divine

views updated Jun 27 2018

di·vine1 / diˈvīn/ • adj. (-vin·er, -vin·est) 1. of, from, or like God or a god: heroes with divine powers | paintings of shipwrecks being prevented by divine intervention. ∎  devoted to God; sacred: divine liturgy.2. inf., dated excellent; delightful: that succulent clementine tasted divine | he had the most divine smile.• n. 1. dated a cleric or theologian.2. (the Divine) providence or God.DERIVATIVES: di·vine·ly adv.di·vine·ness n.di·vine2 • v. [tr.] discover (something) by guesswork or intuition: his brother usually divined his ulterior motives | they had divined that he was a fake. ∎  have supernatural or magical insight into (future events): frauds who claimed to divine the future in chicken's entrails. ∎  discover (water) by dowsing.DERIVATIVES: di·vin·er n.

divine

views updated May 23 2018

divine The Divine Comedy an epic poem, by Dante (c.1309–20) describing his spiritual journey through Hell and Purgatory (with Virgil as guide) and finally to Paradise (with Beatrice as guide).
Divine Office in the Christian Church, the series of services of prayers and psalms said (or chanted) daily by Catholic priests, members of religious orders, and other clergy.
divine right of kings the doctrine that kings derive their authority from God not their subjects, from which it follows that rebellion is the worst of political crimes. It was enunciated in Britain in the 16th century under the Stuarts and is also associated with the absolutism of Louis XIV of France.

divine

views updated Jun 08 2018

divine 1 pert. to God or a god; god-like; heavenly XIV; of surpassing excellence XV. — OF. devin, fem. -ine, later, by assim. to L., divin(e) — L. dīvīnus, f. dīvus god-like, god, rel. to deus god :- IE. *deiwos; see -INE 1.
So divinity XIV.

Divine

views updated Jun 27 2018

Divine ★★½ 1990

Two Divine flicks from Waters. First, Divine plays a naughty girl who, not surprisingly, since this one is titled “The Diane Linkletter Story,” ends up a successful suicide. “The Neon Woman” is a rare live performance, with Divine a woman who owns a strip joint and has a slew of problems you won't read about in Dear Abby. 110m/C VHS . Divine; D: John Waters.

divine

views updated May 09 2018

divine 3 make out as by supernatural insight; practice divination. XIV. ME. devine — (O)F. deviner, f. devin DIVINE 2, after L. dīvīnāre foretell, predict.
So divination XIV.

divine

views updated May 29 2018

divine 2 †soothsayer, seer; ecclesiastic, theologian. XIV. — OF. devin (:- L. dīvīnus sooth-sayer), later divin theologian, after medL. dīvīnus doctor of divinity, theologian; sb. use of prec.

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