Part 31

And darkness was upon the face of the deep.

Gen. i. 2.

2. A state of privacy; secrecy.

What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light.

Matt. x. 27.

3. A state of ignorance or error, especially on moral or religious subjects; hence, wickedness; impurity.

Men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

John. iii. 19.

Pursue these sons of darkness: drive them out From all heaven's bounds.

Milton.

4. Want of clearness or perspicuity; obscurity; as, the darkness of a subject, or of a discussion.

5. A state of distress or trouble.

A day of clouds and of thick darkness.

Joel. ii. 2.

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Prince of darkness, the Devil; Satan. "In the power of the Prince of darkness." Locke.

Syn. -- Darkness, Dimness, Obscurity, Gloom. Darkness arises from a total, and dimness from a partial, want of light. A thing is obscure when so overclouded or covered as not to be easily perceived. As tha shade or obscurity increases, it deepens into gloom. What is dark is hidden from view; what is obscure is difficult to perceive or penetrate; the eye becomes dim with age; an impending storm fills the atmosphere with gloom. When taken figuratively, these words have a like use; as, the darkness of ignorance; dimness of discernment; obscurity of reasoning; gloom of superstition.

Dark"some (?), a. Dark; gloomy; obscure; shaded; cheerless. [Poetic]

He brought him through a darksome narrow pass To a broad gate, all built of beaten gold.

Spenser.

Dark"y (?), n. A negro. [Sleng]

Dar"ling (?), n. [OE. derling, deorling, AS. deórling; deóre dear + -ling. See Dear, and -ling.] One dearly beloved; a favorite.

And can do naught but wail her darling's loss.

Shak.

Dar"ling, a. Dearly beloved; regarded with especial kindness and tenderness; favorite. "Some darling science." I. Watts. "Darling sin." Macaulay.

||Dar`ling*to"ni*a (?), n. [NL. Named after Dr. William Darlington, a botanist of West Chester, Penn.] (Bot.) A genus of California pitcher plants consisting of a single species. The long tubular leaves are hooded at the top, and frequently contain many insects drowned in the secretion of the leaves.

Darn (därn), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Darned (därnd); p. pr. & vb. n. Darning.] [OE. derne, prob. of Celtic origin; cf. W. darnio to piece, break in pieces, W. & Arm. to E. tear. Cf. Tear, v. t.] To mend as a rent or hole, with interlacing stitches of yarn or thread by means of a needle; to sew together with yarn or thread.

He spent every day ten hours in his closet, in darning his stockings.