Dipsomania, dip-sō-mā′ni-a, n. a morbid craving for alcoholic stimulants.—ns. Dipsomā′niac, one who suffers from the foregoing; Dipsop′athy, treatment by restricting a patient's drink; Dipsō′sis, morbid thirst. [Gr. dipsa, thirst, and mania, madness.]
Diptera, dip′ter-a, n.pl. two-winged insects or flies.—ns. Dip′teran, a dipterous insect; Dip′teros, a building with double peristyle or colonnade.—adjs. Dip′terous, Dip′teral. [Gr. dipteros, two-winged, di-, twice, pteron, a wing.]
Diptych, dip′tik, n. a double-folding writing-tablet: a register of bishops, saints, &c. read aloud during the eucharist: a pair of pictures as folding-tablets. [Gr. diptychos—di-, and ptyssein, to fold.]
Dirdum, dir′dum, n. (Scot.) uproar: a scolding.
Dire, dīr, adj. dreadful: calamitous in a high degree—(poet.) Dire′ful.—adv. Dire′fully.—n. Dire′fulness. [L. dirus; cf. Gr. deinos, frightful.]
Direct, di-rekt′, adj. quite straight: straightforward: in the line of descent: outspoken: sincere: unambiguous: unsophisticated in manner.—v.t. to keep or lay quite straight: to point or aim straightly or correctly: to point out the proper course to: to guide: to order: to mark with the name and residence of a person.—v.i. to act as director.—n. Direc′tion, aim at a certain point: the line of course in which anything moves: guidance: command: the body of persons who guide or manage a matter: the written name and residence of a person.—adjs. Direc′tional; Direct′ive, having power or tendency to direct.—adv. Direct′ly, in a direct manner: without intermediary: immediately (in time and otherwise).—ns. Direct′ness; Direct′or, one who directs: a manager or governor: a counsellor: a father confessor or spiritual guide: part of a machine or instrument which guides its motion:—fem. Direct′ress, Direct′rix.—ns. Direct′orāte, Direct′orship, the office, or a body of, directors.—adjs. Directō′rial; Direct′ory, containing directions: guiding.—n. a body of directions: a guide: a book with the names and residences of the inhabitants of a place: a body of directors: the Directoire, or French Republican government of 1795-99.—n. Direct′rix, a line serving to describe a circle. [L. dirigĕre, directum—di, apart, and regĕre, to rule, to make straight.]
Dirge, dėrj, n. a funeral song or hymn. [Contracted from dirige, the first word of an antiphon sung in the office for the dead—the words from the Vulgate, Psalm v. 8. L. dirigĕre, to direct.]
Dirhem, dir′hem, n. an oriental weight and silver coin, originally two-thirds of an Attic drachma.—Also Dir′ham, Der′ham. [Ar., Pers., and Turk. modifications of the Greek drachmē, a drachma or dram.]
Dirigible, dir′i-ji-bl, adj. that can be directed.—adj. Dir′igent, directing. [See Direct.]
Diriment, dir′i-ment, adj. nullifying. [L. dirimĕre.]