diesis

di·e·sis

(dī′ĭ-sĭs)

n. pl. di·e·ses (-sēz′)

[Medieval Latin, semitone (which was indicated by a double dagger), from Latin, quarter tone, from Greek, a letting through, from diīenai, to send through : dia-, dia- + hīenai, to send; see yē- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

diesis

(ˈdaɪɪsɪs)

n, pl -ses (-ˌsiːz)

1. (Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) printing another name for double dagger

2. (Music, other) music

a. (in ancient Greek theory) any interval smaller than a whole tone, esp a semitone in the Pythagorean scale

b. (in modern theory) the discrepancy of pitch in just intonation between an octave and either a succession of four ascending minor thirds (great diesis), or a succession of three ascending major thirds (minor diesis)

[C16: via Latin from Greek: a quarter tone, literally: a sending through, from diienai; the double dagger was originally used in musical notation]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

dou′ble dag′ger

a mark (‡) used for references, as for footnotes.

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Noun

diesis - a character used in printing to indicate a cross reference or footnote

double dagger, double obelisk

grapheme, graphic symbol, character - a written symbol that is used to represent speech; "the Greek alphabet has 24 characters"

References in periodicals archive ?

ONLY one stallion, Johar, occupies the Mill Ridge stallion barn these days, a far cry from the years when Gone West and Diesis headed numerically strong rosters.

Johar the only stallion left on a roster once populated by legends Diesis and Gone West

But if you doubt my memory, see Daniel Benjamin's recent article in Slate that demolishes the Rice-Rumsfeld diesis.

My 39 cents

Arlington victory testament to late Mill Ridge stallion DIESIS died nearly four years ago but he remains to the fore even though his final two crops, the youngest of which are now three, consist of just 35 foals.

Million win ensures Diesis still in spotlight; GRADE 1 SUCCESS

Presidium looked to be on his way to attaining the heights set by his halfbrothers Kris, Diesis and Keen when second in the 1984 Mill Reef Stakes, but any fancy aspirations evaporated after a disappointing start to his three-year-old season.

Doubly Sure cross converts into a goal; STAMINA CONUNDRUM

Promising colt features in Diesis' final crop DIESIS'S final crop, now threeyear-olds, consists of only four foals but there could be an above-average one in Diescentric, winner of the Wood Ditton Stakes at Newmarket.

Plenty to like about Diescentric; ABOVE AVERAGE

DIESIS, the 1982 champion two-year-old and leading international sire, has died at the age of 26.

Horse Racing: Top-class juvenile and star sire Diesis dies at 26; BLOODSTOCK DESK

DIESIS, the sire of Oaks winners Diminuendo, Love Divine and Ramruma, has been retired from stud duties at Mill Ridge Farm in Kentucky, where the 26-year-old son of Sharpen Up spent his entire stud career.

BLOODSTOCK DESK: Top sire Diesis retired from his duties at stud

1982 Following his promising debut at the July meeting, Lord Howard de Walden's colt Diesis, trained by Henry Cecil, is all the rage for the two-year-old race at Newmarket, and he and Lester Piggott saunter home seven lengths clear of Swift To Conquer.

Down the years

Her dam twice won over a mile and three-quarters and is a half-sister to top-class middle-distance performers Ibn Bey and Roseate Tern - dam of smart filly Esloob (by Diesis).

Bloodstock Desk: Maiden winner of the day

Their dam is Group 2 winner Madame Dubois, whose half-sister Sun And Shade foaled dual Group-winning juvenile Daggers Drawn (by Diesis).

Bloodstock briefing: Cliveden's success still reliant on enduring influence of Milly Moss

But in this day and age a ratio of around ten per cent winners at that level is outstanding, so hats off to the still somewhat unsung Diesis, who has notched a score of five individual Pattern winners from the 51 foals he got in 1997.

World of Breeding: Niarchos star Sacred Song an exceptional broodmare prospect

A yearling by Grand Lodge from the same family as Sandmason is also to be sold, as is a colt by Spectrum from the family of Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks winner Catchascatchcan and a colt by Australian-raced Baryshnikov out of Sancta, from the family of Kris and Diesis.