Decahedron noun ; plural English Decahedrons , Latin Decahedra . [ Prefix deca- + Greek 'e`dra a seat, a base, from 'e`zesthai to sit: confer French décaèdre .] (Geom.) A solid figure or body inclosed by ten plane surfaces. [ Written also, less correctly, decaedron .]

Decalcification noun The removal of calcareous matter.

Decalcify transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Decalcified ; present participle & verbal noun Decalcifying .] To deprive of calcareous matter; thus, to decalcify bones is to remove the stony part, and leave only the gelatin.

Decalcomania, Decalcomanie noun [ French décalcomanie .] The art or process of transferring pictures and designs to china, glass, marble, etc., and permanently fixing them thereto.

Decaliter, Decalitre noun [ French décalitre ; Greek de`ka ten + French litre . See Liter .] A measure of capacity in the metric system; a cubic volume of ten liters, equal to about 610.24 cubic inches, that is, 2.642 wine gallons.

Decalog noun Decalogue.

Decalogist noun One who explains the decalogue. J. Gregory.

Decalogue noun [ French décalogue , Latin decalogus , from Greek ...; de`ka ten + ... speech, ... to speak, to say. See Ten .] The Ten Commandments or precepts given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai, and originally written on two tables of stone.

Decameron noun [ Italian decamerone , from Greek de`ka ten + ... part; though quite generally supposed to be derived from ... day: confer French décaméron .] A celebrated collection of tales, supposed to be related in ten days; -- written in the 14th century, by Boccaccio, an Italian.

Decameter, Decametre noun [ French décamètre ; Greek de`ka ten + mètre . See Meter .] A measure of length in the metric system; ten meters, equal to about 393.7 inches.

Decamp intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Decamped (?; 215); present participle & verbal noun Decamping .] [ French décamper ; prefix dé- (L. dis ) + camp camp. See Camp .]
1. To break up a camp; to move away from a camping ground, usually by night or secretly. Macaulay.

2. Hence, to depart suddenly; to run away; -- generally used disparagingly.

The fathers were ordered to decamp , and the house was once again converted into a tavern.

Goldsmith.

Decampment noun [ Confer French décampement .] Departure from a camp; a marching off.

Decanal adjective [ Confer French décanal . See Dean .] Pertaining to a dean or deanery.

His rectorial as well as decanal residence.

Churton.

Decanal side , the side of the choir on which the dean's tall is placed. -- Decanal stall , the stall allotted to the dean in the choir, on the right or south side of the chancel. Shipley.

Decandria noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek de`ka ten + ..., ..., a man.] (Botany) A Linnæan class of plants characterized by having ten stamens.

Decandrian, Decandrous adjective [ Confer French décandre .] (Botany) Belonging to the Decandria; having ten stamens.

Decane noun [ See Deca- .] (Chemistry) A liquid hydrocarbon, C ₁₀ H ₂₂ , of the paraffin series, including several isomeric modifications.

Decangular adjective [ Prefix deca- + angular .] Having ten angles.

Decani adjective [ Latin , lit., of the dean.] Used of the side of the choir on which the dean's stall is placed; decanal; -- correlative to cantoris ; as, the decanal, or decani , side.

Decant transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Decanted ; present participle & verbal noun Decanting .] [ French décanter (cf. Italian decantare ), prop., to pour off from the edge of a vessel; prefix dé- (L. de ) + Old French cant (It. canto ) edge, border, end. See Cant an edge.] To pour off gently, as liquor, so as not to disturb the sediment; or to pour from one vessel into another; as, to decant wine.

Decantate transitive verb To decant. [ Obsolete]

Decantation noun [ Confer French décantation .] The act of pouring off a clear liquor gently from its lees or sediment, or from one vessel into another.

Decanter noun
1. A vessel used to decant liquors, or for receiving decanted liquors; a kind of glass bottle used for holding wine or other liquors, from which drinking glasses are filled.

2. One who decants liquors.

Decaphyllous adjective [ Prefix deca- + Greek ... leaf: confer French décaphylle .] (Botany) Having ten leaves.

Decapitate transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Decapitated ; present participle & verbal noun Decapitating .] [ Late Latin decapitatus , past participle of decapitare ; Latin de- + caput head. See Chief .]
1. To cut off the head of; to behead.

2. To remove summarily from office. [ Colloq. U. S.]

Decapitation noun [ Late Latin decapitatio : confer French décapitation .] The act of beheading; beheading.

Decapod (dĕk"ȧ*pŏd) noun [ Confer French décapode .] (Zoology) A crustacean with ten feet or legs, as a crab; one of the Decapoda. Also used adjectively.

Decapoda (de*kăp"o*dȧ) noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek de`ka ten + poy`s , podo`s , foot.]
1. (Zoology) The order of Crustacea which includes the shrimps, lobsters, crabs, etc.

» They have a carapace, covering and uniting the somites of the head and thorax and inclosing a gill chamber on each side, and usually have five (rarely six) pairs of legs. They are divided into two principal groups: Brachyura and Macrura. Some writers recognize a third (Anomura) intermediate between the others.

2. (Zoology) A division of the dibranchiate cephalopods including the cuttlefishes and squids. See Decacera .

Decapodal, Decapodous adjective (Zoology) Belonging to the decapods; having ten feet; ten-footed.

Decarbonate transitive verb To deprive of carbonic acid.

Decarbonization noun The action or process of depriving a substance of carbon.

Decarbonize transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Decarbonized ; present participle & verbal noun Decarbonizing .] To deprive of carbon; as, to decarbonize steel; to decarbonize the blood.

Decarbonized iron . See Malleable iron . -- Decarbonized steel , homogenous wrought iron made by a steel process, as that of Bessemer; ingot iron.

Decarbonizer noun He who, or that which, decarbonizes a substance.

Decarburization noun The act, process, or result of decarburizing.

Decarburize transitive verb To deprive of carbon; to remove the carbon from.

Decard transitive verb To discard. [ Obsolete]

You have cast those by, decarded them.

J. Fletcher.

Decardinalize transitive verb To depose from the rank of cardinal.

Decastere noun [ Latin décastère ; Greek de`ka ten + French stère a stere.] (Metric System) A measure of capacity, equal to ten steres, or ten cubic meters.

Decastich noun [ Prefix deca- + Greek sti`chos a row, a line of writing, a verse.] A poem consisting of ten lines.

Decastyle adjective [ Greek ...; de`ka ten + sty`los a column.] (Architecture) Having ten columns in front; -- said of a portico, temple, etc. -- noun A portico having ten pillars or columns in front.

Decasyllabic adjective [ Prefix deca- + syllabic : confer French décasyllabique , décasyllable .] Having, or consisting of, ten syllables.

Decathlon noun [ See Deca- ; Pentathlon .] In the modern Olympic Games, a composite contest consisting of a 100-meter run, a broad jump, putting the shot, a running high-jump, a 400-meter run, throwing the discus, a 100-meter hurdle race, pole vaulting, throwing the javelin, and a 1500-meter run.

Decatoic adjective (Chemistry) Pertaining to, or derived from, decane.

Decay intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Decayed ; present participle & verbal noun Decaying .] [ Old French decaeir , dechaer , decheoir , French déchoir , to decline, fall, become less; Latin de- + cadere to fall. See Chance .] To pass gradually from a sound, prosperous, or perfect state, to one of imperfection, adversity, or dissolution; to waste away; to decline; to fail; to become weak, corrupt, or disintegrated; to rot; to perish; as, a tree decays ; fortunes decay ; hopes decay .

Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey,
Where wealth accumulates and men decay .

Goldsmith.

Decay transitive verb
1. To cause to decay; to impair. [ R.]

Infirmity, that decays the wise.

Shak.

2. To destroy. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Decay noun
1. Gradual failure of health, strength, soundness, prosperity, or of any species of excellence or perfection; tendency toward dissolution or extinction; corruption; rottenness; decline; deterioration; as, the decay of the body; the decay of virtue; the decay of the Roman empire; a castle in decay .

Perhaps my God, though he be far before,
May turn, and take me by the hand, and more -
May strengthen my decays .

Herbert.

His [ Johnson's] failure was not to be ascribed to intellectual decay .

Macaulay.

Which has caused the decay of the consonants to follow somewhat different laws.

James Byrne.

2. Destruction; death. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

3. Cause of decay. [ R.]

He that plots to be the only figure among ciphers, is the decay of the whole age.

Bacon.

Syn. -- Decline; consumption. See Decline .

Decayed adjective Fallen, as to physical or social condition; affected with decay; rotten; as, decayed vegetation or vegetables; a decayed fortune or gentleman. -- De*cay"ed*ness noun

Decayer noun A causer of decay. [ R.]

Decease noun [ Middle English deses , deces , French décès , from Latin decessus departure, death, from decedere to depart, die; de- + cedere to withdraw. See Cease , Cede .] Departure, especially departure from this life; death.

His decease , which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.

Luke ix. 31.

And I, the whilst you mourn for his decease ,
Will with my mourning plaints your plaint increase.

Spenser.

Syn. -- Death; departure; dissolution; demise; release. See Death .

Decease intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Deceased ; present participle & verbal noun Deceasing .] To depart from this life; to die; to pass away.

She's dead, deceased , she's dead.

Shak.

When our summers have deceased .

Tennyson.

Inasmuch as he carries the malignity and the lie with him, he so far deceases from nature.

Emerson.

Deceased adjective Passed away; dead; gone.

The deceased , the dead person.