Part 35

6. A vain show; a blustering parade; a flourish; as, to make or cut a great dash.

7. (Punctuation) A mark or line [--], in writing or printing, denoting a sudden break, stop, or transition in a sentence, or an abrupt change in its construction, a long or significant pause, or an unexpected or epigrammatic turn of sentiment. Dashes are also sometimes used instead of marks or parenthesis. John Wilson.

8. (Mus.) (a) The sign of staccato, a small mark [&?;] denoting that the note over which it is placed is to be performed in a short, distinct manner. (b) The line drawn through a figure in the thorough bass, as a direction to raise the interval a semitone.

9. (Racing) A short, spirited effort or trial of speed upon a race course; -- used in horse racing, when a single trial constitutes the race.

Dash"board` (dsh"brd`), n. 1. A board placed on the fore part of a carriage, sleigh, or other vehicle, to intercept water, mud, or snow, thrown up by the heels of the horses; -- in England commonly called splashboard.

2. (Naut.) (a) The float of a paddle wheel. (b) A screen at the bow af a steam launch to keep off the spray; -- called also sprayboard.

Dash"er (dsh"r), n. 1. That which dashes or agitates; as, the dasher of a churn.

2. A dashboard or splashboard. [U. S.]

3. One who makes an ostentatious parade.

Dash"ing, a. Bold; spirited; showy.

The dashing and daring spirit is preferable to the listless.

T. Campbell.

Dash"ing*ly, adv. Conspicuously; showily. [Colloq.]

A dashingly dressed gentleman.

Hawthorne.

Dash"ism (-z'm), n. The character of making ostentatious or blustering parade or show. [R. & Colloq.]

He must fight a duel before his claim to . . . dashism can be universally allowed.

V. Knox.

Dash"pot` (?), n. (Mach.) A pneumatic or hydraulic cushion for a falling weight, as in the valve gear of a steam engine, to prevent shock.

It consists of a chamber, containing air or a liquid, in which a piston (a), attached to the weight, falls freely until it enters a space (as below the openings, b) from which the air or liquid can escape but slowly (as through cock c), when its fall is gradually checked.

A cataract of an engine is sometimes called a dashpot.

Dash"y (?), a. [From Dash.] Calculated to arrest attention; ostentatiously fashionable; showy. [Colloq.]

Das"tard (?), n. [Prob. from Icel. dæstr exhausted. breathless, p. p. of dæsa to groan, lose one's breath; cf. dasask to become exhausted, and E. daze.] One who meanly shrinks from danger; an arrant coward; a poltroon.

You are all recreants and dashtards, and delight to live in slavery to the nobility.

Shak.

Das"tard, a. Meanly shrinking from danger; cowardly; dastardly. "Their dastard souls." Addison.

Das"tard, v. t. To dastardize. [R.] Dryden.

Das"tard*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dastardized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Dastardizing.] To make cowardly; to intimidate; to dispirit; as, to dastardize my courage. Dryden.