Part 308

Dir"i*ge (?), n. [L. See Dirge.] A service for the dead, in the Roman Catholic Church, being the first antiphon of Matins for the dead, of which Dirige is the first word; a dirge.

Evensongs and placebo and dirige.

Wyclif.

Resort, I pray you, unto my sepulture To sing my dirige with great devotion.

Lamentation of Mary Magdalene.

Dir"i*gent (?), a. [L. dirigens, p. pr. of dirigere. See Direct, a.] Directing. Baxter.

Dir"i*gent, n. (Geom.) The line of motion along which a describent line or surface is carried in the genesis of any plane or solid figure; a directrix. Hutton.

Dir"i*gi*ble (?), a. Capable of being directed; steerable; as, a dirigible balloon.

Dir"i*ment (?), a. [L. dirimens, p. pr. of dirimere. See Dirempt.] (Law) Absolute.

Diriment impediment (R. C. Ch.), an impediment that nullifies marriage.

Dirk (?), n. [Ir. duirc.] A kind of dagger or poniard; -- formerly much used by the Scottish Highlander.

Dirk knife, a clasp knife having a large, dirklike blade.

Dirk, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dirked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Dirking.] To stab with a dirk. Sir W. Scott.

Dirk, a. [See Dark, a.] Dark. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Dirk, v. t. To darken. [Obs.] Spenser.

Dirk"ness, n. Darkness. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Dirl (?), v. i. & t. [Cf. Drill, Thrill.] To thrill; to vibrate; to penetrate. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Dirt (?), n. [OE. drit; kin to Icel. drit excrement, drta to dung, OD. drijten to dung, AS. gedrtan.] 1. Any foul of filthy substance, as excrement, mud, dust, etc.; whatever, adhering to anything, renders it foul or unclean; earth; as, a wagonload of dirt.

Whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

Is. lvii. 20.

2. Meanness; sordidness.

Honors . . . thrown away upon dirt and infamy.

Melmoth.

3. In placer mining, earth, gravel, etc., before washing.

Dirt bed (Geom.), a layer of clayey earth forming a stratum in a geological formation. Dirt beds are common among the coal measures. -- Dirt eating. (a) The use of certain kinds of clay for food, existing among some tribes of Indians; geophagism. Humboldt. (b) (Med.) Same as Chthonophagia. -- Dirt pie, clay or mud molded by children in imitation of pastry. Otway (1684). -- To eat dirt, to submit in a meanly humble manner to insults; to eat humble pie.

Dirt, v. t. To make foul of filthy; to dirty. Swift.

Dirt"i*ly (?), adv. In a dirty manner; foully; nastily; filthily; meanly; sordidly.

Dirt"i*ness, n. The state of being dirty; filthiness; foulness; nastiness; baseness; sordidness.