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on was given to God, that is, forfeited to the crown, to be applied to pious uses, and distributed in alms by the high almoner. Thus, if a cart ran over a man and killed him, it was forfeited as a deodand.

To turn the course of, as water; to divert and distribute into subordinate channels; to diffuse; to communicate; to transmit; -- followed by to, into, on, upon. [Obs.] For fear it [water] choke up the pits . . . they [the workman] derive it by other drains. Holland. Her due loves derived to that vile witch's share. Spe…

To distribute into parts, groups, or classes; to mark off; to class. [Obs.] Passed through the land, and described it by cities into seven parts in a book. Josh. xviii. 9.

intention; signification, as of a word or phrase. Finite and infinite seem . . . to be attributed primarily, in their first designation, only to those things have parts. Locke.

A mark or attribute, attached to the subject or predicate, narrowing the extent of both, but rendering them more definite and precise. Abp. Thomson.

stinguishes or causes to differ;; mark of distinction; characteristic quality; specific attribute. The marks and differences of sovereignty. Davies.

The formal or distinguishing part of the essence of a species; the characteristic attribute of a species; specific difference.

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.

. two. See Two, and cf. Bi-, Di-, Dia-. Dis- denotes separation, a parting from, as in distribute, disconnect; hence it often has the force of a privative and negative, as in disarm, disoblige, disagree. Also intensive, as in dissever.

W. Scott. Discharging arch (Arch.), an arch over a door, window, or other opening, to distribute the pressure of the wall above. See Illust. of Lintel. -- Discharging piece, Discharging strut (Arch.), a piece set to carry thrust or weight to a solid point of support. -- Discharging rod (Elec.), a bent wire, with kno…

To serve out of a dish; to distribute in portions at table.

Not yielding. Medicines used unnecessarily contribute to shorten life, by sooner rendering peculiar parts of the system disobedient to stimuli. E. Darwin.

A distributer; a dispenser. Bacon.

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.

One who, or that which, dispenses; a distributer; as, a dispenser of favors.

To scatter abroad; to drive to different parts; to distribute; to diffuse; to spread; as, the Jews are dispersed among all nations. The lips of the wise disperse knowledge. Prov. xv. 7. Two lions, in the still, dark night, A herd of beeves disperse. Cowper.

To distribute and put in place; to arrange; to set in order; as, to dispose the ships in the form of a crescent. Who hath disposed the whole world Job xxxiv. 13. All ranged in order and disposed with grace. Pope. The rest themselves in troops did else dispose. Spenser.

Capable of being distributed. Sir W. Jones.

Tending to distribute or be distributed; that distributes; distributive.

That distributes; dealing out. Distributing past office, an office where the mails for a large district are collected to be assorted according to their destination and forwarded.