Dorsal, dor′sal, adj. pertaining or belonging to the back.—adv. Dor′sally.—n. Dorse (obs.), the back of a writing: a dossal: the back.—adj. Dorsibranch′iate, having gills on the back.—n. one of the Dorsibranchiata, including free marine worms.—adjs. Dorsif′erous, dorsigerous: dorsiparous; Dorsig′erous, carrying on the back; Dor′sigrade, walking on the back of the toes; Dorsip′arous, bearing fruit on the back: hatching young upon the back; Dor′sispin′al, pertaining to both the back and the spine; Dorsiven′tral, Dorsabdom′inal, pertaining to the back and the belly; Dorsocau′dal, superior and posterior in direction or position; Dorsocer′vical, pertaining to the back of the neck.—n. Dorsoflex′ion, a bending of the back, a bow.—adjs. Dorsolat′eral, pertaining to the back and the side; Dorsolum′bar, pertaining to the whole dorsal region of the trunk—also Dorsilum′bar; Dorsomē′dian, situated in the middle of the back; Dorsomes′al, lying along the middle line of the back—also Dorsimes′al; Dorsopleu′ral, pertaining to the back and the side.—n. Dors′um.—Send to dorse, to throw on the back. [Fr.,—L. dorsum, the back.]
Dorse, dors, n. a young cod. [Low Ger. dorsch.]
Dorty, dor′ti, adj. (Scot.), pettish: delicate.
Dory, dō′ri, n. a fish of a golden-yellow colour.—Also John Dory and Doree. [Fr. dorée, from dorer, to gild—L. deaurāre, to gild—de, of, with, and aurum, gold. John is simply the ordinary name.]
Dose, dōs, n. the quantity of medicine given to be taken at one time: a portion: anything disagreeable that must be taken.—v.t. to order or give in doses: to give anything nauseous to.—ns. Dōs′age, a practice or method of dosing; Dosim′eter, an apparatus for measuring minute quantities of liquid.—adj. Dosimet′ric.—n. Dosol′ogy, the science of doses—also Dosiol′ogy. [O. Fr. dose—Gr. dosis, a giving—didōmi, I give.]
Doseh, dō′se, n. a religious ceremony at Cairo during the festival of the Moolid, in which the sheik rides on horseback over the prostrate bodies of dervishes.
Dossal, dos′sal, n. a cloth hanging, of various colours at various festivals, for the back of an altar and the sides of the chancel of a church.—Also Dos′sel. [Late L. dossale, dorsale—L. dorsum, the back.]
Dosser, dos′er, n. a rich hanging of tapestry for the walls of a hall or of a chancel: a pannier.
Doss-house, dos′-hows, n. a very cheap lodging-house.—n. Doss′er, one who lodges in a doss-house. [Perh. from doss, a prov. Eng. name for a hassock.]
Dossil, dos′il, n. a plug, spigot: a cloth roll for wiping ink from an engraved plate in printing: (surg.) a pledget of lint for cleaning out a wound. [O. Fr. dosil—Late L. ducillus, a spigot.]