- D
- D D (d[=e])
1. The fourth letter of the English alphabet, and a vocal
consonant. The English letter is from Latin, which is from
Greek, which took it from Ph[oe]nician, the probable
ultimate origin being Egyptian. It is related most nearly
to t and th; as, Eng. deep, G. tief; Eng. daughter, G.
tochter, Gr. qyga`thr, Skr. duhitr. See Guide to
Pronunciation, [root]178, 179, 229.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Mus.) The nominal of the second tone in the model major scale (that in C), or of the fourth tone in the relative minor scale of C (that in A minor), or of the key tone in the relative minor of F. [1913 Webster]
3. As a numeral D stands for 500. in this use it is not the initial of any word, or even strictly a letter, but one half of the sign ? (or ? ) the original Tuscan numeral for 1000. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.