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The act of differing; the state or measure of being different or unlike; distinction; dissimilarity; unlikeness; variation; as, a difference of quality in paper; a difference in degrees of heat, or of light; what is the difference between the innocent and the guilty Differencies of administration, but the same Lord. 1…

ils or circuits, usually equal, through which currents passing in opposite directions are measured by the difference of their effect upon the needle. -- Differential gearing, a train of toothed wheels, usually an epicyclic train, so arranged as to constitute a differential motion. -- Differential motion, a mechanism…

A controversy; a falling out; a disagreement; an objection; a cavil. Measures for terminating all local difficulties. Bancroft.

rystal. 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.

Marked by procrastination or delay; tardy; slow; sluggish; -- said of actions or measures. Alva, as usual, brought his dilatory policy to bear upon hiMotley. Dilatory plea (Law), a plea designed to create delay in the trial of a cause, generally founded upon some matter not connected with the merits of the case.…

Measure in a single line, as length, breadth, height, thickness, or circumference; extension; measurement; -- usually, in the plural, measure in length and breadth, or in length, breadth, and thickness; extent; size; as, the dimensions of a room, or of a ship; the dimensions of a farm, of a kingdom. Gentlemen of more t…

Having two poetical measures or meters. -- n.

Two metrical feet taken together, or included in one measure. Hadley. Trochaic, iambic, and anapestic verses . . . are measured by dipodies. W. W. Goodwin.

ey earth forming a stratum in a geological formation. Dirt beds are common among the coal measures. -- Dirt eating. (a) The use of certain kinds of clay for food, existing among some tribes of Indians; geophagism. Humboldt. (b) (Med.) Same as Chthonophagia. -- Dirt pie, clay or mud molded by children in imitation of…

al body, with a thick strongly refracting rim, and a thinner central portion. One of them measures about

an, not the witty, nor the learned, nor the brave, who guides the conversation, and gives measures to society. Addison. Satire 's my weapon, but I 'm too discreet To run amuck, and tilt at all I meet. Pope. The sea is silent, the sea is discreet. Longfellow.

A trough about 28 inches long, 4 deep, and 6 wide, in which ore is measured.

Disinterested. [Obs.] The measures they shall walk by shall be disinterest and even. Jer. Taylor.

Tending to dissuade or divert from a measure or purpose; dehortatory; as, dissuasive advice. -- n.

h of a line, especially the shortest line joining two points or things that are separate; measure of separation in place. Every particle attracts every other with a force . . . inversely proportioned to the square of the distance. Sir I. Newton.

rring every day; performed in a day; going through its changes in a day; constituting the measure of a day; as, a diurnal fever; a diurnal task; diurnal aberration, or diurnal parallax; the diurnal revolution of the earth. Ere twice the horses of the sun shall bring Their fiery torcher his diurnal ring. Shak.…

To separate into two parts, in order to ascertain the votes for and against a measure; as, to divide a legislative house upon a question.

Low in style, and irregular in measure; as, doggerel rhymes. This may well be rhyme doggerel, quod he. Chaucer.

Measurement of doses; specif., a system of therapeutics which uses but few remedies, mostly alkaloids, and gives them in doses fixed by certain rules. --Do`si*met"ric (#), a. --Do*sim"e*trist (#), n.

affected by such a state of mind; as, we are doubtful of a fact, or of the propriety of a measure. Methinks I should know you, and know this man; Yet I am doubtful. Shak. With doubtful feet and wavering resolution. Milton.