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The elongation, or angular distance from the sun; -- said chiefly of the inferior planets. [R.]

Having two plane faces; as, the dihedral summit of a crystal. Dihedral angle, the angular space contained between planes which intersect. It is measured by the angle made by any two lines at right angles to the two planes.

-- Space of two dimensions, extension which has length and breadth, but no thickness; a plane or curved surface. -- Space of three dimensions, extension which has length, breadth, and thickness; a solid. -- Space of four dimensions, as imaginary kind of extension, which is assumed to have length, breadth, thickness,…

To incline downward from the plane of the horizon; as, strata of rock dip.

Of or pertaining to two planes.

n instrument for determining the time of apparent noon. It consists of two mirrors and a plane glass disposed in the form of a prism, so that, by the reflections of the sun's rays from their surfaces, two images are presented to the eye, moving in opposite directions, and coinciding at the instant the sun's center is o…

e, a magnetic needle suspended at its center of gravity, and moving freely in a vertical plane, so as to indicate on a graduated circle the magnetic dip or inclination.

In the direction of the general planetary motion, or from west to east; in the order of the signs; not retrograde; -- said of the motion of a celestial body. Direct action. (Mach.) See Direct-acting. -- Direct discourse (Gram.), the language of any one quoted without change in its form; as, he said "I can not come;" -…

One who directs; a director. Directer plane (Geom.), the plane to which all right-lined elements in a warped surface are parallel.

maginary vertical axis; -- distinguished from elevation. The direction is given when the plane of sight passes through the object. Wilhelm.

line of motion along which a describent line or surface is carried in the genesis of any plane or solid figure; a directrix. Hutton.

An unpropitious or baleful aspect of a planet or star; malevolent influence of a heavenly body; hence, an ill portent. [Obs.] Disasters in the sun. Shak.

Having the form of a disk, as those univalve shells which have the whorls in one plane, so as to form a disk, as the pearly nautilus. Discoid flower (Bot.), a compound flower, consisting of tubular florets only, as a tansy, lacking the rays which are seen in the daisy and sunflower.

of ordnance. On account of the dispart, the line of aim or line of metal, which is in a plane passing through the axis of the gun, always makes a small angle with the axis. Eng. Cys.

The planet which is lord of the sign where another planet is. [Obs.] Crabb.

's diurnal motion. -- Diurnal parallax. See under Parallax. -- Diurnal revolution of a planet, the motion of the planet upon its own axis which constitutes one complete revolution.

pas, a divisional line; a divisional general; a divisional surgeon of police. Divisional planes (Geol.), planes of separation between rock masses. They include joints.

A prism formed by planes parallel to a lateral axis which meet above in a horizontal edge, like the roof of a house; also, one of the planes of such a form.

Having two surfaces; -- said specif. of aëroplane wings or aërocurves which are covered on both sides with fabric, etc., thus completely inclosing their frames.

A narrow border worked to a plane surface along the edge of a stone, or across its face, as a guide to the stone-cutter.