Part 418

This virtuous and reasonable person, however, has ill luck in all his dissuasories.

Jeffrey.

Dis*sun"der (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dissundered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Dissundering.] [Pref. dis- (intens) + sunder.] To separate; to sunder; to destroy. [R.] Chapman.

Dis*sweet"en (?), v. t. To deprive of sweetness. [R.] Bp. Richardson.

Dis`syl*lab"ic (ds`sl*lb"k), a. [Cf. F. dissyllabique. See Dissylable.] Consisting of two syllables only; as, a dissyllabic foot in poetry. B. Jonson.

Dis`syl*lab`i*fi*ca"tion (?), n. A forming into two syllables.

Dis`syl*lab"i*fy (?), v. t. [Dissyllable + -fly.] To form into two syllables. Ogilvie.

Dis*syl"la*bize (?), v. t. To form into two syllables; to dissyllabify.

Dis*syl"la*ble (?; 277), n. [F. dissyllabe, L. disyllabus, adj., of two syllables, fr. Gr. &?;; di- = di`s- twice + &?; syllable. See Syllable.] A word of two syllables; as, pa- per.

Dis`sym*met"ric*al (?), a. Not having symmetry; asymmetrical; unsymmetrical.

Dis*sym"me*try (?), n. [Pref. dis- + symmetry.] Absence or defect of symmetry; asymmetry.

Dis*sym"pa*thy (?), n. Lack of sympathy; want of interest; indifference. [R.]

Dis"tad (?), adv. [Distal + L. ad toward.] (Anat.) Toward a distal part; on the distal side of; distally.

Dis"taff (?), n.; pl. Distaffs (#), rarely Distaves (#). [OE. distaf, dysestafe, AS. distaef; cf. LG. diesse the bunch of flax on a distaff, and E. dizen. See Staff.] 1. The staff for holding a bunch of flax, tow, or wool, from which the thread is drawn in spinning by hand.

I will the distaff hold; come thou and spin.

Fairfax.

2. Used as a symbol of the holder of a distaff; hence, a woman; women, collectively.

His crown usurped, a distaff on the throne.

Dryden.

Some say the crozier, some say the distaff was too busy.

Howell.

The plural is regular, but Distaves occurs in Beaumont & Fletcher.

Descent by distaff, descent on the mother's side. -- Distaff Day, or Distaff's Day, the morrow of the Epiphany, that is, January 7, because working at the distaff was then resumed, after the Christmas festival; -- called also Rock Day, a distaff being called a rock. Shipley.

Dis*tain" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Distained (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Distaining.] [OE. desteinen, OF. desteindre to take away the color, F. déteindre; pref. des- (L. dis-) + F. teindre to tinge, dye, L. tingere. See Tinge, and cf. Stain.] To tinge with a different color from the natural or proper one; to stain; to discolor; to sully; to tarnish; to defile; -- used chiefly in poetry. "Distained with dirt and blood." Spenser.

hath . . . distained her honorable blood.

Spenser.

The worthiness of praise distains his worth.

Shak.