D (continued 6)

3. To remove from a throne or other high station; to dethrone; to divest or deprive of office. A tyrant over his subjects, and therefore worthy to be deposed. Prynne.

4. To testify under oath; to bear testimony to; — now usually said of bearing testimony which is officially written down for future use. Abbott. To depose the yearly rent or valuation of lands. Bacon.

5. To put under oath. [Obs.] Depose him in the justice of his cause. Shak.

DEPOSE De*pose", v. i.

Defn: To bear witness; to testify under oath; to make deposition. Then, seeing't was he that made you to despose, Your oath, my lord, is vain and frivolous. Shak.

DEPOSER De*pos"er, n.

1. One who deposes or degrades from office.

2. One who testifies or deposes; a deponent.

DEPOSIT De*pos"it, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Depoited; p. pr. & vb. n. Depositing.] Etym: [L. depositus, p. p. of deponere. See Depone, and cf. Deposit, n.]

1. To lay down; to place; to put; to let fall or throw down (as sediment); as, a crocodile deposits her eggs in the sand; the waters deposited a rich alluvium. The fear is deposited in conscience. Jer. Taylor.

2. To lay up or away for safekeeping; to put up; to store; as, to deposit goods in a warehouse.

3. To lodge in some one's hands for sale keeping; to commit to the custody of another; to intrust; esp., to place in a bank, as a sum of money subject to order.

4. To lay aside; to rid one's self of. [Obs.] If what is written prove useful to you, to the depositing that which i can not deem an error. Hammond.

Note: Both this verb and the noun following written deposite.

DEPOSIT De*pos"it, n. Etym: [L. depositum, fr. depositus, p. p. of deponere: cf. F. dépôt, OF. depost. See Deposit, v. t., and cf. Depot.]

1. That is deposited, or laid or thrown down; as, a deposit in a flue; especially, matter precipitated from a solution (as the siliceous deposits of hot springs), or that which is mechanically deposited (as the mud, gravel, etc., deposits of a river). The deposit already formed affording to the succeeding portion of the charged fluid a basis. Kirwan.

2. (Mining)

Defn: A natural occurrence of a useful mineral under the conditions to invite exploitation. Raymond.

3. That which is placed anywhere, or in any one's hands, for safe keeping; somthing intrusted to the care of another; esp., money lodged with a bank or banker, subject to order; anything given as pledge or security.

4. (Law) (a) A bailment of money or goods to be kept gratuitously for the bailor. (b) Money lodged with a party as earnest or security for the performance of a duty assumed by the person depositing.

5. A place of deposit; a depository. [R.] Bank of deposit. See under Bank. — In deposit, or On deposit, in trust or safe keeping as a deposit; as, coins were recieved on deposit.

DEPOSITARY De*pos"i*ta*ry, n.; pl. Depositaries. Etym: [L. depositarius, fr. deponere. See Deposit.]

1. One with whom anything is lodged in the trust; one who receives a deposit; — the correlative of depositor. I . . . made you my guardians, my depositaries. Shak. The depositaries of power, who are mere delegates of the people.J.S. Mill.

2. A storehouse; a depository. Bp. Hurd.

3. (Law)

Defn: One to whom goods are bailed, to be kept for the bailor without a recompense. Kent.

DEPOSITION Dep`o*si"tion, n. Etym: [L. depositio, fr. deponere: cf. F. déposition. See Deposit.]

1. The act of depositing or deposing; the act of laying down or thrown down; precipitation. The deposition of rough sand and rolled pebbles. H. Miller.

2. The act of bringing before the mind; presentation. The influence of princes upon the dispositions of their courts needs not the deposition of their examples, since it hath the authority of a known principle. W. Montagu.

3. The act of setting aside a sovereign or a public officer; deprivation of authority and dignity; displacement; removal.

Note: A deposition differs from an abdication, an abdication being voluntary, and a deposition compulsory.

4. That which is deposited; matter laid or thrown down; sediment; alluvial matter; as, banks are sometimes depositions of alluvial matter.

5. An opinion, example, or statement, laid down or asserted; a declaration.

6. (Law)

Defn: The act of laying down one's testimony in writing; also, testimony laid or taken down in writting, under oath or affirmation, befor some competent officer, and in reply to interrogatories and cross-interrogatories.

Syn. — Deposition, Affidavit. Affidavit is the wider term. It denotes any authorized ex parte written statement of a person, sworn to or affirmed before some competent magistrate. It is made without cross- examination, and requires no notice to an opposing party. It is generally signed by the party making it, and may be drawn up by himself or any other person. A deposition is the written testimony of a witness, taken down in due form of law, and sworn to or affirmed by the deponent. It must be taken before some authorized magistrate, and upon a prescribed or reasonable notice to the opposing party, that may attend and cross-examine. It is generally written down from the mouth of the witness by the magistrate, or some person for him, and in his presence.

DEPOSITOR De*pos"i*tor, n. Etym: [L., fr. deponere. See Depone.]

Defn: One who makes a deposit, especially of money in bank; — the correlative of depository.

DEPOSITORY De*pos"i*to*ry, n.; pl. Depositories (.

1. A place where anything is deposited for sale or keeping; as, warehouse is a depository for goods; a clerk's office is a depository for records.

2. One with whom something is deposited; a depositary. I am the sole depository of my own secret, and it shall perish with me. Junius.

DEPOSITUM De*pos"i*tum, n. Etym: [L.]

Defn: Deposit.

DEPOSITURE De*pos"i*ture, n.

Defn: The act of depositing; deposition. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

DEPOT De"pot, n. Etym: [F. dépôt, OF. depost, fr. L. depositum a deposit. See Deposit, n.]

1. A place of deposit storing of goods; a warehouse; a storehouse. The islands of Guernsey and Jersey are at present the great depots of this kingdom. Brit Critic (1794).

2. (Mil.) (a) A military station where stores and provisions are kept, or where recruits are assembled and drilled. (b) (Eng. & France) The headquarters of a regiment, where all supplies are recieved and distributed, recruits are assembled and instructed, infirm or disabled soldiers are taken care of, and all the wants of the regiment are provided for.

3. A railway station; a building for the accommodation and protection of railway passenges or freight. [U. S.]

Syn. — See Station.

DEPPER Dep"per, a.

Defn: Deeper. [Obs.] Chaucer.

DEPRAVATION Dep`ra*va"tion, n. Etym: [L. depravitio, from depravare: cf. F. dépravation. See Deprave.]

1. Detraction; depreciation. [Obs.] To stubborn critics, apt, without a theme, For depravation. Shak.

2. The act of depraving, or making anything bad; the act of corrupting.

3. The state of being depraved or degenerated; degeneracy; depravity. The depravation of his moral character destroyed his judgment. Sir G. C. Lewis.

4. (Med.)

Defn: Change for the worse; deterioration; morbid perversion.

Syn. — Depravity; corruption. See Depravity.

DEPRAVE De*prave", n. t. [imp. & p. p. Depraved; p. pr. & vb. n. Depraving.] Etym: [L. depravare, depravatum; de- + pravus crooked, distorted, perverse, wicked.]

1. To speak ill of; to depreciate; to malign; to revile. [Obs.] And thou knowest, conscience, I came not to chide Nor deprave thy person with a proud heart. Piers Plowman.

2. To make bad or worse; to vitiate; to corrupt. Whose pride depraves each other better part. Spenser.

Syn. — To corrupt; vitiate; contaminate; pollute.

DEPRAVEDLY De*prav"ed*ly, adv.

Defn: In a depraved manner.

DEPRAVEDNESS De*prav"ed*ness, n.

Defn: Depravity. Hammond.

DEPRAVEMENT De*prave"ment, n.

Defn: Depravity. [Obs.] Milton.

DEPRAVER De*prav"er, n.

Defn: One who deprave or corrupts.

DEPRAVINGLY De*prav"ing*ly, adv.

Defn: In a depraving manner.

DEPRAVITY De*prav"i*ty, n. Etym: [From Deprave: cf. L. pravitas crookedness, perverseness.]

Defn: The stae of being depraved or corrupted; a vitiated state of moral character; general badness of character; wickedness of mind or heart; absence of religious feeling and principle. Total depravity. See Original sin, and Calvinism.

Syn. — Corruption; vitiation; wickedness; vice; contamination; degeneracy. — Depravity, Depravation, Corruption. Depravilty is a vitiated state of mind or feeling; as, the depravity of the human heart; depravity of public morals. Depravation points to the act or process of making depraved, and hence to the end thus reached; as, a gradual depravation of principle; a depravation of manners, of the heart, etc. Corruption is the only one of these words which applies to physical substances, and in reference to these denotes the process by which their component parts are dissolved. Hence, when figuratively used, it denotes an utter vitiation of principle or feeling. Depravity applies only to the mind and heart: we can speak of a depraved taste, or a corrupt taste; in the first we introduce the notion that there has been the influence of bad training to pervert; in the second, that there is a want of true principle to pervert; in the second, that there is a want of true principles to decide. The other two words have a wider use: we can speak of the depravation or the corruption of taste and public sentiment. Depravity is more or less open; corruption is more or less disguised in its operations. What is depraved requires to be reformed; what is corrupt requires to be purified.

DEPRECABLE Dep"re*ca*ble, a. Etym: [L. deprecabilis exorable.]

Defn: That may or should be deprecated. Paley.

DEPRECATE Dep"re*cate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deprecated; p. pr. & vb. n. Deprecating.] Etym: [L. deprecatus, p. p. of deprecari to avert by player, to deprecate; de- + precari to pray. See Pray.]

Defn: To pray against, as an evil; to seek to avert by player; to desire the removal of; to seek deliverance from; to express deep regret for; to disapprove of strongly. His purpose was deprecated by all round him, and he was with difficulty induced to adandon it. Sir W. Scott.

DEPRECATINGLY Dep"re*ca`tingly, adv.

Defn: In a deprecating manner.

DEPRECATION Dep`re*ca"tion, n. Etym: [L. deprecatio; cf. F. déprécation.]

1. The act of deprecating; a praying against evil; prayer that an evil may be removed or prevented; strong expression of disapprobation. Humble deprecation. Milton.

2. Entreaty for pardon; petitioning.

3. An imprecation or curse. [Obs.] Gilpin.

DEPRECATIVE Dep"re*ca*tive, a. Etym: [L. deprecativus: cf. F. déprécatif.]

Defn: Serving to deprecate; deprecatory. — Dep"re*ca*tive*ly, adv.

DEPRECATOR Dep"re*ca`tor, n. Etym: [L.]

Defn: One who deprecates.

DEPRECATORY Dep"re*ca*to*ry, a. Etym: [L. deprecatorius.]

Defn: Serving to deprecate; tending to remove or avert evil by prayer; apologetic. Humble and deprecatory letters. Bacon.

DEPRECIATE De*pre"ci*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Depreciated; p. pr. & vb. n. Depreciating.] Etym: [L. depretiatus, depreciatus, p. p. of depretiare, -ciare, to depreciate; de- + pretiare to prize, fr. pretium price. See Price.]

Defn: To lessen in price or estimated value; to lower the worth of; to represent as of little value or claim to esteem; to undervalue. Addison. Which . . . some over-severe phoilosophers may look upon fastidiously, or undervalue and depreciate. Cudworth. To prove that the Americans ought not to be free, we are obliged to depreciate the value of freedom itself. Burke.

Syn. — To decry; disparage; traduce; lower; detract; underrate. See Decry.

DEPRECIATE De*pre"ci*ate, v. i.

Defn: To fall in value; to become of less worth; to sink in estimation; as, a paper currency will depreciate, unless it is convertible into specie.

DEPRECIATION De*pre`ci*a"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. dépréciation.]

1. The act of lessening, or seeking to lessen, price, value, or reputation.

2. The falling of value; reduction of worth. Burke.

3. the state of being depreciated.

DEPRECIATIVE De*pre"ci*a`tive, a.

Defn: Tending, or intended, to depreciate; expressing depreciation; undervaluing. — De*pre"ci*a`tive*ly, adv.

DEPRECIATOR De*pre"ci*a`tor, n. Etym: [L.]

Defn: One who depreciates.

DEPRECIATORY De*pre"ci*a*to*ry, a.

Defn: Tending to depreciate; undervaluing; depreciative.

DEPREDABLE Dep"re*da*ble, a.

Defn: Liable to depredation. [Obs.] "Made less depredable." Bacon.

DEPREDATE Dep"re*date, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Depredated; p. pr. & vb. n. Depredating.] Etym: [L. depraedatus, p. p. of depraedari to plunder; de- + praedari to plunder, praeda plunder, prey. See Prey.]

Defn: To subject to plunder and pillage; to despoil; to lay waste; to prey upon. It makes the substance of the body . . . less apt to be consumed and depredated by the spirits. Bacon.

DEPREDATE Dep"re*date, v. i.

Defn: To take plunder or prey; to commit waste; as, the troops depredated on the country.

DEPREDATION Dep`re*da"tion, n. Etym: [L. depraedatio: cf. F. déprédation.]

Defn: The act of depredating, or the state of being depredated; the act of despoiling or making inroads; as, the sea often makes depredation on the land.

DEPREDATOR Dep"re*da`tor, n. Etym: [L. depraedator.]

Defn: One who plunders or pillages; a spoiler; a robber.

DEPREDATORY Dep"re*da`to*ry, a.

Defn: Tending or designed to depredate; characterized by depredation; plundering; as, a depredatory incursion.

DEPREDICATE De*pred"i*cate, v. t. Etym: [Pref. de- (intensive) + predicate.]

Defn: To proclaim; to celebrate. [R.]

DEPREHEND Dep`re*hend", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deprehended; p. pr. & vb. n. Deprehending.] Etym: [L. deprehendere, deprehensum; de- + prehendere to lay hold of, seize. See Prehensile.]

1. To take unwares or by surprise; to seize, as a person commiting an unlawful act; to catch; to apprehend. The deprehended adulteress.Jer. Taylor.

2. To detect; to discover; to find out. The motion . . . are to be deprehended by experience. Bacon.

DEPREHENSIBLE Dep`re*hen"si*ble, a.

Defn: That may be caught or discovered; apprehensible. [Obs.] Petty. — Dep`re*hen"si*ble*ness, n. [Obs.]

DEPREHENSION Dep`re*hen"sion, n. Etym: [L. deprehensio.]

Defn: A catching; discovery. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.

DEPRESS De*press", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Depressed; p. pr. & vb. n. Depressing.] Etym: [L. depressus, p. p. of deprimere; de- + premere to press. See Press.]

1. To press down; to cause to sink; to let fall; to lower; as, to depress the muzzle of a gun; to depress the eyes. "With lips depressed." Tennyson.

2. To bring down or humble; to abase, as pride.

3. To cast a gloom upon; to sadden; as, his spirits were depressed.

4. To lessen the activity of; to make dull; embarrass, as trade, commerce, etc.

5. To lessen in price; to cause to decline in value; to cheapen; to depreciate.

6. (Math.)

Defn: To reduce (an equation) in a lower degree. To depress the pole (Naut.), to cause the sidereal pole to appear lower or nearer the horizon, as by sailing toward the equator.

Syn. — To sink; lower; abase; cast down; deject; humble; degrade; dispirit; discourage.

DEPRESS De*press", a. Etym: [L. depressus, p. p.]

Defn: Having the middle lower than the border; concave. [Obs.] If the seal be depress or hollow. Hammond.

DEPRESSANT De*press"ant, n. (Med.)

Defn: An agent or remedy which lowers the vital powers.

DEPRESSED De*pressed", a.

1. Pressed or forced down; lowed; sunk; dejected; dispirited; sad; humbled.

2. (Bot.) (a) Concave on the upper side; — said of a leaf whose disk is lower than the border. (b) Lying flat; — said of a stem or leaf which lies close to the ground.

3. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Having the vertical diameter shorter than the horizontal or transverse; — said of the bodies of animals, or of parts of the bodies.

DEPRESSINGLY De*press"ing*ly, adv.

Defn: In a depressing manner.

DEPRESSION De*pres"sion, n. Etym: [L. depressio: cf. F. dépression.]

1. The act of depressing.

2. The state of being depressed; a sinking.

3. A falling in of the surface; a sinking below its true place; a cavity or hollow; as, roughness consists in little protuberances and depressions.

4. Humiliation; abasement, as of pride.

5. Dejection; despondency; lowness. In a great depression of spirit. Baker.

6. Diminution, as of trade, etc.; inactivity; dullness.

7. (Astron.)

Defn: The angular distance of a celestial object below the horizon.

8. (Math.)

Defn: The operation of reducing to a lower degree; — said of equations.

9. (Surg.)

Defn: A method of operating for cataract; couching. See Couch, v. t., 8. Angle of depression (Geod.), one which a descending line makes with a horizontal plane. — Depression of the dewpoint (Meteor.), the number of degreees that the dew-point is lower than the actual temperature of the atmosphere. — Depression of the pole, its apparent sinking, as the spectator goes toward the equator. — Depression of the visible horizon. (Astron.) Same as Dip of the horizon, under Dip.

Syn. — Abasement; reduction; sinking; fall; humiliation; dejection; melancholy.

DEPRESSIVE De*press"ive, a.

Defn: Able or tending to depress or cast down. — De*press"ive*ness, n.

DEPRESSOMOTOR De*pres`so*mo"tor, a. (Med.)

Defn: Depressing or diminishing the capacity for movement, as depressomotor nerves, which lower or inhibit muscular activity. — n.

Defn: Any agent that depresses the activity of the motor centers, as bromides, etc.

DEPRESSOR De*press"or, n.

1. One who, or that which, presses down; an oppressor.

2. (Anat.)

Defn: A muscle that depresses or tends to draw down a part. Depressor nerve (Physiol.), a nerve which lowers the activity of an organ; as, the depressor nerve of the heart.

DEPRIMENT Dep"ri*ment, a. Etym: [L. deprimens, p. pr. of deprimere. See Depress.]

Defn: Serving to depress. [R.] "Depriment muscles." Derham.

DEPRISURE De*pri"sure, n. Etym: [F. dépriser to undervalue; pref. dé- (L. dis-) + priser to prize, fr. prix price, fr. L. pretium. See Dispraise.]

Defn: Low estimation; disesteem; contempt. [Obs.]

DEPRIVABLE De*priv"a*ble, a.

Defn: Capable of being, or liable to be, deprived; liable to be deposed. Kings of Spain . . . deprivable for their tyrannies. Prynne.

DEPRIVATION Dep`ri*va"tion, n. Etym: [LL. deprivatio.]

1. The act of depriving, dispossessing, or bereaving; the act of deposing or divesting of some dignity.

2. The state of being deprived; privation; loss; want; bereavement.

3. (Eccl. Law)

Defn: the taking away from a clergyman his benefice, or other spiritual promotion or dignity.

Note: Deprivation may be a beneficio or ab officio; the first takes away the living, the last degrades and deposes from the order.

DEPRIVE De*prive", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deprived; p. pr. & vb. n. Depriving.] Etym: [LL. deprivare, deprivatium, to divest of office; L. de- + privare to bereave, deprive: cf. OF. depriver. See Private.]

1. To take away; to put an end; to destroy. [Obs.] 'Tis honor to deprive dishonored life. Shak.

2. To dispossess; to bereave; to divest; to hinder from possessing; to debar; to shut out from; — with a remoter object, usually preceded by of. God hath deprived her of wisdom. Job xxxix. 17. It was seldom that anger deprived him of power over himself. Macaulay.

3. To divest of office; to depose; to dispossess of dignity, especially ecclesiastical. A miniser deprived for inconformity. Bacon.

Syn. — To strip; despoil; rob; abridge.

DEPRIVEMENT De*prive"ment, n.

Defn: Deprivation. [R.]

DEPRIVER De*priv"er, n.

Defn: One who, or that which, deprives.

DEPROSTRATE De*pros"trate, a.

Defn: Fully prostrate; humble; low; rude. [Obs.] How may weak mortal ever hope to file His unsmooth tongue, and his deprostrate style. G. Fletcher.

DEPROVINCIALIZE De`pro*vin"cial*ize, v. t.

Defn: To divest of provincial quality or characteristics.

DEPTH Depth, n. Etym: [From Deep; akin to D. diepte, Icel. d, d, Goth. diupi.]

1. The quality of being deep; deepness; perpendicular measurement downward from the surface,or horizontal measurement backward from the front; as, the depth of a river; the depth of a body of troops.

2. Profoundness; extent or degree of intensity; abundance; completeness; as, depth of knowledge, or color. Mindful of that heavenly love Which knows no end in depth or height. Keble.

3. Lowness; as, depth of sound.

4. That which is deep; a deep, or the deepest, part or place; the deep; the middle part; as, the depth of night, or of winter. From you unclouded depth above. Keble. The depth closed me round about. Jonah ii. 5.

5. (Logic)

Defn: The number of simple elements which an abstract conception or notion includes; the comprehension or content.

6. (Horology)

Defn: A pair of toothed wheels which work together. [R.]

Depth of a sail (Naut.), the extent of a square sail from the head rope to the foot rope; the length of the after leach of a staysail or boom sail; — commonly called the drop of sail.

DEPTHEN Depth"en, v. t.

Defn: To deepen. [Obs.]

DEPTHLESS Depth"less, a.

1. Having no depth; shallow.

2. Of measureless depth; unfathomable. In clouds of depthless night. Francis.

DEPUCELATE De*pu"ce*late, v. t. Etym: [L. de + LL. pucella virgin, F. pucelle: cf. F. dépuceler.]

Defn: To deflour; to deprive of virginity. [Obs.] Bailey.

DEPUDICATE De*pu"di*cate, v. t. Etym: [L. depudicatus, p. p. of depudicare.]

Defn: To deflour; to dishonor. [Obs.]

DEPULSE De*pulse", v. t. Etym: [L. depulsus, p. p. of depellere to drive out; de- + pellere to drive.]

Defn: To drive away. [Obs.] Cockeram.

DEPULSION De*pul"sion, n. Etym: [L. depulsio.]

Defn: A driving or thrusting away. [R.] Speed.

DEPULSORY De*pul"so*ry, a. Etym: [L. depulsorius.]

Defn: Driving or thrusting away; averting. [R.] Holland.

DEPURANT Dep"u*rant, a. & n. (Med.)

Defn: Depurative.

DEPURATE Dep"u*rate, a. Etym: [LL. depuratus, p. p. of depurare to purify; L. de- + purare to purify, purus clean, pure. Cf. Depure.]

Defn: Depurated; cleansed; freed from impurities. Boyle.

DEPURATE Dep"u*rate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Depurated; p. pr. & vb. n. Depurating.]

Defn: To free from impurities, heterogeneous matter, or feculence; to purify; to cleanse. To depurate the mass of blood. Boyle.

DEPURATION Dep`u*ra"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. dépuration.]

Defn: The act or process of depurating or freeing from foreign or impure matter, as a liquid or wound.

DEPURATIVE Dep"u*ra*tive, a. Etym: [Cf. F. dépuratif.] (Med.)

Defn: Purifying the blood or the humors; depuratory. — n.

Defn: A depurative remedy or agent; or a disease which is believed to be depurative.

DEPURATOR Dep"u*ra`tor, n.

Defn: One who, or that which, cleanses.

DEPURATORY Dep"u*ra*to*ry, a. Etym: [Cf. F. dépuratoire.]

Defn: Depurating; tending to depurate or cleanse; depurative.

DEPURE De*pure", v. t. Etym: [F. dépurer. See Depurate.]

Defn: To depurate; to purify. [Obs.] He shall first be depured and cleansed before that he shall be laid up for pure gold in the treasures of God. Sir T. More.

DEPURGATORY De*pur"ga*to*ry, a.

Defn: Serving to purge; tending to cleanse or purify. [Obs.] Cotgrave.

DEPURITION Dep`u*ri"tion, n.

Defn: See Depuration.

DEPUTABLE Dep"u*ta*ble, a.

Defn: Fit to be deputed; suitable to act as a deputy. Carlyle.

DEPUTATION Dep`u*ta"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. députation. See Depute.]

1. The act of deputing, or of appointing or commissioning a deputy or representative; office of a deputy or delegate; vicegerency. The authority of conscience stands founded upon its vicegerency and deputation under God. South.

2. The person or persons deputed or commissioned by another person, party, or public body to act in his or its behalf; delegation; as, the general sent a deputation to the enemy to propose a truce. By deputation, or In deputation, by delegated authority; as substitute; through the medium of a deputy. [Obs.] Say to great Cæsar this: In deputation I kiss his conquering hand. Shak.

DEPUTATOR Dep"u*ta`tor, n.

Defn: One who deputes, or makes a deputation. [R.] Locke.

DEPUTE De*pute", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deputed; p. pr. & vb. n. Deputing.] Etym: [F. députer, fr. L. deputare to esteem, consider, in LL., to destine, allot; de- + putare to clean, prune, clear up, set in order, reckon, think. See Pure.]

1. To appoint as deputy or agent; to commission to act in one's place; to delegate. There is no man deputed of the king to hear thee. 2. Sam. xv. 3. Some persons, deputed by a meeting. Macaulay.

2. To appoint; to assign; to choose. [R.] The most conspicuous places in cities are usually deputed for the erection of statues. Barrow.

DEPUTE De*pute", n.

Defn: A person deputed; a deputy. [Scot.]

DEPUTIZE Dep"u*tize, v. t.

Defn: To appoint as one's deputy; to empower to act in one's stead; to depute.

DEPUTY Dep"u*ty, n.; pl. Deputies. Etym: [F. député, fr. LL. deputatus. See Depute.]

1. One appointed as the substitue of another, and empowered to act for him, in his name or his behalf; a substitute in office; a lieutenant; a representative; a delegate; a vicegerent; as, the deputy of a prince, of a sheriff, of a township, etc. There was then [in the days of Jehoshaphat] no king in Edom; a deputy was king. 1 Kings xxii. 47. God's substitute, His deputy anointed in His sight. Shak.

Note: Deputy is used in combination with the names of various executive officers, to denote an assistant empowered to act in their name; as, deputy collector, deputy marshal, deputy sheriff.

2. A member of the Chamber of Deputies. [France] Chamber of Deputies, one of the two branches of the French legilative assembly; — formerly called Corps Législatif. Its members, called deputies, are elected by the people voting in districts.

Syn. — Substitute; representative; legate; delegate; envoy; agent; factor.

DEQUANTITATE De*quan"ti*tate, v. t. Etym: [L. de- + quantatas, -atis. See Quantity.]

Defn: To diminish the quantity of; to disquantity. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

DEQUEEN De*queen", v. t. (Apiculture)

Defn: To remove the queen from (a hive of bees).

DERACINATE De*rac"i*nate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deracinated; p. pr. & vb. n. Deracinating.] Etym: [F. déraciner; pref. dé- (L. dis) + racine root, fr. an assumed LL. radicina, fr. L. radix, radicis, root.]

Defn: To pluck up by the roots; to extirpate. [R.] While that the colter rusts That should deracinate such savagery. Shak.

DERACINATION De*rac`i*na"tion, n.

Defn: The act of pulling up by the roots; eradication. [R.]

DERAIGN; DERAIN De*raign", De*rain", v. t. Etym: [See Darraign.] (Old Law)

Defn: To prove or to refute by proof; to clear (one's self). [Obs.]

DERAIGNMENT; DERAINMENT De*raign"ment, De*rain"ment, n. Etym: [See Darraign.]

1. The act of deraigning. [Obs.]

2. The renunciation of religious or monastic vows. [Obs.] Blount.

DERAIL De*rail", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Derailed; p. pr. & vb. n. Derailing.]

Defn: To cause to run off from the rails of a railroad, as a locomotive. Lardner.

DERAILMENT De*rail"ment, n.

Defn: The act of going off, or the state of being off, the rails of a railroad.

DERANGE De*range", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deranged; p. pr. & vb. n. Deranging.] Etym: [F. déranger; pref. dé- = dés- (L. dis) + ranger to range. See Range, and cf. Disarrange, Disrank.]

1. To put out of place, order, or rank; to disturb the proper arrangement or order of; to throw into disorder, confusion, or embarrassment; to disorder; to disarrange; as, to derange the plans of a commander, or the affairs of a nation.

2. To disturb in action or function, as a part or organ, or the whole of a machine or organism. A sudden fall deranges some of our internal parts. Blair.

3. To disturb in the orderly or normal action of the intellect; to render insane.

Syn. — To disorder; disarrange; displace; unsettle; disturb; confuse; discompose; ruffle; disconcert.

DERANGED De*ranged", a.

Defn: Disordered; especially, disordered in mind; crazy; insane. The story of a poor deranged parish lad. Lamb.

DERANGEMENT De*range"ment, n. Etym: [Cf. F. dérangement.]

Defn: The act of deranging or putting out of order, or the state of being deranged; disarrangement; disorder; confusion; especially, mental disorder; insanity.

Syn. — Disorder; confusion; embarrassment; irregularity; disturbance; insanity; lunacy; madness; delirium; mania. See Insanity.

DERANGER De*ran"ger, n.

Defn: One who deranges.

DERAY De*ray", n. Etym: [OF. derroi, desroi, desrei; pref. des- (L. dis-) + roi, rei, rai, order. See Array.]

Defn: Disorder; merriment. [Obs.]

DERBIO Der"bi*o, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A large European food fish (Lichia glauca).

DERBY Der"by (; usually in Eng.; 85), n.

1. A race for three-old horses, run annually at Epsom (near London), for the Derby stakes. It was instituted by the 12th Earl of Derby, in 1780. Derby Day, the day of the annual race for the Derby stakes, — Wednesday of the week before Whitsuntide.

2. A stiff felt hat with a dome-shaped crown.

DERBYSHIRE SPAR Der"by*shire spar". (Min.)

Defn: A massive variety of fluor spar, found in Derbyshire, England, and wrought into vases and other ornamental work.

DERDOING Der*do"ing, a. Etym: [See Dere, v. t.]

Defn: Doing daring or chivalrous deeds. [Obs.] "In derdoing arms." Spenser.

DERE Dere, v. t. Etym: [AS. derian to hurt.]

Defn: To hurt; to harm; to injure. [Obs.] Chaucer.

DERE Dere, n.

Defn: Harm. [Obs.] Robert of Brunne.

DERECHO De*re"cho, n. [Sp. derecho straight.]

Defn: A straight wind without apparent cyclonic tendency, usually accompanied with rain and often destructive, common in the prairie regions of the United States.

DEREINE; DEREYNE De*reine, De*reyne", v. t.

Defn: Same as Darraign. [Obs.] Chaucer.

DERELICT Der"e*lict, a. Etym: [L. derelictus, p. p. of derelinquere to forsake wholly, to abandon; de- + relinquere to leave. See Relinquish.]

1. Given up or forsaken by the natural owner or guardian; left and abandoned; as, derelict lands. The affections which these exposed or derelict children bear to their mothers, have no grounds of nature or assiduity but civility and opinion. Jer. Taylor.

2. Lost; adrift; hence, wanting; careless; neglectful; unfaithful. They easily prevailed, so as to seize upon the vacant, unoccupied, and derelict minds of his [Chatham's] friends; and instantly they turned the vessel wholly out of the course of his policy. Burke. A government which is either unable or unwilling to redress such wrongs is derelict to its highest duties. J. Buchanan.

DERELICT Der"e*lict, n. (Law) (a) A thing voluntary abandoned or willfully cast away by its proper owner, especially a ship abandoned at sea. (b) A tract of land left dry by the sea, and fit for cultivation or use.

DERELICTION Der`e*lic"tion, n. Etym: [L. derelictio.]

1. The act of leaving with an intention not to reclaim or resume; an utter forsaking abandonment. Cession or dereliction, actual or tacit, of other powers. Burke.

2. A neglect or omission as if by willful abandonment. A total dereliction of military duties. Sir W. Scott.

3. The state of being left or abandoned.

4. (Law)

Defn: A retiring of the sea, occasioning a change of high-water mark, whereby land is gained.

DERELIGIONIZE De`re*li"gion*ize, v. t.

Defn: To make irreligious; to turn from religion. [R.] He would dereligionize men beyond all others. De Quincey.

DERELING Dere"ling, n.

Defn: Darling. [Obs.] Chaucer.

DERELING Dere"ling, n.

Defn: Darling. [Obs.] Chaucer.

DERF Derf, a. Etym: [Icel. djafr.]

Defn: Strong; powerful; fierce. [Obs.] — Derf"ly, adv. [Obs.]

DERIDE De*ride", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Derided; p. pr. & vb. n. Deriding.] Etym: [L. deridere, derisum; de- + rid to laugh. See Ridicule.]

Defn: To laugh at with contempt; to laugh to scorn; to turn to ridicule or make sport of; to mock; to scoff at. And the Pharisees, also, . . . derided him. Luke xvi. 14. Sport that wrinkled Care derides. And Laughter holding both his sides. Milton.

Syn. — To mock; laugh at; ridicule; insult; taunt; jeer; banter; rally. — To Deride, Ridicule, Mock, Taunt. A man may ridicule without any unkindness of feeling; his object may be to correct; as, to ridicule the follies of the age. He who derides is actuated by a severe a contemptuous spirit; as, to deride one for his religious principles. To mock is stronger, and denotes open and scornful derision; as, to mock at sin. To taunt is to reproach with the keenest insult; as, to taunt one for his misfortunes. Ridicule consists more in words than in actions; derision and mockery evince themselves in actions as well as words; taunts are always expressed in words of extreme bitterness.

DERIDER De*rid"er, n.

Defn: One who derides, or laughs at, another in contempt; a mocker; a scoffer.

DERIDINGLY De*rid"ing*ly, adv.

Defn: By way of derision or mockery.

DE RIGUEUR De ri`gueur". [F. See 2d Rigor.]

Defn: According to strictness (of etiquette, rule, or the like); obligatory; strictly required.

DERISION De*ri"sion, n. Etym: [L. derisio: cf. F. dérision. See Deride.]

1. The act of deriding, or the state of being derided; mockery; scornful or contemptuous treatment which holds one up to ridicule. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall have them in derision. Ps. ii. 4. Saderision called. Milton.

2. An object of derision or scorn; a laughing-stock. I was a derision to all my people. Lam. iii. 14.

Syn. — Scorn; mockery; contempt; insult; ridicule.

DERISIVE De*ri"sive, a.

Defn: Expressing, serving for, or characterized by, derision. "Derisive taunts." Pope. — De*ri"sive*ly, adv. — De*ri"sive*ness, n.

DERISORY De*ri"so*ry, a. Etym: [L. derisorius: cf. F. dérisoire.]

Defn: Derisive; mocking. Shaftesbury.

DERIVABLE De*riv"a*ble, a. Etym: [From Derive.]

Defn: That can be derived; obtainable by transmission; capable of being known by inference, as from premises or data; capable of being traced, as from a radical; as, income is derivable from various sources. All honor derivable upon me. South. The exquisite pleasure derivable from the true and beautiful relations of domestic life. H. G. Bell. The argument derivable from the doxologies. J. H. Newman.

DERIVABLY De*riv"a*bly, adv.

Defn: By derivation.

DERIVAL De*riv"al, n.

Defn: Derivation. [R.] The derival of e from a. Earle.

DERIVATE Der"i*vate, a. Etym: [L. derivatus, p. p. of derivare. See Derive.]

Defn: Derived; derivative. [R.] H. Taylor. — n.

Defn: A thing derived; a derivative. [R.]

DERIVATE Der"i*vate, v. t.

Defn: To derive. [Obs.] Huloet.

DERIVATION Der`i*va"tion, n. Etym: [L. derivatio: cf. F. dérivation. See Derive.]

1. A leading or drawing off of water from a stream or source. [Obs.] T. Burnet.

2. The act of receiving anything from a source; the act of procuring an effect from a cause, means, or condition, as profits from capital, conclusions or opinions from evidence. As touching traditional communication, . . . I do not doubt but many of those truths have had the help of that derivation. Sir M. Hale.

3. The act of tracing origin or descent, as in grammar or genealogy; as, the derivation of a word from an Aryan root.

4. The state or method of being derived; the relation of origin when established or asserted.

5. That from which a thing is derived.

6. That which is derived; a derivative; a deduction. From the Euphrates into an artificial derivation of that river. Gibbon.

7. (Math.)

Defn: The operation of deducing one function from another according to some fixed law, called the law of derivation, as the of differentiation or of integration.

8. (Med.)

Defn: A drawing of humors or fluids from one part of the body to another, to relieve or lessen a morbid process.

DERIVATIONAL Der`i*va"tion*al, a.

Defn: Relating to derivation. Earle.

DERIVATIVE De*riv"a*tive, a. Etym: [L. derivativus: cf. F. dérivatif.]

Defn: Obtained by derivation; derived; not radical, original, or fundamental; originating, deduced, or formed from something else; secondary; as, a derivative conveyance; a derivative word. Derivative circulation, a modification of the circulation found in some parts of the body, in which the arteries empty directly into the veins without the interposition of capillaries. Flint. — De*riv"a*tive*ly, adv. — De*riv"a*tive*ness, n.

DERIVATIVE De*riv"a*tive, n.

1. That which is derived; anything obtained or deduced from another.

2. (Gram.)

Defn: A word formed from another word, by a prefix or suffix, an internal modification, or some other change; a word which takes its origin from a root.

3. (Mus.)

Defn: A chord, not fundamental, but obtained from another by inversion; or, vice versa, a ground tone or root implied in its harmonics in an actual chord.

4. (Med.)

Defn: An agent which is adapted to produce a derivation (in the medical sense).

5. (Math.)

Defn: A derived function; a function obtained from a given function by a certain algebraic process.

Note: Except in the mode of derivation the derivative is the same as the differential coefficient. See Differential coefficient, under Differential.

6. (Chem.)

Defn: A substance so related to another substance by modification or partial substitution as to be regarded as derived from it; thus, the amido compounds are derivatives of ammonia, and the hydrocarbons are derivatives of methane, benzene, etc.

DERIVE De*rive", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Derived; p. pr. & vb. n. Deriving.] Etym: [F. dériver, L. derivare; de- + rivus stream, brook. See Rival.]

1. To turn the course of, as water; to divert and distribute into subordinate channels; to diffuse; to communicate; to transmit; — followed by to, into, on, upon. [Obs.] For fear it [water] choke up the pits . . . they [the workman] derive it by other drains. Holland. Her due loves derived to that vile witch's share. Spenser. Derived to us by tradition from Adam to Noah. Jer. Taylor.

2. To receive, as from a source or origin; to obtain by descent or by transmission; to draw; to deduce; — followed by from.

3. To trace the origin, descent, or derivation of; to recognize transmission of; as, he derives this word from the Anglo-Saxon. From these two causes . . . an ancient set of physicians derived all diseases. Arbuthnot.

4. (Chem.)

Defn: To obtain one substance from another by actual or theoretical substitution; as, to derive an organic acid from its corresponding hydrocarbon.

Syn. — To trace; deduce; infer.

DERIVE De*rive", v. i.

Defn: To flow; to have origin; to descend; to proceed; to be deduced. Shak. Power from heaven Derives, and monarchs rule by gods appointed. Prior.

DERIVEMENT De*rive"ment, n.

Defn: That which is derived; deduction; inference. [Obs.] I offer these derivements from these subjects. W. Montagu.

DERIVER De*riv"er, n.

Defn: One who derives.

DERK Derk, a.

Defn: Dark. [Obs.] Chaucer.

-DERM -derm. Etym: [See Derm, n.]

Defn: A suffix or terminal formative, much used in anatomical terms, and signifying skin, integument, covering; as, blastoderm, ectoderm, etc.

DERM Derm, n. Etym: [Gr. derme. See Tear, v. t.]

1. The integument of animal; the skin.

2. (Anat.)

Defn: See Dermis.

DERMA Der"ma, n. Etym: [NL. See Derm.] (Anat.)

Defn: See Dermis.

DERMAL Derm"al, a. Etym: [From Derm.]

1. Pertaining to the integument or skin of animals; dermic; as, the dermal secretions.

2. (Anat.)

Defn: Pertaining to the dermis or true skin.

DERMAPTERA; DERMAPTERAN Der*map"te*ra, Der*map"ter*an (, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: See Dermoptera, Dermopteran.

DERMATIC; DERMATINE Der*mat"ic, Der"ma*tine, a. Etym: [Gr.

Defn: Of or pertaining to the skin.

DERMATITIS Der`ma*ti"tis, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. -itis.] (Med.)

Defn: Inflammation of the skin.

DERMATOGEN Der*mat"o*gen, n. Etym: [Gr. -gen.] (Bot.)

Defn: Nascent epidermis, or external cuticle of plants in a forming condition.

DERMATOGEN Der*mat"o*gen, n. Etym: [Gr. -gen.] (Bot.)

Defn: Nascent epidermis, or external cuticle of plants in a forming condition.

DERMATOGRAPHY Der*ma*tog"ra*phy, n. Etym: [Gr. -graphy.]

Defn: An anatomical description of, or treatise on, the skin.

DERMATOID Der"ma*toid, a. Etym: [Gr. -oid: cf. F. dermatoïde. Cf. Dermoid.]

Defn: Resembling

DERMATOLOGIST Der`ma*tol"o*gist, n.

Defn: One who discourses on the skin and its diseases; one versed in dermatology.

DERMATOLOGY Der`ma*tol"o*gy, n. Etym: [Gr. -logy: cf. F. dermatologie.]

Defn: The science which treats of the skin, its structure, functions, and diseases.

DERMATOPATHIC Der`ma*to*path"ic, a. Etym: [Gr. (Med.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to skin diseases, or their cure.

DERMATOPHYTE Der*mat"o*phyte, n. Etym: [Gr. (Med.)

Defn: A vegetable parasite, infesting the skin.

DERMESTES Der*mes"tes, n. Etym: [NL., from Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A genus of coleopterous insects, the larvæ of which feed animal substances. They are very destructive to dries meats, skins, woolens, and furs. The most common species is D. lardarius, known as the bacon beetle.

DERMESTOID Der*mes"toid, a. Etym: [Dermestes + -oid.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Pertaining to or resembling the genus Dermestes. The carpet beetle, called the buffalo moth, is a dermestoid beetle. Pop. Sci. Monthly.

DERMIC Der"mic, a.

1. Relating to the derm or skin.

2. (Anat.)

Defn: Pertaining to the dermis; dermal. Underneath each nail the deep or dermic layer of the integument is peculiarly modified. Huxley. Dermic remedies (Med.), such as act through the skin.

DERMIS Der"mis, n. Etym: [NL. See Derm.] (Anat.)

Defn: The deep sensitive layer of the skin beneath the scarfskin or epidermis; — called also true skin, derm, derma, corium, cutis, and enderon. See Skin, and Illust. in Appendix.

DERMOBRANCHIATA Der`mo*bran`chi*a"ta, n. pl. Etym: [NL.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A group of nudibranch mollusks without special gills.

DERMOBRANCHIATE Der`mo*bran"chi*ate, a. Etym: [Derm + branchiate.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Having the skin modified to serve as a gill.

DERMOHAEMAL Der`mo*hæ"mal, a. (Anat.)

Defn: Pertaining to, or in relation with, both dermal and hæmal structures; as, the dermohæmal spines or ventral fin rays of fishes.

DERMOID Der"moid, a. Etym: [Derm + -oid: cf. F. dermoïde.]

Defn: Same as Dermatoid. Dermoid cyst (Med.), a cyst containing skin, or structures connected with skin, such as hair.

DERMONEURAL Der`mo*neu"ral, a. (Anat.)

Defn: Pertaining to, or in relation with, both dermal and neural structures; as, the dermoneural spines or dorsal fin rays of fishes. Owen.

DERMOPATHIC Der`mo*path"ic, a. (Med.)

Defn: Dermatopathic.

DERMOPHYTE Der"mo*phyte, n.

Defn: A dermatophyte.

DERMOPTERA Der*mop"te*ra, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr.

1. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The division of insects which includes the earwigs (Forticulidæ).

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A group of lemuroid mammals having a parachutelike web of skin between the fore and hind legs, of which the colugo (Galeopithecus) is the type. See Colugo.

3. (Zoöl.)

Defn: An order of Mammalia; the Cheiroptera. [Written also Dermaptera, and Dermatoptera.]

DERMOPTERAN Der*mop"ter*an, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: An insect which has the anterior pair of wings coriaceous, and does not use them in flight, as the earwig.

DERMOPTERI Der*mop"te*ri, n. pl. Etym: [NL.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Same as Dermopterygii.

DERMOPTERYGII Der*mop`te*ryg"i*i, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A group of fishlike animals including the Marsipobranchiata and Leptocardia.

DERMOSKELETON Der`mo*skel"e*ton, n. Etym: [Derm + skeleton.] (Anat.)

Defn: See Exoskeleton.

DERMOSTOSIS Der`mos*to"sis, n. Etym: [NL., from Gr. (Physiol.)

Defn: Ossification of the dermis.

DERN Dern, n. Etym: [Etymol. uncertain.]

Defn: A gatepost or doorpost. [Local Eng.] C. Kingsley.

DERN Dern, a. Etym: [See Dearn, a.]

1. Hidden; concealed; secret. [Obs.] "Ye must be full dern." Chaucer.

2. Solitary; sad. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.

DERNE Derne, v. t. & i. Etym: [AS. dyrnan to hide. See Dern, a., Dearn, a.]

Defn: To hide; to skulk. [Scot.] He at length escaped them by derning himself in a foxearth. H. Miller.

DERNFUL Dern"ful, a.

Defn: Secret; hence, lonely; sad; mournful. [Obs.] "Dernful noise." Spenser.

DERNIER Der`nier", a. Etym: [F., from OF. darrein, derrain. See Darrein.]

Defn: Last; final. Dernier ressort ( Etym: [F.], last resort or expedient.

DERNLY Dern"ly, adv.

Defn: Secretly; grievously; mournfully. [Obs.] Spenser.

DEROGANT Der"o*gant, a. Etym: [L. derogans, p. pr.]

Defn: Derogatory. [R.] T. Adams.

DEROGATE Der"o*gate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Derogated; p. pr. & vb. n. Derogating.] Etym: [L. derogatus, p. p. of derogare to derogate; de- + rogare to ask, to ask the people about a law. See Rogation.]

1. To annul in part; to repeal partly; to restrict; to limit the action of; — said of a law. By several contrary customs, . . . many of the civil and canon laws are controlled and derogated. Sir M. Hale.

2. To lessen; to detract from; to disparage; to depreciate; — said of a person or thing. [R.] Anything . . . that should derogate, minish, or hurt his glory and his name. Sir T. More.

DEROGATE Der"o*gate, v. i.

1. To take away; to detract; to withdraw; — usually with from. If we did derogate from them whom their industry hath made great. Hooker. It derogates little from his fortitude, while it adds infinitely to the honor of his humanity. Burke.

2. To act beneath one-s rank, place, birth, or character; to degenerate. [R.] You are a fool granted; therefore your issues, being foolish, do not derogate. Shak. Would Charles X. derogate from his ancestors Would he be the degenerate scion of that royal line Hazlitt.

DEROGATE Der"o*gate, n. Etym: [L. derogatus, p. p.]

Defn: Diminished in value; dishonored; degraded. [R.] Shak.

DEROGATELY Der"o*gate*ly, adv.

Defn: In a derogatory manner.

DEROGATION Der`o*ga"tion, n. Etym: [L. derogatio: cf. F. dérogation.]

1. The act of derogating, partly repealing, or lessening in value; disparagement; detraction; depreciation; — followed by of, from, or to. I hope it is no derogation to the Christian religion. Locke. He counted it no derogation of his manhood to be seen to weep. F. W. Robertson.

2. (Stock Exch.)

Defn: An alteration of, or subtraction from, a contract for a sale of stocks.

DEROGATIVE De*rog"a*tive, a.

Defn: Derogatory. — De*rog"a*tive*ly, adv. [R.] Sir T. Browne.

DEROGATOR Der"o*ga`tor, n. Etym: [L.]

Defn: A detractor.

DEROGATORILY De*rog"a*to*ri*ly, adv.

Defn: In a derogatory manner; disparagingly. Aubrey.

DEROGATORINESS De*rog"a*to*ri*ness, n.

Defn: Quality of being derogatory.

DEROGATORY De*rog"a*to*ry, a.

Defn: Tending to derogate, or lessen in value; expressing derogation; detracting; injurious; — with from to, or unto. Acts of Parliament derogatory from the power of subsequent Parliaments bind not. Blackstone. His language was severely censured by some of his brother peers as derogatory to their other. Macaulay. Derogatory clause in a testament (Law), a sentence of secret character inserted by the testator alone, of which he reserves the knowledge to himself, with a condition that no will he may make thereafter shall be valid, unless this clause is inserted word for word; — a precaution to guard against later wills extorted by violence, or obtained by suggestion.

DEROTREMATA Der`o*tre"ma*ta, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The tribe of aquatic Amphibia which includes Amphiuma, Menopoma, etc. They have permanent gill openings, but no external gills; — called also Cryptobranchiata. [Written also Derotrema.]

DERRE Der"re, a.

Defn: Dearer. [Obs.] Chaucer.

DERRICK Der"rick, n. Etym: [Orig., a gallows, from a hangman named Derrick. The name is of Dutch origin; D. Diederik, Dierryk, prop. meaning, chief of the people; cf. AS. peódric, E. Theodoric, G. Dietrich. See Dutch, and Rich.]

Defn: A mast, spar, or tall frame, supported at the top by stays or guys, with suitable tackle for hoisting heavy weights, as stones in building. Derrick crane, a combination of the derrick and the crane, having facility for hoisting and also for swinging the load horizontally.

DERRING Der"ring, a.

Defn: Daring or warlike. [Obs.] Drad for his derring doe and bloody deed. Spenser.

DERRINGER Der"rin*ger, n. Etym: [From the American inventor.]

Defn: A kind of short-barreled pocket pistol, of very large caliber, often carrying a half-ounce ball.

DERTH Derth, n.

Defn: Dearth; scarcity. [Obs.] Spenser.

DERTROTHECA Der`tro*the"ca, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The horny covering of the end of the bill of birds.

DERVISH; DERVISE; DERVIS Der"vish, Der"vise, Der"vis, n. Etym: [Per. derw, fr. OPer. derew to beg, ask alms: cf. F. derviche.]

Defn: A Turkish or Persian monk, especially one who professes extreme poverty and leads an austere life.

DERWORTH Der"worth, a. Etym: [AS. deórwurpe, lit., dearworth.]

Defn: Precious. [Obs.] Piers Plowman.

DESCANT Des"cant, n. Etym: [OF. descant, deschant, F. déchant, discant, LL. discantus, fr. L. dis + cantus singing, melody, fr. canere to sing. See Chant, and cf. Descant, v. i., Discant.]

1. (Mus.) (a) Originally, a double song; a melody or counterpoint sung above the plain song of the tenor; a variation of an air; a variation by ornament of the main subject or plain song. (b) The upper voice in part music. (c) The canto, cantus, or soprano voice; the treble. Grove. Twenty doctors expound one text twenty ways, as children make descant upon plain song. Tyndale. She [the nightingale] all night long her amorous descant sung. Milton.

Note: The term has also been used synonymously with counterpoint, or polyphony, which developed out of the French déchant, of the 12th century.

2. A discourse formed on its theme, like variations on a musical air; a comment or comments. Upon that simplest of themes how magnificent a descant! De Quincey.

DESCANT Des*cant", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Descanted; p. pr. & vb. n. Descanting.] Etym: [From descant; n.; or directly fr. OF. descanter, deschanter; L. dis- + cantare to sing.]

1. To sing a variation or accomplishment.

2. To comment freely; to discourse with fullness and particularity; to discourse at large. A virtuous man should be pleased to find people descanting on his actions. Addison.

DESCANTER Des*cant"er, n.

Defn: One who descants.

DESCEND De*scend", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Descended; p. pr. & vb. n. Descending.] Etym: [F. descendre, L. descendere, descensum; de- + scandere to climb. See Scan.]

1. To pass from a higher to a lower place; to move downwards; to come or go down in any way, as by falling, flowing, walking, etc.; to plunge; to fall; to incline downward; — the opposite of ascend. The rain descended, and the floods came. Matt. vii. 25. We will here descend to matters of later date. Fuller.

2. To enter mentally; to retire. [Poetic] [He] with holiest meditations fed, Into himself descended. Milton.

3. To make an attack, or incursion, as if from a vantage ground; to come suddenly and with violence; — with on or upon. And on the suitors let thy wrath descend. Pope.

4. To come down to a lower, less fortunate, humbler, less virtuous, or worse, state or station; to lower or abase one's self; as, he descended from his high estate.

5. To pass from the more general or important to the particular or less important matters to be considered.

6. To come down, as from a source, original, or stock; to be derived; to proceed by generation or by transmission; to fall or pass by inheritance; as, the beggar may descend from a prince; a crown descends to the heir.

7. (Anat.)

Defn: To move toward the south, or to the southward.

8. (Mus.)

Defn: To fall in pitch; to pass from a higher to a lower tone.

DESCEND De*scend", v. t.

Defn: To go down upon or along; to pass from a higher to a lower part of; as, they descended the river in boats; to descend a ladder. But never tears his cheek descended. Byron.

DESCENDANT De*scend"ant, a. Etym: [F. descendant, p. pr. of descendre. Cf. Descendent.]

Defn: Descendent.

DESCENDANT De*scend"ant, n.

Defn: One who descends, as offspring, however remotely; — correlative to ancestor or ascendant. Our first parents and their descendants. Hale. The descendant of so many kings and emperors. Burke.

DESCENDENT De*scend"ent, a. Etym: [L. descendens, -entis, p. pr. of descendre. Cf. Descendant.]

Defn: Descending; falling; proceeding from an ancestor or source. More than mortal grace Speaks thee descendent of ethereal race. Pope.

DESCENDER De*scend"er, n.

Defn: One who descends.

DESCENDIBILITY De*scend`i*bil"i*ty, n.

Defn: The quality of being descendible; capability of being transmitted from ancestors; as, the descendibility of an estate.

DESCENDIBLE De*scend"i*ble, a.

1. Admitting descent; capable of being descended.

2. That may descend from an ancestor to an heir. "A descendant estate." Sir W. Jones.

DESCENDING De*scend"ing, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to descent; moving downwards. Descending constellations or signs (Astron.), those through which the planets descent toward the south. — Descending node (Astron.), that point in a planet's orbit where it intersects the ecliptic in passing southward. — Descending series (Math.), a series in which each term is numerically smaller than the preceding one; also, a series arranged according to descending powers of a quantity.

DESCENDINGLY De*scend"ing*ly, adv.

Defn: In a descending manner.

DESCENSION De*scen"sion, n. Etym: [OF. descension, L. descensio. See Descent.]

Defn: The act of going downward; descent; falling or sinking; declension; degradation. Oblique descension (Astron.), the degree or arc of the equator which descends, with a celestial object, below the horizon of an oblique sphere. — Right descension, the degree or arc of the equator which descends below the horizon of a right sphere at the same time with the object. [Obs.]

DESCENSIONAL De*scen"sion*al, a.

Defn: Pertaining to descension. Johnson.

DESCENSIVE De*scen"sive, a.

Defn: Tending to descend; tending downwards; descending. Smart.

DESCENSORY De*scen"so*ry, n. Etym: [NL. descensorium: cf. OF. descensoire. See Descend.]

Defn: A vessel used in alchemy to extract oils.

DESCENT De*scent", n. Etym: [F. descente, fr. descendre; like vente, from vendre. See Descend.]

1. The act of descending, or passing downward; change of place from higher to lower.

2. Incursion; sudden attack; especially, hostile invasion from sea; - - often followed by upon or on; as, to make a descent upon the enemy. The United Provinces . . . ordered public prayer to God, when they feared that the French and English fleets would make a descent upon their coasts. Jortin.

3. Progress downward, as in station, virtue, as in station, virtue, and the like, from a higher to a lower state, from a higher to a lower state, from the more to the less important, from the better to the worse, etc.

2. Derivation, as from an ancestor; procedure by generation; lineage; birth; extraction. Dryden.

5. (Law)

Defn: Transmission of an estate by inheritance, usually, but not necessarily, in the descending line; title to inherit an estate by reason of consanguinity. Abbott.

6. Inclination downward; a descending way; inclined or sloping surface; declivity; slope; as, a steep descent.

7. That which is descended; descendants; issue. If care of our descent perplex us most, Which must be born to certain woe. Milton.

8. A step or remove downward in any scale of gradation; a degree in the scale of genealogy; a generation. No man living is a thousand descents removed from Adam himself. Hooker.

9. Lowest place; extreme downward place. [R.] And from the extremest upward of thy head, To the descent and dust below thy foot. Shak.

10. (Mus.)

Defn: A passing from a higher to a lower tone.

Syn. — Declivity; slope; degradation; extraction; lineage; assault; invasion; attack.

DESCRIBABLE De*scrib"a*ble, a.

Defn: That can be described; capable of description.

DESCRIBE De*scribe", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Described; p. pr. & vb. n. Describing.] Etym: [L. describere, descriptum; de- + scribere to write: cf. OE. descriven, OF. descrivre, F. décrire. See Scribe, and cf. Descry.]

1. To represent by drawing; to draw a plan of; to delineate; to trace or mark out; as, to describe a circle by the compasses; a torch waved about the head in such a way as to describe a circle.

2. To represent by words written or spoken; to give an account of; to make known to others by words or signs; as, the geographer describes countries and cities.

3. To distribute into parts, groups, or classes; to mark off; to class. [Obs.] Passed through the land, and described it by cities into seven parts in a book. Josh. xviii. 9.

Syn. — To set forth; represent; delineate; relate; recount; narrate; express; explain; depict; portray; chracterize.

DESCRIBE De*scribe", v. i.

Defn: To use the faculty of describing; to give a description; as, Milton describes with uncommon force and beauty.

DESCRIBENT De*scrib"ent, n. Etym: [L. describens, p. pr. of describere.] (Geom.)

Defn: Same as Generatrix.

DESCRIBER De*scrib"er, n.

Defn: One who describes.

DESCRIER De*scri"er, n.

Defn: One who descries.

DESCRIPTION De*scrip"tion, n. Etym: [F. description, L. descriptio. See Describe.]

1. The act of describing; a delineation by marks or signs.

2. A sketch or account of anything in words; a portraiture or representation in language; an enumeration of the essential qualities of a thing or species. Milton has descriptions of morning. D. Webster.

3. A class to which a certain representation is applicable; kind; sort. A difference . . . between them and another description of public creditors. A. Hamilton. The plates were all of the meanest description. Macaulay.

Syn. — Account; definition; recital; relation; detail; narrative; narration; explanation; delineation; representation; kind; sort. See Definition.

DESCRIPTIVE De*scrip"tive, a. Etym: [L. descriptivus: cf. F. descriptif.]

Defn: Tending to describe; having the quality of representing; containing description; as, a descriptive figure; a descriptive phrase; a descriptive narration; a story descriptive of the age. Descriptive anatomy, that part of anatomy which treats of the forms and relations of parts, but not of their textures. — Descriptive geometry, that branch of geometry. which treats of the graphic solution of problems involving three dimensions, by means of projections upon auxiliary planes. Davies & Peck (Math. Dict. ) — De*scrip"tive*ly, adv. — De*scrip"tive*ness, n.

DESCRIVE De*scrive", v. t. Etym: [OF. descrivre. See Describe.]

Defn: To describe. [Obs.] Spenser.

DESCRY De*scry", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Descried; p. pr. & vb. n. Descrying.] Etym: [OE. descrien, discrien, to espy, prob. from the proclaiming of what was espied, fr. OF. descrier to proclaim, cry down, decry, F. décrier. The word was confused somewhat with OF. descriven, E. describe, OF. descrivre, from L. describere. See Decry.]

1. To spy out or discover by the eye, as objects distant or obscure; to espy; to recognize; to discern; to discover. And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. Judg. i. 23. Edmund, I think, is gone . . . to descry The strength o' the enemy. Shak. And now their way to earth they had descried. Milton.

2. To discover; to disclose; to reveal. [R.] His purple robe he had thrown aside, lest it should descry him. Milton.

Syn. — To see; behold; espy; discover; discern.

DESCRY De*scry"

Defn: , Discovery or view, as of an army seen at a distance. [Obs.] Near, and on speedy foot; the main descry Stands on the hourly thought. Shak.

DESECATE Des"e*cate, v. t. Etym: [L. desecare to cut off.]

Defn: To cut, as with a scythe; to mow. [Obs.]

DESECRATE Des"e*crate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Desecrated; p. pr. & vb. n. Desecrating.] Etym: [L. desecratus, p. p. of desecrare (also desacrare) to consecrate, dedicate; but taken in the sense if to divest of a sacred character; de- + sacrare to consecrate, fr. sacer sacred. See Sacred.]

Defn: To divest of a sacred character or office; to divert from a sacred purpose; to violate the sanctity of; to profane; to put to an unworthy use; — the opposite of consecrate. The [Russian] clergy can not suffer corporal punishment without being previously desecrated. W. Tooke. The founders of monasteries imprecated evil on those who should desecrate their donations. Salmon.

DESECRATER Des"e*cra`ter, n.

Defn: One who desecrates; a profaner. Harper's Mag.

DESECRATION Des`e*cra"tion, n.

Defn: The act of desecrating; profanation; condition of anything desecrated.

DESECRATOR Des"e*cra`tor, n.

Defn: One who desecrates. "Desecrators of the church." Morley.

DESEGMENTATION De*seg`men*ta"tion, n. (Anat.)

Defn: The loss or obliteration of division into segments; as, a desegmentation of the body.

DESERT De*sert", n. Etym: [OF. deserte, desserte, merit, recompense, fr. deservir, desservir, to merit. See Deserve.]

Defn: That which is deserved; the reward or the punishment justly due; claim to recompense, usually in a good sense; right to reward; merit. According to their deserts will I judge them. Ezek. vii. 27. Andronicus, surnamed Pius For many good and great deserts to Rome. Shak. His reputation falls far below his desert. A. Hamilton.

Syn. — Merit; worth; excellence; due.

DESERT Des"ert, n. Etym: [F. désert, L. desertum, from desertus solitary, desert, pp. of deserere to desert; de- + serere to join together. See Series.]

1. A deserted or forsaken region; a barren tract incapable of supporting population, as the vast sand plains of Asia and Africa are destitute and vegetation. A dreary desert and a gloomy waste. Pope.

2. A tract, which may be capable of sustaining a population, but has been left unoccupied and uncultivated; a wilderness; a solitary place. He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord. Is. li. 3.

Note: Also figuratively. Before her extended Dreary and vast and silent, the desert of life. Longfellow.

DESERT Des"ert, a. Etym: [Cf. L. desertus, p. p. of deserere, and F. désert. See 2d Desert.]

Defn: Of or pertaining to a desert; forsaken; without life or cultivation; unproductive; waste; barren; wild; desolate; solitary; as, they landed on a desert island. He . . . went aside privately into a desert place. Luke ix. 10. Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, And waste its sweetness on the desert air. Gray. Desert flora (Bot.), the assemblage of plants growing naturally in a desert, or in a dry and apparently unproductive place. — Desert hare (Zoöl.), a small hare (Lepus sylvaticus, var. Arizonæ) inhabiting the deserts of the Western United States. — Desert mouse (Zoöl.), an American mouse (Hesperomys eremicus), living in the Western deserts.

DESERT De*sert", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deserted; p. pr. & vb. n. Deserting.] Etym: [Cf. L. desertus, p. p. of deserere to desert, F. déserter. See 2d Desert.]

1. To leave (especially something which one should stay by and support); to leave in the lurch; to abandon; to forsake; — implying blame, except sometimes when used of localities; as, to desert a friend, a principle, a cause, one's country. "The deserted fortress." Prescott.

2. (Mil.)

Defn: To abandon (the service) without leave; to forsake in violation of duty; to abscond from; as, to desert the army; to desert one's colors.

DESERT De*sert", v. i.

Defn: To abandon a service without leave; to quit military service without permission, before the expiration of one's term; to abscond. The soldiers . . . deserted in numbers. Bancroft.

Syn. — To abandon; forsake; leave; relinquish; renounce; quit; depart from; abdicate. See Abandon.

DESERTER De*sert"er (, n.

Defn: One who forsakes a duty, a cause or a party, a friend, or any one to whom he owes service; especially, a soldier or a seaman who abandons the service without leave; one guilty of desertion.

DESERTFUL De*sert"ful, a.

Defn: Meritorious. [R.] Beau. & Fl.

DESERTION De*ser"tion, n. Etym: [L. desertio: cf. F. désertion.]

1. The act of deserting or forsaking; abandonment of a service, a cause, a party, a friend, or any post of duty; the quitting of one's duties willfully and without right; esp., an absconding from military or naval service. Such a resignation would have seemed to his superior a desertion or a reproach. Bancroft.

2. The state of being forsaken; desolation; as, the king in his desertion.

3. Abandonment by God; spiritual despondency. The spiritual agonies of a soul under desertion. South.

DESERTLESS De*sert"less, a.

Defn: Without desert. [R.]

DESERTLESSLY De*sert"less*ly, adv.

Defn: Undeservedly. [R.] Beau. & Fl.

DESERTNESS Des"ert*ness, n.

Defn: A deserted condition. [R.] "The desertness of the country." Udall.

DESERTRIX; DESERTRICE De*sert"rix, De*sert"rice, n. Etym: [L. desertrix.]

Defn: A feminine deserter. Milton.

DESERVE De*serve", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deserved; p. pr. & vb. n. Deserving.] Etym: [OF. deservir, desservir, to merit, L. deservire to serve zealously, be devoted to; de- + servire to serve. See Serve.]

1. To earn by service; to be worthy of (something due, either good or evil); to merit; to be entitled to; as, the laborer deserves his wages; a work of value deserves praise. God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth. Job xi. 6. John Gay deserved to be a favorite. Thackeray. Encouragement is not held out to things that deserve reprehension. Burke.

2. To serve; to treat; to benefit. [Obs.] A man that hath So well deserved me. Massinger.

DESERVE De*serve", v. i.

Defn: To be worthy of recompense; — usually with ill or with well. One man may merit or deserve of another. South.

DESERVEDLY De*serv"ed*ly, adv.

Defn: According to desert (whether good or evil); justly.

DESERVEDNESS De*serv"ed*ness, n.

Defn: Meritoriousness.

DESERVER De*serv"er, n.

Defn: One who deserves.

DESERVING De*serv"ing, n.

Defn: Desert; merit. A person of great deservings from the republic. Swift.

DESERVING De*serv"ing, a.

Defn: Meritorious; worthy; as, a deserving or act. — De*serv"ing*ly, adv.

DESHABILLE Des`ha*bille, n. Etym: [F. déshabillé, fr. déshabiller to undress; pref. dés- (L. dis-) + habiller to dress. See Habiliment, and cf. Dishabille.]

Defn: An undress; a careless toilet.

DESICCANT De*sic"cant, a. Etym: [L. desiccans, p. pr. of desiccare. See Desiccate.]

Defn: Drying; desiccative. — n.

Defn: (Med.) A medicine or application for drying up a sore. Wiseman.

DESICCATE Des"ic*cate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Desiccated; p. pr. & vb. n. Desiccating.] Etym: [L. desiccatus, p. p. of desiccare to dry up; de- + siccare to dry, siccus dry. See Sack wine.]

Defn: To dry up; to deprive or exhaust of moisture; to preserve by drying; as, to desiccate fish or fruit. Bodies desiccated by heat or age. Bacon.

DESICCATE Des"ic*cate, v. i.

Defn: To become dry.

DESICCATION Des`ic*ca"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. dessiccation.]

Defn: The act of desiccating, or the state of being desiccated.

DESICCATIVE De*sic"ca*tive, a. Etym: [Cf. F. dessicatif.]

Defn: Drying; tending to dry. Ferrand. — n. (Med.)

Defn: An application for drying up secretions.

DESICCATOR Des"ic*ca`tor, n.

1. One who, or that which, desiccates.

2. (Chem.)

Defn: A short glass jar fitted with an air-tight cover, and containing some desiccating agent, as sulphuric acid or calcium chloride, above which is suspended the material to be dried, or preserved from moisture.

DESICCATORY De*sic"ca*to*ry, a.

Defn: Desiccative.

DESIDERABLE De*sid"er*a*ble, a.

Defn: Desirable. [R.] "Good and desiderable things." Holland.

DESIDERATA De*sid`e*ra"ta, n. pl.

Defn: See Desideratum.

DESIDERATE De*sid"er*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Desiderated; p. pr. & vb. n. Desiderating.] Etym: [L. desideratus, p. p. of desiderare to desire, miss. See Desire, and cf. Desideratum.]

Defn: To desire; to feel the want of; to lack; to miss; to want. Pray have the goodness to point out one word missing that ought to have been there — please to insert a desiderated stanza. You can not. Prof. Wilson. Men were beginning . . . to desiderate for them an actual abode of fire. A. W. Ward.

DESIDERATION De*sid`er*a"tion, n. Etym: [L. desideratio.]

Defn: Act of desiderating; also, the thing desired. [R.] Jeffrey.

DESIDERATIVE De*sid"er*a*tive, a. Etym: [L. desiderativus.]

Defn: Denoting desire; as, desiderative verbs.

DESIDERATIVE De*sid"er*a*tive, n.

1. An object of desire.

2. (Gram.)

Defn: A verb formed from another verb by a change of termination, and expressing the desire of doing that which is indicated by the primitive verb.

DESIDERATUM De*sid`e*ra"tum, n.; pl. Desiderata. Etym: [L., fr. desideratus, p. p. See Desiderate.]

Defn: Anything desired; that of which the lack is felt; a want generally felt and acknowledge.

DESIDIOSE; DESIDIOUS De*sid"i*ose`, De*sid"i*ous, a. Etym: [L. desidiosus, fr. desidia a sitting idle, fr. desid to sit idle; de- + sed to sit.]

Defn: Idle; lazy. [Obs.]

DESIDIOUSNESS De*sid"i*ous*ness, n.

Defn: The state or quality of being desidiose, or indolent. [Obs.] N. Bacon.

DESIGHT De*sight", n. Etym: [Pref. de- + sight.]

Defn: An unsightly object. [Obs.]

DESIGHTMENT De*sight"ment, n.

Defn: The act of making unsightly; disfigurement. [R.] To substitute jury masts at whatever desightment or damage in risk. London Times.

DESIGN De*sign", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Designed; p. pr. & vb. n. Designing.] Etym: [F. désigner to designate, cf. F. dessiner to draw, dessin drawing, dessein a plan or scheme; all, ultimately, from L. designare to designate; de- + signare to mark, mark out, signum mark, sign. See Sign, and cf. Design, n., Designate.]

1. To draw preliminary outline or main features of; to sketch for a pattern or model; to delineate; to trace out; to draw. Dryden.

2. To mark out and exhibit; to designate; to indicate; to show; to point out; to appoint. We shall see Justice design the victor's chivalry. Shak. Meet me to-morrow where the master And this fraternity shall design. Beau. & Fl.

3. To create or produce, as a work of art; to form a plan or scheme of; to form in idea; to invent; to project; to lay out in the mind; as, a man designs an essay, a poem, a statue, or a cathedral.

4. To intend or purpose; — usually with for before the remote object, but sometimes with to. Ask of politicians the end for which laws were originally designed. Burke. He was designed to the study of the law. Dryden.

Syn. — To sketch; plan; purpose; intend; propose; project; mean.

DESIGN De*sign", v. i.

Defn: To form a design or designs; to plan. Design for, to intend to go to. [Obs.] "From this city she designed for Collin [Cologne]." Evelyn.

DESIGN De*sign", n. Etym: [Cf. dessein, dessin.]

1. A preliminary sketch; an outline or pattern of the main features of something to be executed, as of a picture, a building, or a decoration; a delineation; a plan.

2. A plan or scheme formed in the mind of something to be done; preliminary conception; idea intended to be expressed in a visible form or carried into action; intention; purpose; — often used in a bad sense for evil intention or purpose; scheme; plot. The vast design and purposTennyson. The leaders of that assembly who withstood the designs of a besotted woman. Hallam. A . . . settled design upon another man's life. Locke. How little he could guess the secret designs of the court! Macaulay.

3. Specifically, intention or purpose as revealed or inferred from the adaptation of means to an end; as, the argument from design.

4. The realization of an inventive or decorative plan; esp., a work of decorative art considered as a new creation; conception or plan shown in completed work; as, this carved panel is a fine design, or of a fine design.

5. (Mus.)

Defn: The invention and conduct of the subject; the disposition of every part, and the general order of the whole. Arts of design, those into which the designing of artistic forms and figures enters as a principal part, as architecture, painting, engraving, sculpture. — School of design, one in which are taught the invention and delineation of artistic or decorative figures, patterns, and the like.

Syn. — Intention; purpose; scheme; project; plan; idea. — Design, Intention, Purpose. Design has reference to something definitely aimed at. Intention points to the feelings or desires with which a thing is sought. Purpose has reference to a settled choice or determination for its attainment. "I had no design to injure you," means it was no part of my aim or object. "I had no intention to injure you," means, I had no wish or desire of that kind. "My purpose was directly the reverse," makes the case still stronger. Is he a prudent man . . . that lays designs only for a day, without any prospect to the remaining part of his life Tillotson. I wish others the same intention, and greater successes. Sir W. Temple. It is the purpose that makes strong the vow. Shak.

DESIGNABLE Des"ig*na*ble, a.

Defn: Capable of being designated or distinctly marked out; distinguishable. Boyle.

DESIGNATE Des"ig*nate, a. Etym: [L. designatus, p. p. of designare. See Design, v. t.]

Defn: Designated; appointed; chosen. [R.] Sir G. Buck.

DESIGNATE Des"ig*nate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Designated; p. pr. & vb. n. Designating.]

1. To mark out and make known; to point out; to name; to indicate; to show; to distinguish by marks or description; to specify; as, to designate the boundaries of a country; to designate the rioters who are to be arrested.

2. To call by a distinctive title; to name.

3. To indicate or set apart for a purpose or duty; — with to or for; to designate an officer for or to the command of a post or station.

Syn. — To name; denominate; style; entitle; characterize; describe.

DESIGNATION Des`ig*na"tion, n. Etym: [L. designatio: cf. F. désignation.]

1. The act of designating; a pointing out or showing; indication.

2. Selection and appointment for a purpose; allotment; direction.

3. That which designates; a distinguishing mark or name; distinctive title; appellation. The usual designation of the days of the week. Whewell.

4. Use or application; import; intention; signification, as of a word or phrase. Finite and infinite seem . . . to be attributed primarily, in their first designation, only to those things have parts. Locke.

DESIGNATIVE Des"ig*na*tive, a. Etym: [Cf. F. désignatif.]

Defn: Serving to designate or indicate; pointing out.

DESIGNATOR Des"ig*na`tor, n. Etym: [L.]

1. (Rom. Antiq.)

Defn: An officer who assigned to each his rank and place in public shows and ceremonies.

2. One who designates.

DESIGNATORY Des"ig*na*to*ry, a.

Defn: Serving to designate; designative; indicating. [R.]

DESIGNEDLY De*sign"ed*ly, adv.

Defn: By design; purposely; intentionally; — opposed to accidentally, ignorantly, or inadvertently.

DESIGNER De*sign"er, n.

1. One who designs, marks out, or plans; a contriver.

2. (Fine Arts)

Defn: One who produces or creates original works of art or decoration.

3. A plotter; a schemer; — used in a bad sense.

DESIGNFUL De*sign"ful, a.

Defn: Full of design; scheming. [R.] — De*sign"ful*ness, n. [R.] Barrow.

DESIGNING De*sign"ing, a.

Defn: Intriguing; artful; scheming; as, a designing man.

DESIGNING De*sign"ing, n.

Defn: The act of making designs or sketches; the act of forming designs or plans.

DESIGNLESS De*sign"less, a.

Defn: Without design. [Obs.] — De*sign"less*ly, adv. [Obs.]

DESIGNMENT De*sign"ment, n.

1. Delineation; sketch; design; ideal; invention. [Obs.] For though that some mean artist's skill were shown In mingling colors, or in placing light, Yet still the fair designment was his own. Dryden.

2. Design; purpose; scheme. [Obs.] Shak.

DESILVER De*sil"ver, v. t.

Defn: To deprive of silver; as, to desilver lead.

DESILVERIZATION De*sil`ver*i*za"tion, n.

Defn: The act or the process of freeing from silver; also, the condition resulting from the removal of silver.

DESILVERIZE De*sil"ver*ize, v. t.

Defn: To deprive, or free from, silver; to remove silver from.

DESINENCE Des"i*nence, n. Etym: [Cf. F. désinence.]

Defn: Termination; ending. Bp. Hall.

DESINENT Des"i*nent, a. Etym: [L. desinens, p. pr. of desinere, desitum, to leave off, cease; de- + sinere to let, allow.]

Defn: Ending; forming an end; lowermost. [Obs.] "Their desinent parts, fish." B. Jonson.

DESINENTIAL Des`i*nen"tial, a. Etym: [Cf. F. désinentiel.]

Defn: Terminal. Furthermore, b, as a desinential element, has a dynamic function. Fitzed. Hall.

DESIPIENT De*sip"i*ent, a. Etym: [L. desipiens, p. pr. of desipere to be foolish; de- + sapere to be wise.]

Defn: Foolish; silly; trifling. [R.]

DESIRABILITY De*sir`a*bil"i*ty, n.

Defn: The state or quality of being desirable; desirableness.

DESIRABLE De*sir"a*ble, a. Etym: [F. désirable, fr. L. desiderabilis. See Desire, v. t.]

Defn: Worthy of desire or longing; fitted to excite desire or a wish to possess; pleasing; agreeable. All of them desirable young men. Ezek. xxiii. 12. As things desirable excite Desire, and objects move the appetite. Blackmore.

DESIRABLENESS De*sir"a*ble*ness, n.

Defn: The quality of being desirable. The desirableness of the Austrian alliance. Froude.

DESIRABLY De*sir"a*bly, adv.

Defn: In a desirable manner.

DESIRE De*sire", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Desired; p. pr. & vb. n. Desiring.] Etym: [F. désirer, L. desiderare, origin uncertain, perh. fr. de- + sidus star, constellation, and hence orig., to turn the eyes from the stars. Cf. Consider, and Desiderate, and see Sidereal.]

1. To long for; to wish for earnestly; to covet. Neither shall any man desire thy land. Ex. xxxiv. 24. Ye desire your child to live. Tennyson.

2. To express a wish for; to entreat; to request. Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord 2 Kings iv. 28. Desire him to go in; trouble him no more. Shak.

3. To require; to demand; to claim. [Obs.] A doleful case desires a doleful song. Spenser.

4. To miss; to regret. [Obs.] She shall be pleasant while she lives, and desired when she dies. Jer. Taylor.

Syn. — To long for; hanker after; covet; wish; ask; request; solicit; entreat; beg. — To Desire, Wish. In desire the feeling is usually more eager than in wish. "I wish you to do this" is a milder form of command than "I desire you to do this," though the feeling prompting the injunction may be the usage C. J. Smith.

DESIRE De*sire", n. Etym: [F. désir, fr. désirer. See Desire, v. t.]

1. The natural longing that is excited by the enjoyment or the thought of any good, and impels to action or effort its continuance or possession; an eager wish to obtain or enjoy. Unspeakable desire to see and know. Milton.

2. An expressed wish; a request; petition. And slowly was my mother brought To yield consent to my desire. Tennyson.

3. Anything which is desired; an object of longing. The Desire of all nations shall come. Hag. ii. 7.

4. Excessive or morbid longing; lust; appetite.

5. Grief; regret. [Obs.] Chapman.

Syn. — Wish; appetency; craving; inclination; eagerness; aspiration; longing.

DESIREFUL De*sire"ful, a.

Defn: Filled with desire; eager. [R.] The desireful troops. Godfrey (1594).

DESIREFULNESS De*sire"ful*ness, n.

Defn: The state of being desireful; eagerness to obtain and possess. [R.] The desirefulness of our minds much augmenteth and increaseth our pleasure. Udall.

DESIRELESS De*sire"less, a.

Defn: Free from desire. Donne.

DESIRER De*sir"er, n.

Defn: One who desires, asks, or wishes.

DESIROUS De*sir"ous, a. Etym: [F. désireux, OF. desiros, fr. desir. See Desire, n.]

Defn: Feeling desire; eagerly wishing; solicitous; eager to obtain; covetous. Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him. John xvi. 19. Be not desirous of his dainties. Prov. xxiii. 3.

DESIROUSLY De*sir"ous*ly, adv.

Defn: With desire; eagerly.

DESIROUSNESS De*sir"ous*ness, n.

Defn: The state of being desirous.

DESIST De*sist", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Desisted; p. pr. & vb. n. Desisting.] Etym: [L. desistere; de- + sistere to stand, stop, fr. stare to stand: cf. F. désister. See Stand.]

Defn: To cease to proceed or act; to stop; to forbear; — often with from. Never desisting to do evil. E. Hall. To desist from his bad practice. Massinger. Desist (thou art discern'd, And toil'st in vain). Milton.

DESISTANCE De*sist"ance, n. Etym: [Cf. F. desistance.]

Defn: The act or state of desisting; cessation. [R.] Boyle. If fatigue of body or brain were in every case followed by desistance . . . then would the system be but seldom out of working order. H. Spencer.

DESISTIVE De*sist"ive, a. Etym: [See Desist.]

Defn: Final; conclusive; ending. [R.]

DESITION De*si"tion, n. Etym: [See Desinent.]

Defn: An end or ending. [R.]

DESITIVE Des"i*tive, a.

Defn: Final; serving to complete; conclusive. [Obs.] "Desitive propositions." I. Watts.

DESITIVE Des"i*tive, n. (Logic)

Defn: A proposition relating to or expressing an end or conclusion. [Obs.] I. Watts.

DESK Desk, n. Etym: [OE. deske, the same word as dish, disk. See Dish, and cf. Disk.]

1. A table, frame, or case, usually with sloping top, but often with flat top, for the use writers and readers. It often has a drawer or repository underneath.

2. A reading table or lectern to support the book from which the liturgical service is read, differing from the pulpit from which the sermon is preached; also (esp. in the United States), a pulpit. Hence, used symbolically for "the clerical profession."

DESK Desk, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Desked; p. pr. & vb. n. Desking.]

Defn: To shut up, as in a desk; to treasure.

DESKWORK Desk"work`, n.

Defn: Work done at a desk, as by a clerk or writer. Tennyson.

DESMAN Des"man, n. Etym: [Cf. Sw. desman musk.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: An amphibious, insectivorous mammal found in Russia (Myogale moschata). It is allied to the moles, but is called muscrat by some English writers. [Written also dæsman.]

DESMID; DESMIDIAN Des"mid, Des*mid"i*an, n. Etym: [Gr. (Bot.)

Defn: A microscopic plant of the family Desmidiæ, a group of unicellular algæ in which the species have a greenish color, and the cells generally appear as if they consisted of two coalescing halves.

DESMINE Des"mine, n. Etym: [Gr. (Min.)

Defn: Same as Stilbite. It commonly occurs in bundles or tufts of crystals.

DESMOBACTERIA Des`mo*bac*te"ri*a, n. pl. Etym: [Gr. bacteria.]

Defn: See Microbacteria.

DESMODONT Des"mo*dont, n. Etym: [Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A member of a group of South American blood-sucking bats, of the genera Desmodus and Diphylla. See Vampire.

DESMOGNATHOUS Des*mog"na*thous, a. Etym: [Gr. desmo`s bond + (Zoöl.)

Defn: Having the maxillo-palatine bones united; — applied to a group of carinate birds (Desmognathæ), including various wading and swimming birds, as the ducks and herons, and also raptorial and other kinds.

DESMOID Des"moid, a. Etym: [Gr. desmo`s ligament + -oid.] (Anat.)

Defn: Resembling, or having the characteristics of, a ligament; ligamentous.

DESMOLOGY Des*mol"o*gy, n. Etym: [Gr. desmo`s ligament + -logy.]

Defn: The science which treats of the ligaments. [R.]

DESMOMYARIA Des`mo*my*a"ri*a, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The division of Tunicata which includes the Salpæ. See Salpa.

DESOLATE Des"o*late, a. Etym: [L. desolatus, p. p. of desolare to leave alone, forsake; de- + solare to make lonely, solus alone. See Sole, a.]

1. Destitute or deprived of inhabitants; deserted; uninhabited; hence, gloomy; as, a desolate isle; a desolate wilderness; a desolate house. I will make Jerusalem . . . a den of dragons, and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant. Jer. ix. 11. And the silvery marish flowers that throng The desolate creeks and pools among. Tennyson.

2. Laid waste; in a ruinous condition; neglected; destroyed; as, desolate altars.

3. Left alone; forsaken; lonely; comfortless. Have mercy upon, for I am desolate. Ps. xxv. 16. Voice of the poor and desolate. Keble.

4. Lost to shame; dissolute. [Obs.] Chaucer.

5. Destitute of; lacking in. [Obs.] I were right now of tales desolate. Chaucer.

Syn. — Desert; uninhabited; lonely; waste.

DESOLATE Des"o*late, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Desolated; p. pr. & vb. n. Desolating.]

1. To make desolate; to leave alone; to deprive of inhabitants; as, the earth was nearly desolated by the flood.

2. To lay waste; to ruin; to ravage; as, a fire desolates a city. Constructed in the very heart of a desolating war. Sparks.

DESOLATELY Des"o*late*ly, adv.

Defn: In a desolate manner.

DESOLATENESS Des"o*late*ness, n.

Defn: The state of being desolate.

DESOLATER Des"o*la`ter, n.

Defn: One who, or that which, desolates or lays waste. Mede.

DESOLATION Des`o*la"tion, n. Etym: [F. désolation, L. desolatio.]

1. The act of desolating or laying waste; destruction of inhabitants; depopulation. Unto the end of the war desolations are determined. Dan. ix. 26.

2. The state of being desolated or laid waste; ruin; solitariness; destitution; gloominess. You would have sold your king to slaughter, . . . And his whole kingdom into desolation. Shak.

3. A place or country wasted and forsaken. How is Babylon become a desolation! Jer. l. 23.

Syn. — Waste; ruin; destruction; havoc; devastation; ravage; sadness; destitution; melancholy; gloom; gloominess.

DESOLATOR Des"o*la`tor, n. Etym: [L.]

Defn: Same as Desolater. Byron.

DESOLATORY Des"o*la*to*ry, a. Etym: [L. desolatorius.]

Defn: Causing desolation. [R.] Bp. Hall.

DESOPHISTICATE De`so*phis"ti*cate, v. t.

Defn: To clear from sophism or error. [R.] Hare.

DESOXALIC Des`ox*al"ic, a. Etym: [F. pref. des- from + E. oxalic.] (Chem.)

Defn: Made or derived from oxalic acid; as, desoxalic acid.

DESPAIR De*spair", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Despaired; p. pr. & vb. n. Despairing.] Etym: [OE. despeiren, dispeiren, OF. desperer, fr. L. desperare; de- + sperare to hope; akin to spes hope, and perh. to spatium space, E. space, speed; cf. OF. espeir hope, F. espoir. Cf. Prosper, Desperate.]

Defn: To be hopeless; to have no hope; to give up all hope or expectation; — often with of. We despaired even of life. 2 Cor. i. 8. Never despair of God's blessings here. Wake.

Syn. — See Despond.

DESPAIR De*spair", v. t.

1. To give up as beyond hope or expectation; to despair of. [Obs.] I would not despair the greatest design that could be attempted. Milton.

2. To cause to despair. [Obs.] Sir W. Williams.

DESPAIR De*spair", n. Etym: [Cf. OF. despoir, fr. desperer.]

1. Loss of hope; utter hopelessness; complete despondency. We in dark dreams are tossing to and fro, Pine with regret, or sicken with despair. Keble. Before he [Bunyan] was ten, his sports were interrupted by fits of remorse and despair. Macaulay.

2. That which is despaired of. "The mere despair of surgery he cures." Shak.

Syn. — Desperation; despondency; hopelessness.

DESPAIRER De*spair"er, n.

Defn: One who despairs.

DESPAIRFUL De*spair"ful, a.

Defn: Hopeless. [Obs.] Spenser.

DESPAIRING De*spair"ing, a.

Defn: Feeling or expressing despair; hopeless. — De*spair"ing*ly, adv. — De*spair"ing*ness, n.

DESPARPLE De*spar"ple, v. t. & i. Etym: [OF. desparpeillier.]

Defn: To scatter; to disparkle. [Obs.] Mandeville.

DESPATCH De*spatch", n. & v.

Defn: Same as Dispatch.

DESPECIFICATE De`spe*cif"i*cate, v. t. Etym: [Pref. de- (intens.) + specificate.]

Defn: To discriminate; to separate according to specific signification or qualities; to specificate; to desynonymize. [R.] Inaptitude and ineptitude have been usefully despecificated. Fitzed. Hall.

DESPECIFICATION De*spec`ifi*ca"tion, n.

Defn: Discrimination.

DESPECT De*spect", n. Etym: [L. despectus, fr. despicere. See Despite, n.]

Defn: Contempt. [R.] Coleridge.

DESPECTION De*spec"tion, n. Etym: [L. despectio.]

Defn: A looking down; a despising. [R.] W. Montagu.

DESPEED De*speed", v. t.

Defn: To send hastily. [Obs.] Despeeded certain of their crew. Speed.

DESPEND De*spend", v. t.

Defn: To spend; to squander. See Dispend. [Obs.] Some noble men in Spain can despend Howell.

DESPERADO Des`per*a"do, n.; pl. Desperadoes. Etym: [OSp. desperado, p. p. of desperar, fr. L. desperare. See Desperate.]

Defn: A reckless, furious man; a person urged by furious passions, and regardless of consequence; a wild ruffian.

DESPERATE Des"per*ate, a. Etym: [L. desperatus, p. p. of desperare. See Despair, and cf. Desperado.]

1. Without hope; given to despair; hopeless. [Obs.] I am desperate of obtaining her. Shak.

2. Beyond hope; causing despair; extremely perilous; irretrievable; past cure, or, at least, extremely dangerous; as, a desperate disease; desperate fortune.

3. Proceeding from, or suggested by, despair; without regard to danger or safety; reckless; furious; as, a desperate effort. "Desperate expedients." Macaulay.

4. Extreme, in a bad sense; outrageous; — used to mark the extreme predominance of a bad quality. A desperate offendress against nature. Shak. The most desperate of reprobates. Macaulay.

Syn. — Hopeless; despairing; desponding; rash; headlong; precipitate; irretrievable; irrecoverable; forlorn; mad; furious; frantic.

DESPERATE Des"per*ate, n.

Defn: One desperate or hopeless. [Obs.]

DESPERATELY Des"per*ate*ly, adv.

Defn: In a desperate manner; without regard to danger or safety; recklessly; extremely; as, the troops fought desperately. She fell desperately in love with him. Addison.

DESPERATENESS Des"per*ate*ness n.

Defn: Desperation; virulence.

DESPERATION Des`per*a"tion, n. Etym: [L. desperatio: cf. OF. desperation.]

1. The act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope. This desperation of success chills all our industry. Hammond.

2. A state of despair, or utter hopeless; abandonment of hope; extreme recklessness; reckless fury. In the desperation of the moment, the officers even tried to cut their way through with their swords. W. Irving.

DESPICABILITY Des`pi*ca*bil"i*ty, n.

Defn: Despicableness. [R.] Carlyle.

DESPICABLE Des"pi*ca*ble, a. Etym: [L. despicabilis, fr. despicari to despise; akin to despicere. See Despise.]

Defn: Fit or deserving to be despised; contemptible; mean; vile; worthless; as, a despicable man; despicable company; a despicable gift.

Syn. — Contemptible; mean; vile; worthless; pitiful; paltry; sordid; low; base. See Contemptible.

DESPICABLENESS Des"pi*ca*ble*ness, n.

Defn: The quality of being despicable; meanness; vileness; worthlessness.

DESPICABLY Des"pi*ca*bly, adv.

Defn: In a despicable or mean manner; contemptibly; as, despicably stingy.

DESPICIENCY Des*pi"cien*cy, n. Etym: [L. despicientia. See Despise.]

Defn: A looking down; despection. [Obs.]

DESPISABLE De*spis"a*ble, a. Etym: [Cf. OF. despisable.]

Defn: Despicable; contemptible. [R.]

DESPISAL De*spis"al, n.

Defn: A despising; contempt. [R.] A despisal of religion. South.

DESPISE De*spise", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Despised; p. pr. & vb. n. Despising.] Etym: [OF. despis-, in some forms of despire to despise, fr. L. despicere, despectum, to look down upon, despise; de- + spicere, specere, to look. See Spy, and cf. Despicable, Despite.]

Defn: To look down upon with disfavor or contempt; to contemn; to scorn; to disdain; to have a low opinion or contemptuous dislike of. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. Prov. i. 7. Men naturally despise those who court them, but respect those who do not give way to them. Jowett (Thucyd. ).

Syn. — To contemn; scorn; disdain; slight; undervalue. See Contemn.

DESPISEDNESS De*spis"ed*ness, n.

Defn: The state of being despised.

DESPISEMENT De*spise"ment, n.

Defn: A despising. [R.] Holland.

DESPISER De*spis"er, n.

Defn: One who despises; a contemner; a scorner.

DESPISINGLY De*spis"ing*ly, adv.

Defn: Contemptuously.

DESPITE De*spite", n. Etym: [OF. despit, F. dépit, fr. L. despectus contempt, fr. despicere. See Despise, and cf. Spite, Despect.]

1. Malice; malignity; spite; malicious anger; contemptuous hate. With all thy despite against the land of Israel. Ezek. xxv. 6.

2. An act of malice, hatred, or defiance; contemptuous defiance; a deed of contempt. A despite done against the Most High. Milton. In despite, in defiance of another's power or inclination. — In despite of, in defiance of; in spite of. See under Spite. "Seized my hand in despite of my efforts to the contrary." W. Irving. — In your despite, in defiance or contempt of you; in spite of you. [Obs.]

DESPITE De*spite", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Despited; p. pr. & vb. n. Despiting.] Etym: [OF. despitier, fr. L. despectare, intens. of despicere. See Despite, n.]

Defn: To vex; to annoy; to offend contemptuously. [Obs.] Sir W. Raleigh.

DESPITE De*spite", prep.

Defn: In spite of; against, or in defiance of; notwithstanding; as, despite his prejudices.

Syn. — See Notwithstanding.

DESPITEFUL De*spite"ful, a. Etym: [See Despite, and cf. Spiteful.]

Defn: Full of despite; expressing malice or contemptuous hate; malicious. — De*spite"ful*ly, adv. — De*spite"ful*ness, n. Haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters. Rom. i. 30. Pray for them which despitefully use you. Matt. v. 44. Let us examine him with despitefulness and fortune. Book of Wisdom ii. 19.

DESPITEOUS Des*pit"e*ous, a. Etym: [OE. despitous, OF. despiteus, fr. despit; affected in form by E. piteous. See Despite.]

Defn: Feeling or showing despite; malicious; angry to excess; cruel; contemptuous. [Obs.] "Despiteous reproaches." Holland.

DESPITEOUSLY Des*pit"e*ous*ly, adv.

Defn: Despitefully. [Obs.]

DESPITOUS De*spit"ous, a.

Defn: Despiteous; very angry; cruel. [Obs.] He was to sinful man not despitous. Chaucer. - De*spit"ous*ly, adv. [Obs.]

DESPOIL De*spoil", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Despoiled; p. pr. & vb. n. Despoiling.] Etym: [OF. despoiller, F. dépouiller, L. despoliare, despoliatum; de- + spoliare to strip, rob, spolium spoil, booty. Cf. Spoil, Despoliation.]

1. To strip, as of clothing; to divest or unclothe. [Obs.] Chaucer.

2. To deprive for spoil; to plunder; to rob; to pillage; to strip; to divest; — usually followed by of. The clothed earth is then bare, Despoiled is the summer fair. Gower. A law which restored to them an immense domain of which they had been despoiled. Macaulay. Despoiled of innocence, of faith, of bliss. Milton.

Syn. — To strip; deprive; rob; bereave; rifle.

DESPOIL De*spoil", n.

Defn: Spoil. [Obs.] Wolsey.

DESPOILER De*spoil"er, n.

Defn: One who despoils.

DESPOILMENT De*spoil"ment, n.

Defn: Despoliation. [R.]

DESPOLIATION De*spo`li*a"tion, n. Etym: [L. despoliatio. See Despoil.]

Defn: A stripping or plundering; spoliation. Bailey.

DESPOND De*spond", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Desponded; p. pr. & vb. n. Desponding.] Etym: [L. despond, desponsum, to promise away, promise in marriage, give up, to lose (courage); de- + spond to promise solemnly. See Sponsor.]

Defn: To give up, the will, courage, or spirit; to be thoroughly disheartened; to lose all courage; to become dispirited or depressed; to take an unhopeful view. I should despair, or at least despond. Scott's Letters. Others depress their own minds, [and] despond at the first difficulty. Locke. We wish that . . . desponding patriotism may turn its eyes hitherward, and be assured that foundations of our national power still stand strong. D. Webster.

Syn. — Despond, Dispair. Despair implies a total loss of hope, which despond does not, at least in every case; yet despondency is often more lasting than despair, or than desperation, which impels to violent action.

DESPOND De*spond" n.

Defn: Despondency. [Obs.] The slough of despond. Bunyan.

DESPONDENCE De*spond"ence, n.

Defn: Despondency. The people, when once infected, lose their relish for happiness [and] saunter about with looks of despondence. Goldsmith.

DESPONDENCY De*spond"en*cy, n.

Defn: The state of desponding; loss of hope and cessation of effort; discouragement; depression or dejection of the mind. The unhappy prince seemed, during some days, to be sunk in despondency. Macaulay.

DESPONDENT De*spond"ent, a. Etym: [L. despondens, -entis, p. pr. of despond.]

Defn: Marked by despondence; given to despondence; low-spirited; as, a despondent manner; a despondent prisoner. — De*spond"ent*ly, adv.

DESPONDER De*spond"er, n.

Defn: One who desponds.

DESPONDINGLY De*spond"ing*ly, adv.

Defn: In a desponding manner.

DESPONSAGE De*spon"sage, n. Etym: [From L. desponsus, p. p. See Despond.]

Defn: Betrothal. [Obs.] Ethelbert . . . went peaceably to King Offa for desponsage of Athilrid, his daughter. Foxe.

DESPONSATE De*spon"sate, v. t. Etym: [L. desponsatus, p. p. of desponsare, intens. of despondere to betroth. See Despond.]

Defn: To betroth. [Obs.] Johnson.

DESPONSATION Des`pon*sa"tion, n. Etym: [L. desponsatio: cf. OF. desponsation.]

Defn: A betrothing; betrothal. [Obs.] For all this desponsation of her . . . she had not set one step toward the consummation of her marriage. Jer. Taylor.

DESPONSORY De*spon"so*ry, n.; pl. Desponsories (.

Defn: A written pledge of marriage. Clarendon.

DESPORT De*sport", v. t. & i.

Defn: See Disport.

DESPOT Des"pot, n. Etym: [F. despote, LL. despotus, fr. Gr. potens. See Potent.]

1. A master; a lord; especially, an absolute or irresponsible ruler or sovereign. Irresponsible power in human hands so naturally leads to it, that cruelty has become associated with despot and tyrant. C. J. Smith.

2. One who rules regardless of a constitution or laws; a tyrant.

DESPOTAT Des"po*tat, n. Etym: [Cf. F. despotat.]

Defn: The station or government of a despot; also, the domain of a despot. Freeman.

DESPOTIC; DESPOTICAL Des*pot"ic, Des*pot"ic*al, a. Etym: [Gr. despotique.]

Defn: Having the character of, or pertaining to, a despot; absolute in power; possessing and abusing unlimited power; evincing despotism; tyrannical; arbitrary. — Des*pot"ic*al*ly, adv. — Des*pot"ic*al*ness, n.

DESPOTISM Des"po*tism, n. Etym: [Cf. F. despotisme.]

1. The power, spirit, or principles of a despot; absolute control over others; tyrannical sway; tyranny. "The despotism of vice." Byron.

2. A government which is directed by a despot; a despotic monarchy; absolutism; autocracy. Despotism . . . is the only form of government which may with safety to itself neglect the education of its infant poor. Bp. Horsley.

DESPOTIST Des"po*tist, n.

Defn: A supporter of despotism. [R.]

DESPOTIZE Des"po*tize, v. t.

Defn: To act the despot.

DESPREAD De*spread", v. t. & i.

Defn: See Dispread.

DESPUMATE Des"pu*mate, v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Despumated; p. pr. & vb. n. Despumating.] Etym: [L. despumatus, p. p. of despumare to despume; de- + spumare to foam, froth, spuma froth, scum.]

Defn: To throw off impurities in spume; to work off in foam or scum; to foam.

DESPUMATION Des`pu*ma"tion, n. Etym: [L. despumatio: cf. F. despumation.]

Defn: The act of throwing up froth or scum; separation of the scum or impurities from liquids; scumming; clarification.

DESPUME De*spume", v. t. Etym: [Cf. F. despumer. See Despumate.]

Defn: To free from spume or scum. [Obs.] If honey be despumed. Holland.

DESQUAMATE Des"qua*mate, v. i. Etym: [L. desquamatus, p. p. of desquamare to scale off; de- + squama scale.] (Med.)

Defn: To peel off in the form of scales; to scale off, as the skin in certain diseases.

DESQUAMATION Des`qua*ma"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. desquamation.] (Med.)

Defn: The separation or shedding of the cuticle or epidermis in the form of flakes or scales; exfoliation, as of bones.

DESQUAMATIVE; DESQUAMATORY De*squam"a*tive, De*squam"a*to*ry, a.

Defn: Of, pertaining to, or attended with, desquamation.

DESQUAMATORY De*squam"a*to*ry, n. (Surg.)

Defn: An instrument formerly used in removing the laminæ of exfoliated bones.

DESS Dess, n.

Defn: Dais. [Obs.]

DESSERT Des*sert", n. Etym: [F., fr. desservir to remove from table, to clear the table; pref. des- (L. dis-) + servir to serve, to serve at table. See Serve.]

Defn: A service of pastry, fruits, or sweetmeats, at the close of a feast or entertainment; pastry, fruits, etc., forming the last course at dinner. "An 't please your honor," quoth the peasant, "This same dessert is not so pleasant." Pope. Dessert spoon, a spoon used in eating dessert; a spoon intermediate in size between a teaspoon and a tablespoon. — Dessert-spoonful, n., pl. Dessert-spoonfuls, as much as a dessert spoon will hold, usually reckoned at about two and a half fluid drams.

DESTEMPER Des*tem"per, n. Etym: [Cf. F. détrempe, fr. détremper.]

Defn: A kind of painting. See Distemper.

DESTIN Des"tin, n. Etym: [Cf. F. destin.]

Defn: Destiny. [Obs.] Marston.

DESTINABLE Des"ti*na*ble, a. Etym: [Cf. OF. destinable.]

Defn: Determined by destiny; fated. Chaucer.

DESTINABLY Des"ti*na*bly, adv.

Defn: In a destinable manner.

DESTINAL Des"ti*nal, a.

Defn: Determined by destiny; fated. [Obs.] "The order destinal." Chaucer.

DESTINATE Des"ti*nate, a. Etym: [L. destinatus, p. p. of destinare. See Destine.]

Defn: Destined. [Obs.] "Destinate to hell." Foxe.

DESTINATE Des"ti*nate, v. t.

Defn: To destine, design, or choose. [Obs.] "That name that God . . . did destinate." Udall.