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ringing to naught; subversion; demolition; ruin; slaying; devastation. The Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction. Esth. ix. 5. 'Tis safer to be that which we destroy Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy. Shak. Destruction of venerable establishment. Hallam.…

to determine; limiting; shaping; directing; conclusive. Incidents . . . determinative of their course. I. Taylor. Determinative tables (Nat. Hist.), tables presenting the specific character of minerals, plants, etc., to assist in determining the species to which a specimen belongs.

Second sight. I felt by anticipation the horrors of the Highland seers, whom their gift of deuteroscopy compels to witness things unmeet for mortal eye. Sir W. Scott.

The series of changes which animal and vegetable organisms undergo in their passage from the embryonic state to maturity, from a lower to a higher state of organization.

lar and usual course of the specific voyage insured, thus releasing the underwriters from their responsibility. Deviation of a falling body (Physics), that deviation from a strictly vertical line of descent which occurs in a body falling freely, in consequence of the rotation of the earth. -- Deviation of the compass,…

ive; a stratagem; an artifice. His device in against Babylon, to destroy it. Jer. li. 11. Their recent device of demanding benevolences. Hallam. He disappointeth the devices of the crafty. Job v. 12.

owed; hence, due act of civility or respect; -- now usually in the plural; as, they paid their devoirs to the ladies. "Do now your devoid, young knights!" Chaucer.

-- generally with upon, sometimes with to or into. They devolved a considerable share of their power upon their favorite. Burke. They devolved their whole authority into the hands of the council of sixty. Addison.

Moisture from the atmosphere condensed by cool bodies upon their surfaces, particularly at night. Her tears fell with the dews at even. Tennyson.

of somewhat variable composition, containing several carbohydrates which change easily to their respective varieties of sugar. It is so named from its rotating the plane of polarization to the right; -- called also British gum, Alsace gum, gommelin, leiocome, etc. See Achroödextrin, and Erythrodextrin.…

A Linnæan class of plants whose stamens are united into two bodies or bundles by their filaments.

Of or pertaining to the class Diadelphia; having the stamens united into two bodies by their filaments (said of a plant or flower); grouped into two bundles or sets by coalescence of the filaments (said of stamens).

hat part of medicine which has to do with ascertaining the nature of diseases by means of their symptoms or signs. His rare skill in diagnostics. Macaulay.

yed to measure the amount of electricity transmitted by different bodies, or to determine their conducting power. Nichol.

ch consists of a set of parallel lines, with other lines crossing them obliquely, so that their intersections furnish smaller subdivisions of the unit of measure than could be conveniently marked on a plain scale. -- Diagonal stratification. (Geol.) Same as Cross bedding, under Cross, a.

A tendency of leaves or other organs of plants to have their dorsal surface faced towards the rays of light.

rd English language. Earle. [Charles V.] could address his subjects from every quarter in their native dialect. Prescott.

separation of different substances in solution, as crystalloids and colloids, by means of their unequal diffusion, especially through natural or artificial membranes.

The science of the dianoetic faculties, and their operations. Sir W. Hamilton.

By extension, to Christians isolated from their own communion, as among the Moravians to those living, usually as missionaries, outside of the parent congregation.