Chapter 61

Droll, v. t. 1. To lead or influence by jest or trick; to banter or jest; to cajole.

Men that will not be reasoned into their senses, may yet be laughed or drolled into them.

L'Estrange.

2. To make a jest of; to set in a comical light. [R.]

This drolling everything is rather fatiguing.

W. D. Howells.

Droll"er, n. A jester; a droll. [Obs.] Glanvill.

Droll"er*y (?), n.; pl. Drolleries (#). [F. drôlerie. See Droll.] 1. The quality of being droll; sportive tricks; buffoonery; droll stories; comical gestures or manners.

The rich drollery of "She Stoops to Conquer."

Macaulay.

2. Something which serves to raise mirth; as: (a) A puppet show; also, a puppet. [Obs.] Shak. (b) A lively or comic picture. [Obs.]

I bought an excellent drollery, which I afterward parted with to my brother George of Wotton.

Evelyn.

Droll"ing*ly, adv. In a jesting manner.

Droll"ish, a. Somewhat droll. Sterne.

Droll"ist, n. A droll. [R.] Glanvill.

Dro`mæ*og"na*thous (?), a. [NL. dromaius emu + Gr. &?; jaw.] (Zoöl.) Having the structure of the palate like that of the ostrich and emu.

||Drom`a*the"ri*um (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. droma`s running + qhri`on beast. See Dromedary.] (Paleon.) A small extinct triassic mammal from North Carolina, the earliest yet found in America.

Drome (drm), n. [F., fr. Gr. droma`s running. See Dromedary.] (Zoöl.) The crab plover (Dromas ardeola), a peculiar North African bird, allied to the oyster catcher.

Drom"e*da*ry (drm"*d*r), n.; pl. Dromedaries (#). [F. dromadaire, LL. dromedarius, fr. L. dromas (sc. camelus), fr. Gr. droma`s running, from dramei`n, used as aor. of tre`chein to run; cf. Skr. dram to run.] (Zoöl.) The Arabian camel (Camelus dromedarius), having one hump or protuberance on the back, in distinction from the Bactrian camel, which has two humps.

In Arabia and Egypt the name is restricted to the better breeds of this species of camel. See Deloul.

{ Drom"ond (?), or Drom"on (?) }. [OF. dromont, L. dromo, fr. Gr. dro`mwn light vessel, prob. fr. dramei^n to run. See Dromedary.] In the Middle Ages, a large, fast-sailing galley, or cutter; a large, swift war vessel. [Hist. or Archaic] Fuller.

The great dromond swinging from the quay.

W. Morris.

Drone (?), n. [OE. drane a dronebee, AS. drn; akin to OS. drn, OHG. treno, G. drohne, Dan. drone, cf. Gr. &?; a kind of wasp, dial. Gr. &?; drone. Prob. named fr. the droning sound. See Drone, v. i.] 1. (Zoöl.) The male of bees, esp. of the honeybee. It gathers no honey. See Honeybee.

All with united force combine to drive The lazy drones from the laborious hive.

Dryden.

2. One who lives on the labors of others; a lazy, idle fellow; a sluggard.

By living as a drone,to be an unprofitable and unworthy member of so noble and learned a society.

Burton.

3. That which gives out a grave or monotonous tone or dull sound; as: (a) A drum. [Obs.] Halliwell. (b) The part of the bagpipe containing the two lowest tubes, which always sound the key note and the fifth.

4. A humming or deep murmuring sound.

The monotonous drone of the wheel.

Longfellow.

5. (Mus.) A monotonous bass, as in a pastoral composition.

Drone (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Droned (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Droning.] [Cf. (for sense 1) D. dreunen, G. dröhnen, Icel. drynja to roar, drynr a roaring, Sw. dröna to bellow, drone, Dan. dröne, Goth. drunjus sound, Gr. &?; dirge, &?; to cry aloud, Skr. dhran to sound. Cf. Drone, n.] 1. To utter or make a low, dull, monotonous, humming or murmuring sound.

Where the beetle wheels his droning flight.

T. Gray.

2. To love in idleness; to do nothing. "Race of droning kings." Dryden.

Drone" bee` (?). (Zoöl.) The male of the honeybee; a drone.

Drone" fly` (?). (Zoöl.) A dipterous insect (Eristalis tenax), resembling the drone bee. See Eristalis.

Drone"pipe`, n. One of the low- toned tubes of a bagpipe.

Dron"go (?), n.; pl. Drongos (&?;). (Zoöl.) A passerine bird of the family Dicruridæ. They are usually black with a deeply forked tail. They are natives of Asia, Africa, and Australia; -- called also drongo shrikes.

Dron"ish (?), a. Like a drone; indolent; slow. Burke. -- Dron"ish*ly, adv. -- Dron"ish*ness, n.

Dron"ke*lewe (?), a. [See Drink.] Given to drink; drunken. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Dron"te (?), n. [F.] (Zoöl.) The dodo.

Dron"y (?), a. Like a drone; sluggish; lazy.

Drool (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Drooled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Drooling.] [Contr. fr. drivel.] To drivel, or drop saliva; as, the child drools.

His mouth drooling with texts.

T. Parker.

Droop (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Drooped (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Drooping.] [Icel. dr&?;pa; akin to E. drop. See Drop.] 1. To hang bending downward; to sink or hang down, as an animal, plant, etc., from physical inability or exhaustion, want of nourishment, or the like. "The purple flowers droop." "Above her drooped a lamp." Tennyson.

I saw him ten days before he died, and observed he began very much to droop and languish.

Swift.

2. To grow weak or faint with disappointment, grief, or like causes; to be dispirited or depressed; to languish; as, her spirits drooped.

I'll animate the soldier's drooping courage.

Addison.

3. To proceed downward, or toward a close; to decline. "Then day drooped." Tennyson.

Droop, v. t. To let droop or sink. [R.] M. Arnold.

Like to a withered vine That droops his sapless branches to the ground.

Shak.

Droop, n. A drooping; as, a droop of the eye.

Droop"er (?), n. One who, or that which, droops.

Droop"ing*ly, adv. In a drooping manner.

Drop (?), n. [OE. drope, AS. dropa; akin to OS. dropo, D. drop, OHG. tropo, G. tropfen, Icel. dropi, Sw. droppe; and Fr. AS. dreópan to drip, drop; akin to OS. driopan, D. druipen, OHG. triofan, G. triefen, Icel. drj&?;pa. Cf. Drip, Droop.] 1. The quantity of fluid which falls in one small spherical mass; a liquid globule; a minim; hence, also, the smallest easily measured portion of a fluid; a small quantity; as, a drop of water.

With minute drops from off the eaves.

Milton.

As dear to me as are the ruddy drops That visit my sad heart.

Shak.

That drop of peace divine.

Keble.

2. That which resembles, or that which hangs like, a liquid drop; as a hanging diamond ornament, an earring, a glass pendant on a chandelier, a sugarplum (sometimes medicated), or a kind of shot or slug.

3. (Arch.) (a) Same as Gutta. (b) Any small pendent ornament.

4. Whatever is arranged to drop, hang, or fall from an elevated position; also, a contrivance for lowering something; as: (a) A door or platform opening downward; a trap door; that part of the gallows on which a culprit stands when he is to be hanged; hence, the gallows itself. (b) A machine for lowering heavy weights, as packages, coal wagons, etc., to a ship's deck. (c) A contrivance for temporarily lowering a gas jet. (d) A curtain which drops or falls in front of the stage of a theater, etc. (e) A drop press or drop hammer. (f) (Mach.) The distance of the axis of a shaft below the base of a hanger.

5. pl. Any medicine the dose of which is measured by drops; as, lavender drops.

6. (Naut.) The depth of a square sail; -- generally applied to the courses only. Ham. Nav. Encyc.

7. Act of dropping; sudden fall or descent.

Ague drop, Black drop. See under Ague, Black. -- Drop by drop, in small successive quantities; in repeated portions. "Made to taste drop by drop more than the bitterness of death." Burke. -- Drop curtain. See Drop, n., 4. (d). -- Drop forging. (Mech.) (a) A forging made in dies by a drop hammer. (b) The process of making drop forgings. -- Drop hammer (Mech.), a hammer for forging, striking up metal, etc., the weight being raised by a strap or similar device, and then released to drop on the metal resting on an anvil or die. -- Drop kick (Football), a kick given to the ball as it rebounds after having been dropped from the hands. -- Drop lake, a pigment obtained from Brazil wood. Mollett. -- Drop letter, a letter to be delivered from the same office where posted. -- Drop press (Mech.), a drop hammer; sometimes, a dead- stroke hammer; -- also called drop. -- Drop scene, a drop curtain on which a scene is painted. See Drop, n., 4. (d). -- Drop seed. (Bot.) See the List under Glass. -- Drop serene. (Med.) See Amaurosis.

Drop (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dropped (?) or Dropt; p. pr. & vb. n. Dropping.] [OE. droppen, AS. dropan, v. i. See Drop, n.] 1. To pour or let fall in drops; to pour in small globules; to distill. "The trees drop balsam." Creech.

The recording angel, as he wrote it down, dropped a tear upon the word and blotted it out forever.

Sterne.

2. To cause to fall in one portion, or by one motion, like a drop; to let fall; as, to drop a line in fishing; to drop a courtesy.

3. To let go; to dismiss; to set aside; to have done with; to discontinue; to forsake; to give up; to omit.

They suddenly drop't the pursuit.

S. Sharp.

That astonishing ease with which fine ladies drop you and pick you up again.

Thackeray.

The connection had been dropped many years.

Sir W. Scott.

Dropping the too rough H in Hell and Heaven.

Tennyson.

4. To bestow or communicate by a suggestion; to let fall in an indirect, cautious, or gentle manner; as, to drop hint, a word of counsel, etc.

5. To lower, as a curtain, or the muzzle of a gun, etc.

6. To send, as a letter; as, please drop me a line, a letter, word.

7. To give birth to; as, to drop a lamb.

8. To cover with drops; to variegate; to bedrop.

Show to the sun their waved coats dropped with gold.

Milton.

To drop a vessel (Naut.), to leave it astern in a race or a chase; to outsail it.

Drop, v. i. 1. To fall in drops.

The kindly dew drops from the higher tree, And wets the little plants that lowly dwell.

Spenser.

2. To fall, in general, literally or figuratively; as, ripe fruit drops from a tree; wise words drop from the lips.

Mutilations of which the meaning has dropped out of memory.

H. Spencer.

When the sound of dropping nuts is heard.

Bryant.

3. To let drops fall; to discharge itself in drops.

The heavens . . . dropped at the presence of God.

Ps. lxviii. 8.

4. To fall dead, or to fall in death.

Nothing, says Seneca, so soon reconciles us to the thoughts of our own death, as the prospect of one friend after another dropping round us.

Digby.

5. To come to an end; to cease; to pass out of mind; as, the affair dropped. Pope.

6. To come unexpectedly; -- with in or into; as, my old friend dropped in a moment. Steele.

Takes care to drop in when he thinks you are just seated.

Spectator.

7. To fall or be depressed; to lower; as, the point of the spear dropped a little.

8. To fall short of a mark. [R.]

Often it drops or overshoots by the disproportion of distance.

Collier.

9. To be deep in extent; to descend perpendicularly; as, her main topsail drops seventeen yards.

To drop astern (Naut.), to go astern of another vessel; to be left behind; to slacken the speed of a vessel so as to fall behind and to let another pass a head. -- To drop down (Naut.), to sail, row, or move down a river, or toward the sea. -- To drop off, to fall asleep gently; also, to die. [Colloq.]

Drop"let (?), n. A little drop; a tear. Shak.

Drop"light` (?), n. An apparatus for bringing artificial light down from a chandelier nearer to a table or desk; a pendant.

{ Drop"meal`, Drop"mele` } (?), adv. [AS. drop-mlum; dropa drop + ml portion. Cf. Piecemeal.] By drops or small portions. [Obs.]

Distilling dropmeal, a little at once.

Holland.

Drop"per (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, drops. Specif.: (Fishing) A fly that drops from the leader above the bob or end fly.

2. A dropping tube.

3. (Mining) A branch vein which drops off from, or leaves, the main lode.

4. (Zoöl.) A dog which suddenly drops upon the ground when it sights game, -- formerly a common, and still an occasional, habit of the setter.

Drop"ping (?), n. 1. The action of causing to drop or of letting drop; falling.

2. pl. That which falls in drops; the excrement or dung of animals.

Dropping bottle, an instrument used to supply small quantities of a fluid to a test tube or other vessel. -- Dropping fire, a continued irregular discharge of firearms. -- Dropping tube, a tube for ejecting any liquid in drops.

Drop"ping*ly, adv. In drops.

Drop"si*cal (?), a. [From Dropsy.] 1. Diseased with dropsy; hydropical; tending to dropsy; as, a dropsical patient.

2. Of or pertaining to dropsy.

Drop"si*cal*ness, n. State of being dropsical.

Drop"sied (?), a. Diseased with drops. Shak.

Drop"sy (?), n.; pl. Dropsies (#). [OE. dropsie, dropesie, OF. idropisie, F. hydropisie, L. hydropisis, fr. Gr. &?; dropsy, fr. &?; water. See Water, and cf. Hydropsy.] (Med.) An unnatural collection of serous fluid in any serous cavity of the body, or in the subcutaneous cellular tissue. Dunglison.

Dropt (?), imp. & p. p. of Drop, v. G. Eliot.

Drop"wise` (?), adv. After the manner of a drop; in the form of drops.

Trickling dropwise from the cleft.

Tennyson.

<! p. 457 !>

Drop"worm` (drp"wûrm`), n. (Zoöl.) The larva of any geometrid moth, which drops from trees by means of a thread of silk, as the cankerworm.

Drop"wort` (-wûrt`), n. (Bot.) An Old World species of Spiræa (S. filipendula), with finely cut leaves.

||Dros"e*ra (drs"*r), n. [NL., fr. Gr. drosero`s dewy.] (Bot.) A genus of low perennial or biennial plants, the leaves of which are beset with gland-tipped bristles. See Sundew. Gray.

Dros"ky (drs"k), n.; pl. Droskies (-kz). [Russ. drojki, dim. of drogi a kind of carriage, prop. pl. of droga shaft or pole of a carriage.] A low, four-wheeled, open carriage, used in Russia, consisting of a kind of long, narrow bench, on which the passengers ride as on a saddle, with their feet reaching nearly to the ground. Other kinds of vehicles are now so called, esp. a kind of victoria drawn by one or two horses, and used as a public carriage in German cities. [Written also droitzschka, and droschke.]

Dro*som"e*ter (?), n. [Gr. dro`sos dew + -meter: cf. F. drosométre.] (Meteorol.) An instrument for measuring the quantity of dew on the surface of a body in the open air. It consists of a balance, having a plate at one end to receive the dew, and at the other a weight protected from the deposit of dew.

Dross (?), n. [AS. dros, fr. dreósan to fall. See Dreary.] 1. The scum or refuse matter which is thrown off, or falls from, metals in smelting the ore, or in the process of melting; recrement.

2. Rust of metals. [R.] Addison.

3. Waste matter; any worthless matter separated from the better part; leavings; dregs; refuse.

All world's glory is but dross unclean.

Spenser.

At the devil's booth are all things sold, Each ounce of dross coats its ounce of gold.

Lowell.

Dros"sel (?), n. [Cf. Drazel.] A slut; a hussy; a drazel. [Obs.] Warner.

Dross"less, a. Free from dross. Stevens.

Dross"y (?), a. [Compar. Drossier (?); superl. Drossiest (?).] Of, pertaining to, resembling, dross; full of dross; impure; worthless. " Drossy gold." Dryden. "Drossy rhymes." Donne. -- Dross"i*ness, n.

Drotch"el (?), n. See Drossel. [Obs.]

Drough (?), imp. of Draw. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Drought (drout), n. [OE. droght, drougth, druð, AS. drugað, from drugian to dry. See Dry, and cf. Drouth, which shows the original final sound.] 1. Dryness; want of rain or of water; especially, such dryness of the weather as affects the earth, and prevents the growth of plants; aridity.

The drought of March hath pierced to the root.

Chaucer.

In a drought the thirsty creatures cry.

Dryden.

2. Thirst; want of drink. Johnson.

3. Scarcity; lack.

A drought of Christian writers caused a dearth of all history.

Fuller.

Drought"i*ness (?), n. A state of dryness of the weather; want of rain.

Drought"y (?), a. 1. Characterized by drought; wanting rain; arid; adust.

Droughty and parched countries.

Ray.

2. Dry; thirsty; wanting drink.

Thy droughty throat.

Philips.

Drou"my (?), a. [Cf. Scot. drum, dram, melancholy, Icel prumr a moper, W. trwm heavy, sad.] Troubled; muddy. [Obs.] Bacon.

Drouth (?), n. Same as Drought. Sandys.

Another ill accident is drouth at the spindling of corn.

Bacon.

One whose drouth [thirst], Yet scarce allayed, still eyes the current stream.

Milton.

In the dust and drouth of London life.

Tennyson.

Drouth"y (?), a. Droughty.

Drove (?), imp. of Drive.

Drove, n. [AS. drf, fr. drfan to drive. See Drive.] 1. A collection of cattle driven, or cattle collected for driving; a number of animals, as oxen, sheep, or swine, driven in a body.

2. Any collection of irrational animals, moving or driving forward; as, a finny drove. Milton.

3. A crowd of people in motion.

Where droves, as at a city gate, may pass.

Dryden.

4. A road for driving cattle; a driftway. [Eng.]

5. (Agric.) A narrow drain or channel used in the irrigation of land. Simmonds.

6. (Masonry) (a) A broad chisel used to bring stone to a nearly smooth surface; -- called also drove chisel. (b) The grooved surface of stone finished by the drove chisel; -- called also drove work.

Dro"ven (?), p. p. of Drive. [Obs.]

Dro"ver (?), n. 1. One who drives cattle or sheep to market; one who makes it his business to purchase cattle, and drive them to market.

Why, that's spoken like an honest drover; so they sell bullocks.

Shak.

2. A boat driven by the tide. [Obs.] Spenser.

Dro"vy (?), a. [AS. dr&?;f dirty; cf. D. droef, G. trübe, Goth. dr&?;bjan to trouble.] Turbid; muddy; filthy. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Drow (?), imp. of Draw. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Drown (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Drowned (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Drowning.] [OE. drunen, drounen, earlier drunknen, druncnien, AS. druncnian to be drowned, sink, become drunk, fr. druncen drunken. See Drunken, Drink.] To be suffocated in water or other fluid; to perish in water.

Methought, what pain it was to drown.

Shak.

Drown, v. t. 1. To overwhelm in water; to submerge; to inundate. "They drown the land." Dryden.

2. To deprive of life by immersion in water or other liquid.

3. To overpower; to overcome; to extinguish; -- said especially of sound.

Most men being in sensual pleasures drowned.

Sir J. Davies.

My private voice is drowned amid the senate.

Addison.

To drown up, to swallow up. [Obs.] Holland.

Drown"age (?), n. The act of drowning. [R.]

Drown"er (?), n. One who, or that which, drowns.

Drowse (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Drowsed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Drowsing.] [AS. dr&?;sian, dr&?;san, to sink, become slow or inactive; cf. OD. droosen to be sleepy, fall asleep, LG. dr&?;sen, druusken, to slumber, fall down with a noise; prob, akin to AS. dreósan to fall. See Dreary.] To sleep imperfectly or unsoundly; to slumber; to be heavy with sleepiness; to doze. "He drowsed upon his couch." South.

In the pool drowsed the cattle up to their knees.

Lowell.

Drowse, v. t. To make heavy with sleepiness or imperfect sleep; to make dull or stupid. Milton.

Drowse, n. A slight or imperfect sleep; a doze.

But smiled on in a drowse of ecstasy.

Mrs. Browning.

Drow"si*head (?), n. Drowsiness. Thomson.

Drow"si*hed, n. Drowsihead. [Obs.] Spenser.

Drow"si*ly, adv. In a drowsy manner.

Drow"si*ness, n. State of being drowsy. Milton.

Drow"sy (?), a. [Compar. Drowsier (?); superl. Drowsiest.] 1. Inclined to drowse; heavy with sleepiness; lethargic; dozy. "When I am drowsy." Shak.

Dapples the drowsy east with spots of gray.

Shak.

To our age's drowsy blood Still shouts the inspiring sea.

Lowell.

2. Disposing to sleep; lulling; soporific.

The drowsy hours, dispensers of all good.

Tennyson.

3. Dull; stupid. " Drowsy reasoning." Atterbury.

Syn. -- Sleepy; lethargic; dozy; somnolent; comatose; dull heavy; stupid.

Drowth (?), n. See Drought. Bacon.

Droyle (?), v. i. See Droil. [Obs.] Spenser.

Drub (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Drubbed; p. pr. & vb. n. Drubbing.] [Cf. Prov. E. drab to beat, Icel. & Sw. drabba to hit, beat, Dan. dræbe to slay, and perh. OE. drepen to strike, kill, AS. drepan to strike, G. & D. freffen to hit, touch, Icel. drepa to strike, kill.] To beat with a stick; to thrash; to cudgel.

Soundly Drubbed with a good honest cudgel.

L'Estrange.

Drub, n. A blow with a cudgel; a thump. Addison.

Drub"ber (?), n. One who drubs. Sir W. Scott.

Drudge (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Drudged (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Drudging.] [OE. druggen; prob not akin to E. drag, v. t., but fr. Celtic; cf. Ir. drugaire a slave or drudge.] To perform menial work; to labor in mean or unpleasant offices with toil and fatigue.

He gradually rose in the estimation of the booksellers for whom he drudged.

Macaulay.

Drudge, v. t. To consume laboriously; -- with away.

Rise to our toils and drudge away the day.

Otway.

Drudge, n. One who drudges; one who works hard in servile employment; a mental servant. Milton.

Drudg"er (?), n. 1. One who drudges; a drudge.

2. A dredging box.

Drudg"er*y (?), n. The act of drudging; disagreeable and wearisome labor; ignoble or slavish toil.

The drudgery of penning definitions.

Macaulay.

Paradise was a place of bliss . . . without drudgery and with out sorrow.

Locke.

Syn. -- See Toll.

Drudg"ing box` (?). See Dredging box.

Drudg"ing*ly, adv. In a drudging manner; laboriously.

Dru"er*y (?), n. [OF. druerie.] Courtship; gallantry; love; an object of love. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Drug (?), v. i. [See 1st Drudge.] To drudge; to toil laboriously. [Obs.] "To drugge and draw." Chaucer.

Drug, n. A drudge (?). Shak. (Timon iv. 3, 253).

Drug, n. [F. drogue, prob. fr. D. droog; akin to E. dry; thus orig., dry substance, hers, plants, or wares. See Dry.] 1. Any animal, vegetable, or mineral substance used in the composition of medicines; any stuff used in dyeing or in chemical operations.

Whence merchants bring

Their spicy drugs.

Milton.

2. Any commodity that lies on hand, or is not salable; an article of slow sale, or in no demand. "But sermons are mere drugs." Fielding.

And virtue shall a drug become.

Dryden.

Drug, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Drugged (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Drugging.] [Cf. F. droguer.] To prescribe or administer drugs or medicines. B. Jonson.

Drug, v. t. 1. To affect or season with drugs or ingredients; esp., to stupefy by a narcotic drug. Also Fig.

The laboring masses . . . [were] drugged into brutish good humor by a vast system of public spectacles.

C. Kingsley.

Drug thy memories, lest thou learn it.

Tennyson.

2. To tincture with something offensive or injurious.

Drugged as oft, With hatefullest disrelish writhed their jaws.

Milton.

3. To dose to excess with, or as with, drugs.

With pleasure drugged, he almost longed for woe.

Byron.

Drug"ger (?), n. A druggist. [Obs.] Burton.

Drug"get (?), n. [F. droguet, prop. dim. of drogue trash, stuff, perh, the same word as drogue drug, but cf. also W. drwg evil, bad, Ir. & Gael. droch, Arm. droug, drouk. See 3d Drug.] (a) A coarse woolen cloth dyed of one color or printed on one side; generally used as a covering for carpets. (b) By extension, any material used for the same purpose.

Drug"gist (?), n. [F. droguiste, fr. drogue. See 3d Drug.] One who deals in drugs; especially, one who buys and sells drugs without compounding them; also, a pharmaceutist or apothecary.

The same person often carries on the business of the druggist and the apothecary. See the Note under Apothecary.

Drug"ster (?), n. A druggist. [Obs.] Boule.

Dru"id (?), n. [L. Druides; of Celtic origin; cf. Ir. & Gael. draoi, druidh, magician, Druid, W. derwydd Druid.] 1. One of an order of priests which in ancient times existed among certain branches of the Celtic race, especially among the Gauls and Britons.

The Druids superintended the affairs of religion and morality, and exercised judicial functions. They practiced divination and magic, and sacrificed human victims as a part of their worship. They consisted of three classes; the bards, the vates or prophets, and the Druids proper, or priests. Their most sacred rites were performed in the depths of oak forests or of caves.