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Possible definitions for niata

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In Hinduism, the incarnation of a deity in human or animal form to counteract an evil in the world. It usually refers to 10 appearances of Vishnu, incl. an incarnation as the Buddha Gautama. The doctrine appears in the Bhagavadgita in the words of Lord Krishna to Arjuna: "Whenever there is a decline of righteousness and rise of unrighteousness then I send forth Myself."


diabase
Fine- to medium-grained, dark gray to black intrusive igneous rock. Diabase is one of the dark rocks known commercially as "black granite." It is extremely hard and tough and is commonly quarried for crushed stone, under the name "trap." Chemically and mineralogically, diabase closely resembles the volcanic rock basalt, but it is generally somewhat coarser grained.


Diana
Roman goddess of nature, animals, and the hunt. As a fertility deity, she was invoked for aid in conception and childbirth. She was virtually indistinguishable from the Greek goddess Artemis. In her cult in Rome she was considered the protector of the lower classes, especially slaves.


diatom
Any member of the algal division or phylum Bacillariophyta (about 16,000 species), tiny planktonic (see plankton), unicellular or colonial algae found floating in all the waters of the earth. The intricate and delicate markings of the silicified cell wall are useful in testing the resolving power of microscope lenses. The beautiful symmetry and design of diatoms justify their title "jewels of the sea." Among the most important and prolific sea organisms, diatoms serve directly or indirectly as food for many animals. Diatomaceous earth, composed of fossil diatoms, is used in filters, insulation, abrasives, paints, and varnishes, and as an insecticide.


distaff
Device used in hand spinning in which individual fibers are drawn out of a mass of prepared fibers held on a stick (the distaff), twisted together to form a continuous strand, and wound on a second stick (the spindle). It is most often used for making linen; wool does not require a distaff (see carding). The first stage in mechanizing spinning was to mount the spindle horizontally in bearings to rotate with a large hand-driven wheel; the distaff, carrying the mass of fiber, was held in the left hand, and the spinning wheel slowly turned with the right. The Saxon, or Saxony, wheel incorporated a bobbin on which the yarn was wound continuously; the distaff holding the raw fiber became a stationary vertical rod, and the wheel was activated by a foot treadle, freeing both the operator's hands.


iqta
In the Islamic Empire of the Caliphate, land-revenue rights granted to army officials for limited periods in lieu of a regular wage. It was established in the 9th cent. to relieve the state treasury when insufficient revenues made it difficult for the government to pay army salaries. The land originally belonged to non-Muslims, who were required to pay a ...

Top words beginning with N: nonveteran, nonclassable, nucleopetal, nondisjunctive, nematogone, neoblastic, noirs, nonfuel, nonvortically, norlands, nephrogonaduct, navaho, netherlands, nabalite, niggler, narcotical, nondisagreement, neafie, neuhauser, nicotinamidase

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