As for radish and the like, they are for condiments, and not for nourishment. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

A king among his courtiers, who dims all his attendants. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Now set the sun, and twilight dimmed the ways. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To deprive of distinct vision; to hinder from seeing clearly, either by dazzling or clouding the eyes; to darken the senses or understanding of. [ 1913 Webster ]

Her starry eyes were dimmed with streaming tears. C. Pitt. [ 1913 Webster ]

The dim magnificence of poetry. Whewell. [ 1913 Webster ]

How is the gold become dim! Lam. iv. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

I never saw
The heavens so dim by day. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Three sleepless nights I passed in sounding on,
Through words and things, a dim and perilous way. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Of obscure vision; not seeing clearly; hence, dull of apprehension; of weak perception; obtuse. [ 1913 Webster ]

Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow. Job xvii. 7. [ 1913 Webster ]

The understanding is dim. Rogers. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Obvious compounds: dim-eyed; dim-sighted, etc.

Syn. -- Obscure; dusky; dark; mysterious; imperfect; dull; sullied; tarnished. [ 1913 Webster ]

Dime novel, a novel, commonly sensational and trashy, which is sold for a dime, or ten cents; -- they were popular from ca. 1850 to ca. 1920. Sometimes the term is still applied to any novel of the type, though the price has greatly increased. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

Gentlemen of more than ordinary dimensions. W. Irving. [ 1913 Webster ]

Space of dimension, extension that has length but no breadth or thickness; a straight or curved line. --
Space of two dimensions, extension which has length and breadth, but no thickness; a plane or curved surface. --
Space of three dimensions, extension which has length, breadth, and thickness; a solid. --
Space of four dimensions, as imaginary kind of extension, which is assumed to have length, breadth, thickness, and also a fourth imaginary dimension. Space of five or six, or more dimensions is also sometimes assumed in mathematics. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Extent; reach; scope; importance; as, a project of large dimensions. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Math.) The degree of manifoldness of a quantity; as, time is quantity having one dimension; volume has three dimensions, relative to extension. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Alg.) A literal factor, as numbered in characterizing a term. The term dimensions forms with the cardinal numbers a phrase equivalent to degree with the ordinal; thus, a2b2c is a term of five dimensions, or of the fifth degree. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. pl. (Phys.) The manifoldness with which the fundamental units of time, length, and mass are involved in determining the units of other physical quantities. Thus, since the unit of velocity varies directly as the unit of length and inversely as the unit of time, the dimensions of velocity are said to be length ÷ time; the dimensions of work are mass × (length)2 ÷ (time)2; the dimensions of density are mass ÷ (length)3.

Dimensional lumber,
Dimension lumber,
Dimension scantling, or
Dimension stock (Carp.), lumber for building, etc., cut to the sizes usually in demand, or to special sizes as ordered. --
Dimension stone, stone delivered from the quarry rough, but brought to such sizes as are requisite for cutting to dimensions given. [ 1913 Webster ]

Who can draw the soul's dimensive lines? Sir J. Davies. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ A dimerous flower has two sepals, two petals, two stamens, and two pistils. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Biol.) (a) Consisting of only one half of what the normal condition requires; having the appearance of lacking one half; as, a dimidiate leaf, which has only one side developed. (b) Having the organs of one side, or half, different in function from the corresponding organs on the other side; as, dimidiate hermaphroditism. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Her.) To represent the half of; to halve. [ 1913 Webster ]

Not diminish, but rather increase, the debt. Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To lessen the authority or dignity of; to put down; to degrade; to abase; to weaken. [ 1913 Webster ]

This doth nothing diminish their opinion. Robynson (More's Utopia). [ 1913 Webster ]

I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations. Ezek. xxix. 15. [ 1913 Webster ]

O thou . . . at whose sight all the stars
Hide their diminished heads. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Mus.) To make smaller by a half step; to make (an interval) less than minor; as, a diminished seventh. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To take away; to subtract. [ 1913 Webster ]

Neither shall ye diminish aught from it. Deut. iv. 2. [ 1913 Webster ]

Diminished column, one whose upper diameter is less than the lower. --
Diminished scale, or
Diminishing scale, a scale of gradation used in finding the different points for drawing the spiral curve of the volute. Gwilt. --
Diminishing rule (Arch.), a board cut with a concave edge, for fixing the entasis and curvature of a shaft. --
Diminishing stile (Arch.), a stile which is narrower in one part than in another, as in many glazed doors.

Syn. -- To decrease; lessen; abate; reduce; contract; curtail; impair; degrade. See Decrease. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The act of lessening dignity or consideration, or the state of being deprived of dignity; a lowering in estimation; degradation; abasement. [ 1913 Webster ]

The world's opinion or diminution of me. Eikon Basilike. [ 1913 Webster ]

Nor thinks it diminution to be ranked
In military honor next. Philips. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) Omission, inaccuracy, or defect in a record. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Mus.) In counterpoint, the imitation of, or reply to, a subject, in notes of half the length or value of those the subject itself.

Syn. -- Decrease; decay; abatement; reduction; deduction; decrement. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Expressing diminution; as, a diminutive word. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Tending to diminish. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Diminutive of liberty. Shaftesbury. [ 1913 Webster ]

Such water flies, diminutives of nature. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Gram.) A derivative from a noun, denoting a small or a young object of the same kind with that denoted by the primitive; as, gosling, eaglet, lambkin. [ 1913 Webster ]

Babyisms and dear diminutives. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The word sometimes denotes a derivative verb which expresses a diminutive or petty form of the action, as scribble. [ 1913 Webster ]

Letters dimissory (Eccl.), letters given by a bishop dismissing a person who is removing into another diocese, and recommending him for reception there. Hook. [ 1913 Webster ]