Part 434

Dis*trib"u*ting, a. That distributes; dealing out.

Distributing past office, an office where the mails for a large district are collected to be assorted according to their destination and forwarded.

Dis`tri*bu"tion (?), n. [L. distributio: cf. F. distribution.] 1. The act of distributing or dispensing; the act of dividing or apportioning among several or many; apportionment; as, the distribution of an estate among heirs or children.

The phenomena of geological distribution are exactly analogous to those of geography.

A. R. Wallace.

2. Separation into parts or classes; arrangement of anything into parts; disposition; classification.

3. That which is distributed. "Our charitable distributions." Atterbury.

4. (Logic) A resolving a whole into its parts.

5. (Print.) The sorting of types and placing them in their proper boxes in the cases.

6. (Steam Engine) The steps or operations by which steam is supplied to and withdrawn from the cylinder at each stroke of the piston; viz., admission, suppression or cutting off, release or exhaust, and compression of exhaust steam prior to the next admission.

Geographical distribution, the natural arrangements of animals and plants in particular regions or districts.

Syn. -- Apportionments; allotment; dispensation; disposal; dispersion; classification; arrangement.

Dis`tri*bu"tion*al (?), a. Of or pertaining to distribution. Huxley.

Dis`tri*bu"tion*ist, n. A distributer. [R.] Dickens.

Dis*trib"u*tive (?), a. [Cf. F. distributif.] 1. Tending to distribute; serving to divide and assign in portions; dealing to each his proper share. "Distributive justice." Swift.

2. (Logic) Assigning the species of a general term.

3. (Gram.) Expressing separation; denoting a taking singly, not collectively; as, a distributive adjective or pronoun, such as each, either, every; a distributive numeral, as (Latin) bini (two by two).

Distributive operation (Math.), any operation which either consists of two or more parts, or works upon two or more things, and which is such that the result of the total operation is the same as the aggregated result of the two or more partial operations. Ordinary multiplication is distributive, since a × (b + c) = ab + ac, and (a + b) × c = ac + bc. -- Distributive proportion. (Math.) See Fellowship.

Dis*trib"u*tive, n. (Gram.) A distributive adjective or pronoun; also, a distributive numeral.

Dis*trib"u*tive*ly, adv. By distribution; singly; not collectively; in a distributive manner.

Dis*trib"u*tive*ness, n. Quality of being distributive.

Dis"trict (?), a. [L. districtus, p. p.] Rigorous; stringent; harsh. [Obs.]

Punishing with the rod of district severity.

Foxe.

Dis"trict, n. [LL. districtus district, fr. L. districtus, p. p. of distringere: cf. F. district. See Distrain.] 1. (Feudal Law) The territory within which the lord has the power of coercing and punishing.

2. A division of territory; a defined portion of a state, town, or city, etc., made for administrative, electoral, or other purposes; as, a congressional district, judicial district, land district, school district, etc.

To exercise exclusive legislation . . . over such district not exceeding ten miles square.

The Constitution of the United States.