Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary 1908/Defence Deterge

Defence, de-fens′, n. a defending: protection: vindication: (law) a defendant's plea.—pa.p. ' (B.), fortified.—adj. '.—adv. '.—n. '. [See Defend.]

Defend, de-fend′, v.t. to keep off anything hurtful: to guard or protect: to maintain against attack: (obs.) to prohibit, forbid: (law) to resist, as a claim: to contest.—adj. ', that may be defended.—ns. ', a defender: (law) a person accused or sued; ', one who is defended; '; ', a protection; '.—adjs. ', that may be defended; ', ', serving to defend: in a state or posture of defence.—n. that which defends: posture of defence.—adv. '.—Defender of the Faith, a title borne by the sovereigns of England since Henry VIII., on whom it was conferred in 1521 for his book against Luther.—Be on the defensive, to be in the position to defend one's self. [L. defendĕre, defensum, to ward off—de, off, and obs. fendĕre, to strike.]

Defer, de-fėr′, v.t. to put off to another time: to delay:—pr.p. pa.p. —ns. '; ', a procrastinator.—Deferred annuity (see Annuity); Deferred pay, an allowance paid to soldiers on their discharge, or to their relations on their death; Deferred shares, shares issued by a trading company, but not entitling the holder to a full share of the profits of the company, and sometimes to none at all, until the expiration of a specified time or the occurrence of some event. [L. differre—dis, asunder, ferre, to bear, carry.]

Defer, de-fėr, v.i. to yield to the wishes or opinions of another, or to authority.—v.t. to submit to or lay before:—pr.p. pa.p. —n. ', a deferring or yielding in judgment or opinion: regard: submission.—adj. ', bearing away, carrying off.—n. a deferent duct (as opposed to an afferent one) in the human body.—adj. ', expressing deference or respect.—adv. '. [L. deferre—de, down, and ferre, to bear.]

Defervescence, de-fer-ves′ens, n. abatement of heat: coolness: decrease of feverish symptoms.—Also . [L. defervescĕre, to cease boiling—de, down, and fervescĕre, from fervēre, to boil.]

Defeudalise, dē-fū′dal-īz, v.t. to deprive of feudal character.

Deffly (Spens.). For Deftly.

Defiance, de-fī′ans, n. the act of defying: a challenge to combat: aggressiveness: contempt of opposition.—adj. ', full of defiance, insolently bold.—adv. '.—n. '.—adj. ', bidding defiance.—Bid defiance to, to defy.

Defibrinate, de-fī′bri-nāt, v.t. to deprive of fibrine—also '.—n. '.

Deficient, de-fish′ent, adj. wanting.—n. ' (sometimes '), defect.—adv. '.—ns. '; , deficiency, esp. of revenue, as compared with expenditure. [L., deficĕre.]

Defile, dē-fīl′, or dē′fīl, v.i. to march off in file or line, or file by file.—n. a long narrow pass or way, in which troops can march only in file, or with a narrow front.—v.t. ', to plan a fortification so as to protect it from enfilading fire.—n. '. [Fr. défiler—L. dis, and filum, a thread.]

Defile, de-fīl′, v.t. to pollute or corrupt: to violate.—ns. ', act of defiling: foulness; '. [L. de, and A.S. fýlan, fúl, foul.]

Defiliation, de-fil-i-ā′shun, n. depriving a parent of his child. [L. de, neg., and filius, a son.]

Define, de-fīn′, v.t. to fix the bounds or limits of: to determine with precision: to describe accurately: to fix the meaning of.—adj. ', that may be defined.—n. ' (Shak.), description.—adj. ', defined: having distinct limits: fixed: exact: clear.—adv. '.—ns. '; ', a defining: a description of a thing by its properties: an explanation of the exact meaning of a word, term, or phrase.—adj. ', defining or limiting: positive: final.—n. (gram.) an adjective used to limit the signification of a noun.—adv. '.—ns. '; ', definitiveness. [Fr.,—L. definīre, -ītum, to set bounds to—de, finis, a limit.]

Deflagrate, def′la-grāt, v.i. or v.t. to burn down: to burn rapidly.—ns. ', combustibility; '; , a galvanic instrument for producing rapid combustion. [L. deflagrāre—de, down, flagrāre, to burn.]

Deflect, de-flekt′, v.i. or v.t. to turn aside: to swerve or deviate from a right line or proper course.—p.adj. ' (bot.), bent abruptly downward.—ns. ', ', deviation.—adj. ', causing deflection.—n. ', a diaphragm in a lamp, stove, &c., by which the flame and gases are brought together and the combustion improved.—v.t. ' (zool., bot.), to bend down.—adj. '.—n. ', deviation. [L. de, from, and flectĕre, flexum, to bend, turn.]

Deflorate, de-flō′rāt, adj. past the flowering state, as an anther after it has shed its pollen.—n. , the act of deflowering.

Deflower, Deflour, de-flowr′, v.t. to deprive of flowers: to deprive of grace and beauty: to ravish.—n. . [O. Fr. deflorer—Low L. deflorāre, to strip flowers off—L. de, neg., flos, floris, a flower.]

Defluent, def′lōō-ent, adj. running down, decurrent.—n. , a discharge of fluid in the body. [L. defluĕre—de, down, fluĕre, fluxum, to flow.]

Defoliate, de-fō′li-āt, v.t. to deprive of leaves.—adjs. ', '.—ns. ', the falling off of leaves: the time of shedding leaves; '. [Low L. defoliāre, -ātum—de, off, folium, a leaf.]

Deforce, de-fōrs′, v.t. (law) to keep out of possession by force: (Scots law) to resist an officer of the law in the execution of his duty.—ns. '; ', one who deforces; , a legal distress. [Fr. de = L. dis, and force.]

Deforest, de-for′est, v.t. to disforest: to deprive of forests.—n. .

Deform, de-form′, v.t. to alter or injure the form of: to disfigure.—adj. (Milt.) hideous, unshapely.—n. '.—p.adj. ', misshapen.—adv. '.—ns. '; '; ', state of being deformed: want of proper form: ugliness: disfigurement: anything that destroys beauty: an ugly feature or characteristic. [L. deformis, ugly—de, from, forma, beauty.]

Defoul, de-fowl′, v.t. to defile. [A.S. fúl, foul, whence by vowel change of ú to ý, fýlan.]

Defraud, de-frawd′, v.t. to deprive of by fraud: to withhold wrongfully: to cheat or deceive.—ns. ', '. [L. defraudāre—de, from, and fraus, fraudis, fraud.]

Defray, de-frā′, v.t. to discharge the expenses of anything: to pay: (Spens.) to appease:—pr.p. pa.p. —ns. ', '. [O. Fr. defrayer—de, and frais, expense—Low L. fractum, breakage, damage, expense.]

Deft, deft, adj. handy, clever.—adv. '.—n. '. [M. E. defte, dafte, simple, meek; A.S. ge-dæfte, meek—dæftan, gedæftan, prepare, make fit; the stem appears in ge-daf-en, to fit.]

Defunct, de-funkt′, adj. having finished the course of life, dead.—n. a dead person.—n. ' (Shak.), death.—adj. ' (Shak.), pertaining to the dead. [L. defungi, defunctus, to finish—de, and fungi, to perform.]

Defy, de-fī′, v.t. to challenge: to brave: (obs.) to discard, dislike:—pr.p. pa.p. —n. (Dryden) a defiance.—n. . [O. Fr. defier—Low L. diffidāre, to renounce faith or allegiance—L. dis, asunder, and fīdĕre, to trust—fĭdes, faith.]

Dégagé, dā-ga-zhā′, adj. unembarrassed, unconstrained, easy. [Pa.p. of Fr. dégager, to disentangle.]

Degar′nish = Disgarnish (q.v.).

Degenerate, de-jen′ėr-āt, adj. having departed from the high qualities of race or kind: become base—also ' (obs.).—v.i. to fall from a nobler state: to be or to grow worse.—v.i. ' (Spens.), to degenerate.—ns. ', ', the act or process of becoming degenerate: the state of being degenerate.—adv. '.—n. '.—adj. '.—n. ', one who believes that the tendency of man is not to improve, but to degenerate.—adj. , tending or causing to degenerate. [L. degenerāre, -ātum, to depart from its kind—de, from, down, genus, genĕris, kind.]

Degerminator, de-jėr′mi-nā-tor, n. an apparatus for splitting grains and removing the germs. [L. de, neg., and germen, a germ.]

Deglutinate, de-glōō′tin-āt, v.t. to separate things that are glued together by softening the glue:—pr.p. pa.p.  [L. deglutināre, -ātum—de, neg., and glutināre—gluten, glue.]

Deglutition, deg-lōō-tish′un, n. the act or power of swallowing.—adjs. ', '. [Fr.,—L. de, down, and glutīre, to swallow. See Glut.]

Degrade, de-grād′, v.t. to lower in grade or rank: to deprive of office or dignity: to lower in character, value, or position: to disgrace.—n. ', disgrace: degeneration: abortive structural development: a lowering in dignity.—p.adjs. ', reduced in rank: base: low: (her.) placed on steps; , debasing: disgraceful. [Fr. dégrader—L. de, down, and gradus, a step. See Grade.]

Degree, de-grē′, n. a grade or step: one of a series of advances: relative position: rank: extent: a mark of distinction conferred by universities, whether earned by examination or granted as a mark of honour: the 360th part of a circle: 60 geographical miles: nearness of relationship: comparative amount of guilt: one of the three stages (positive, comparative, superlative) in the comparison of an adjective or an adverb.—By degrees, by little and little, gradually; Forbidden degrees, the degrees of consanguinity and affinity within which it is not permitted to marry; Songs of degrees, or Songs of ascents, Psalms cxx.-cxxxiv., either because sung by the Jews returning from captivity, or by the Jews coming up annually to attend the feasts at Jerusalem; To a degree, to a great degree, to an extreme. [Fr. degré—L. de, gradus, a step.]

Degust, dē-gust′, v.t. to taste, to relish.—v.i. to have a relishing taste.—v.t. ' (same as Degust).—n. ', the act of tasting. [L. de, down, and gustāre, to taste.]

Dehisce, dē-his′, v.i. to gape, to open as the capsules of a plant.—n. '.—adj. '. [L. dehiscens, pr.p. of dehiscĕre—de, inten., and hiscĕre, to gape.]

Dehort, de-hort′, v.t. to exhort from, to dissuade.—n. ', dissuasion.—adjs. ', ', dissuasive.—n. '. [L. dehortāri—de, neg., and hortāri, to exhort.]

Dehumanise, de-hū′ma-nīz, v.t. to deprive of specifically human qualities. [L. de, neg., and humanise.]

Dehydrate, de-hī′drāt, v.t. to deprive of water, chemically.—v.i. to lose water.—n. . [L. de, neg., Gr. hydōr.]

Deicide, dē′i-sīd, n. the killing of a god: the putting to death of Jesus Christ. [From a supposed Low L. form deicidium—deus, a god, and cædĕre, to kill.]

Deictic, dīk′tik, adj. proving directly.—adv. . [Gr. deiktikos—deiknynai, to show.]

Deid-thraw, dēd′-thraw, n. (Scot.) death-throe.

Deify, dē′i-fī, v.t. to exalt to the rank of a god: to worship as a deity: to make god-like:—pr.p. pa.p. —adjs.—', ', making god-like or divine.—n. ', the act of deifying: a deified embodiment.—adj. ', god-like in form or character. [Fr. déifier—L. deificāre—deus, a god, and facĕre, to make.]

Deign, dān, v.i. to condescend.—v.t. to give: to allow: (obs.) to favour. [Fr. daigner—L. dignāri, to think worthy—dignus, worthy.]

Deil, dēl, Scotch form of devil.

Deinotherium, dī-no-thē′ri-um, n. = Dinotherium.

Deiparous, dē-ip′a-rus, adj. bearing a god—of the Virgin. [L. deus, a god, parĕre, to bring forth.]

Deipnosophist, dīp-nos′ō-fist, n. one who converses learnedly at dinner, a table-philosopher—from the title of a work by Athenæus. [Gr. deipnon, dinner, sophistēs—sophos, wise.]

Deist, dē′ist, n. one who believes in the existence of God, but not in revealed religion.—n. ', the creed of a deist.—adjs. ', '.—adv. '. [Fr. déiste, déisme—L. deus, a god.]

Deity, dē′i-ti, n. the divinity: godhead: a god or goddess: the Supreme Being. [Fr.,—Low L. deitas—L. deus, god; Sans. deva—div, to shine.]

Deject, de-jekt′, v.t. to cast down the countenance or spirits of.—adj. (Shak.) cast down.—adj. ', cast down: dispirited.—adv. '.—ns. '; ', lowness of spirits: (pl.) fæcal discharge (also dejecta).—adj. , promoting evacuations. [L. dejicĕre, -jectum—de, down, jacĕre, to cast.]

Delaine, dē-lān′, n. an untwilled light dress material, originally of wool—also Muslin-de-laine.

Delapse, dē-laps′, v.i. (obs.) to sink down.—n. .

Delate, de-lāt′, v.t. to carry on: to publish: to charge with a crime.—ns. '; '. [L. deferre, delātum, to bring a report against, to inform—de, inten., ferre, to bear.]

Delay, de-lā′, v.t. to put off to another time: to defer: to hinder or retard.—v.i. to pause, linger, or put off time.—n. a putting off or deferring: a lingering: hinderance:—pr.p. pa.p. —n. '.—adv. '. [O. Fr. delaier—L. differre, dilātum—dis, apart, ferre, to carry.]

Delay, de-lā′, v.t. (Spens.) to temper, dilute, weaken. [Fr. délayer, dilute—L. deliquāre, clarify.]

Dele, dē′lē, v.t., delete, efface, a direction in proof-reading to remove a superfluous letter or word, usually marked thus .—adjs. ', ', that can be deleted. [L., imper. of delēre, to delete.]

Delectable, de-lekt′a-bl, adj. delightful: pleasing.—n. '.—adv. '.—n. , delight. [Fr.,—L. delectabilis—delectāre, to delight.]

Delegate, del′e-gāt, v.t. to send as a legate or representative: to entrust or commit to.—n. one who is delegated: a deputy or representative: (U.S.) a person elected to represent a territory in congress, as distinguished from the representatives of the States.—adj. delegated, deputed.—ns. ', ', a delegating: the persons delegated. [L. de, away, and legare, -ātum, to send as ambassador.]

Delete, de-lēt′, v.t. to blot out: to erase: to destroy.—n.pl. ', things to be deleted or erased.—n. '.—adjs. ', '. [L. delēre, delētum, to blot out.]

Deleterious, del-e-tē′ri-us, adj. tending to destroy life: hurtful or destructive: poisonous.—adv. '.—n. '. [Gr. dēlētērios, hurtful—deleisthai, to hurt.]

Delf, delf, n. a contraction for , a kind of earthenware originally made at Delft, Holland.

Delf, delf, n. a drain, ditch: (her.) a charge representing a square sod. [A.S. dælf—delfan, to dig.]

Delian, dē′li-an, adj. pertaining to Delos in the Ægean Sea, birthplace of Apollo and Artemis.

Delibate, del′i-bāt, v.t. (obs.) to sip.—n. .

Deliberate, de-lib′ėr-āt, v.t. to weigh well in one's mind.—v.i. to consider the reasons for and against anything: to reflect: to consider.—adj. well considered: considering carefully: slow in determining: cautious.—adv. '.—ns. '; ', the act of deliberating: mature reflection: calmness: coolness.—adj. ', proceeding or acting by deliberation.—adv. . [L. deliberāre, -ātum—de, inten., and librāre, to weigh—libra, a balance.]

Delicate, del′i-kāt, adj. pleasing to the senses, esp. the taste: dainty: nicely discriminating or perceptive: of a fine, slight texture or constitution: tender: frail, not robust: requiring nice handling: refined in manners: gentle, polite, considerate: luxurious.—n. ', state or quality of being delicate: refinement: nicety: tenderness, weakness: luxuriousness: anything delicate or dainty.—adv. ', in a delicate manner: (B.) luxuriously.—n. ', state of being delicate: (B.) delicacy, luxury.—n.pl. ' (B.), delicacies. [L. delicātus—deliciæ, allurements, luxury—delicĕre—de, inten., lacĕre, to entice.]

Delice, del′is, n. (Spens.) flower delice, the iris. [See Fleur-de-lis.]

Delicious, de-lish′us, adj. full of delicacies: highly pleasing to the senses: affording exquisite pleasure.—n. ', (Spens.), delight: a delight or delightful thing.—adv. ', in a delicious manner: (B.) luxuriously.—n. . [L. deliciosus—deliciæ.]

Delict, de-likt′, n. a transgression, a misdemeanour. [L. delictum, an offence—de, and linquĕre, to leave.]

Deligation, del-i-gā′shun, n. a binding up, ligature.

Delight, de-līt′, v.t. to please highly.—v.i. to have or take great pleasure: to be greatly pleased.—n. a high degree of pleasure: extreme satisfaction: that which gives great pleasure.—p.adj. ', greatly pleased: (Shak.) delightful.—adjs. ', ', full of delight.—adv. '.—n. '.—adj. ', affording no delight. [O. Fr. deliter—L. delectāre, inten. of delicĕre.]

Delilah, dē-lī′la, n. the Philistine woman who befooled Samson: a courtesan who seduces a man to betray secrets: a light woman, strumpet.—Also .

Delimit, de-lim′it, v.t. to fix or mark the limit of.—n. .

Delineate, de-lin′e-āt, v.t. to mark out with lines: to represent by a sketch or picture: to portray: to describe accurately in words.—adj. '.—ns. ', the act of delineating: a sketch, representation, or description (sometimes '); '. [L. delineāre, -ātum—de, down, and linea, a line.]

Delinquent, de-ling′kwent, adj. failing in duty.—n. one who fails in or leaves his duty: a transgressor: a criminal.—n. ', failure in or omission of duty: a fault: a crime.—adv. '. [L. delinquens, -entis, pr.p. of delinquĕre—de, inten., and linquĕre, to leave.]

Deliquesce, del-i-kwes′, v.i. to melt and become liquid by absorbing moisture, as certain salts, &c.—v.i. and v.t. ', ', to melt.—ns. ', '.—adj. , liquefying in the air. [L. deliquescĕre—de, inten., liquescĕre, to become fluid—liquēre, to be fluid.]

Deliquium, de-lik′wi-um, n. liquefaction by absorption of moisture. [Fr.,—Low L. deliquium—L. de, down, and liquēre, to melt.]

Delirious, de-lir′i-us, adj. wandering in mind: light-headed: insane.—n. ', madness, an aberration.—adj. ', producing delirium.—n. any substance with this quality.—adv. '.—ns. '; , state of being delirious: strong excitement: wild enthusiasm.—Delirium tremens, a delirious disorder of the brain produced by excessive drinking, and often marked by convulsive or trembling symptoms. [L. delirus, crazy—de, from, and lira, a furrow; tremens, the pr.p. of tremĕre, to tremble.]

Delitescent, del-i-tes′ent, adj. lying hid or concealed—e.g. the germs of an infectious disease.—n. . [L. delitescens, pr.p. of delitescĕre—de, from, and latescĕre—latēre, to lie hid.]

Deliver, de-liv′ėr, v.t. to liberate or set free from restraint or danger: to rescue from evil or fear: to give up or part with: to communicate: to pronounce: to give forth, as a blow, a ball, &c.: to disburden a woman of a child in childbirth.—adj. '.—ns. ', act of delivering or freeing: act of transferring from one to another: parturition: the utterance of a judgment or authoritative opinion; '; ', the act of delivering: a giving up: the act or manner of speaking in public, of discharging a shot, of throwing a cricket-ball, of pouring water, &c.: the act of giving birth.—General delivery, the delivery of letters from a post-office window to the persons to whom they are addressed—opp. to house to house delivery; Gaol, or Jail, delivery (see Gaol). [Fr. délivrer—L. de, from, liberāre, to set free—liber, free.]

Deliverly, de-liv′ėr-li, adv. (Shak.) nimble manner. [O. Fr. delivre, free—L. de, and liber, free.]

Dell. See Dale.

Della-Cruscan, del-la-krus′kan, adj. belonging to, or resembling, the old Florentine Accademia della Crusca (1582), esp. of a group of sentimental English poetasters resident in Florence about 1784—crushed by Gifford's Baviad in 1794.

Della-Robbia, del-la-rob′ya, n. a term applied to enamelled terra-cotta, said to have been invented by Luca della Robbia.

Delph, an erroneous spelling of Delf.

Delphian, del′fi-an, adj. relating to Delphi, a town of ancient Greece, or to the famous oracle which was there.—Also .

Delphin, del′fin, adj. pertaining to the dauphin of France, or to an edition of the Latin classics prepared for his use, 64 vols., 1674-1730.

Delphinidæ, del-fin′i-dē, n. a family of cetaceans, including dolphins, grampuses, &c. [L. delphinus, a dolphin.]

Delphinium, del-fin′i-um, n. a genus of Ranunculaceæ comprising the larkspurs and stavesacre. [Formed from Gr. delphinion, larkspur.]

Delta, del′ta, n. the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet, the capital form of which is Δ: a tract of land of like shape formed at the mouth of a river.—n. ', the process of forming a delta.—adj. ', of the form of the Greek Δ: triangular.—Delta metal, a hard alloy of copper, zinc, and iron—the three metals symbolised by the triangular shape; Deltoid muscle, the large triangular muscle of the shoulder. [Gr.,—Heb. daleth, a tent-door.]

Delubrum, de-lū′brum, n. a temple, shrine, sanctuary: a church having a font, a fort. [L.]

Deluce. See Fleur-de-lis.

Delude, de-lūd′, v.t. to play or impose upon: to deceive.—adj. '.—n. '. [L. deludĕre, to play—de, down, ludĕre, lusum, to play.]

Deluge, del′ūj, n. a great overflow of water: a flood: esp. that in the days of Noah.—v.t. to inundate: to overwhelm as with water. [Fr.,—L. diluvium—diluĕre—dis, away, luĕre, to wash.]

Delundung, de-lun′dung, n. the weasel-cat of Java and Malacca, a small carnivore akin to the civet.

Delusion, de-lū′zhun, n. the act of deluding: the state of being deluded: a false belief: error.—adj. ', pertaining to delusions, afflicted with such.—n. '.—adjs. ', ', apt or tending to delude: deceptive.—adv. '.—n. '. [See Delude.]

Delve, delv, v.t. and v.i. to dig with a spade.—n. (Spens.) a place dug out, a ditch, a cave.—n. . [A.S. delfan, to dig; conn. with dale, dell.]

Demagnetise, de-mag′net-īz, v.t. to deprive of magnetic power.—n. .

Demagogue, dem′a-gog, n. a leader of the people: a popular and factious orator.—adjs. Demagogic, ' —ns. Demagogism, Demagoguism ', Demagogy  [Fr.,—Gr. dēmogōgos—dēmos, the people, agogos, leading—agein, to lead.]

Demain. See Demesne.

Demand, dē-mand′, v.t. to claim: to ask earnestly or authoritatively: to call for: to question.—n. the asking for what is due: an asking for with authority: a claim: earnest inquiry.—adj. ', that may be demanded.—n. ', one who demands: a plaintiff:—fem. .—In great demand, much sought after. [Fr.,—Low L. demandāre, to demand—L. de, from, and mandāre, to put into one's charge.]

Demarcation, Demarkation, de-mark-ā′shun, n. the act of marking off or setting bounds to: division: a fixed limit.—v.t. , to mark off or limit. [Fr.,—dé, off, and marquer, to mark. See Mark.]

Dematerialise, dē-ma-tē′ri-al-īz, v.t. to deprive of material qualities.

Deme, dēm, n. a subdivision of ancient Attica and of modern Greece, a township: (biol.) any differentiated aggregate of cells. [Gr. dēmos.]

Demean, de-mēn′, v.t. to conduct (with self): to behave.—n. Demeanour, conduct—(Spens.) Demayne, Demeasnure. [O. Fr. demener—de, inten., and mener, to lead—Low L. mināre, to drive cattle, L. mināri, to threaten.]

Demean, de-mēn′, v.t. to make mean: to lower. [More prob. on the analogy of debase, from de, and mean, low, than the same word as the preceding with specialised sense.]

Dement, de-ment′, v.t. to drive crazy, render insane.—adj. insane, demented.—n. a demented person.—v.t. ', to dement.—p.adj. ', out of one's mind: insane: suffering from dementia. [L. demens, dementis, out of one's mind—de, from, and mens, the mind.]

Démenti, dā-mong-tē, n. a contradiction. [Fr. démentir, to give the lie to.]

Dementia, de-men′shi-a, n. general mental enfeeblement, with loss of memory, reason, feeling, and will: often the consequence of acute mania. [L. de, neg., and mens, mentis, mind.]

Demerit, de-mer′it, n. ill-desert: fault: crime. [O. Fr. demerite, desert, also a fault—Low L. demeritum, a fault, demerēre, to deserve—L. de, fully, merēre, to deserve.]

Demersed, dē-merst′, adj. (bot.) growing under water.—n. .

Demesmerise, de-mes′mer-īz, v.t. to relieve from mesmeric influence.—n. .

Demesne, de-mēn′, Demain, de-mān′, n. a manor-house, with lands adjacent to it not let out to tenants: any estate in land. [Forms of domain.]

Demi-bastion, dem′i-bast′yun, n. a kind of half-bastion, consisting of one face and one flank. [Fr. demi—L. dimidius, half, and bastion.]

Demi-cadence, dem′i-kā′dens, n. (mus.) a half-cadence.

Demi-cannon, dem′i-kan′un, n. (Shak.) an old gun which threw a ball of from 30 to 36 lbs.

Demi-culverin, dem′i-cul′ve-rin, n. an old kind of cannon which threw a shot of 9 or 10 lbs.

Demi-deify, dem′i-dē′i-fī, v.t. to treat as a demi-god.

Demi-devil, dem′i-dev′il, n. a half-devil.

Demi-distance, dem′i-dis′tans, n. (fort.) the distance between the outward polygons and the flank.

Demi-ditone, dem′i-dī-tōn, n. (mus.) a minor third.

Demigod, dem′i-god, n. half a god: one whose nature is partly divine, esp. a hero fabled to be the offspring of a god and a mortal:—fem. . [Fr. demi, half, and god.]

Demi-gorge, dem′i-gorj, n. (fort.) the part of the polygon remaining after the flank is raised, going from the curtain to the angle of the polygon.

Demi-john, dem′i-jon, n. a glass bottle with a full body and narrow neck, enclosed in wicker-work. [Fr. dame-jeanne, Dame Jane, analogous to Bellarmine, gray-beard. Not from the town Damaghan.]

Demi-lance, dem′i-lans, n. a short, light spear of the 16th century; a soldier armed with such a weapon.

Demi-lune, dem′i-lōōn, n. (fort.) a half-moon: an old name for Ravelin. [L. demi, half, and Fr. lune—L. luna, the moon.]

Demi-monde, dem′i-mond, n. women in an equivocal position, kept women: the prostitute class generally.

Demirep, dem′i-rep, n. a woman of dubious reputation.—n. , shady women collectively. [Said to be a contraction of demi-reputation.]

Demise, dē-mīz′, n. a transferring: death, esp. of a sovereign or a distinguished person: a transfer of the crown or of an estate to a successor.—v.t. to send down to a successor: to bequeath by will.—adj. . [O. Fr. demise, pa.p. of desmettre, to lay down—L. dimittĕre, to send away—L. dis, aside, and mittĕre, missum, to send.]



Demi-semiquaver, dem′i-sem′i-kwā-vėr, n. (mus.) a note equal in time to the half of a semiquaver. [Fr. demi, half, and semiquaver.]

Demiss, de-mis′, adj. (Spens.) humble. [L. demissus, pa.p. of demittĕre. See Demise.]

Demission, de-mish′un, n. a lowering: degradation: depression: relinquishment: resignation.—adj. ' (obs.), humble.—adv. '. [L. demission-em. See Demise.]

Demit, de-mit′, v.t. to dismiss: to relinquish: to resign. [See Demise.]

Demiurge, dem′i-urj, n. the maker of the world: among the Gnostics, the creator of the world and of man, subordinate to God the supreme—also '.—adj. '. [Gr. dēmiourgos—dēmos, the people, and ergon, a work.]

Demi-volt, dem′i-volt, n. a half-turn of a horse, the forelegs being raised in the air. [Fr. demi-volte—demi, half, and volte, a leap. See Vault.]

Demi-wolf, dem′i-woolf, n. (Shak.) a half-wolf, the offspring of a dog and a wolf.

Demobilise, de-mob′il-īz, v.t. to take out of mobilisation: to disband.—n. . [Fr.]

Democracy, de-mok′ra-si, n. a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people collectively, and is administered by them or by officers appointed by them: the people, esp. the common people in the United States, the democratic party—also ' (Milt.).—n. ', one who adheres to or promotes democracy as a principle: a member of the democratic party in the United States, who preserve carefully the local liberties of states and of individuals, opposing national centralisation, and supporting a wide franchise, low tariff duties for the interests of the revenue rather than protection, and a limited public expenditure.—adjs. ', ', relating to democracy: insisting on equal rights and privileges for all.—adv. '.—adj. ', capable of being made democratic.—v.t. ', to render democratic.—n. ', a democrat. [O. Fr.,—Gr. dēmokratia—dēmos, the people, and kratein, to rule—kratos, strength.]

Demogorgon, dē-mo-gor′gon, n. a mysterious deity or diabolical magician first mentioned about 450 A.D., and regarded as an object of terror. [Gr. daimōn, deity, gorgos, terrible.]

Demography, dē-mog′ra-fi, n. vital and social statistics, as applied to the study of nations and races.—n. '.—adj. '. [Gr. dēmos, the people, graphein, to write.]

Demoiselle, dem-wa-zel′, n. (Shak.) a young lady: a crane-like bird of peculiarly graceful form. [Fr. See Damsel.]

Demolish, de-mol′ish, v.t. to destroy, lay in ruins, to ruin.—n. , act of pulling down: ruin. [Fr. démolir—L. demolīri, to throw down—de, down, and molīri, to build—moles, a heap.]

Demology, de-mol′o-jī, n. same as Demography: the theory of the origin and development of nations. [Gr. dēmos, the people, logia, a discourse.]

Demon, dē′mon, n. an evil spirit, a devil: sometimes like Dæmon, a friendly spirit or good genius:—fem. '.—adjs. ', ', pertaining to or like demons or evil spirits: influenced by demons.—ns. ', a human being possessed by a demon or evil spirit.—adv. '.—n. ', state of being a demoniac.—adj. ' (Milt.).—ns. ', ', possession by a demon.—v.t. ', to convert into a demon: to control or possess by a demon.—ns. ', a belief in demons; ', a believer in demons; ', the power of demons; ', the worship of demons; ', one who worships such; Demonology, an account of, or the study of, demons and their agency.—adjs. ', '.—ns. ', a writer on demonology; ', a form of mania in which the subject believes himself possessed by devils; ', the dominion of demons; , demoniacal influence. [L. dæmon—Gr. daimōn, a spirit, genius; in N. T. and Late Greek, a devil.]

Demonetise, dē-mon′e-tīz, n. to divest of value as money.—n. .

Demonstrate, de-mon′strāt, v.t. to show or point out clearly: to prove with certainty.—adj. ', that may be demonstrated.—ns. ', '.—adv. '.—ns. ', a pointing out: proof beyond doubt: expression of the feelings by outward signs: expression of sympathy with political or social opinions, with a man or body of men, by a mass-meeting, a procession, &c.: show: a movement of troops or ships to exhibit military intention, or in war to deceive the enemy.—adj. ', making evident: proving with certainty: of the nature of proof: given to the manifestation of one's feelings.—adv. '.—ns. '; ', one who proves beyond doubt: one who teaches: (anat.) one who teaches anatomy from the dissected parts.—adj. ', demonstrative. [L. demonstrāre, -ātum—de, inten., and monstrāre, to show.]

Demoralise, de-mor′al-īz, v.t. to corrupt in morals: to lower the morale—that is, to deprive of spirit and confidence: to throw into confusion.—n. ', act of demoralising: corruption or subversion of morals.—p.adj. '.

Demos, dē′mos, n. the people, esp. the lower classes.—adj. , pertaining to the people: popular: in Egypt. ant., of a kind of writing distinguished from the hieratic, or priestly, and from hieroglyphics. [Gr.]

Demosthenic, de-mos-then′ik, adj. of or like Demosthenes, the Athenian orator: eloquent.

Dempster. Same as Deemster (q.v. under Deem).

Dempt, demt (Spens.). Pa.p. of Deem.

Demulcent, de-mul′sent, adj. soothing. [L. demulcent-em—de, and mulcēre, to stroke, to soothe.]

Demur, de-mur′, v.i. to hesitate from uncertainty or before difficulty: to object:—pr.p. pa.p. —n. a stop: pause, hesitation.—adj. '.—ns. ', an allowance made for undue delay or detention of a vessel in port: compensation paid by the freighter to the owner of the same: allowance for undue detention of railway-wagons, &c.; , one who demurs: (law) a plea in law that, even if the opponent's facts are as he says, they yet do not support his case. [Fr. demeurer—L. demorāri, to loiter, linger—de, inten., and morāri, to delay—mora, delay.]

Demure, de-mūr′, adj. sober: staid: modest: affectedly modest: making a show of gravity.—adv. '.—n. '. [O. Fr. de (bons) murs, of good manners—L. de, of, mores, manners.]

Demy, de-mī′, n. a size of paper 22½ by 17½ in.; in the United States 21 by 16 in. [Fr. demi—L. dimidium, half—di, apart, medius, the middle.]

Demy, de-mī′, n. a holder of certain scholarships in Magdalen College, Oxford.—n. . [Ety. same as above.]

Den, den, n. the hollow lair of a wild beast: a kind of pit, a cave: a haunt of vice or misery: (coll.) a private retreat for work: (prov.) a narrow valley.—v.i. to retire to a den. [A.S. denn, a cave, and denu, a valley.]

Den, den, n. (obs.) for good-e'en, good-even.

Denary, den′ar-i, adj. containing ten.—n. the number ten.—n. , the chief Roman silver coin under the Republic, divided into ten asses, and worth 9 2 &frasl; 5 d. [L. denarius—deni—decem, ten.]

Denationalise, de-nash′un-al-īz, v.t. to deprive of national rights.—n. .

Denaturalise, de-nat′ū-ral-īz, v.t. to make unnatural; to deprive of naturalisation.

Denay, de-nā′, obs. form of Deny, Denial.

Dendrachate, den′dra-kāt, n. arborescent agate.— [Gr. dendron, tree, achatēs, agate.]

Dendriform, den′dri-form, adj. having the appearance of a tree. [Formed from Gr. dendron, a tree, and L. forma, form.]

Dendrite, den′drīt, n. a mineral in which are figures resembling plants.—adjs. ', ', tree-like, arborescent: marked with branching figures like plants. [Gr. dendritēs, of a tree—dendron, a tree.]

Dendrodont, den′drō-dont, n. a fish of extinct fossil genus Dendrodus, having teeth of dendritic structure.—adj. having such teeth.—n. , the form of branched dentine seen in compound teeth, produced by the interblending of the dentine, enamel, and cement. [Gr. dendron, a tree, and odous, odontos, tooth.]

Dendroid, den′droid, adj. having the form of a tree. [Gr. dendron, a tree, and eidos, form.]

Dendrolite, den′dro-līt, n. a petrified or fossil plant. [Gr. dendron, a tree, and lithos, a stone.]

Dendrology, den-drol′o-ji, n. a treatise on trees: the natural history of trees.—adj. '.—n. '. [Gr. dendron, a tree, and logia, a discourse.]

Dendrometer, dėn-drom′e-tėr, n. an instrument for ascertaining the height of a tree. [Gr. dendron, tree, metron, measure.]

Dene, dēn, n. a small valley.—n. , an ancient artificial excavation in the chalk formations of Kent and Essex. [A form of dean. Cf. Den.]

Denegation, dē-ne-gā′shun, n. denial. [L. denegāre, -ātum, to deny—de, inten., and negāre, to deny.]

Dengue, deng′gā, n. an acute tropical epidemic fever, seldom fatal—also breakbone-fever, dandy-fever. [The Spanish dengue, refusing, prudery, from L. denegāre, to deny, seems to have been confused with dandy-fever.]

Denial, de-nī′al, n. act of denying or saying no: contradiction: refusal: rejection.—adj. ', that may be denied.—n. ', one who denies.

Denier, de-nēr′, n. (Shak.) an old small French silver coin: also later, a copper coin of the value of 1 &frasl; 12 sou—hence a very trifling sum. [Fr.,—L. denarius.]

Denigration, de-ni-grā′shun, n. a making or becoming black—esp. the blackening of a man's character.—v.t.  (obs.). [L. de, inten., nigrāre, to blacken, niger, black.]

Denim, den′im, n. coloured twilled cotton goods for overalls, &c.

Denitrate, dē-nī′trāt, v.t. to free from nitric acid.—ns. '; '.

Denizen, den′i-zn, n. an inhabitant (human or animal): one admitted to the rights of a citizen.—v.t. to make a denizen of: to provide with occupants.—v.i. to inhabit.—ns. ', act of making one a citizen; '. [O. Fr. deinzein—deinz, dens (Fr. dans), within—L. de intus, from within.]

Dennet, den′et, n. a light gig.

Denominate, dē-nom′in-āt, v.t. to give a name to: to call.—adj. '.—n. ', the act of naming: a name or title: a collection of individuals called by the same name: a sect.—adj. ', belonging to a denomination or sect.—n. ', a denominational or class spirit or policy: devotion to the interests of a sect.—adj. ', giving or having a title.—adv. '.—n. , he who, or that which, gives a name: (arith.) the lower number in a vulgar fraction, which names the parts into which the integer is divided. [L. de, and nomināre, -ātum, to name—nomen, a name.]

Denote, dē-nōt′, v.t. to note or mark off: to indicate by a sign: to signify or mean: (log.) to indicate the objects comprehended in a class.—adj. '.—n. ', that which a word names or indicates, in contradistinction to that which it connotes or signifies.—adj. '.—adv. '.—n.  (Shak.), a sign or indication. [Fr.,—L. denotāre, -ātum—de, inten., and notāre, to mark—nota, a mark or sign.]

Dénouement, dā-nōō′mong, n. the unravelling of a plot or story: the issue, event, or outcome. [Fr. dénouement or dénoûment; dénouer, to untie—de, neg., and nouer, to tie—L. nodus, a knot.]

Denounce, de-nowns′, v.t. to inform against or accuse publicly: (U.S.) to claim the right of working a mine, as being abandoned or insufficiently worked.—ns. ' (same as Denunciation); '. [Fr. dénoncer—L. denuntiāre—de, inten., and nuntiāre, to announce.]

Dense, dens, adj. thick, close, compact: impenetrably stupid.—n. a thicket.—adv. '.—ns. '; , the quality of being dense: the proportion of mass to bulk or volume: the quantity of matter per unit of bulk. [L. densus, thick.]

Densimeter, den-sim′et-ėr, n. an instrument for ascertaining the comparative density or specific gravity of a substance. [L. densus, dense, and metrum (Gr. metron), measure.]

Dent, dent, n. a small hollow made by the pressure or blow of a harder body on a softer.—v.t. to make a mark by means of a blow.—p.adj. , marked with dents: indented. [A variant of dint.]

Dent, dent, n. a notch.—v.t. to notch. [Confused with the preceding, but from Fr. dent, tooth—L. dens, dentis.]

Dentagra, den-tag′ra, n. a tooth-drawing forceps: toothache.

Dental, den′tal, adj. belonging to the teeth: produced by the aid of the teeth.—n. an articulation or letter pronounced chiefly with the teeth.—adj. , belonging to dentition, bearing teeth.—n. the distal element of the jaw of vertebrates below mammals.—Dental engine, a mechanical appliance giving a rotary motion to a dentist's boring instruments. [L. dens, dentis, a tooth. See Tooth.]

Dentate, -d, den′tāt, -ed, adj. toothed: notched: set as with teeth. [L. dentatus, toothed, dens, a tooth.]

Dentel. See Dentil.

Dentex, den′teks, n. a voracious sparoid fish.

Denticle, den′ti-kl, n. a small tooth.—adjs. ', ', having notches.—n. . [L. denticulus, dim. of dens, a tooth.]

Dentiform, den′ti-form, adj. having the form of a tooth or of teeth. [L. dens, dentis, tooth, and forma, form.]

Dentifrice, den′ti-fris, n. a substance used in rubbing or cleaning the teeth. [Fr.,—L. dentifricium, from dens, and fricāre, to rub.]

Dentigerous, den-tij′e-rus, adj. bearing teeth.



Dentil, den′til, n. a denticle: (pl.) small square blocks or projections in the bed-mouldings of the cornices of columns—also '.—adj. '. [See Denticle.]

Dentilingual, den-ti-ling′-gwal, adj. formed between the teeth and the tongue, as th in thin, this.—n. a consonant so formed.—Also . [L. dent-, dens, a tooth, lingua, the tongue.]

Dentine, Dentin, den′tin, n. the substance of which the tooth is formed, under the enamel. [L. dens, dentis, a tooth.]

Dentirostral, den-ti-ros′tral, adj. having the mandibles of the beak toothed or notched, as certain birds. [L. dens, dentis, a tooth, and rostrum, a beak.]

Dentist, den′tist, n. one who remedies diseases of the teeth, or inserts artificial teeth.—v.i. ', to cut one's teeth.—ns. ', the business of a dentist; , the cutting or growing of teeth: the conformation, number, and arrangement of the teeth.

Dentoid, den′toid, adj. formed or shaped like a tooth. [L. dens, dentis, a tooth, and Gr. eidos, form.]

Dentolingual. See Dentilingual.

Denude, de-nūd′, v.t. to make nude or naked: to lay bare.—n. , a making nude or bare: (geol.) the wearing away of rocks by water and atmospheric action, whereby the underlying rocks are laid bare. [L. denudāre—de, inten., and nudāre, -ātum, to make naked—nudus, naked.]

Denunciate, de-nun′shi-āt, v.t. same as Denounce.—ns. Denunciation or  any formal declaration: act of denouncing: a threat; ', one who denounces.—adj. ', containing a denunciation: threatening.

Deny, de-nī′, v.t. to gainsay or declare not to be true: to reject: to refuse admission to: to disown:—pr.p. pa.p. —adv. .—Deny one's self, to deny one's self the indulgence of bodily appetites and carnal inclinations: to exercise self-denial. [Fr. denier—L. denegāre—de, inten., and negāre, to say no. See Negation.]

Deobstruent, de-ob′strōō-ent, adj. (med.) removing obstructions.

Deodand, dē′o-dand, n. in old English law, a personal chattel which had been the immediate, accidental cause of the death of a human being, forfeited to the crown for pious uses. [L. deo, to God, dandum, that must be given—dăre, to give.]

Deodar, de-o-där′, n. a cedar much praised by Indian poets: the Cedrus Deodara of the Himalayas. [Sans. Deva-dāru, divine tree—a name given to various coniferous trees growing in sacred places.]

Deodate, dē′ō-dāt, n. a gift from God. [L. deo, to God, datum, given part, pa.p. of dăre, to give.]

Deodorise, dē-ō′dor-īz, v.t. to take the odour or smell from.—ns. '; ', a substance that destroys or conceals unpleasant smells.

Deontology, dē-on-tol′ō-ji, n. the science of duty, ethics.—adj. '.—n. '.

Deoppilate, dē-op′i-lāt, v.t. to free from obstruction.—n. '.—adj. '.

Deoxidate, de-oks′i-dāt, v.t. to take oxygen from, or reduce from the state of an oxide—also '.—ns. '; , a substance that deoxidises.

Deoxygenate, de-oks-ij′en-āt, v.t. to deprive of oxygen.—Also .

Deozonise, de-ō-zōn′īz, v.t. to deprive of ozone.

Depaint, de-pānt′, v.t. (Spens.) to paint: depict.

Depart, de-pärt′, v.i. to go away: to quit or leave: to die: (obs.) to separate from one another.—v.t. (obs.) to separate, divide.—ns. '; '; , act of departing: a going away from a place: deviation: the distance in nautical miles made good by a ship due east or west: death.—A new departure, a change of purpose or method, a new course of procedure.—The departed, the deceased. [Fr. départir—L. de, from, and partīri, to part, to divide.]

Department, de-pärt′ment, n. a part: a separate part of business or duty: a section of the administration: a division of a country, esp. of France.—adj. '.—adv. '.

Depasture, de-pas′tūr, v.t. to eat bare.—v.i. to graze.

Depauperise, de-paw′per-īz, v.t. to remove from the state of paupers.—v.t. , to impoverish.

Depeinct, de-pānt′, v.t. (Spens.) to paint.

Depend, de-pend′, v.i. to hang down: to be sustained by or connected with anything: to be pending: to rely: to rest.—adjs. ', that may be depended on; ', depending, relying on, contingent, relative.—n. a subordinate: a hanger-on—also '.—ns. ', state of being dependent, reliance, trust: that on which one depends—also '; ', same as Dependence, in the additional sense of a foreign territory dependent on the mother-country, a kind of subordinate colony without self-government.—adj. ', still undetermined.—adv. '. [Fr. dépendre—L. dependēre—de, from, and pendēre, to hang.]

Depersonalise, dē-per′son-al-īz, v.t. to take away the characteristics that constitute the personality of.

Dephlegmate, de-fleg′māt, v.t. (chem.) to free from water.—ns. '; '.

Dephlogisticate, de-flo-jis′ti-kāt, v.t. to deprive of phlogiston, once supposed to be the principle of heat.—Dephlogisticated air, the name given by Priestley to oxygen when discovered by him in 1774.

Depict, de-pikt′, v.t. to paint carefully: to make a likeness of: to describe minutely. [L. depingĕre, depictum—de, inten., pingĕre, to paint.]

Depicture, de-pikt′ūr, v.t. to picture: to paint: to represent:—pr.p. pa.p.

Depilate, dep′i-lāt, v.t. to remove the hair from.—ns. '; ', an application for removing superfluous hairs.—adj. possessing this quality.

Deplantation, dē-plan-tā′shun, n. the act of clearing from plants or of transplanting.

Deplete, de-plēt′, v.t. to empty, reduce, exhaust.—n. ', the act of emptying or exhausting: (med.) the act of relieving congestion or plethora, by purging, blood-letting, or reduction of the system by abstinence.—adjs. ', . [L. deplēre, deplētum, to empty, de, neg., plēre, to fill.]

Deplication, dep-li-kā′shun, n. an unfolding or unplaiting.

Deplore, de-plōr′, v.t. to feel or express deep grief for.—adj. ', lamentable: sad.—n. '.—adv. '.—n. ' (obs.), lamentation.—adv. . [Fr.,—L. deplorāre—de, inten., plorāre, to weep.]

Deploy, de-ploy′, v.t. to unfold: to open out or extend.—v.i. to open: to extend from column into line, as a body of troops.—ns. ', '. [Fr. déployer—L. dis, apart, and plicāre, to fold. Doublet of display.]

Deplume, de-plōōm′, v.t. to take the plumes or feathers from.—n. .

Depolarise, de-pō′lar-īz, v.t. to deprive of polarity.—n. .

Depone, de-pōn′, v.t. to testify upon oath. [L. deponĕre—de, down, and ponĕre, to place.]

Deponent, de-pō′nent, adj. (gram.) applied to verbs with a passive form but an active signification.—n. one who makes a deposition, esp. under oath, or whose written testimony is used as evidence in a court of justice. [L., pr.p. of deponĕre.]

Depopulate, de-pop′ū-lāt, v.t. to deprive of population, to dispeople.—v.i. to become dispeopled.—adj. depopulated.—ns. ', act of depopulating: havoc: destruction; '. [L. depopulāri, depopulātus—de, inten., and populāri, to spread over a country, said of a hostile people (L. populus)—hence to ravage, to destroy. Some make it a freq. of spoliāre, to plunder.]

Deport, de-pōrt′, v.t. to transport, to exile: to behave.—ns. ', transportation, exile; ', carriage, behaviour. [Fr.,—L. deportāre—de, away, and portāre, -ātum, to carry.]

Depose, de-pōz′, v.t. to remove from a high station: to degrade: to strip: to attest: (Shak.) to examine on oath.—adj. '.—n. '. [Fr.,—L. de, from, pausāre, to pause, (late) to place.]

Deposit, de-poz′it, v.t. to put or set down: to place: to lay up or past: to entrust.—n. that which is deposited or put down: (geol.) rocks produced by precipitation from a fluid medium, by settling from a solution in water: something entrusted to another's care, esp. money put in a bank: a pledge: a bailment where one entrusts goods to another to be kept without recompense—in Scots law, '.—ns. ', a person with whom anything is left for safe keeping: a guardian—sometimes '.—adj. '.—ns. '; ', a place where anything is deposited—sometimes . [Fr.,—L. depositum, placed—deponĕre, from de, and ponĕre, to put down.]

Deposition, dep-o-zish′un, n. act of deposing: act of deponing: declaration, testimony taken authoritatively, to be used as a substitute for the production of the witness in open court: removal: act of depositing: what is deposited, sediment.

Depot, dep′ō, de′pō, or dē′pō, n. a place of deposit: a storehouse: a military station where stores are kept and recruits trained: the headquarters of a regiment: the portion of a regiment that remains at home when the rest go on foreign service: (U.S.) a railway station. [Fr. depôt—L. deponĕre, -positum.]

Deprave, de-prāv′, v.t. to make bad or worse: to corrupt.—n. ', act of depraving: state of being depraved: depravity.—adj. ', corrupt.—adv. '.—ns. '; ', vitiation.—adv. '.—n. , a vitiated or corrupt state of moral character: extreme wickedness: corruption: (theol.) the hereditary tendency of man toward sin: original sin. [Fr.,—L. depravāre—de, inten., pravus, bad.]

Deprecate, dep′re-kāt, v.t. to try to ward off by prayer: to desire earnestly the prevention or removal of: to regret deeply: to argue against.—adj. ', that is to be deprecated.—n. ', act of deprecating, earnest prayer, esp. a special petition against some evil, in litanies.—adv. '.—adjs. ', ', tending to avert evil by prayer: having the form of prayer.—n. '. [L. deprecāri, deprecātus—de, away, and precāri, to pray.]

Depreciate, de-prē′shi-āt, v.t. to lower the worth of: to undervalue: to disparage.—v.i. to fall in value.—n. ', the falling of value: disparagement.—adjs. ', ', tending to depreciate or lower.—n. '. [L. depretiāre, -ātum—de, down, and pretium, price.]

Depredate, dep′re-dāt, v.t. to plunder or prey upon: to rob: to lay waste: to devour.—ns. ', act of plundering: state of being depredated; '.—adj. . [L. deprædāri, -ātus—de, inten., and prædāri—præda, plunder.]

Deprehend, dep′re-hend, v.t. to catch, seize: to apprehend. [Through Fr. from L. deprehendĕre—de, and prehendĕre, to take.]

Depress, de-pres′, v.t. to press down: to let down: to lower: to humble: to make subject: to dispirit or cast a gloom over.—n. ' (med.), a sedative.—p.adj. ', pressed down: lowered: humbled: dejected: dispirited.—adj. ', able or tending to depress.—adv. '.—ns. ', a falling in or sinking: a lowering: a fall of the barometer: a hollow: abasement: dejection; ', an oppressor: a muscle that draws down: a surgical instrument for squeezing down a soft part. [L. deprimĕre, -pressum—de, down, and primĕre, to press.]

Deprive, de-prīv′, v.t. to take away from one his own: in take from: to dispossess: to degrade (a clergyman) from office: to bereave.—n. ', act of depriving: state of being deprived: degradation from office: loss: bereavement: suffering from hardship.—adj. '.—n. . [Low L. deprivāre, to degrade—L. de, from, and privāre, to deprive—privus, one's own.]

De profundis, dē prō-fun′dis, 'Out of the depths,' the first words of the 130th Psalm—also used as a name for this penitential psalm. [L.]

Depth, depth, n. deepness: the measure of deepness down or inwards: a deep place: the sea: the middle, as depth of winter: abstruseness: extent of sagacity and penetration.—adj. , having no depth.—Out of one's depth, in water where one cannot touch bottom: in water too deep for one's safety: beyond one's faculties.—The depths, the lowest pitch of humiliation and misery. [Not in A.S.; Skeat makes it Ice. dýpð, from djúpr, deep.]

Depurate, dep′ū-rāt, v.t. to purify: sometimes to render impure.—ns. '; '.—adj. . [Low L. depurāre, -ātum, to purify—L. de, and purāre, to purify—purus, pure.]

Depute, de-pūt′, v.t. to appoint or send, as a substitute or agent: to send with a special commission: to make over one's powers to another.—adj. in Scotland, appointed deputy (as in sheriff-depute—often called simply the depute).—n. ', act of deputing: the person or persons deputed or appointed to transact business for another: persons sent to state a case before a government official.—v.t. ', to appoint as deputy.—v.i. to act as such.—n. , one deputed or appointed to act for another: a delegate or representative, or substitute. [Fr.,—L. deputāre, to cut off, (late) to select.]

Deracinate, de-ras′i-nāt, v.t. to pluck up by the roots. [Fr. déraciner—L. de, and radix, radĭcis, a root.]

Derail, de-rāl′, v.t. to cause to leave the rails.—n. .

Derain, de-rān′, v.t. to prove: to justify: to win by fighting: to prepare for battle: to arrange in order of battle.—Also ', ', . [O. Fr. derainier, desraisnier—Late L. derationāre, to vindicate—L. de or dis, and rationāre, to discourse; ratio, reason.]

Derange, de-rānj′, v.t. to put out of place or order: to disorder.—p.adj. ', disordered: insane.—n. ', disorder; insanity. [Fr. déranger—dé (L. dis), asunder, and ranger, to rank.]

Deray, de-rā′, v.t. to derange.—v.i. to go wild.—n. tumult, disorder. [O. Fr. desreer—des, neg., and rei, roi, order. See Array.]

Derbend, der′bend, n. a wayside Turkish guardhouse.

Derby, där′bi, n. a great horse-race held annually on the Derby Day, on the Wednesday before Whitsuntide, on Epsom Downs, near London, so called from the Derby stakes, instituted by the Earl of Derby in 1780; a rounded felt hat with narrow brim.—ns. ', a form of the disease goitre, occurring in Derbyshire; ', a fluorspar found in Derbyshire.

Der-doing, der-dōō′ing, adj. (Spens.) doing daring deeds. [See Derring-doe.]

Derelict, der′e-likt, adj. forsaken: abandoned.—n. anything forsaken or abandoned.—n. , act of forsaking, unfaithfulness or remissness: state of being abandoned: land gained from the water by a change of water-line. [L. derelinquĕre, -lictum,—de, inten., and linquĕre, to leave.]

Dereligionise, dē-rē-lij′on-īz, v.t. to make irreligious.

Deride, de-rīd′, v.t. to laugh at: to mock.—n. '.—adj. '. [L. deridēre—de, inten., and ridēre, to laugh.]

Derision, de-rizh′un, n. act of deriding: mockery: a laughing-stock.—adjs. ', ', mocking.—adv. '.—n. '.

Derive, de-rīv′, v.t. to draw from, as water from a river; to take or receive from a source or origin: to infer: (ety.) to trace a word to its root.—adj. '.—adv. '.—adj. ', derived.—n. a derivative.—n. ', act of deriving: a drawing off or from: the tracing of a word to its original root: that which is derived: descent or evolution of man or animals.—adj. '.—n. '.—adj. ', derived or taken from something else: not radical or original.—n. that which is derived: a word formed from another word.—adv. '. [O. Fr. deriver—L. derivāre—de, down from, rivus, a river.]

Derm, dėrm, n. the skin—also ', '.—adjs. ', ', ', pertaining to the skin: consisting of skin.—n. ', anatomical description of the skin—also '.—adjs. ', of the form of skin: skin-like; '.—ns. '; ', the branch of physiology which treats of the skin; ', a parasitic fungus on the skin; ', the bony integument of many reptiles, insects, and crustaceans—also '.—adj. , connecting the skin and the stomach. [Gr. derma, dermatos, the skin—derein, to flay.]

Dern, dėrn, adj. secret: hidden: (Shak.) dreadful—also Dearn.—adjs. ', ', solitary: mournful.—advs. ', ', secretly: sorrowfully: grievously. [M. E. dern, dærne—A.S. dyrne, derne, secret.]

Derogate, der′o-gāt, v.i. to lessen by taking away: to detract.—adj. (Shak.) degenerate.—adv. ' (Shak.), in a derogatory manner.—n. ', a taking from: detraction: depreciation.—adv. '.—n. '.—adj. , detracting: injurious. [L. derogāre, -ātum, to repeal part of a law—de, down from, and rogāre, to propose a law.]

Derrick, der′ik, n. an apparatus for lifting weights, closely resembling a crane.—Floating derrick, a derrick mounted on a special boat: a beam supported at an angle between the perpendicular and horizontal, with tackle for raising heavy weights. [From Derrick, the name of a hangman in the early part of the 17th century.]

Derring-doe, der′ring-dōō, n. daring action. [M. E. dorryng-don, duryng-do, &c., as in Chaucer; taken over by Spenser in the spellings derring-doe and der-doing, with the noun derring-doer. Daring-do should be the modern English form.]

Derringer, der′in-jer, n. a short-rifled pistol, with one barrel—from the inventor, an American.

Derth, dėrth, n. (Spens.). Same as Dearth.

Dervish, dėr′vish, n. among Mohammedans, a member of one of the numerous orders of monks who profess poverty and lead an austere life. [Pers. darvísh, a dervish—lit., a poor man.]

Desart, des′art, n. an old form of Desert.

Descant, des′kant, n. the air in a four-part song: a discourse or disquisition under several heads.—v.i. , to discourse at length: to comment. [O. Fr. descant—L. dis, apart, and cantus, a song—cantāre, to sing.]

Descend, dē-send′, v.i. to climb down: to pass from a higher to a lower place or condition: to pass from general to particulars: to fall upon or invade: to be derived.—v.t. to go down upon: to go to the bottom of.—n. ', one who descends, as offspring from an ancestor.—adjs. ', descending or going down: proceeding from an ancestor; ', that may descend or be descended: capable of transmission by inheritance, heritable.—p.adj. '.—n. '.—adj. '.—n. , act of descending: transmission by succession: motion or progress downward: slope: a falling upon or invasion: derivation from an ancestor: a generation, a degree in genealogy: descendants collectively.—Descent from the cross, a picture representing Christ being taken down from the cross. [Fr. descendre—L. descendĕre—de, down, scandĕre, to climb.]

Describe, dē-skrīb′, v.t. to trace out or delineate: to give an account of.—adj. '.—n. '. [L. describĕre—de, down, and scribĕre, scriptum, to write.]

Description, de-skrip′shun, n. act of describing: an account of anything in words: definition: sort, class, or kind.—adj. ', containing description.—adv. '.—n. .

Descrive, de-skrīv′, v.t. an obsolete form of describe.

Descry, de-skrī′, v.t. to discover by the eye: to espy:—pr.p. pa.p. —n. discovery: (Shak.) a thing discovered. [O. Fr. descrire for descrivre—L. describĕre: a doublet of describe. Others derive the word from O. Fr. descrier, decryer, proclaim, announce—des-, de-, and crier, to cry, in which case it would be a doublet of decry.]

Desecrate, des′e-krāt, v.t. to divert from a sacred purpose: to profane.—ns. ', ', , act of desecrating: profanation. [L. desecrāre, -ātum—de, away from, and sacrāre, to make sacred—sacer, sacred.]

Desert, de-zėrt′, n. the reward or punishment deserved: claim to reward: merit—adj. , without merit. [See Deserve.]

Desert, de-zėrt′, v.t. to leave: to forsake.—v.i. to run away: to quit a service, as the army, without permission.—ns. ', one who deserts or quits a service without permission; ', act of deserting: state of being deserted: wilful abandonment of a legal or moral duty or obligation. [L. deserĕre, desertum—de, neg., and serĕre, to bind.]

Desert, dez′ėrt, adj. deserted: desolate: uninhabited: uncultivated: a desolate or barren place: a wilderness: a solitude. [O. Fr. desert—L. desertum, deserĕre, to desert, unbind.]

Deserve, de-zėrv′, v.t. to earn by service: to merit.—v.i. to be worthy of reward.—adj. ', worthy.—n. desert.—advs. ', , according to desert: justly. [Fr.,—L. deservīre—de, inten., servīre, to serve.]

Deshabille, des-a-bil′, n. an undress: a careless toilet. [Fr. déshabillé, undressed—des = L. dis = un, not, and habiller, to dress.]

Desiccate, de-sik′āt, or des′i-kāt, v.t. to dry up.—v.i. to grow dry.—adjs. ', ', drying: having the power of drying.—n. an application that tends to dry up sores.—n. , the act of desiccating: state of being desiccated. [L. desiccāre, -ātum, to dry up—de, and siccus, dry.]

Desiderate, de-sid′ėr-āt, v.t. to long for or earnestly desire a thing: to want or miss.—n. ', the act of desiderating: the thing desiderated.—adj. ', implying desire, as in desiderative verb.—n. ', something desired or much wanted:—pl. '. [L. desiderāre, -ātum, to long for. A doublet of desire.]

Desightment, dē-sīt′ment, n. disfigurement.

Design, de-zīn′, or de-sīn′, v.t. to draw: to form a plan of: to contrive: to intend.—n. a drawing or sketch: a plan in outline: a plan or scheme formed in the mind: plot: intention.—adj. '.—v.t. ', to mark out so as to make known: to show: to name.—ns. ', a showing or pointing out: name: title; '.—adv. ', by design: intentionally.—n. ', one who furnishes designs or patterns: a plotter.—adjs. ', full of design; ', artful: scheming: deceitful.—n. the art of making designs or patterns.—adj. '.—n. ', the design or sketch of a work: (Shak.) intention, purpose, enterprise.—The argument from design, the argument for the existence of God derived from the evidences of design in creation. [Fr.,—L. designāre, -ātum—de, and signum, a mark.]

Desilver, de-sil′vėr, v.t. to deprive of silver: to extract the silver from—also '.—n. '.

Desine, de-sīn′, v.t. (Spens.) to denote.

Desipience, de-sip′i-ens, n. (rare) silliness, nonsense.—adj. , foolish. [L. desipiens, desipĕre, to be foolish, de-, neg., sapĕre, to be wise.]

Desire, de-zīr′, v.t. to long for the possession of: to wish for: to request, ask: (B.) to regret.—v.i. to be in a state of desire.—n. an earnest longing for: eagerness to obtain: a prayer or request: the object desired: lust.—adj. ', worthy of desire: pleasing: agreeable.—ns. ', '.—adv. '.—adj. '.—n. '.—adj. ', full of desire: anxious to obtain: eager.—adv. '.—n. . [Fr. désirer—L. desiderāre. See Desiderate.]

Desist, de-sist′, v.i. to stop: to forbear.—ns. ', ', a desisting. [Fr.,—L. desistĕre—de, away, and sistĕre, to cause to stand.]

Desk, desk, n. a sloping table for the use of writers or readers, often fitted with drawers, &c.: a shut-up writing-box: a pulpit or lectern.—n. , work done at a desk, professional labours of a clerk or author. [M. E. deske—L. discus. It is a variant of dish and disc.]

Desman, des′man, n. a kind of musk-rat, found in Russia and the Pyrenees. [Sw. desman, musk; Ice. des, musk.]

Desmid, des′mid, n. one of a group of microscopic algæ. [Formed as a dim. of Gr. desmos, a chain.]

Desmine, des′min, n. a zeolitic mineral occurring in clusters. [Gr. desmos, a band.]

Desmodium, des-mō′di-um, n. a genus of leguminous plants to which the D. gyrans, or telegraph plant, belongs. [Gr. desmos, chain, eidos, form.]

Desmoid, des′moid, adj. arranged in bundles. [Gr. desmos, a chain, a bundle, and eidos, form.]

Desmology, des-mol′o-ji, n. the anatomy of the ligaments.—ns. ', the description of these; ', their dissection. [Gr. desmos, a ligament, and logia, a discourse.]

Desolate, des′o-lāt, v.t. to make solitary: to deprive of inhabitants: to lay waste.—adj. solitary: destitute of inhabitants: laid waste.—adv. '.—ns. '; ', '; ', waste: destruction: a place desolated.—adj. '. [L. desolāre, -ātum—de, inten., and solāre, to make alone—solus, alone.]

Despair, de-spār′, v.i. to be without hope: to despond.—n. want of hope: utter hopelessness: that which causes despair.—adj. ' (Spens.).—p.adj. ', apt to despair: full of despair.—adv. . [O. Fr. desperer—L. desperāre, -ātum—de, neg., and sperāre, to hope.]

Despatch, de-spach′, Dispatch, v.t. to send away hastily: to send out of the world: to put to death: to dispose of: to perform speedily.—v.i. (Shak.) to make haste.—n. a sending away in haste: dismissal: rapid performance: haste: the sending off of the mails: that which is despatched, as a message, esp. telegraphic.—ns. ', a government vessel for carrying despatches; ', a box for containing official despatches; '.—adv. ' (Milt.), swift.—Happy despatch, a playful name given to the Japanese hara-kiri or judicial suicide; Pneumatic despatch (see Pneumatic). [O. Fr. despeecher (mod. Fr. dépêcher); acc. to Littré, from an assumed Low L. despedicāre, to remove obstacles (pedica, a fetter), the opp. of impedicāre. See Impeach.]

Desperado, des-pėr-ā′dō, n. a desperate fellow: one reckless of danger: a madman:—pl. . [Sp. desesperado—L. desperātus.]

Desperate, des′pėr-āt, adj. in a state of despair: hopeless: beyond hope: fearless of danger: rash: furious.—adv. '.—ns. ', , state of despair: disregard of danger: fury. [See Despair.]

Despicable, des′pi-ka-bl, adj. deserving to be despised: contemptible: worthless.—ns. ', '.—adv. . [L. despicĕre, to despise.]

Despight, de-spīt′, an old form of despite.

Despise, de-spīz′, v.t. to look down upon with contempt: to scorn.—adj. '.—ns. ', contempt; ' (Milt.); '. [O. Fr. despiz, despire—L. despicĕre—de, down, specĕre, to look.]

Despite, de-spīt′, n. a looking down upon with contempt: violent malice or hatred.—prep. in spite of: notwithstanding.—adj. '.—adv. '.—n. '.—adj. ' (Spens.). [O. Fr. despit (mod. dépit)—L. despectus—despicĕre.]

Despoil, de-spoil′, v.t. to spoil completely: to strip: to bereave: to rob.—ns. '; ', . [O. Fr. despoiller (mod. dépouiller)—L. despoliāre—de, inten., and spolium, spoil.]

Despond, de-spond′, v.i. to lose hope or courage: to despair.—ns. ', ', state of being without hope: dejection.—adj. ', desponding: without courage or hope: sad.—advs. '; . [L. despondēre, to promise, to give up or devote to, to give up or resign, to lose courage, to despond—de, away, and spondēre, to promise.]

Despot, des′pot, n. one invested with absolute power: a tyrant.—n. ', a territory governed by a despot.—adjs. ', ', pertaining to or like a despot: having absolute power: tyrannical.—adv. '.—ns. ', ', absolute power: tyranny; , government by a despot. [O. Fr. despot—Low L. despotus—Gr. despotēs, a master.]

Despumate, de-spū′māt, or des′pū-māt, v.i. to throw off in foam or scum.—n. . [L. despumāre, -ātum—de, off, and spuma, foam.]

Desquamate, des′kwa-māt, v.i. to scale off.—n. ', a scaling off: the separation of the cuticle or skin in scales.—adjs. ', . [L. desquamāre, -ātum—de, off, and squama, a scale.]

Desse, des, n. (Spens.) a dais.

Dessert, dez-ėrt′, n. fruits, confections, &c., served at the close of an entertainment after the rest has been taken away.—ns. ', the dishes used for dessert; ', a spoon smaller than a table-spoon and larger than a tea-spoon, used not so much for dessert as for pudding. [O. Fr. dessert, desservir, to clear the table—des, away, and servir, to serve—L. servīre.]

Dessiatine, Dessyatine, des′ya-tin, n. a Russian measure of land, 2.7 English acres. [Russ. desyatina, a measure of land, a tenth; desyati, ten.]

Destemper. See Distemper (1).

Destine, des′tin, v.t. to ordain or appoint to a certain use or state: to fix: to doom—also ' (obs.).—ns. ', the purpose or end to which anything is destined or appointed: end: purpose: design: fate: place to which one is going; , the purpose or end to which any person or thing is destined or appointed: unavoidable fate: necessity. [Fr.,—L. destināre—de, inten., and root sta-, in stāre, to stand.]

Destitute, des′ti-tūt, adj. left alone: forsaken: in want, needy—v.t. to forsake: to deprive.—n. , the state of being destitute: deprivation of office: poverty. [L. destituĕre, -ūtum—de, away, and statuĕre, to place.]

Destroy, de-stroy′, v.i. to unbuild or pull down: to overturn: to ruin: to put an end to:—pr.p. —pa.p. —n. . [O. Fr. destruire (Fr. détruire)—L. destruĕre, destructum—de, down, and struĕre, to build.]

Destruction, de-struk′shun, n. act of destroying: overthrow: physical or moral ruin: death: a destructive plague.—adj. ', liable to be destroyed.—ns. ', '.—n. ', one engaged in destruction: one who believes in the final annihilation of the damned.—adj. ', causing destruction: mischievous: ruinous: deadly.—adv. '.—ns. '; ', a representative of destructive principles, as in Biblical criticism; , a destroyer: a furnace for burning up refuse.

Desudation, des-ū-dā′shun, n. a violent sweating: an eruption of small pimples on children. [L. desudāre, -ātum, de, inten., and sudāre, to sweat.]

Desuetude, des′we-tūd, n. disuse: discontinuance of custom, habit, or practice. [L. desuetudo—desuētum, desuescĕre—de, neg., and suescĕre, to become used.]

Desulphur, de-sul′fur, v.t. to free of sulphur: to take sulphur out of the ore—also ', '.—n. .

Desultory, des′ul-tor-i, adj. jumping from one thing to another: without rational or logical connection: rambling: hasty: loose.—adv. '.—n. '. [L. desultorius, of or pertaining to a vaulter, inconstant, desultor, a vaulter, desilīre, -sultum, to leap—de, from, and salīre, to jump.]

Detach, de-tach′, v.t. to unfasten: to take from or separate: to withdraw: to send off on special service.—v.i. to separate one's self.—adj. '.—p.adj. ', unconnected: separate: free from care, passion, ambition, and worldly bonds.—adv. '.—ns. '; , state of being separated: that which is detached, as a body of troops. [Fr. détacher—de, neg., and root of attach.]

Detail, de-tāl′, v.t. to relate minutely: to enumerate: to set apart for a particular service.—v.i. to give details about anything.—n. or  a small part: an item: a particular account.—adj. , giving full particulars: exhaustive.—In detail, circumstantially, point by point. [O. Fr. detailler—de, inten., and tailler, to cut. See Tailor.]

Detain, de-tān′, v.t. to hold from or back: to stop: to keep: to keep in custody.—ns. ', one who detains: (law) the holding of what belongs to another: a warrant to a sheriff to keep in custody a person already in confinement: ' (same as Detention). [O. Fr. detenir—L. detinēre—de, from, and tenēre, to hold.]

Detect, de-tekt′, v.t. (lit.) to uncover—hence to discover: to find out.—adjs. ', '.—ns. ', ', one who detects: an apparatus for detecting something, as a detector-lock, which shows if it has been tampered with; ', discovery of something hidden: state of being found out.—adj. ', employed in detecting.—n. a policeman employed in the investigation of special cases of crime, or in watching special classes of wrong-doers, usually not in uniform.—Private detective, one employed by a private person to gain information, or to watch his interests. [L. detectum, detegĕre—de, neg., and tegĕre, tectum, to cover.]

Detention, de-ten′shun, n. act of detaining: state of being detained: confinement: delay.—n. , something to check motion: a catch, esp. in a clock or watch. [See Detain.]

Deter, de-tėr′, v.t. to frighten from: to hinder or prevent:—pr.p. pa.p. —n. . [L. deterrēre—de, from, terrēre, to frighten.]

Deterge, de-tėrj′, v.t. to wipe off; to cleanse (as a wound).—ns. ', '.—adj. , cleansing: purging.—n. that which cleanses. [L. detergēre, detersum—de, off, and tergere, to wipe.]