List of Abbreviations Used in This Dictionary

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

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

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

Deride, de-rīd′, v.t. to laugh at: to mock.—n. Derid′er.—adj. Derid′ingly. [L. deridēre—de, inten., and ridēre, to laugh.]

Derision, de-rizh′un, n. act of deriding: mockery: a laughing-stock.—adjs. Derī′sive, Derīs′ory, mocking.—adv. Derī′sively.—n. Derī′siveness.

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

Derm, dėrm, n. the skin—also Der′ma, Der′mis.—adjs. Der′mal, Der′mic, Dermat′ic, pertaining to the skin: consisting of skin.—n. Dermatog′raphy, anatomical description of the skin—also Dermog′raphy.—adjs. Der′matoid, of the form of skin: skin-like; Dermatolog′ical.—ns. Dermatol′ogist; Dermatol′ogy, the branch of physiology which treats of the skin; Der′matophyte, a parasitic fungus on the skin; Der′matoskel′eton, the bony integument of many reptiles, insects, and crustaceans—also Dermoskel′eton.—adj. Dermogas′tric, connecting the skin and the stomach. [Gr. derma, dermatos, the skin—derein, to flay.]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Descend, dē-send′, v.i. to climb down: to pass from a higher to a lower place or condition: to pass from general to particulars: to fall upon or invade: to be derived.—v.t. to go down upon: to go to the bottom of.—n. Descend′ant, one who descends, as offspring from an ancestor.—adjs. Descend′ent, descending or going down: proceeding from an ancestor; Descend′ible, that may descend or be descended: capable of transmission by inheritance, heritable.—p.adj. Descend′ing.—n. Descen′sion.—adj. Descen′sional.—n. Descent′, act of descending: transmission by succession: motion or progress downward: slope: a falling upon or invasion: derivation from an ancestor: a generation, a degree in genealogy: descendants collectively.—Descent from the cross, a picture representing Christ being taken down from the cross. [Fr. descendre—L. descendĕre—de, down, scandĕre, to climb.]

Describe, dē-skrīb′, v.t. to trace out or delineate: to give an account of.—adj. Describ′able.—n. Describ′er. [L. describĕre—de, down, and scribĕre, scriptum, to write.]

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

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

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

Desecrate, des′e-krāt, v.t. to divert from a sacred purpose: to profane.—ns. Desecrat′er, -or, Desecrā′tion, act of desecrating: profanation. [L. desecrāre, -ātum—de, away from, and sacrāre, to make sacred—sacer, sacred.]

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

Desert, de-zėrt′, v.t. to leave: to forsake.—v.i. to run away: to quit a service, as the army, without permission.—ns. Desert′er, one who deserts or quits a service without permission; Deser′tion, act of deserting: state of being deserted: wilful abandonment of a legal or moral duty or obligation. [L. deserĕre, desertum—de, neg., and serĕre, to bind.]

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

Deserve, de-zėrv′, v.t. to earn by service: to merit.—v.i. to be worthy of reward.—adj. Deserv′ing, worthy.—n. desert.—advs. Deserv′ingly, Deserv′edly, according to desert: justly. [Fr.,—L. deservīre—de, inten., servīre, to serve.]

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

Desiccate, de-sik′āt, or des′i-kāt, v.t. to dry up.—v.i. to grow dry.—adjs. Desic′cant, Desic′cative, drying: having the power of drying.—n. an application that tends to dry up sores.—n. Desiccā′tion, the act of desiccating: state of being desiccated. [L. desiccāre, -ātum, to dry up—de, and siccus, dry.]

Desiderate, de-sid′ėr-āt, v.t. to long for or earnestly desire a thing: to want or miss.—n. Desiderā′tion, the act of desiderating: the thing desiderated.—adj. Desid′erative, implying desire, as in desiderative verb.—n. Desiderā′tum, something desired or much wanted:—pl. Desiderā′ta. [L. desiderāre, -ātum, to long for. A doublet of desire.]

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

Design, de-zīn′, or de-sīn′, v.t. to draw: to form a plan of: to contrive: to intend.—n. a drawing or sketch: a plan in outline: a plan or scheme formed in the mind: plot: intention.—adj. Design′able.—v.t. Des′ignāte, to mark out so as to make known: to show: to name.—ns. Designā′tion, a showing or pointing out: name: title; Des′ignātor.—adv. Design′edly, by design: intentionally.—n. Design′er, one who furnishes designs or patterns: a plotter.—adjs. Design′ful, full of design; Design′ing, artful: scheming: deceitful.—n. the art of making designs or patterns.—adj. Design′less.—n. Design′ment, the design or sketch of a work: (Shak.) intention, purpose, enterprise.—The argument from design, the argument for the existence of God derived from the evidences of design in creation. [Fr.,—L. designāre, -ātum—de, and signum, a mark.]

Desilver, de-sil′vėr, v.t. to deprive of silver: to extract the silver from—also Desil′verise.—n. Desilverisā′tion.

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

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

Desire, de-zīr′, v.t. to long for the possession of: to wish for: to request, ask: (B.) to regret.—v.i. to be in a state of desire.—n. an earnest longing for: eagerness to obtain: a prayer or request: the object desired: lust.—adj. Desir′able, worthy of desire: pleasing: agreeable.—ns. Desir′ableness, Desirabil′ity.—adv. Desir′ably.—adj. Desire′less.—n. Desir′er.—adj. Desir′ous, full of desire: anxious to obtain: eager.—adv. Desir′ously.—n. Desir′ousness. [Fr. désirer—L. desiderāre. See Desiderate.]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Desolate, des′o-lāt, v.t. to make solitary: to deprive of inhabitants: to lay waste.—adj. solitary: destitute of inhabitants: laid waste.—adv. Des′olately.—ns. Des′olateness; Desolat′er, -or; Desolā′tion, waste: destruction: a place desolated.—adj. Des′olatory. [L. desolāre, -ātum—de, inten., and solāre, to make alone—solus, alone.]

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

Despatch, de-spach′, Dispatch, dis-pach′, v.t. to send away hastily: to send out of the world: to put to death: to dispose of: to perform speedily.—v.i. (Shak.) to make haste.—n. a sending away in haste: dismissal: rapid performance: haste: the sending off of the mails: that which is despatched, as a message, esp. telegraphic.—ns. Despatch′-boat, a government vessel for carrying despatches; Despatch′-box, a box for containing official despatches; Despatch′er.—adv. Despatch′ful (Milt.), swift.—Happy despatch, a playful name given to the Japanese hara-kiri or judicial suicide; Pneumatic despatch (see Pneumatic). [O. Fr. despeecher (mod. Fr. dépêcher); acc. to Littré, from an assumed Low L. despedicāre, to remove obstacles (pedica, a fetter), the opp. of impedicāre. See Impeach.]

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

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

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

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

Despise, de-spīz′, v.t. to look down upon with contempt: to scorn.—adj. Despis′able.—ns. Despī′sal, contempt; Despis′edness (Milt.); Despis′er. [O. Fr. despiz, despire—L. despicĕre—de, down, specĕre, to look.]

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

Despoil, de-spoil′, v.t. to spoil completely: to strip: to bereave: to rob.—ns. Despoil′er; Despoliā′tion, Despoil′ment. [O. Fr. despoiller (mod. dépouiller)—L. despoliāre—de, inten., and spolium, spoil.]

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

Despot, des′pot, n. one invested with absolute power: a tyrant.—n. Des′potat, a territory governed by a despot.—adjs. Despot′ic, -al, pertaining to or like a despot: having absolute power: tyrannical.—adv. Despot′ically.—ns. Despot′icalness, Des′potism, absolute power: tyranny; Despotoc′racy, government by a despot. [O. Fr. despot—Low L. despotus—Gr. despotēs, a master.]

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

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

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

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

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

Destemper. See Distemper (1).

Destine, des′tin, v.t. to ordain or appoint to a certain use or state: to fix: to doom—also Des′tinate (obs.).—ns. Destinā′tion, the purpose or end to which anything is destined or appointed: end: purpose: design: fate: place to which one is going; Des′tiny, the purpose or end to which any person or thing is destined or appointed: unavoidable fate: necessity. [Fr.,—L. destināre—de, inten., and root sta-, in stāre, to stand.]

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

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

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

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

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

Desulphur, de-sul′fur, v.t. to free of sulphur: to take sulphur out of the ore—also Desul′phurāte, Desul′phurise.—n. Desulphurā′tion.

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

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

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

Detain, de-tān′, v.t. to hold from or back: to stop: to keep: to keep in custody.—ns. Detain′er, one who detains: (law) the holding of what belongs to another: a warrant to a sheriff to keep in custody a person already in confinement: Detain′ment (same as Detention). [O. Fr. detenir—L. detinēre—de, from, and tenēre, to hold.]

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

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

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

Deterge, de-tėrj′, v.t. to wipe off; to cleanse (as a wound).—ns. Deterg′ence, Deterg′ency.—adj. Deterg′ent, cleansing: purging.—n. that which cleanses. [L. detergēre, detersum—de, off, and tergere, to wipe.]

Deteriorate, de-tē′ri-o-rāt, v.t. to make worse.—v.i. to grow worse.—p.adj. Detē′riorated, spoilt: of inferior quality.—n. Deteriorā′tion, the act of making worse: the state of growing worse.—adj. Detē′riorative.—n. Deterior′ity (obs.), worse state. [L. deteriorāre, -ātum, to make worse—deterior, worse—obs. deter, lower—de, down; cf. inter-ior.]

Determine, dē-tėr′min, v.t. to put terms or bounds to: to limit: to fix or settle the form or character of: to influence; to put an end to: to define.—v.i. to come to a decision: to resolve.—adj. Deter′minable, capable of being determined, decided, or finished.—ns. Deter′minableness, Determinabil′ity.—adj. Deter′minant, serving to determine.—n. that which serves to determine: in mathematical analysis, a symbolical method used for different processes, as for the solution of equations by inspection.—adj. Deter′mināte, determined or limited: fixed: decisive.—v.t. (Shak.) to determine.—adv. Deter′minātely.—n. Determinā′tion, that which is determined or resolved on: end: direction to a certain end: resolution: fixedness of purpose: decision of character.—adjs. Deter′minātive, that determines, limits, or defines; Deter′mined, firm in purpose: fixed: resolute.—adv. Deter′minedly.—n. Deter′minism, the doctrine that all things, including the will, are determined by causes—the converse of free-will: necessitarianism.—n. Deter′minist.—adj. Determinis′tic. [Fr.,—L. determināre, -ātum—de, neg., and terminus, a boundary.]

Deterrent, de-tėr′ent, adj. serving to deter.—n. anything that deters or prevents. [See Deter.]

Detersion, de-tėr′shun, n. act of cleansing. [See Deterge.]

Detersive, de-tėr′siv, n. Same as Detergent.

Detest, de-test′, v.t. to hate intensely.—adj. Detest′able, worthy of being detested: extremely hateful: abominable.—n. Detest′ableness.—adv. Detest′ably.—n. Detestā′tion, extreme hatred. [Fr.,—L. detestāri—de, inten., and testāri, to call to witness, execrate—testis, a witness.]

Dethrone, de-thrōn′, v.t. to remove from a throne.—ns. Dethrone′ment; Dethronisā′tion.

Detonate, det′o-nāt, v.i. to explode.—v.t. to cause to explode.—ns. Detonā′tion, an explosion with report; Det′onator, a detonating substance: an apparatus for the explosion of a detonating substance, as a percussion-cap.—Detonating powder, powder, such as the fulminates, which explodes easily by impact or heating, and which may be used to cause other substances to explode. [L. detonāre, -ātum—de, down, and tonāre, to thunder.]

Detort, de-tort′, v.t. to distort.—ns. Detor′sion, Detor′tion. [L. detorquēre, detortum; de, away, and torquere, twist.]

Detour, de-tōōr′, n. a winding: a circuitous way. [Fr. dé, for L. dis, asunder, and tour, a turning.]

Detract, de-trakt′, v.t. to take away, abate: to defame.—v.i. to take away reputation (with from): to reduce in degree: diminish.—ns. Detract′er, -or:—fem. Detract′ress.—adv. Detract′ingly.—n. Detrac′tion, depreciation: slander.—adjs. Detract′ive, Detrac′tious, Detract′ory, tending to detract: derogatory. [L. de, from, and trahĕre, to draw.]

Detrain, de-trān′, v.t. to set down out of a railway train, as troops.—v.i. to come out of a train.

Detriment, det′ri-ment, n. diminution: damage: loss.—adj. Detriment′al. [L. detrimentum—de, off, and terĕre, tritum, to rub.]

Detritus, de-trī′tus, n. a mass of substance gradually rubbed or worn off solid bodies: an aggregate of broken or loosened fragments, esp. of rock.—n. Detri′tion, a wearing away. [L.,—de, off, and terĕre, tritum, to rub.]

Detrude, de-trōōd′, v.t. to thrust down.—n. Detru′sion. [L. de, down, and trudĕre, to thrust]

Detruncate, de-trung′kāt, v.t. to cut off from the trunk: to lop off: to shorten.—n. Detruncā′tion. [L. detruncāre, -ātum—de, off, truncāre, lop.]

Detumescence, dē-tū-mes′ens, n. diminution of swelling—opp. to Intumescence.

Deuce, dūs, n. a card or die with two spots: (lawn tennis) a term denoting that each side has gained three points ('forty all').—n. Deuce′-ace, a throw of two dice, one of which turns up deuce and the other ace. [Fr. deux, two—L. duos, accus. of duo, two.]

Deuce, dūs, n. the devil—in exclamatory phrases.—adj. Deuced (dū′sed, or dūst), devilish: excessive.—adv. confoundedly.

Deuterocanonical, dū′tėr-o-ka-non′ik-al, adj. pertaining to a second canon of inferior authority—the O. T. Apocrypha and the N. T. Antilegomena. [Gr. deuteros, second, kanōn, rule.]

Deuterogamy, dū-tėr-og′a-mi, n. second marriage, esp. of the clergy, after the death of the first wife.—n. Deuterog′amist, one who allows such. [Gr. deuteros, second, gamos, marriage.]

Deuteronomy, dū-tėr-on′o-mi, or dū′tėr-on-o-mi, n. the fifth book of the Pentateuch, containing a repetition of the decalogue and laws given in Exodus.—adjs. Deuteronom′ic, -al.—ns. Deuteron′omist, Deu′tero-Isā′iah, the assumed author of the later prophecies of Isaiah. [Gr. deuteros, second, nomos, law.]

Deuteroscopy, dū-tėr-os′ko-pi, n. second-sight. [Gr. deuteros, second, skopia—skopein, to look.]

Deutoplasm, dū′tō-plasm, n. secondary, nutritive plasm, or food-yolk.—adjs. Deutoplas′mic, Deutoplas′tic.

Deutoxide, dūt-oks′īd, n. an old name for a compound of two parts of oxygen with one of a base. [Gr. deuteros, second, and oxide.]

Deutzia, dewt′si-a, or doit′si-a, n. a genus of saxifragaceous plants with panicles of white flowers, introduced from China and Japan. [Named after Deutz, a Dutch naturalist.]

Devall, de-val′, v.i. (Scot.) to cease.—n. a stop.

Devanagari, dā-va-nä′ga-ri, n. the character in which Sanskrit is usually written and printed. [Sans. 'town-script of the gods,' a term app. coined by an Indian scholar.]

Devaporation, dē-vap-ō-rā′shun, n. the change of vapour into water.

Devastate, dev′as-tāt, v.t. to lay waste: to plunder.—ns. Devastā′tion, act of devastating: state of being devastated: havoc; Devastā′vit, a waste of the estate of a deceased person by the executor. [L. devastāre, ātum—de, inten., vastāre, to lay waste.]

Develop, dē-vel′op, v.t. to unroll: to unfold: to lay open by degrees: to promote the growth of: (phot.) to make the latent picture visible by chemical applications.—v.i. to grow into: to open out: to evolve:—pr.p. devel′oping; pa.p. devel′oped.—n. Devel′opment, a gradual unfolding: a gradual growth: evolution: (math.) the expression of a function in the form of a series.—adj. Development′al, pertaining to development.—adv. Development′ally.—Doctrine of development, the theory of the evolution of new species from lower forms. [Fr. développer, opposite of envelopper; both perh. from a Teut. root found in Eng. lap, to wrap.]

Devest, de-vest′, v.t. (law) to alienate: to deprive of: to strip. [A form of divest.]

Deviate, dē′vi-āt, v.i. to go from the way: to turn aside from a certain course: to err.—v.t. to cause to diverge.—ns. Deviā′tion, a going out of the way: a turning aside; error; Dē′viator, one who deviates.—Deviation of the compass, departure of the mariner's compass from the magnetic needle, due to the ship's magnetism—either from the iron of which it is built or the iron which it carries. [L. deviāre, -ātum—de, from, via, a way.]

Device, de-vīs′, n. that which is devised or designed: contrivance: power of devising: genius: (her.) the emblem borne upon a shield: a picture of some kind, with a motto illustrative of a man's life or character, borne by an individual rather than by a family.—adj. Device′ful (Spens.), full of devices. [O. Fr. devise. See Devise.]

Devil, dev′l, v.t. (cook.) to season highly and broil.—v.i. to perform another man's drudgery (esp. to devil for a barrister).

Devil, dev′l, n. the supreme spirit of evil, Satan: any evil spirit: a false god: a very wicked person: a fellow, as in 'Poor devil:' an expletive, in 'What the devil,' &c.—ns. Dev′ildom; Dev′iless; Dev′ilet; Dev′il-fish, a name for the fishing-frog or angler, for the giant-ray of the United States, and for other large and ugly fishes; Dev′il-in-the-bush, a garden flower, also called Love-in-a-mist.—adj. Dev′ilish, fiendish, malignant.—adv. (coll.) very: exceedingly.—adv. Dev′ilishly.—ns. Dev′ilism; Dev′ilkin.—adj. Dev′il-may-care, reckless, audacious.—ns. Dev′ilment; Dev′il-on-the-neck, an old instrument of torture; Dev′ilry; Dev′ilship; Dev′iltry; Dev′il-wor′ship, the worship of the devil, or of devils; Dev′il-wor′shipper.—Devil a bit, not at all; Devil of a mess, a very bad mess.—Devil's advocate, a name given to the Promoter of the Faith, an advocate at the papal court, whose duty it is to propose all reasonable objections against a person's claims to canonisation; Devil's bit, a popular name for scabious; Devil's books, playing-cards; Devil's coach-horse, a large dark-coloured beetle; Devil's dozen, thirteen (like baker's dozen); Devil's dung, a popular name for asafœtida; Devil's dust, shoddy made by a machine called the devil; Devil's own, a name given to the 88th Regiment in the Peninsular war, as also to the Inns of Court volunteers; Devil's snuff-box, the puff-ball, a kind of fungus; Devil's tattoo (see Tattoo); Devil to pay, serious trouble ahead—said to be from the difficulty of paying, or caulking, an awkward and inaccessible seam in a ship.—Cartesian devil (see Cartesian); Printer's devil, the youngest apprentice in a printing-office: a printer's errand-boy; Tasmanian devil, the ursine dasyure, a Tasmanian carnivore.—Play the devil with, to bring to utter ruin. [A.S. deóful, deófol—L. diabolus—Gr. diabolos, from diaballein, to throw across, to slander, from dia, across, and ballein, to throw; cf. Ger. teufel, Fr. diable, It. diavolo, Sp. diablo.]

Devious, dē′vi-us, adj. from or out of the way: roundabout: erring.—adv. Dē′viously.—n. Dē′viousness. [L. devius. See Deviate.]

Devise, de-vīz′, v.t. to imagine: to scheme: to contrive: to give by will: to bequeath.—v.i. to consider, scheme.—n. act of bequeathing: a will: property bequeathed by will.—adj. Devis′able.—ns. Devis′al; Devisē[e]′, one to whom real estate is bequeathed; Devis′er, one who contrives; Devis′or, one who bequeaths. [O. Fr. deviser, devise—Low L. divisa, a division of goods, a mark, a device—L. dividĕre, divisum, to divide.]

Devitalise, de-vī′ta-līz, v.t. to deprive of vitality or life-giving qualities.—n. Devitalisā′tion.

Devitrify, de-vit′ri-fī, v.t. to take away or greatly diminish the vitreous quality of.—n. Devitrificā′tion, loss or diminution of the vitreous nature.

Devocalise, de-vō′ka-līz, v.t. to make voiceless: to reduce the vowel element in a sound or syllable.

Devoid, de-void′, adj. destitute: free from. [O. Fr. desvoidier, des—L. dis-, away, voidier—L. viduāre, viduus, deprived.]

Devoir, dev-wawr′, n. what is due, duty: service: an act of civility. [Fr.,—L. debēre, to owe.]

Devolution, dev-ol-ū′shun, n. a passing from one person to another. [See Devolve.]

Devolve, de-volv′, v.t. to roll down: to hand down: to deliver over.—v.i. to roll down: to fall or pass over.—n. Devolve′ment. [L. devolvĕre, -volūtum—de, down, volvĕre, -ūtum, to roll.]

Devonian, de-vō′ni-an, adj. belonging to Devonshire: belonging to a system of geological strata which abound in Devonshire, closely corresponding to Old Red Sandstone.

Devonport, dev′on-pōrt, n. a small ornamental writing-table, fitted with drawers, &c.

Devonshire cream = Clotted cream. See Clot.

Devote, de-vōt′, v.t. to vow: to set apart or dedicate by solemn act: to doom: to give up wholly.—adj. Devōt′ed, given up, as by a vow: doomed: strongly attached: zealous.—adv. Devōt′edly.—ns. Devōt′edness; Devotēē′, one wholly or superstitiously devoted, esp. to religion: a fanatic; Devōte′ment (Shak.); Devō′tion, consecration: giving up of the mind to the worship of God: piety: prayer: strong affection or attachment: ardour: (pl.) prayers: (obs.) religious offerings: alms.—adj. Devō′tional.—ns. Devō′tionalist, Devō′tionist.—adv. Devō′tionally. [L. devovēre, devōtum—de, a way, and vovēre, to vow.]

Devour, de-vowr′, v.t. to swallow greedily: to eat up: to consume or waste with violence or wantonness: to destroy: to gaze intently on.—n. Devour′er.—adj. Devour′ing.—adv. Devour′ingly.—n. Devour′ment. [O. Fr. devorer—L. devorāre—de, inten., and vorāre, to swallow. See Voracious.]

Devout, de-vowt′, adj. given up to religious thoughts and exercises: pious: solemn: earnest.—adv. Devout′ly.—n. Devout′ness. [O. Fr. devot—L. devotus. See Devote.]

Dew, dū, n. moisture deposited from the air on cooling, esp. at night, in minute specks upon the surface of objects: early freshness (esp. in Dew of his youth).—v.t. to wet with dew: to moisten.—ns. Dew′berr′y, a kind of bramble or blackberry having a bluish dew-like bloom on the fruit; Dew′-claw, a rudimentary inner toe of a dog's hind-foot; Dew′drop; Dew′fall, the falling of dew, the time it falls; Dew′point, the temperature at which dew begins to form; Dew′-rett′ing, the process of rotting away the gummy part of hemp or flax by exposure on the grass to dew and rain; Dew′stone, a Nottinghamshire limestone; Dew′-worm, the common earthworm.—adj. Dew′y.—Mountain dew (slang), whisky, originally illicitly distilled or smuggled spirits. [A.S. deáw; cf. Ice. dögg, Ger. thau, dew.]

Dew, dū, n. an obsolete spelling of due.

Dewan, dē-wan′, n. in India, a financial minister, the native steward of a business-house.—ns. Dewan′i, Dewan′ny, the office of dewan. [Hind.]

Dewitt, dē-wit′, v.t. to lynch—from the fate of Jan and Cornelius De Witt in Holland in 1672.

Dewlap, dū′lap, n. the pendulous skin under the throat of oxen, dogs, &c.: the fleshy wattle of the turkey.—adjs. Dew′lapped, Dew′lapt. [Prob. dew and A.S. læppa, a loose hanging piece.]

Dexter, deks′tėr, adj. on the right-hand side: right: (her.) of that side of the shield on the right-hand side of the wearer, to the spectator's left.—n. Dexter′ity, right-handedness: cleverness: readiness and skill: adroitness.—adjs. Dex′terous, Dex′trous, right-handed: adroit: subtle.—adv. Dex′terously.—n. Dex′terousness.—adj. Dex′tral, right, as opposed to left.—n. Dextral′ity, right-handedness.—adv. Dex′trally.—adjs. Dex′tro-gȳ′rate, causing to turn to the right hand; Dex′trorse, Dextror′sal, rising from right to left. [L. dexter; Gr. dexios, Sans. dakshina, on the right, on the south.]

Dextrine, deks′trin, n. starch altered by the action of acids, diastase, or heat till it loses its gelatinous character, so called because when viewed through polarised light it turns the plane of polarisation to the right.—n. Dex′trose, a glucose sugar, found in grapes, &c., and manufactured from starch by means of sulphuric acid. [Fr.,—L. dexter.]

Dey, dā, n. a dairy-maid. [See Dairy.]

Dey, dā, n. a name given to the pasha or governor of Algiers before the French conquest. [Turk, dái, orig. a maternal uncle, a familiar title of the chief of the Janizaries.]

Dharma, där′ma, n. the righteousness that underlies the law: the law. [Sans.]

Dhobie, dō′bi, n. an Indian washerman. [Hind.]

Dhole, dōl, n. the Indian wild dog. [Ind. word.]

Dhooly, dōō′li, n. a covered litter.—Also Doo′lie. [Hind. doli.]

Dhow, dow, n. a native vessel on the eastern African and western Indian coasts, with lateen sails: an Arab slaver.

Dhurra. Same as Durra.

Diabase, dī′a-bās, n. a compact igneous rock, an altered form of basalt—included under the popular names greenstone and trap.—adj. Diabā′sic.

Diabaterial, dī-a-ba-tē′ri-al, adj. crossing the boundaries. [Gr. diabatos—dia, across, bainein, to go.]

Diabetes, dī-a-bē′tēz, n. a disease marked by a morbid and excessive discharge of urine.—adjs. Diabet′ic, -al. [Gr., from diabainein, dia, through, and bainein, to go.]

Diablerie, Diablery, di-ab-le-rē′, n. magic: the black art: sorcery. [Fr.,—diable. See Devil.]

Diabolic, -al, dī-a-bol′ik, -al, adj. devilish.—adv. Diabol′ically.—v.t. Diab′olise, to render devilish.—ns. Diab′olism, devilish conduct: sorcery or black magic; Diabol′ogy, the doctrine of devils. [L.,—Gr. diabolikos, diabolos, the devil. See Devil.]

Diacatholicon, dī-a-ka-thol′i-kon, n. a purgative electuary.

Diacaustic, dī-a-kaws′tik, adj. pertaining to curves formed by the intersections of rays of refracted light.—n. a curve so formed. [Formed from Gr. dia, through, and caustic.]

Diachastic, dī-a-kas′tik, adj. cleaving apart. [Gr.]

Diachylon, dī-ak′i-lon, Diachylum, dī-ak′i-lum, n. common sticking-plaster. [Gr. diachylos—dia, and chylos, juice.]

Diachyma, dī-ak′i-ma, n. the parenchyma of leaves. [Gr. dia, through, chyma, juice.]

Diacodium, dī-a-kō′di-um, n. a syrup of poppies. [L.,—Gr. dia, through, kōdeia, a poppy-head.]

Diaconate, dī-ak′o-nāt, n. the office of a deacon.—adj. Diac′onal, pertaining to a deacon.

Diaconicon, dī-a-kon′i-kon, n. a sacristy for sacred vessels, in a Greek church, on the south side of the bema or sanctuary.

Diacoustic, dī-a-kows′tik, adj. pertaining to the refraction of sound through various mediums.—n. Diacous′tics, the branch of physics which deals with refracted sounds. [Formed from Gr. dia, through, and acoustics.]

Diacritic, -al, dī-a-krit′ik, -al, adj. distinguishing between—used of marks or points attached to the letters of various languages. [Gr. diakritikos, diakrinein—dia, between, and krinein, to distinguish. See Critic.]

Diactine, dī-ak′tin, adj. having two rays.—Also Diac′tinal.

Diactinic, dī-ak-tin′ik, adj. capable of transmitting the actinic rays of the sun.

Diadelphous, dī-a-del′fus, adj. grouped together in two sets—of the stamens of plants.—n. Dī′adelph. [Formed from Gr. di-, double, and adelphos, brother.]

Diadem, dī′a-dem, n. a band or fillet worn round the head as a badge of royalty: a crown: royalty.—adj. Dī′ademed, wearing a diadem.—Diadem spider, the common garden spider—from its markings. [O. Fr. diademe—L. diadema—Gr. diadēma—dia, round, and deein, to bind.]

Diadexis, dī-a-dek′sis, n. (path.) the transformation of one disease into another, differing both in location and character. [Gr.]

Diadochi, dī-ad′o-kī, n. the generals who became monarchs of the various kingdoms (Syria, Egypt, &c.) into which the empire of Alexander the Great split after his death (323 B.C.). [Gr. diadochos, succeeding, a successor; diadechesthai, to succeed.]

Diadrom, dī′a-drom, n. a course or passing: a vibration. [Gr.]

Diæresis, Dieresis, dī-ēr′e-sis, n. a mark (¨) placed over one of two vowels to show that each is to be pronounced separately, as aërial:—pl. Diær′eses, Dier′eses. [Gr.,—dia, apart, hairein, to take.]

Diaglyph, dī′a-glif, n. an intaglio. [Gr.]

Diagnosis, dī-ag-nō′sis, n. the distinguishing a disease by means of its symptoms: a brief description:—pl. Diagnō′ses.—v.t. Dī′agnose, to ascertain from symptoms, as a disease.—adj. Dīagnos′tic, distinguishing: characteristic.—n. that by which anything is known: a symptom.—n.pl. Diagnos′tics, the branch of medicine to which the skill in noting and interpreting symptoms belongs. [Gr., dia, between, gnōsis—gnōnai, to know.]

Diagometer, dī-a-gom′e-tėr, n. a form of electroscope for ascertaining conducting power. [Gr. diagein, to conduct, metron, a measure.]

Diagonal, dī-ag′o-nal, adj. through the corners, or from an angle to an opposite angle of a four or many sided figure.—n. a straight line so drawn.—adv. Diag′onally.—Diagonal scale, a scale for laying down small fractions of the unit of measurement, the parallel lines drawn lengthwise on its surface being divided into sections by lines drawn crosswise, and in one end section being intersected by a series of other parallel lines drawn obliquely at equal distances across them. [Fr.,—L. diagonalis, from Gr. diagōnios—dia, through, and gōnia, a corner.]

Diagram, dī′a-gram, n. a figure or plan drawn in outline to illustrate any statement: a record traced by an automatic indicator.—adj. Diagrammat′ic.—adv. Diagrammat′ically.—n. Dī′agraph, an instrument for enabling unskilled persons to draw objects in outline.—adj. Diagraph′ic. [L.,—Gr. diagramma—dia, round, graphein, to write.]

Diaheliotropic, dī-a-hē-li-ō-trop′ik, adj. (bot.) turning transversely to the light.—n. Diaheliot′ropism. [Gr. dia, across, and heliotropic.]

Dial, dī′al, n. an instrument for showing the time of day by the sun's shadow: a timepiece: the face of a watch or clock: a circular plate on which a movable index shows the degree of pressure, &c.—v.t. to measure, as with a dial.—ns. Dī′alist, a maker of dials: one skilled in dialling; Dī′alling, the art of constructing dials: the science which explains the measuring of time by the sun-dial: surveying by help of a compass with sights, such as is called a 'miner's dial;' Dīal-plate. [M. E. dial—Low L. dialis, daily—L. dies, a day.]

Dialect, dī′a-lekt, n. a variety or form of a language peculiar to a district: a non-literary vernacular: a peculiar manner of speaking.—adj. Dialect′al.—adv. Dialect′ally.—ns. Dialect′icism; Dialectol′ogist; Dialectol′ogy. [Through Fr. and L. from Gr. dialektos, speech, manner of speech, peculiarity of speech—dia, between, legein, to speak.]

Dialectic, -al, dī-a-lek′tik, -al, adj. pertaining to dialect or to discourse: pertaining to dialectics: logical.—ns. Dialec′tic, Dialect′ics, art of discussing: that branch of logic which teaches the rules and modes of reasoning.—adv. Dialec′tically.—n. Dialecti′cian, one skilled in dialectics, a logician. [Gr. dialektikos.]