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To pierce or bore with a drill, or a with a drill; to perforate; as, to drill a hole into a rock; to drill a piece of metal.

The act of piercing with a drill.

affects the earth, and prevents the growth of plants; aridity. The drought of March hath pierced to the root. Chaucer. In a drought the thirsty creatures cry. Dryden.

percussion, consisting either of a hollow cylinder, over each end of which is stretched a piece of skin or vellum, to be beaten with a stick; or of a metallic hemisphere (kettledrum) with a single piece of skin to be so beaten; the common instrument for marking time in martial music; one of the pair of tympani in an or…

The top of a capstan which is pierced with sockets for levers used in turning it. See Illust. of Capstan. Drumhead court-martial (Mil.), a summary court-martial called to try offenses on the battlefield or the line of march, when, sometimes, a drumhead has to do service as a writing table.

A judicial process commanding a person to appear in court and bring with him some piece of evidence or other thing to be produced to the court.

accompanied by words; as, dumb show. This spirit, dumb to us, will speak to him. Shak. To pierce into the dumb past. J. C. Shairp.

are passed from one room or story of a house to another; a lift for dishes, etc.; also, a piece of furniture with movable or revolving shelves.

A floating barge connected with a pier. Knight. To play dummy, to play the exposed or dummy hand in cards. The partner of the dummy plays it.

A thick, ill-shapen piece; a clumsy leaden counter used by boys in playing chuck farthing. [Eng.] Smart.

From Dump a short ill-shapen piece.

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.…

ing off, screwing, and surfacing, by means of two cutting tools, on opposite sides of the piece operated upon. -- Duplex pumping engine, a steam pump in which two steam cylinders are placed side by side, one operating the valves of the other. -- Duplex querela Etym: [L., double complaint] (Eccl. Law), a complaint in…

A piece of wood set between two studs, posts, etc., to stiffen and support them.

ip's dwelling fronted on the street. Tennyson. Dwelling house, a house intended to be occupied as a residence, in distinction from a store, office, or other building. -- Dwelling place, place of residence.

; a handle; as, the ears of a tub, a skillet, or dish. The ears of a boat are outside kneepieces near the bow. See Illust. of Bell.

, earthy matter. How pale she looks, And of an earthy cold! Shak. All over earthy, like a piece of earth. Tennyson.

or nearly upright, for the painter's convenience or for exhibition. Easel picture, Easel piece, a painting of moderate size such as is made while resting on an easel, as distinguished from a painting on a wall or ceiling.

A piece of money coined in the east by Richard II. of England. Crabb.

cancer; to waste or wear away; to destroy gradually; to cause to disappear. To eat humble pie. See under Humble. -- To eat of (partitive use). "Eat of the bread that can not waste." Keble. -- To eat one's words, to retract what one has said. (See the Citation under Blurt.) -- To eat out, to consume completely. "Eat o…