DOCENT', diletsAnt" ( Lat. degree'. to teach). A teacher in German universities, with full offi cial relations. In its more general sense, the term includes of all grades and the privat-doeent (q.v.) . In A meriean .ersit ies it indicates a member of the teaching staff of the lowest grade. In Clark University (q.v.) it is a distinction bestowed annually upon those "whose work has already marked a distinct advance be yowl the doctorate and who wish to engage in re search." The 'oho cc is expected to deliver some lectures, may receive a salary, and may be "formally invested with the lie( nth: dorendi . . . the highest formal academic honor." In the Cni verity of Chicago (see Cut('AG°, docent is a rank just :flume that of fellow. See I \ ti DOCE'TA (1.at., from (;1:. Dok(tai, from 30K,Fe. duke I/I, to in ll c early Church to heretics who held that the human nature of Jesus Christ was a semblance and not a reality. The philosophers of poly theism. as well as of Judaism, had explained the appearance of divinities and of angels by holding that the assumption of bodies was only momentary.
or in appearanee.
.1m1 when the Chris t mans found it impossible to con ceive the essen tial union of the divine nature with a body com posed of matter, which they held to be the seat of all evil. they had recourse to the some expedient.
The difficulty was got over in one of three ways: the body of Christ was either considered a real earthly body, but not belong ing essentially to Ilk nature, and only assumed for a time: or it was declared to be a mere appearance or illusion; or. finally, it Ira, believed to be a heavenly body, composed of ethereal sub stance, though having the appearance of being material. All the Gnostic heretics held Docetisin in one or other of these three forms, with the exception of those who were led by the same ditlieulty to deny the divine nature of Jesus Christ, and reduce him to a mere human sage. Consult the Histories of Doctrine, by Seander (trans. by llyland, London, IS58), and Ilarnack (trans. by ltuchanan, Boston, 1895-97). Sec GxosTiciSM.
DOCK (0er. Dock, of uncertain origin). Any space or structure in or upon witch a ship may be berthed or held for loading, unloading. repair ing, or safe-keeping. Docks are of two kinds, wet docks, with the subclass of tidal docks: and dry docks, with the subclass of floating docks. A wet dock is a basin surrounded by the entrance to which is by a gate and in Which the WaterleVel is Col -tangly at the same height: a tidal dock is a basin open to the harbor waters, in which the water-level fluctuates with the rise and fall of the tides. A
li•y dock is a basin of special shape, whose en tr.1111•c ran he closed. and from which the ‘VIltl•r tall hi. leaving the vessel's hull dry for the purpose of making repairs, cleaning, paint ing, etc.: a lloaling dock is a box-shaped strife .' lire at one end whir]) is sunk partly be neath the water to permit the entrance into it of a vessel, and is then limited so a. to raise the vessel rail of the Water and leave the hull dry. The sinking and floating is by filling cer tain compartmc fits of the structure with water and then by exhausting this Water.
‘VET 1)OrliS, geparated from the harbor sealers by are eloployell When the ratline of the tide i' considerable, its at Liverpool. where the difference in level is some 30 feet, and in the River 'Plane., where it is 11111)11t .I) feel The gates 11.1i:111y take the form of a canal IcI•k t 'AN:MS), and arc' operated by hand if small and by power if large. \lost English and many Continental 'locks are of this type. 'rim number of European docks and the great variations in their size and arrangement preclude a descrip tion of more than a few typical structures. .1t London, the Royal Albert and Victoria docks and the Tilbury Docks are two of the most inquir taut.. The Royal Albert and Vietoria docks are excavated across a neck of land formed by a bend in the River Thames, and thus have two entrances, one at each end. Beginning at one end there is a dock 330 feet long and SO feet wide. which opens into a basin that is :•11711 rated by a gate from the Royal .1Ibert Dock. This dock is C500 feet long and 400 feet wide and has an area of 84 acres. A ebannel So feet wide connects the Royal Albert Dock with the Royal Victoria Doek. This dock is 105(1 feet wide and has a series of jetties or piers on one side to increase the amount of quay space: the total area is t The Royal Victoria Dock opens into a tidal ha-ill 10 acres in area, which in turn opens into the Thames by mean: of a canal and lock. The depth of water in the Albert Dock is 30 feet, and in the Victoria Dock 25 feet. The walls of these docks are built wholly of concrete.