Diffident, dif′i-dent, adj. wanting faith in: distrustful of one's self: modest: bashful.—n. Diff′idence, want of confidence: want of self-reliance: modesty: bashfulness.—adv. Diff′idently. [L., pr.p. of diffidĕre, to distrust—dif (= dis), neg., fīdĕre, to trust—fĭdes, faith.]
Diffluent, dif′loo-ent, adj. tending to flow away readily.
Difform, dif′orm, adj. not uniform, irregular in form.—n. Diffor′mity.
Diffract, dif-frakt′, v.t. to break or separate into parts, as rays of light.—n. Diffrac′tion, a name for certain phenomena connected with light passing through a narrow opening or by the edge of an opaque body: the spreading of the rays, with interference phenomena, coloured and other.—adj. Diffrac′tive.—n. Diffrangibil′ity.—adj. Diffran′gible. [L. diffringĕre, diffractum—dis, asunder, frangĕre, to break.]
Diffuse, dif-ūz′, v.t. to pour out all round: to send out in all directions: to scatter: to circulate: to publish.—v.i. to spread, as a liquid does.—pa.p. and adj. Diffused′, spread widely: loose.—adv. Diffus′edly.—ns. Diffus′edness; Diffus′er; Diffusibil′ity.—adj. Diffus′ible, that may be diffused.—ns. Diffū′sion, a spreading or scattering abroad: extension: distribution: in the case of gases or liquids in contact, mixture through each other; Diffū′sion-tube, an instrument for determining the rate of diffusion for different gases.—adj. Diffus′ive, extending: spreading widely.—adv. Diffus′ively.—n. Diffus′iveness. [L. diffundĕre, diffūsum—dif (= dis), asunder, fundĕre, to pour out.]
Diffuse, dif-ūs′, adj. diffused: widely spread: wordy: not concise.—adv. Diffuse′ly.—n. Diffuse′ness.
Dig, dig, v.t. to excavate: to turn up the earth: to cultivate with a spade: to poke or thrust, as one's elbow into another's side, or spurs into a horse.—v.i. to till the ground; to occupy one's self in digging; (U.S. slang) to study hard:—pr.p. dig′ging; pa.t. and pa.p. dug, (B.) digged.—n. a thrust, a poke: (U.S. slang) a hard student.—adj. Dig′gable, that may be dug.—n. Dig′ger, a person or animal that digs: a machine for digging, as a steam-digger.—n.pl. Dig′gings, places where mining is carried on, esp. for gold: (slang, orig. American) lodgings, rooms.—Dig in, to cover over by digging: to work hard; Dig out (U.S. slang), to decamp.—Digger Indians, degraded Indian tribes of California and Nevada, who live by digging roots. [Prob. O. Fr. diguer, to dig; of Teut. origin.]
Digamma, dī-gam′ma, n. an obsolete letter of the Greek alphabet, having the force of our W. [So called from its form (
Digamy, dig′a-mi, n. a second marriage.—n. Dig′amist.—adj. Dig′amous (bot.), androgynous. [Gr. dis, twice, and gamos, marriage.]