Part 21

The book, thus dandled into popularity by bishops and good ladies, contained many pieces of nursery eloquence.

Jeffrey.

3. To play with; to put off or delay by trifles; to wheedle. [Obs.]

Captains do so dandle their doings, and dally in the service, as it they would not have the enemy subdued.

Spenser.

Dan"dler (dn"dlr), n. One who dandles or fondles.

Dan"driff (dn"drf), n. See Dandruff. Swift.

Dandruff (dn"drf), n. [Prob. from W. toncrust, peel, skin + AS. drf dirty, draffy, or W. drwg bad: cf. AS. tan a letter, an eruption. √240.] A scurf which forms on the head, and comes off in small scales or particles. [Written also dandriff.]

Dan"dy (dn"d), n.; pl. Dandies (-dz). [Cf. F. dandin, ninny, silly fellow, dandiner to waddle, to play the fool; prob. allied to E. dandle. Senses 2 & 3 are of uncertain etymol.] 1. One who affects special finery or gives undue attention to dress; a fop; a coxcomb.

2. (Naut.) (a) A sloop or cutter with a jigger on which a lugsail is set. (b) A small sail carried at or near the stern of small boats; -- called also jigger, and mizzen.

3. A dandy roller. See below.

Dandy brush, a yard whalebone brush. -- Dandy fever. See Dengue. -- Dandy line, a kind of fishing line to which are attached several crosspieces of whalebone which carry a hook at each end. -- Dandy roller, a roller sieve used in machines for making paper, to press out water from the pulp, and set the paper.

Dan"dy-cock` (&?;), n. masc., Dan"dy-hen` (&?;), n. fem. [See Dandy.] A bantam fowl.

Dan"dy*ish, a. Like a dandy.

Dan"dy*ism (?), n. The manners and dress of a dandy; foppishness. Byron.

Dan"dy*ize (?), v. t. & i. To make, or to act, like a dandy; to dandify.

Dan"dy*ling (?), n. [Dandy + -ling.] A little or insignificant dandy; a contemptible fop.

Dane (?), n. [LL. Dani: cf. AS. Dene.] A native, or a naturalized inhabitant, of Denmark.

Great Dane. (Zoöl.) See Danish dog, under Danish.

{ Dane"geld` (?), Dane"gelt` (?) }, n. [AS. danegeld. See Dane, and Geld, n.] (Eng. Hist.) An annual tax formerly laid on the English nation to buy off the ravages of Danish invaders, or to maintain forces to oppose them. It afterward became a permanent tax, raised by an assessment, at first of one shilling, afterward of two shillings, upon every hide of land throughout the realm. Wharton's Law Dict. Tomlins.

Dane"wort` (?), n. (Bot.) A fetid European species of elder (Sambucus Ebulus); dwarf elder; wallwort; elderwort; -- called also Daneweed, Dane's weed, and Dane's-blood. [Said to grow on spots where battles were fought against the Danes.]

Dang (?), imp. of Ding. [Obs.]

Dang, v. t. [Cf. Ding.] To dash. [Obs.]

Till she, o'ercome with anguish, shame, and rage, Danged down to hell her loathsome carriage.

Marlowe.

Dan"ger (?), n. [OE. danger, daunger, power, arrogance, refusal, difficulty, fr. OF. dagier, dongier (with same meaning), F. danger danger, fr. an assumed LL. dominiarium power, authority, from L. dominium power, property. See Dungeon, Domain, Dame.] 1. Authority; jurisdiction; control. [Obs.]

In dangerhad he . . . the young girls.

Chaucer.