divn.1
/diːv/ An evil spirit or demon of Persian mythology; a devil; an evil genius. The Indo-Iranian language had two words expressive of divinity: asuria and dēva. In the separate development of the languages, dēva became in Sanskrit the general name for gods, while the Asuras became the enemies of the gods. In the Zend-Avesta, on the other hand, Ahura, i.e. Asura (originally ‘Lord’ in Indo-Iranian) came to mean the supreme God Ahura Mazda, while daēva (Persian dēv or dīv) became the general name of an evil spirit, a fiend, demon, or devil, for which there had originally been no generic name.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the supernatural > supernatural being > evil spirit or demon > [noun] > of Persian mythology
Ahriman1727
div1777
1777 J. Richardson Diss. Eastern Nations 142 The Dives are pictured as hideous in form and malignant in mind.
1843 J. Wilson Pársí Relig. 150 Ahriman, this chief of death, this chief of the Dews.
1855 E. Smedley et al. Occult Sci. 50 The div of ancient Persia..is supposed to be the same as the European devil of the middle ages.
1878 M. Haug Relig. of Parsis (ed. 2) 268.
1883 E. O'Donovan Story of Merv xviii Ghouls and divs, and various other kinds of evil spirits.
1893 F. M. Müller Theosophy vi. 181.
1895 J. Darmesteter tr. Zend-Avesta (ed. 2) Introd. 51 Daêva is generally understood as a ‘dream’, and that is the meaning it has in the derived dêv and in most of the Zend texts generally..but it must also have applied to false gods.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1897; most recently modified version published online December 2020).
divn.2
/dɪv/ Mathematics.
Divergence (of), chiefly in symbolic contexts: see divergence n. 3b.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > number > mathematical number or quantity > tensor > [noun] > vector > scalar product
divergence1878
scalar product1878
div1883
inner product1920
1883 O. Heaviside in Electrician 14 Apr. 510/2 Let R denote the electrostatic force, and ρ the volume density of electricity, then we may say 4πρ = −conv. R, or, = div. R, where we use conv. and div. as abbreviations.
1924 C. E. Weatherburn Adv. Vector Analysis i. 7 From a vector function F may be derived two other point-functions, the one a scalar..called the divergence of F..denoted by div F.
1953 E. R. Peck Electr. & Magnetism xii. 425 The conservation of electric charge is stated in differential form by the equation of continuity..div J + ∂ρ/∂t = 0.
1975 Parton & Owen Appl. Electromagnetics i. 18 The operations div and curl can be used to classify fields.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1993; most recently modified version published online December 2020).
divn.3
/dɪv/, U.S. /dɪv/ British slang.
A foolish or stupid person; an idiot.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > lack of understanding > stupid, foolish, or inadequate person > person of weak intellect > [noun] > idiot, crazy person
Jack foolc1405
drivel1478
idiotc1480
nidiot1533
hare-brain1542
hare-copa1566
nidget1579
lunatic1602
flight-head1605
moonling1631
driveller1682
tomfool1683
niddy-noddy1722
imbecile1781
puggle1783
gype1825
eejit1853
nowmun1854
dinlo1873
loon1885
ratbag1890
doughbakea1895
ding-a-ling1899
feeb1914
dingbat1915
bodoh1922
diddy1933
Nimrod1933
pranny1949
momo1953
head-the-ball1958
flake1968
fuckwit1969
tattie-bogle1969
div1975
tube1975
wazzock1976
gonzo1977
motorhead1979
prannet1979
twonk1981
dough ball1983
numpty1985
divvy1987
1975 R. V. Ericson Young Offenders & their Social Work iii. 77 Dance, you fucking div. Dance!
1981 J. Sullivan Only Fools & Horses (1999) I. 1st Ser. Episode 6. 54 And how are we gonna get from Peckham to the New Forest in four minutes, you old div?
2011 C. Moran How to be Woman (2012) 297 I'm a buffoon! A div! A numnut! Because, of course, there are still ways in which I don't know how to be a woman yet.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, June 2022).
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n.31975