Part 109

Direct action. (Trade unions) See Syndicalism, below.

Di*rect"-cou"pled (?), a. Coupled without intermediate connections, as an engine and a dynamo.

Direct-coupled antenna (Wireless Teleg.), an antenna connected electrically with one point of a closed oscillation circuit in syntony with it and earthed.

Direct current. (Elec.) (a) A current flowing in one direction only; -- distinguished from alternating current. When steady and not pulsating a direct current is often called a continuous current. (b) A direct induced current, or momentary current of the same direction as the inducing current, produced by stopping or removing the latter; also, a similar current produced by removal of a magnet.

Direct nomination. (Political Science) The nomination or designation of candidates for public office by direct popular vote rather than through the action of a convention or body of elected nominating representatives or delegates. The term is applied both to the nomination of candidates without any nominating convention, and, loosely, to the nomination effected, as in the case of candidates for president or senator of the United States, by the election of nominating representatives pledged or instructed to vote for certain candidates dssignated by popular vote.

Di`rec`toire" style (?). (Dressmaking) A style of dress prevalent at the time of the French Directory, characterized by great extravagance of design and imitating the Greek and Roman costumes.

Direct primary. (Political Science) A primary by which direct nominations of candidates for office are made.

Dis`ap*pear"ing, p. pr. & vb. n. of Disappear.

Disappearing carriage (Ordnance), a carriage for heavy coast guns on which the gun is raised above the parapet for firing and upon discharge is lowered behind the parapet for protection. The standard type of disappearing carriage in the coast artillery of the United States army is the Buffington-Crozier carriage, in which the gun trunnions are secured at the upper and after ends of a pair of heavy levers, at the lower ends of which is attached a counterweight of lead. The levers are pivoted at their middle points, which are, with the top carriage, permitted restrained motion along the slightly inclined chassis rails. The counterweight is held in place by a pawl and ratchet. When the gun is loaded the pawl is released and the counterweight sinks, raising the gun to the firing position above the parapet. The recoil following the discharge returns the gun to the loading position, the counterweight rising until the pawl engages the ratchet.

Dis*charge", v. t. (Textile Dyeing & Printing) To bleach out or to remove or efface, as by a chemical process; as, to discharge the color from a dyed fabric in order to form light figures on a dark ground.

Dis*charge", n. (Elec.) The equalization of a difference of electric potential between two points. The character of the discharge is mostly determined by the nature of the medium through which it takes place, the amount of the difference of potential, and the form of the terminal conductors on which the difference exists. The discharge may be alternating, continuous, brush, connective, disruptive, glow, oscillatory, stratified, etc.

Dis*cov"er*y Day. = Columbus Day, above.

Disk clutch. (Engin.) A friction clutch in which the gripping surfaces are disks or more or less resemble disks.

Dis*trib"u*tor (?), n. [L.] One that distributes; a distributer; specif.: (a) A machine for distributing type. (b) An appliance, as a roller, in a printing press, for distributing ink. (c) An apparatus for distributing an electric current, either to various points in rotation, as in some motors, or along two or more lines in parallel, as in a distributing system.

||Di"va (d"v), n.; It. pl. Dive (d"v). [It., prop. fem. of divo divine, L. divus.] A prima donna.

Di*vin"i*ty calf` (?). (Bookbinding) Calf stained dark brown and worked without gilding, often used for theological books.

Do (?), v. t. 1. To perform work upon, about, for, or at, by way of caring for, looking after, preparing, cleaning, keeping in order, or the like.

The sergeants seem to do themselves pretty well.

Harper's Mag.

2. To deal with for good and all; to finish up; to undo; to ruin; to do for. [Colloq. or Slang]

Sometimes they lie in wait in these dark streets, and fracture his skull, . . . or break his arm, or cut the sinew of his wrist; and that they call doing him.

Charles Reade.

Dob"by (?), n. (Weaving) An apparatus resembling a Jacquard for weaving small figures (usually about 12 - 16 threads, seldom more than 36 - 40 threads).

Do*bell's" so*lu"tion (?). (Med.) An aqueous solution of carbolic acid, borax, sodium bicarbonate, and glycerin, used as a spray in diseases of the nose and throat.

Doe, John. (Law) The fictitious lessee acting as plaintiff in the common-law action of ejectment, the fictitious defendant being usually denominated Richard Roe. Hence, a fictitious name for a party, real or fictitious, to any action or proceeding.

Doff"er (?), n. 1. (Mach.) A revolving cylinder, or a vibrating bar, with teeth, in a carding machine, which doffs, or strips off, the fiber from the cards.

2. (Spinning) A worker who replaces full bobbins by empty ones on the throstle or ring frames.

Dol"er*ite (?), n. [Gr. &?; deceptive, because easily confounded with diorite.] (Petrography) (a) A dark, crystalline, igneous rock, chiefly pyroxene with labradorite. (b) Coarse- grained basalt. (c) Diabase. (d) Any dark, igneous rock composed chiefly of silicates of iron and magnesium with some feldspar. -- Dol`er*it"ic (#), a.