Part 435

3. Any portion of territory of undefined extent; a region; a country; a tract.

These districts which between the tropics lie.

Blackstone.

Congressional district. See under Congressional. -- District attorney, the prosecuting officer of a district or district court. -- District court, a subordinate municipal, state, or United States tribunal, having jurisdiction in certain cases within a judicial district. -- District judge, one who presides over a district court. -- District school, a public school for the children within a school district. [U.S.]

Syn. -- Division; circuit; quarter; province; tract; region; country.

Dis"trict, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Districted; p. pr. & vb. n. Districting.] To divide into districts or limited portions of territory; as, legislatures district States for the choice of representatives.

Dis*tric"tion (?), n. [L. districtio a stretching out.] Sudden display; flash; glitter. [R.]

A smile . . . breaks out with the brightest distriction.

Collier.

Dis"trict*ly (?), adv. Strictly. [Obs.] Foxe.

||Dis*trin"gas (?), n. [L., that you distrain, fr. distringere. See Distrain.] (Law) A writ commanding the sheriff to distrain a person by his goods or chattels, to compel a compliance with something required of him.

Dis*trou"ble (?), v. t. [Pref. dis- (intens.) + trouble.] To trouble. [Obs.] Spenser.

Dis*trust" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Distrusted; p. pr. & vb. n. Distrusting.] [Cf. Mistrust.] To feel absence of trust in; not to confide in or rely upon; to deem of questionable sufficiency or reality; to doubt; to be suspicious of; to mistrust.

Not distrusting my health.

2 Mac. ix. 22.

To distrust the justice of your cause.

Dryden.

He that requireth the oath doth distrust that other.

Udall.

Of all afraid, Distrusting all, a wise, suspicious maid.

Collins.

Mistrust has been almost wholly driven out by distrust. T. L. K. Oliphant.

Dis*trust", n. 1. Doubt of sufficiency, reality, or sincerity; want of confidence, faith, or reliance; as, distrust of one's power, authority, will, purposes, schemes, etc.

2. Suspicion of evil designs.

Alienation and distrust . . . are the growth of false principles.

D. Webster.

3. State of being suspected; loss of trust. Milton.

Dis*trust"er (?), n. One who distrusts.