Part 577

Dun, n. 1. One who duns; a dunner.

To be pulled by the sleeve by some rascally dun.

Arbuthnot.

2. An urgent request or demand of payment; as, he sent his debtor a dun.

Dun, a. [AS. dunn, of Celtic origin; cf. W. dwn, Ir. & Gael. donn.] Of a dark color; of a color partaking of a brown and black; of a dull brown color; swarthy.

Summer's dun cloud comes thundering up.

Pierpont.

Chill and dun Falls on the moor the brief November day.

Keble.

Dun crow (Zoöl.), the hooded crow; -- so called from its color; -- also called hoody, and hoddy. -- Dun diver (Zoöl.), the goosander or merganser.

Dun"bird` (?), n. [Named from its color.] (Zoöl.) (a) The pochard; -- called also dunair, and dunker, or dun- curre. (b) An American duck; the ruddy duck.

Dunce (?), n. [From Joannes Duns Scotus, a schoolman called the Subtle Doctor, who died in 1308. Originally in the phrase "a Duns man". See Note below.] One backward in book learning; a child or other person dull or weak in intellect; a dullard; a dolt.

I never knew this town without dunces of figure.

Swift.

The schoolmen were often called, after their great leader Duns Scotus, Dunsmen or Duncemen. In the revival of learning they were violently opposed to classical studies; hence, the name of Dunce was applied with scorn and contempt to an opposer of learning, or to one slow at learning, a dullard.

Dunce"dom (?), n. The realm or domain of dunces. [Jocose] Carlyle.

Dun"cer*y (?), n. Dullness; stupidity.

Dun"ci*cal (?), a. Like a dunce; duncish.

The most dull and duncical commissioner.

Fuller.

Dun"ci*fy (?), v. t. [Dunce + -fy.] To make stupid in intellect. [R.] Bp. Warburton.

Dun"cish (?), a. Somewhat like a dunce. [R.]

-- Dun"cish*ness, n. [R.]

Dun"der (?), n. [Cf. Sp. redundar to overflow.] The lees or dregs of cane juice, used in the distillation of rum. [West Indies]

The use of dunder in the making of rum answers the purpose of yeast in the fermentation of flour.

B. Edwards.

Dun"der*head` (?), n. [Prov. Eng. also dunderpoll, from dunder, same as thunder.] A dunce; a numskull; a blockhead. Beau. & Fl.

Dun"der-head`ed, a. Thick-headed; stupid.