Chapter 48

Dis*tress"ing, adv. In a distressing manner.

Dis*trib"u*ta*ble (?), a. Capable of being distributed. Sir W. Jones.

Dis*trib"u*ta*ry (?), a. Tending to distribute or be distributed; that distributes; distributive.

Dis*trib"ute (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Distributed; p. pr. & vb. n. Distributing.] [L. distributus, p. p. of distribuere to divide, distribute; dis- + tribuere to assign, give, allot. See Tribute.] 1. To divide among several or many; to deal out; to apportion; to allot.

She did distribute her goods to all them that were nearest of kindred.

Judith xvi. 24.

2. To dispense; to administer; as, to distribute justice. Shak.

3. To divide or separate, as into classes, orders, kinds, or species; to classify; to assort, as specimens, letters, etc.

4. (Printing) (a) To separate (type which has been used) and return it to the proper boxes in the cases. (b) To spread (ink) evenly, as upon a roller or a table.

5. (Logic) To employ (a term) in its whole extent; to take as universal in one premise.

A term is said to be distributed when it is taken universal, so as to stand for everything it is capable of being applied to.

Whately.

Syn. -- To dispense; deal out; apportion; allot; share; assign; divide.

Dis*trib"ute, v. i. To make distribution.

Distributing to the necessity of saints.

Rom. xii. 13.

Dis*trib"u*ter (?), n. One who, or that which, distributes or deals out anything; a dispenser. Addison.

Dis*trib"u*ting, a. That distributes; dealing out.

Distributing past office, an office where the mails for a large district are collected to be assorted according to their destination and forwarded.

Dis`tri*bu"tion (?), n. [L. distributio: cf. F. distribution.] 1. The act of distributing or dispensing; the act of dividing or apportioning among several or many; apportionment; as, the distribution of an estate among heirs or children.

The phenomena of geological distribution are exactly analogous to those of geography.

A. R. Wallace.

2. Separation into parts or classes; arrangement of anything into parts; disposition; classification.

3. That which is distributed. "Our charitable distributions." Atterbury.

4. (Logic) A resolving a whole into its parts.

5. (Print.) The sorting of types and placing them in their proper boxes in the cases.

6. (Steam Engine) The steps or operations by which steam is supplied to and withdrawn from the cylinder at each stroke of the piston; viz., admission, suppression or cutting off, release or exhaust, and compression of exhaust steam prior to the next admission.

Geographical distribution, the natural arrangements of animals and plants in particular regions or districts.

Syn. -- Apportionments; allotment; dispensation; disposal; dispersion; classification; arrangement.

Dis`tri*bu"tion*al (?), a. Of or pertaining to distribution. Huxley.

Dis`tri*bu"tion*ist, n. A distributer. [R.] Dickens.

Dis*trib"u*tive (?), a. [Cf. F. distributif.] 1. Tending to distribute; serving to divide and assign in portions; dealing to each his proper share. "Distributive justice." Swift.

2. (Logic) Assigning the species of a general term.

3. (Gram.) Expressing separation; denoting a taking singly, not collectively; as, a distributive adjective or pronoun, such as each, either, every; a distributive numeral, as (Latin) bini (two by two).

Distributive operation (Math.), any operation which either consists of two or more parts, or works upon two or more things, and which is such that the result of the total operation is the same as the aggregated result of the two or more partial operations. Ordinary multiplication is distributive, since a × (b + c) = ab + ac, and (a + b) × c = ac + bc. -- Distributive proportion. (Math.) See Fellowship.

Dis*trib"u*tive, n. (Gram.) A distributive adjective or pronoun; also, a distributive numeral.

Dis*trib"u*tive*ly, adv. By distribution; singly; not collectively; in a distributive manner.

Dis*trib"u*tive*ness, n. Quality of being distributive.

Dis"trict (?), a. [L. districtus, p. p.] Rigorous; stringent; harsh. [Obs.]

Punishing with the rod of district severity.

Foxe.

Dis"trict, n. [LL. districtus district, fr. L. districtus, p. p. of distringere: cf. F. district. See Distrain.] 1. (Feudal Law) The territory within which the lord has the power of coercing and punishing.

2. A division of territory; a defined portion of a state, town, or city, etc., made for administrative, electoral, or other purposes; as, a congressional district, judicial district, land district, school district, etc.

To exercise exclusive legislation . . . over such district not exceeding ten miles square.

The Constitution of the United States.

3. Any portion of territory of undefined extent; a region; a country; a tract.

These districts which between the tropics lie.

Blackstone.

Congressional district. See under Congressional. -- District attorney, the prosecuting officer of a district or district court. -- District court, a subordinate municipal, state, or United States tribunal, having jurisdiction in certain cases within a judicial district. -- District judge, one who presides over a district court. -- District school, a public school for the children within a school district. [U.S.]

Syn. -- Division; circuit; quarter; province; tract; region; country.

Dis"trict, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Districted; p. pr. & vb. n. Districting.] To divide into districts or limited portions of territory; as, legislatures district States for the choice of representatives.

Dis*tric"tion (?), n. [L. districtio a stretching out.] Sudden display; flash; glitter. [R.]

A smile . . . breaks out with the brightest distriction.

Collier.

Dis"trict*ly (?), adv. Strictly. [Obs.] Foxe.

||Dis*trin"gas (?), n. [L., that you distrain, fr. distringere. See Distrain.] (Law) A writ commanding the sheriff to distrain a person by his goods or chattels, to compel a compliance with something required of him.

Dis*trou"ble (?), v. t. [Pref. dis- (intens.) + trouble.] To trouble. [Obs.] Spenser.

Dis*trust" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Distrusted; p. pr. & vb. n. Distrusting.] [Cf. Mistrust.] To feel absence of trust in; not to confide in or rely upon; to deem of questionable sufficiency or reality; to doubt; to be suspicious of; to mistrust.

Not distrusting my health.

2 Mac. ix. 22.

To distrust the justice of your cause.

Dryden.

He that requireth the oath doth distrust that other.

Udall.

Of all afraid, Distrusting all, a wise, suspicious maid.

Collins.

Mistrust has been almost wholly driven out by distrust. T. L. K. Oliphant.

Dis*trust", n. 1. Doubt of sufficiency, reality, or sincerity; want of confidence, faith, or reliance; as, distrust of one's power, authority, will, purposes, schemes, etc.

2. Suspicion of evil designs.

Alienation and distrust . . . are the growth of false principles.

D. Webster.

3. State of being suspected; loss of trust. Milton.

Dis*trust"er (?), n. One who distrusts.

Dis*trust"ful (?), a. 1. Not confident; diffident; wanting confidence or thrust; modest; as, distrustful of ourselves, of one's powers.

Distrustful sense with modest caution speaks.

Pope.

2. Apt to distrust; suspicious; mistrustful. Boyle.

-- Dis*trust"ful*ly, adv. -- Dis*trust"ful*ness, n.

Dis*trust"ing, a. That distrusts; suspicious; lacking confidence in. -- Dis*trust"ing*ly, adv.

Dis*trust"less, a. Free from distrust. Shenstone.

Dis*tune" (?), v. t. To put out of tune. [Obs.]

Dis*turb" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Disturbed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Disturbing.] [OE. desturben, destourben, OF. destorber, desturber, destourber, fr. L. disturbare, disturbatum; dis- + turbare to disturb, trouble, turba disorder, tumult, crowd. See Turbid.] 1. To throw into disorder or confusion; to derange; to interrupt the settled state of; to excite from a state of rest.

Preparing to disturb With all-cofounding war the realms above.

Cowper.

The bellow's noise disturbed his quiet rest.

Spenser.

The utmost which the discontented colonies could do, was to disturb authority.

Burke.

2. To agitate the mind of; to deprive of tranquillity; to disquiet; to render uneasy; as, a person is disturbed by receiving an insult, or his mind is disturbed by envy.

3. To turn from a regular or designed course. [Obs.]

And disturb His inmost counsels from their destined aim.

Milton.

Syn. -- To disorder; disquiet; agitate; discompose; molest; perplex; trouble; incommode; ruffle.

Dis*turb", n. Disturbance. [Obs.] Milton.

Dis*turb"ance (?), n. [OF. destorbance.] 1. An interruption of a state of peace or quiet; derangement of the regular course of things; disquiet; disorder; as, a disturbance of religious exercises; a disturbance of the galvanic current.

2. Confusion of the mind; agitation of the feelings; perplexity; uneasiness.

Any man . . . in a state of disturbance and irritation.

Burke.

3. Violent agitation in the body politic; public commotion; tumult.

The disturbance was made to support a general accusation against the province.

Bancroft.

4. (Law) The hindering or disquieting of a person in the lawful and peaceable enjoyment of his right; the interruption of a right; as, the disturbance of a franchise, of common, of ways, and the like. Blackstone.

Syn. -- Tumult; brawl; commotion; turmoil; uproar; hubbub; disorder; derangement; confusion; agitation; perturbation; annoyance.

Dis`tur*ba"tion (?), n. [L. disturbatio.] Act of disturbing; disturbance. [Obs.] Daniel.

Dis*turb"er (?), n. [Cf. OF. destorbeor.] 1. One who, or that which, disturbs of disquiets; a violator of peace; a troubler.

A needless disturber of the peace of God's church and an author of dissension.

Hooker.

2. (Law) One who interrupts or incommodes another in the peaceable enjoyment of his right.

Dis*turn" (?), v. t. [OF. destourner, F. détourner. See Detour.] To turn aside. [Obs.] Daniel.

Dis"tyle (?), a. [Gr. di- = di`s- twice + &?; pillar: cf. F. distyle.] (Arch.) Having two columns in front; -- said of a temple, portico, or the like.

Distyle in antis, having columns between two antæ. See Anta.

Di*sul"phate (?), n. [Pref. di- + sulphate.] (Chem.) (a) A salt of disulphuric or pyrosulphuric acid; a pyrosulphate. (b) An acid salt of sulphuric acid, having only one equivalent of base to two of the acid.

Di*sul"phide (?; 104), n. [Pref. di- + sulphide.] (Chem.) A binary compound of sulphur containing two atoms of sulphur in each molecule; -- formerly called disulphuret. Cf. Bisulphide.

Di*sul"phu*ret (?), n. [Pref. di- + sulphuret.] (Chem.) See Disulphide.

Di`sul*phu"ric (?), a. [Pref. di- + sulphuric.] (Chem.) Applied to an acid having in each molecule two atoms of sulphur in the higher state of oxidation.

Disulphuric acid, a thick oily liquid, H2S2O7, called also Nordhausen acid (from Nordhausen in the Harts, where it was originally manufactured), fuming sulphuric acid, and especially pyrosulphuric acid. See under Pyrosulphuric.

Dis*u"ni*form (?), a. Not uniform. [Obs.]

Dis*un"ion (?), n. [Pref. dis- + union: cf. F. désunion.] 1. The termination of union; separation; disjunction; as, the disunion of the body and the soul.

2. A breach of concord and its effect; alienation.

Such a disunion between the two houses as might much clou&?; the happiness of this kingdom.

Clarendon.

3. The termination or disruption of the union of the States forming the United States.

I have not accustomed myself to hang over the precipice of disunion.

D. Webster.

Dis*un"ion*ist, n. An advocate of disunion, specifically, of disunion of the United States.

Dis`u*nite" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Disunited; p. pr. & vb. n. Disuniting.] 1. To destroy the union of; to divide; to part; to sever; to disjoin; to sunder; to separate; as, to disunite particles of matter.

2. To alienate in spirit; to break the concord of.

Go on both in hand, O nations, never be disunited, be the praise . . . of all posterity!

Milton.

Dis`u*nite", v. i. To part; to fall asunder; to become separated.

The joints of the body politic do separate and disunite.

South.

Dis`u*nit"er (?), n. One who, or that which, disjoins or causes disunion.

Dis*u"ni*ty (?), n. A state of separation or disunion; want of unity. Dr. H. More.

Dis*us"age (?), n. Gradual cessation of use or custom; neglect of use; disuse. [R.] Hooker.

Dis*use" (?; see Dis-), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Disused (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Disusing.] 1. To cease to use; to discontinue the practice of.

2. To disaccustom; -- with to or from; as, disused to toil. "Disuse me from . . . pain." Donne.

Dis*use" (?), n. Cessation of use, practice, or exercise; inusitation; desuetude; as, the limbs lose their strength by disuse.

The disuse of the tongue in the only . . . remedy.

Addison.

Church discipline then fell into disuse.

Southey.

Dis*u"til*ize (?), v. t. To deprive of utility; to render useless. [R.] Mrs. Browning.

Dis*val`u*a"tion (?), n. Disesteem; depreciation; disrepute. Bacon.

Dis*val"ue (?; see Dis-), v. t. To undervalue; to depreciate. Shak.

Dis*val"ue, n. Disesteem; disregard. B. Jonson.

Dis`van*ta"geous (?), a. [Pref. dis- + vantage.] Disadvantageous. [Obs.] "Disadvantageous ground." Drayton.

Dis*vel"op (?), v. t. To develop. [Obs.]

Dis*ven"ture (?; 135), n. A disadventure. [Obs.] Shelton.

Dis*vouch" (?), v. t. To discredit; to contradict. [Obs.] Shak.

Dis*warn" (?), v. t. [Pref. dis- (intens.) + warn.] To dissuade from by previous warning. [Obs.]

Dis*wit"ted (?), a. Deprived of wits or understanding; distracted. [Obs.] Drayton.

Dis*wont" (?), v. t. To deprive of wonted usage; to disaccustom. [R.] Bp. Hall.

Dis*work"man*ship (?), n. Bad workmanship. [Obs.] Heywood.

Dis*wor"ship (?), v. t. To refuse to worship; to treat as unworthy. [Obs.] Sir T. More.

Dis*wor"ship, n. A deprivation of honor; a cause of disgrace; a discredit. [Obs.] Milton.

Dis*worth" (?), v. t. To deprive of worth; to degrade. [Obs.] Feltham.

Dis*yoke" (?), v. t. To unyoke; to free from a yoke; to disjoin. [Poetic] R. Browning.

Dit (?), n. [Ditty.] 1. A word; a decree. [Obs.]

2. A ditty; a song. [Obs.]

Dit, v. t. [AS. dyttan, akin to Icel. ditta.] To close up. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.

Di*ta"tion (?), n. [L. ditare to enrich, fr. dis, ditis, same as dives, rich.] The act of making rich; enrichment. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.

Ditch (?; 224), n.; pl. Ditches (#). [OE. dich, orig. the same word as dik. See Dike.] 1. A trench made in the earth by digging, particularly a trench for draining wet land, for guarding or fencing inclosures, or for preventing an approach to a town or fortress. In the latter sense, it is called also a moat or a fosse.

2. Any long, narrow receptacle for water on the surface of the earth.

Ditch, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ditched (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Ditching.] 1. To dig a ditch or ditches in; to drain by a ditch or ditches; as, to ditch moist land.

2. To surround with a ditch. Shak.

3. To throw into a ditch; as, the engine was ditched and turned on its side.

Ditch, v. i. To dig a ditch or ditches. Swift.

Ditch"er (?), n. One who digs ditches.

Dite (?), v. t. [See Dight.] To prepare for action or use; to make ready; to dight. [Obs.]

His hideous club aloft he dites.

Spenser.

Di*ter"e*bene (?), n. [Pref. di- + terebene.] (Chem.) See Colophene.

{ Di*the"cal (?), Di*the"cous (?), } a. [Pref. di- + theca.] (Bot.) Having two thecæ, cells, or compartments.

Di"the*ism (?), n. [Pref. di- + theism: cf. F. dithéisme.] The doctrine of those who maintain the existence of two gods or of two original principles (as in Manicheism), one good and one evil; dualism.

Di"the*ist, n. One who holds the doctrine of ditheism; a dualist. Cudworth.

{ Di`the*is"tic (?), Di`the*is"tic*al (?), } a. Pertaining to ditheism; dualistic.

<! p. 437 !>

Di`thi*on"ic (?), a. [Pref. di- + -thionic.] (Chem.) Containing two equivalents of sulphur; as, dithionic acid.

Dithionic acid (Chem.), an unstable substance, H2S2O6, known only in its solutions, and in certain well-defined salts.

Dith"y*ramb (?), n. [L. dithyrambus, Gr. &?; a kind of lyric poetry in honor of Bacchus; also, a name of Bacchus; of unknown origin: cf. F. dithyrambe.] A kind of lyric poetry in honor of Bacchus, usually sung by a band of revelers to a flute accompaniment; hence, in general, a poem written in a wild irregular strain. Bentley.

Dith`y*ram"bic (?), a. [L. dithyrambicus, Gr. &?;: cf. F. dithyrambique.] Pertaining to, or resembling, a dithyramb; wild and boisterous. "Dithyrambic sallies." Longfellow. -- n. A dithyrambic poem; a dithyramb.

Dith`y*ram"bus (?), n. [L.] See Dithyramb.

Di"tion (?), n. [L. ditio, dicio: cf. F. dition.] Dominion; rule. [Obs.] Evelyn.

Di"tion*a*ry (?), a. Under rule; subject; tributary. [Obs.] Chapman.

Di"tion*a*ry, n. A subject; a tributary. [Obs.] Eden.

Di"to*kous (?), a. [Gr. di- = di`s- twice + &?; a bringing forth, offspring.] (Zoöl.) (a) Having two kinds of young, as certain annelids. (b) Producing only two eggs for a clutch, as certain birds do.

Di*tol"yl (?), n. [Pref. di- + tolyl.] (Chem.) A white, crystalline, aromatic hydrocarbon, C14H14, consisting of two radicals or residues of toluene.

Di"tone` (?), n. [Gr. &?; of two tones; di- = di`s- twice + &?; tone.] (Mus.) The Greek major third, which comprehend two major tones (the modern major third contains one major and one minor whole tone).

Di`tri*chot"o*mous (?), a. [Pref. di- + trichotomous.] 1. Divided into twos or threes.

2. (Bot.) Dividing into double or treble ramifications; -- said of a leaf or stem. [R.] Loudon.

Di`tro*che"an (?), a. (Pros.) Containing two trochees.

Di*tro"chee (?), n. [L. ditrochaeus, Gr. &?;; di- = di`s- twice + &?; trochee.] (Pros.) A double trochee; a foot made up of two trochees.

Dit"ro*ite (?), n. [Named from Ditro in Transylvania.] (Min.) An igneous rock composed of orthoclase, elæolite, and sodalite.

Ditt (?), n. See Dit, n., 2. [Obs.] Spenser.

Dit*tan"der (?), n. [See Dittany.] (Bot.) A kind of peppergrass (Lepidium latifolium).

Dit"ta*ny (?), n. [OE. dytane, detane, dytan, OF. ditain, F. dictame, L. dictamnum, fr. Gr. di`ktamnon , di`ktamnos, a plant growing in abundance on Mount Dicte in Crete. Cf. Dittander.] (Bot.) (a) A plant of the Mint family (Origanum Dictamnus), a native of Crete. (b) The Dictamnus Fraxinella. See Dictamnus. (c) In America, the Cunila Mariana, a fragrant herb of the Mint family.

Dit"tied (?), a. [From Ditty.] Set, sung, or composed as a ditty; -- usually in composition.

Who, with his soft pipe, and smooth-dittied song.

Milton.

Dit"to (?), n.; pl. Dittos (&?;). [It., detto, ditto, fr. L. dictum. See Dictum.] The aforesaid thing; the same (as before). Often contracted to do., or to two "turned commas" ("), or small marks. Used in bills, books of account, tables of names, etc., to save repetition.

A spacious table in the center, and a variety of smaller dittos in the corners.

Dickens.

Dit"to, adv. As before, or aforesaid; in the same manner; also.

Dit*tol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. dittologi`a. Attic form of dissologi`a repetition of words: &?; twofold + &?; to speak.] A double reading, or twofold interpretation, as of a Scripture text. [R.]

Dit"ty (?), n.; pl. Ditties (#). [OE. dite, OF. ditié, fr. L. dictatum, p. p. neut. of dictare to say often, dictate, compose. See Dictate, v. t.] 1. A saying or utterance; especially, one that is short and frequently repeated; a theme.

O, too high ditty for my simple rhyme.

Spenser.

2. A song; a lay; a little poem intended to be sung. "Religious, martial, or civil ditties." Milton.

And to the warbling lute soft ditties sing.

Sandys.

Dit"ty, v. i. To sing; to warble a little tune.

Beasts fain would sing; birds ditty to their notes.

Herbert.

Dit"ty-bag`, n. A sailor's small bag to hold thread, needles, tape, etc.; -- also called sailor's housewife.

Dit"ty-box` (?), n. A small box to hold a sailor's thread, needless, comb, etc.

Di*u"re*ide (?), n. [Di- + ureide.] (Chem.) One of a series of complex nitrogenous substances regarded as containing two molecules of urea or their radicals, as uric acid or allantoin. Cf. Ureide.

||Di`u*re"sis (?), n. [NL. See Diuretic.] (Med.) Free excretion of urine.

Di`u*ret"ic (?), a. [L. diureticus, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to make water; &?; through + &?; to make water, fr. &?; urine: cf. F. diurétique.] (Med.) Tending to increase the secretion and discharge of urine. -- n. A medicine with diuretic properties.

Diuretic salt (Med.), potassium acetate; -- so called because of its diuretic properties.

Di`u*ret"ic*al (?), a. Diuretic. [Obs.] Boyle.

Di`u*ret"ic*al*ness, n. The quality of being diuretical; diuretic property.

||Di*ur"na (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. L. diurnus belonging to the day.] (Zoöl.) A division of Lepidoptera, including the butterflies; -- so called because they fly only in the daytime.

Di*ur"nal (?), a. [L. diurnalis, fr. dies day. See Deity, and cf. Journal.] 1. Relating to the daytime; belonging to the period of daylight, distinguished from the night; -- opposed to nocturnal; as, diurnal heat; diurnal hours.

2. Daily; recurring every day; performed in a day; going through its changes in a day; constituting the measure of a day; as, a diurnal fever; a diurnal task; diurnal aberration, or diurnal parallax; the diurnal revolution of the earth.

Ere twice the horses of the sun shall bring Their fiery torcher his diurnal ring.

Shak.

3. (Bot.) Opening during the day, and closing at night; -- said of flowers or leaves.

4. (Zoöl.) Active by day; -- applied especially to the eagles and hawks among raptorial birds, and to butterflies (Diurna) among insects.

Diurnal aberration (Anat.), the aberration of light arising from the effect of the earth's rotation upon the apparent direction of motion of light. -- Diurnal arc, the arc described by the sun during the daytime or while above the horizon; hence, the arc described by the moon or a star from rising to setting. -- Diurnal circle, the apparent circle described by a celestial body in consequence of the earth's rotation. -- Diurnal motion of the earth, the motion of the earth upon its axis which is described in twenty-four hours. -- Diurnal motion of a heavenly body, that apparent motion of the heavenly body which is due to the earth's diurnal motion. -- Diurnal parallax. See under Parallax. -- Diurnal revolution of a planet, the motion of the planet upon its own axis which constitutes one complete revolution.

Syn. -- See Daily.

Di*ur"nal (?), n. [Cf. F. diurnal a prayerbook. See Diurnal, a.] 1. A daybook; a journal. [Obs.] Tatler.

2. (R. C. Ch.) A small volume containing the daily service for the "little hours," viz., prime, tierce, sext, nones, vespers, and compline.

3. (Zoöl.) A diurnal bird or insect.

Di*ur"nal*ist, n. A journalist. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.

Di*ur"nal*ly, adv. Daily; every day.

Di*ur"nal*ness, n. The quality of being diurnal.

Di`ur*na"tion (?), n. 1. Continuance during the day. [Obs.]

2. (Zoöl.) The condition of sleeping or becoming dormant by day, as is the case of the bats.

Di`u*tur"nal (?), a. [L. diuturnus, fr. diu a long time, by day; akin to dies day.] Of long continuance; lasting. [R.] Milton.

Di`u*tur"ni*ty (?), n. [L. diuturnitas.] Long duration; lastingness. [R.] Sir T. Browne.

Di`va*ga"tion (?), n. [L. divagari to wander about; di- = dis- + vagari to stroll about: cf. F. divagation. See Vagary.] A wandering about or going astray; digression.

Let us be set down at Queen's Crawley without further divagation.

Thackeray.

Div"a*lent (?), a. [Pref. di- + L. valens, valentis, p. pr. See Valence.] (Chem.) Having two units of combining power; bivalent. Cf. Valence.

Di*van" (?), n. [Per. dwn a book of many leaves, an account book, a collection of books, a senate, council: cf. Ar. daiwn, F. divan.] 1. A book; esp., a collection of poems written by one author; as, the divan of Hafiz. [Persia]

2. In Turkey and other Oriental countries: A council of state; a royal court. Also used by the poets for a grand deliberative council or assembly. Pope.

3. A chief officer of state. [India]