dignity, dignete, dignite, dingnete, dignytee, dygnite

[O. Fr. dignite, dignete, digniteit; Fr. dignité; Prov. dignitat, dignetat; Sp. dignidad; Port. dignidade; Ital. dignità, deg nità, from Lat. dignitatem, acc us. of dignitàs worth; dignus =worthy.] I. Ordinary Language : 1. Worth, nobility, worthine , estimation. "Of se swithe heh stal, of se muche dignete."-Halt Meidenhad, p. 5. 2. Rank, high position, grandeur. "Two households, both alike in dignity." Shakesp.: Romeo and Juliet (Prol.). 1401 3. The importance due to rank or position. "He had a high sense of his own personal dignity ."_ Macaulay : Hist . Eng ., ch. iv. 4. Elevation or stateline of mien or manners. "To calm his rage Vain were thy dignity , and vain thy age." Pope: Homer's Iliad , xxiv. 253, 254. 5. Moral worth; true nobility of character; a high sense of honor and uprightne , with an utter contempt of what is mean or dishonorable. 6. Stateline , grandeur. "A dignity of dre adorns the great." Pope: Homer's Ody ey, vi. 73. 7. A high office, conferring rank in society; a position of importance, rank, or honor. "Proud of such a dignity ." Shakesp.: Rape of Lucrece, 437. *8. One who holds a high office; a dignitary. "Likewise also these filthy dreamers evil of dignities ." -Jude 8. speak *9. A maxim of general acceptation; a general principle. "The sciences concluding from dignities , and principles known by themselves, receive not satisfaction from probable reasons."-Browne. II. Technically : *1. Astrol.: A certain advantage, which a Planet hath by virtue of being in such a place of the Zodiac, or such a configuration with other Planets, ., whereby his virtue is increased and augmented. ( Moron .) 2. Eccles .: Properly that promotion or per ferment to which any jurisdiction is annexed, but commonly used for any high position in the Church. *3. Rhet .: One of the three parts of elocution, consisting in the right use of tropes and figures. For the difference between dignity and honor, see HONOR. *dig-nos'ce, v. t. [Lat. dignosco.] To distinguish, to discriminate, to determine. "Who sall haue power to dignosce and tak cognitioune whidder the same fall is within the said act of pacificatioune."- Acts Chas . I. (ed. 1814), v. 342. *dig-nos-tic, 8. [DIAGNOSTIC.) An indication, a distinguishing mark. *dig-nō-tion, s. [Lat. dignosco, dignotum=to distinguish: di = dis =apart, and gnosco , nosco to know.) A distinction; a distinguishing mark or characteristic. "That temperamental dig notions, and conjecture of prevalent humors, may be collected from spots in our nails, we are not averse to concede."-Browne: Vulgar Errors. di-gon-ous, a. [ Gr.di = dis =twice, twofold, and gonia an angle.] Bot.: Having two angles. di-grăm, s. [Greek di dis twice, twofold, and gramma a writing, a letter.] The same as DIGRAPH (q. v.). di-graph, s . [Gr. di dis =twice, twofold, and graphe a writing, a figure.] A combination of two vowels or two consonants to represent one simple sound; a double sign for a simple sound. di-graphic, a. [Eng. digraph; -ic.] Pertaining to or of the nature of a digraph. "Cases of the arbitrary use of consonants as digraphic modifiers also occur."-H. Sweet , in Trans. Philological Society (1873-4), p. 483. di-grě ', v . i. [Lat. digre us , pa. par. of digre dior: did is =apart, and gradior to walk, to go. I. Lit .: To go or turn aside from the right or direct path; to deviate. "Moreover she beginneth to digre e in latitude, and to diminish her motion from the morne rising."- Holland : Plinie , bk. ii., ch. 17. II. Figuratively: dihexahedral deviate in actions as well as in words, in our conduct as well as in writings. Digre is mostly taken in a good or indifferent sense; deviate in an indifferent or bad sense. Although frequent digre ions are faulty, yet occasionally it is nece ary to digre for the purposes of explanation; every deviation is bad, which is not sanctioned by the nece ity of circumstances." (Crabb: Eng . Synon.) *di-gre ', s . [DIGRESS, v.] A digre ion. "Nor let any censure this a digre from my history." Fuller : Church History , bk. xi., ch. x., § 43. di-gre -ing, pr. par., a. & 8. [DIGRESS, v.] A. & B. As pr. par. & particip. adj.: (See the verb.) C. As subst.: The act of wandering or departing from the main subject; digre ion. di-gre ion (or as di-grěsh"n), s . [Lat digre io, from digre us , pa. par. of digredior ; Fr. digre ion ; Sp. digresion ; Ital. digre i one .] IMG:content-2503.png:[blocks in formation] "The good man thought so much of his late conceived commonwealth that all other matters were but digres . sions to him."-Sidney. II. Astron.: The apparent distance of the inferior planets, Mercury and Venus, from the sun. The greatest digre ion of the former is 28°, and of the latter 471⁄2.