DISTRICT

A territorial division. This term was formerly used in France, and particularly in the year 1790, when by the law of 16th Feb. the whole country was divided into 555 districts; and it is still common to many of the Continental states. The county of Lincoln is divided into three districts; Lindsey, Kest even, and Holland. These divisions are of great antiquity, and in all probability owe their origin to the distinct natural features by which they are characterized. DITHYRAMBIC ODE. {Gr.S(dv^»,u,B ;.) A snecies of Greek lyrical poem in honour of Bacchus, which derived its name from Dithyramb us (AiOu^a/xlSoi), one of the appellations of that deity: a word of uncertain meaning and etjTuology. The style of this poetry was very bold, often pa ing into bombast; so much so indeed as to become proverbial for the latter quality. The most celebrated Dithyrambic wi'iter was Pindar; none of whose compositions in this line, however, have come down to us, or indeed any other known poems of this cla . In modern times the term is indiscriminately employed to designate odes of an impetuous and irregular character. See Ode. [s. 367]