drought |
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. 3. Scarcity; lack. "A drought of Christian writers caused a dearth of all history." (Fuller) Origin: OE. Droght, drougth, dru, AS. Druga, from drugian to dry. See Dry, and cf. Drouth, which shows the original final sound. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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drove |
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. 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. 5. <agriculture> A narrow drain or channel used in the irrigation of land. 6. A broad chisel used to bring stone to a nearly smooth surface; called also drove chisel. The grooved surface of stone finished by the drove chisel; called also drove work. Origin: AS. Draf, fr. Drifan to drive. See Drive. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
drowning |
Death within 24 hours of immersion in liquid, either due to anoxia or cardiac arrest caused by sudden extreme lowering of temperature (immersion syndrome). See: near drowning. (05 Mar 2000) |
drowsiness |
A state of impaired awareness associated with a desire or inclination to sleep. Synonym: hypnesthesia. (05 Mar 2000) |
drowsy |
1. Inclined to drowse; heavy with sleepiness; lethargic; dozy. "When I am drowsy." "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." Synonym: Sleepy, lethargic, dozy, somnolent, comatose, dull heavy, stupid. Origin: Drowsier; Drowsiest. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
droxidopa |
<chemical> A precursor of noradrenaline that is used in the treatment of parkinsonism. The racaemic form (dl-threo-3,4-dihydroxyphenylserine) has also been used, and has been investigated in the treatment of orthostatic hypotension. There is a deficit of noradrenaline as well as of dopamine in parkinson's disease and it has been proposed that this underlies the sudden transient freezing seen usually in advanced disease. Administration of dl-threo-3,4-dihydroxyphenylserine has been claimed to result in an improvement in this phenomenon but controlled studies have failed to demonstrate improvement. (reynolds jef(ed): martindale: the extra pharmacopoeia (electronic version). Micromedex, inc, englewood, co, 1995) Pharmacological action: antiparkinson agents. Chemical name: L-Tyrosine, beta,3-dihydroxy-, threo- (12 Dec 1998) |