Dictator

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

a magistrate of ancient Rome, created in times of great emergency, distress, or danger and invested, during the term of his office, with absolute and unlimited power. The name given to this magistrate was originally Magister Populi, but subsequently he was styled dictator, a name already familiar to the Latin states. The office was probably first created in B. c. 501, and the first dictator was Titus Larcius. The dictator was nominated by one of the consuls in pursuance of a decree of the Senate, whence the name, from the technical phrase, Dicere dictatorem. The nominator performed his duty at dead of night. Originally only one who had held the office of consul could be named dictator, but subsequently the office was thrown open to all, the first plebeian dictator being C. Marcius Rutilus, in B. c. 356. The dictator was named for six months only, but he seldom retained the office after the object for which he had been appointed was fulfilled. The office was abolished by law after the death of Cæsar. DICTIONARY (from the Latin dictio, a saying, expression, word), a book containing the words, or subjects, which it treats, arranged in alphabetical order. It may be either a vocabulary, or a collection of the words in a language, with their definitions, or a special work on one or more branches of science or art prepared on the principle of alphabetical arrangement, such as dictionaries of biography, law, music, medicine, etc. Among the dictionaries of the English language, the earliest seem to have been been those of Barett (1573), and of Bullokar (1616). That of Dr. Johnson published in 1755 made an epoch in this The first ims department of literature. The portant dictionary of the English lanthat Noah (1828 . guage is by Webster ) It has been frequently republished, and in subsequent editions has almost entirely altered its character. The large American dictionary by Dr. Worcester was once a rival of Webster's. Dr. Ogilvie's English dictionary (based on Webster, and first published in 1847- 1850) was published in a remodeled and enlarged form (4 vols. 1881-1882, Chas. Annadale, LL.D., editor). Cassell's "Encyclopædic Dictionary" is another extensive and useful work ( 1879-1888). An English dictionary "on his principles, " edited by J. A. H. Murray, LL. D., with the assistance of many schol ars, is published at the Clarendon Press (London). The "Century Dictionary" (New York, 1889-1891) in six volumes, "Cyclopædia of with a supplementary try Names," is a comprehensive and useful work. In 1895 appeared the "Standard Dictionary" (New York), which adopts the spelling reform system of the American Philological Association. A revised edition appeared in 1915. The chief etymological dictionary of English words is that by Professor Skeat (1882); the chief French is that of Littré; German, that of Grimm. DICTOPHONE. An instrument made up of an ordinary telephone circuit to which is attached a granular carbon transmitter of a sensitiveness adequate to take up the words of persons conversing in a room so that they can be heard and recorded over the telephone. The transmitter is usually made small enough to be capable of concealment and the instrument has been in the main employed by detectives for the gathering of evidence relating to persons under suspicion. It is also coming into use for the reproduction of sounds in various parts of a hall and has also been installed in the waiting room of railway stations, the announcer having his voice megaphoned by telephone receivers located in different parts of the building.