Diversion, di-vėr′shun, n. act of diverting or turning aside: that which diverts: amusement, recreation: something done to turn the attention of an enemy from the principal point of attack.
Diversity, di-vėr′si-ti, n. state of being diverse: difference: unlikeness: variety.
Divert, di-vėrt′, v.t. to turn aside: to change the direction of: to turn the mind from business or study: to amuse.—n. Divert′imento (obs.), diversion: (mus.) a ballet-interlude.—adj. Divert′ing.—adv. Divert′ingly.—n. Divert′isement, diversion: a short ballet between the acts of a play.—adj. Divert′ive, tending to divert. [Fr.,—L. divertĕre, diversum—dis, aside, vertĕre, to turn.]
Diverticle, di-ver′ti-kl, n. (anat.) a diverticulum, cæcum, or blind tubular process.—adjs. Divertic′ular, Divertic′ulated.
Dives, dī′vēs (L. 'the rich man'), n. a name used as if a proper name for the rich man at whose gate Lazarus lay (Luke, xvi. 19): a rich and luxurious person.—n. Div′itism, condition of being rich.
Divest, di-vest′, v.t. to strip or deprive of anything.—adj. Divest′ible.—ns. Divest′iture, Divest′ment (rare). [L. devestīre—dis, neg., vestīre, to clothe—vestis, a garment.]
Divide, di-vīd′, v.t. to part asunder: to part among, to allot, &c.: to set at variance: to separate into two parts (as in voting).—v.i. to part or open: to break friendship: to vote by separating into two bodies.—n. (coll.) the act of dividing: (esp. in U.S.) a watershed.—adj. Divid′able (rare), divisible: (Shak.) divided.—adv. Divid′edly.—n. Divid′er, that which divides: a kind of compasses for dividing lines, &c.—adj. Divid′ing, separating.—n. separation.—n. Divid′ing-en′gine, an instrument for graduating the scales of scientific apparatus.—adjs. Divid′ual (Milt.), shared in common with others; Divid′uous, special, accidental. [L. dividĕre, divisum—dis, asunder, root vid, to separate.]
Dividend, div′i-dend, n. that which is to be divided: the share of a sum divided that falls to each individual, by way of interest or otherwise.—Declare a dividend, to announce the sum per cent. a trading concern is prepared to pay its shareholders. [L. dividendum—dividĕre.]
Dividivi, div′i-div-i, n. the curved pods of the leguminous tree, Cæsalpinia coriaria, imported for tanning and dyeing. [Native name.]
Divine, di-vīn′, adj. belonging to or proceeding from God: devoted to God's service: holy: sacred: excellent in the highest degree.—n. one skilled in divine things: a minister of the gospel: a theologian.—v.t. to foresee or foretell as if divinely inspired: to guess or make out.—v.i. to profess or practise divination: to have forebodings.—ns. Divinā′tion, the act or practice of divining: instinctive prevision: prediction: conjecture; Div′inātor, Divīn′er, one who divines or professes divination: a conjecturer:—fem. Divin′eress.—adjs. Divinatō′rial, Divin′a-tory, relating to divination, conjectural.—adv. Divine′ly.—ns. Divine′ness; Divin′ing-rod, a rod, usually of hazel, used by those professing to discover water or metals under ground.—vs.t. Div′inise, Divin′ify, to treat as divine. [Fr.,—L. divinus, from divus, deus, a god.]