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A mass of substances worn off from solid bodies by attrition, and reduced to small portions; as, diluvial detritus.

stone of Great Britain. They contain, besides plants and numerous invertebrates, the bony portions of many large and remarkable fishes of extinct groups. See the Diagram under Geology.

ate with an opening, which is generally circular, used in instruments to cut off marginal portions of a beam of light, as at the focus of a telescope.

e; dissimilar; as, to difform corolla, the parts of which do not correspond in size or proportion; difform leaves. The unequal refractions of difform rays. Sir I. Newton.

To distribute or arrange methodically; to work over and classify; to reduce to portions for ready use or application; as, to digest the laws, etc. Joining them together and digesting them into order. Blair. We have cause to be glad that matters are so well digested. Shak.

aving an oval discoidal body, with a thick strongly refracting rim, and a thinner central portion. One of them measures about

Discrete movement. See Concrete movement of the voice, under Concrete, a. -- Discrete proportion, proportion where the ratio of the means is different from that of either couplet; as, 3:6::8:16, 3 bearing the same proportion to 6 as 8 does to 16. But 3 is not to 6 as 6 to 8. It is thus opposed to continued or continua…

That portion of the produce of a mine which is paid to the land owner or proprietor.

ht, which, by law or custom, would devolve on him in the course of descent. Of how fair a portion Adam disinherited his whole posterity! South.

The displacement of parts of rocks or portions of strata from the situation which they originally occupied. Slips, faults, and the like, are dislocations.

To deal out in portions; to distribute; to give; as, the steward dispenses provisions according directions; Nature dispenses her bounties; to dispense medicines. He is delighted to dispense a share of it to all the company. Sir W. Scott.

Occurring in small portions scattered through some other substance.

separation in place. Every particle attracts every other with a force . . . inversely proportioned to the square of the distance. Sir I. Newton.

To temper or mix unduly; to make disproportionate; to change the due proportions of. [Obs.] When . . . the humors in his body ben distempered. Chaucer.

t go and take a distress of goods and cattle. Spenser. The distress thus taken must be proportioned to the thing distrained for. Blackstone. Abuse of distress. (Law) See under Abuse.

To divide among several or many; to deal out; to apportion; to allot. She did distribute her goods to all them that were nearest of kindred. Judith xvi. 24.

The act of distributing or dispensing; the act of dividing or apportioning among several or many; apportionment; as, the distribution of an estate among heirs or children. The phenomena of geological distribution are exactly analogous to those of geography. A. R. Wallace.

Tending to distribute; serving to divide and assign in portions; dealing to each his proper share. "Distributive justice." Swift.

A division of territory; a defined portion of a state, town, or city, etc., made for administrative, electoral, or other purposes; as, a congressional district, judicial district, land district, school district, etc. To exercise exclusive legislation . . . over such district not exceeding ten miles square. The Constitu…

A small tree of tropical America (Cæsalpinia coriaria), whose legumes contain a large proportion of tannic and gallic acid, and are used by tanners and dyers.