Part 439

Dis*yoke" (?), v. t. To unyoke; to free from a yoke; to disjoin. [Poetic] R. Browning.

Dit (?), n. [Ditty.] 1. A word; a decree. [Obs.]

2. A ditty; a song. [Obs.]

Dit, v. t. [AS. dyttan, akin to Icel. ditta.] To close up. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.

Di*ta"tion (?), n. [L. ditare to enrich, fr. dis, ditis, same as dives, rich.] The act of making rich; enrichment. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.

Ditch (?; 224), n.; pl. Ditches (#). [OE. dich, orig. the same word as dik. See Dike.] 1. A trench made in the earth by digging, particularly a trench for draining wet land, for guarding or fencing inclosures, or for preventing an approach to a town or fortress. In the latter sense, it is called also a moat or a fosse.

2. Any long, narrow receptacle for water on the surface of the earth.

Ditch, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ditched (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Ditching.] 1. To dig a ditch or ditches in; to drain by a ditch or ditches; as, to ditch moist land.

2. To surround with a ditch. Shak.

3. To throw into a ditch; as, the engine was ditched and turned on its side.

Ditch, v. i. To dig a ditch or ditches. Swift.

Ditch"er (?), n. One who digs ditches.

Dite (?), v. t. [See Dight.] To prepare for action or use; to make ready; to dight. [Obs.]

His hideous club aloft he dites.

Spenser.

Di*ter"e*bene (?), n. [Pref. di- + terebene.] (Chem.) See Colophene.

{ Di*the"cal (?), Di*the"cous (?), } a. [Pref. di- + theca.] (Bot.) Having two thecæ, cells, or compartments.

Di"the*ism (?), n. [Pref. di- + theism: cf. F. dithéisme.] The doctrine of those who maintain the existence of two gods or of two original principles (as in Manicheism), one good and one evil; dualism.

Di"the*ist, n. One who holds the doctrine of ditheism; a dualist. Cudworth.

{ Di`the*is"tic (?), Di`the*is"tic*al (?), } a. Pertaining to ditheism; dualistic.

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Di`thi*on"ic (?), a. [Pref. di- + -thionic.] (Chem.) Containing two equivalents of sulphur; as, dithionic acid.

Dithionic acid (Chem.), an unstable substance, H2S2O6, known only in its solutions, and in certain well-defined salts.

Dith"y*ramb (?), n. [L. dithyrambus, Gr. &?; a kind of lyric poetry in honor of Bacchus; also, a name of Bacchus; of unknown origin: cf. F. dithyrambe.] A kind of lyric poetry in honor of Bacchus, usually sung by a band of revelers to a flute accompaniment; hence, in general, a poem written in a wild irregular strain. Bentley.

Dith`y*ram"bic (?), a. [L. dithyrambicus, Gr. &?;: cf. F. dithyrambique.] Pertaining to, or resembling, a dithyramb; wild and boisterous. "Dithyrambic sallies." Longfellow. -- n. A dithyrambic poem; a dithyramb.

Dith`y*ram"bus (?), n. [L.] See Dithyramb.

Di"tion (?), n. [L. ditio, dicio: cf. F. dition.] Dominion; rule. [Obs.] Evelyn.

Di"tion*a*ry (?), a. Under rule; subject; tributary. [Obs.] Chapman.