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ata in stone, slate, etc. Knots, by the conflux of meeting sap, Infect the sound pine and divert his grain Tortive and errant from his course of growth. Shak.

One of several swimming birds or divers, of the genus Colymbus (formerly Podiceps), aud allied genera, found in the northern parts of America, Europe, and Asia. They have strong, sharp bills, and lobate toes.

hern sea birds, allied to the auks. They have short legs, placed far back, and are expert divers and swimmers.

The great northern diver or loon. See Loon.

Pertaining to athletic exercises intended for health, defense, or diversion; -- said of games or exercises, as running, leaping, wrestling, throwing the discus, the javelin, etc.; also, pertaining to disciplinary exercises for the intellect; athletic; as, gymnastic exercises, contests, etc.

ment desire; -- usually with for or after; as, to hanker after fruit; to hanker after the diversions of the town. Addison. He was hankering to join his friend. J. A. Symonds.

Professional cant; the chatter of conjurers to divert attention from their tricks; hence, jugglery. [Colloq.]

A buffoon, dressed in party-colored clothes, who plays tricks, often without speaking, to divert the bystanders or an audience; a merry-andrew; originally, a droll rogue of Italian comedy. Percy Smith. As dumb harlequin is exhibited in our theaters. Johnson. Harlequin bat (Zoöl.), an Indian bat (Scotophilus ornatus), c…

rature, philosophy, etc.; -- usually, but not necessarily, said in reproach. New opinions Divers and dangerous, which are heresies, And, not reformed, may prove pernicious. Shak. After the study of philosophy began in Greece, and the philosophers, disagreeing amongst themselves, had started many questions . . . because…

n both are only in homoplasy with each other, these having arisen independently since the divergence of both groups from a univentricular ancestor.

nt of equality, in any respect; lack of uniformity; disproportion; unevenness; disparity; diversity; as, an inequality in size, stature, numbers, power, distances, motions, rank, property, etc. There is so great an inequality in the length of our legs and arms as makes it impossible for us to walk on all four. Ray. Not…

A forked exlpansion or divergence; a bifurcation; a branching. Craig.

inhaling damp or cold air, noxious gases, dust, etc.; also, the respiratory apparatus for divers.

s, or the like, in a groundwork of some other material; to form an ornamental surface; to diversify or adorn with insertions. Look,how the floor of heaven Is thick inlaid with patines of bright gold. Shak. But these things are . . . borrowed by the monks to inlay their story. Milton.

To diversify or adorn with things set or scattered at intervals; to place something at intervals in or among; as, to intersperse a book with pictures. Which space is interspersed with small islands and rock. Cook.

or register in an account of goods; as, a merchant inventories his stock. I will give out divers schedules of my beauty; it shall be inventoried, and every particle and utensil labeled. Shak.

To divert; to convert to a wrong use. [Obs.] Knolles.

a laughingstock. Then let me be your jest; I deserve it. Shak. In jest, for mere sport or diversion; not in truth and reality; not in earnest. And given in earnest what I begged in jest. Shak. -- Jest book, a book containing a collection of jests, jokes, and amusing anecdotes; a Joe Miller.

quence, of style, and of music; many kinds of government; various kinds of soil, etc. How diversely Love doth his pageants play, And snows his power in variable kinds ! Spenser. There is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. I Cor. xv. 39. Diogenes was asked in a ki…

Any enfeebling disease. [Obs.] Sick men with divers languors. Wyclif (Luke iv. 40).