Diacritic, Diacritical

[Gr. diakritikos, from diakrino- dia, and krino, to separate.] Distinctive; that separates or distinguishes. D. marks. (Palæography.) The marks used to distinguish letters, between the forms of which much similarity exists. Thus, n and u are distinguished in German running-hand by the mark () over the latter letter. Diadelphia, n. [Gr. dis , twice, and adelphos , a brother.] ( Bot .) In some systems, a cla of plants which have their stamens united in two parcels.