lion lion's tooth, fr. L. dens tooth + leo lion. See Tooth, n., and Lion.] (Bot.) A well-known plant of the genus Taraxacum (T. officinale, formerly called T. Dens-leonis and Leontodos Taraxacum) bearing large, yellow, compound flowers, and deeply notched leaves.

Dan"der (?), n. [Corrupted from dandruff.] 1. Dandruff or scurf on the head.

2. Anger or vexation; rage. Halliwell.

Dan"der, v. i. [See Dandle.] To wander about; to saunter; to talk incoherently. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

||Dan"di (?), n. [Hind. ni, fr. n an oar.] A boatman; an oarsman. [India]

Dan"die (?), n. (Zoöl.) One of a breed of small terriers; -- called also Dandie Dinmont.

Dan"di*fied (?), a. Made up like a dandy; having the dress or manners of a dandy; buckish.

Dan"di*fy (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dandified (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Dandifying.] [Dandy + -fy.] To cause to resemble a dandy; to make dandyish.

Dan"di*prat (?), n. [Dandy + brat child.] 1. A little fellow; -- in sport or contempt. "A dandiprat hop-thumb." Stanyhurst.

2. A small coin.

Henry VII. stamped a small coin called dandiprats.

Camden.

Dan"dle (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dandled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Dandling (?).] [Cf. G. dändeln to trifly, dandle, OD. & Prov. G. danten, G. tand trifly, prattle; Scot. dandill, dander, to go about idly, to trifly.] 1. To move up and down on one's knee or in one's arms, in affectionate play, as an infant.

Ye shall be dandled . . . upon her knees.

Is.&?;

2. To treat with fondness, as if a child; to fondle; to toy with; to pet.

They have put me in a silk gown and gaudy fool's cap; I as ashamed to be dandled thus.

Addison.

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