Deform De·form" adjective [ Latin
deformis ;
de- +
forma form: confer Old French
deforme , French
difforme . Confer
Difform .]
Deformed; misshapen; shapeless; horrid. [ Obsolete]
Sight so deform what heart of rock could long
Dry-eyed behold?
Milton.
Deformation Def`or·ma"tion noun [ Latin
deformatio : confer French
déformation .]
1. The act of deforming, or state of anything deformed. Bp. Hall. 2. Transformation; change of shape.
Deformed De·formed" adjective Unnatural or distorted in form; having a deformity; misshapen; disfigured; as, a deformed person; a deformed head. --
De*form"ed*ly adverb --
De*form"ed*ness ,
noun
Deformer De·form"er noun One who deforms.
Deformity De·form"i·ty noun ;
plural Deformities . [ Latin
deformitas , from
deformis : confer Old French
deformeté ,
deformité , French
difformité . See
Deform ,
v. &
adjective , and confer
Disformity .]
1. The state of being deformed; want of proper form or symmetry; any unnatural form or shape; distortion; irregularity of shape or features; ugliness. To make an envious mountain on my back,
Where sits deformity to mock my body.
Shak. 2. Anything that destroys beauty, grace, or propriety; irregularity; absurdity; gross deviation from order or the established laws of propriety; as, deformity in an edifice; deformity of character. Confounded, that her Maker's eyes
Should look so near upon her foul deformities .
Milton.
Deforser De·fors"er noun [ From
Deforce .] [ Written also
deforsor .]
A deforciant. [ Obsolete]
Blount.
Defoul De·foul" transitive verb [ See
Defile ,
transitive verb ]
1. To tread down. [ Obsolete]
Wyclif. 2. To make foul; to defile. [ Obsolete]
Wyclif.
Defraud De·fraud" transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Defrauded ;
present participle & verbal noun Defrauding .] [ Latin
defraudare ;
de- +
fraudare to cheat, from
fraus ,
fraudis , fraud: confer Old French
defrauder . See
Fraud .]
To deprive of some right, interest, or property, by a deceitful device; to withhold from wrongfully; to injure by embezzlement; to cheat; to overreach; as, to defraud a servant, or a creditor, or the state; -- with of before the thing taken or withheld. We have defrauded no man.
2 Cor. vii. 2. Churches seem injured and defrauded of their rights.
Hooker.
Defraudation De`frau·da"tion noun [ Latin
defraudatio : confer French
défraudation .]
The act of defrauding; a taking by fraud. [ R.]
Sir T. Browne.
Defrauder De·fraud"er noun One who defrauds; a cheat; an embezzler; a peculator.
Defraudment De·fraud"ment noun [ Confer Old French
defraudement .]
Privation by fraud; defrauding. [ Obsolete]
Milton.
Defray De·fray" transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Defrayed ;
present participle & verbal noun Defraying .] [ French
défrayer ; prefix
dé- (L.
de or
dis- ) +
frais expense, from Late Latin
fredum ,
fridum , expense, fine by which an offender obtained peace from his sovereign, or more likely, atoned for an offense against the public peace, from Old High German
fridu peace, German
friede . See
Affray .]
1. To pay or discharge; to serve in payment of; to provide for, as a charge, debt, expenses, costs, etc. For the discharge of his expenses, and defraying his cost, he allowed him . . . four times as much.
Usher. 2. To avert or appease, as by paying off; to satisfy; as, to defray wrath. [ Obsolete]
Spenser.
Defrayal De·fray"al noun The act of defraying; payment; as, the defrayal of necessary costs.
Defrayer De·fray"er noun One who pays off expenses.
Defrayment De·fray"ment noun Payment of charges.
Deft Deft adjective [ Middle English
daft ,
deft , becoming, mild, gentle, stupid (cf. Middle English
daffe ,
deffe , fool, coward), Anglo-Saxon
dæft (in derivatives only) mild, gentle, fitting, seasonable; akin to
dafen ,
gedafen , becoming, fit, Goth.
gadaban to be fit. Confer
Daft ,
Daff ,
Dapper .]
Apt; fit; dexterous; clever; handy; spruce; neat. [ Archaic or Poetic] "The
deftest way."
Shak. "
Deftest feats."
Gay. The limping god, so deft at his new ministry.
Dryden. Let me be deft and debonair.
Byron.
Deftly Deft"ly adverb [ Confer
Defly .]
Aptly; fitly; dexterously; neatly. "
Deftly dancing."
Drayton. Thyself and office deftly show.
Shak.
Deftness Deft"ness noun The quality of being deft. Drayton.
Defunct De·funct" adjective [ Latin
defunctus , past participle of
defungi to acquit one's self of, to perform, finish, depart, die;
de +
fungi to perform, discharge: confer French
défunt . See
Function .]
Having finished the course of life; dead; deceased. "
Defunct organs."
Shak. The boar, defunct , lay tripped up, near.
Byron.
Defunct De·funct" noun A dead person; one deceased.
Defunction De·func"tion noun [ Latin
defunctio performance, death.]
Death. [ Obsolete]
After defunction of King Pharamond.
Shak.
Defunctive De·func"tive adjective Funereal. [ Obsolete] "
Defunctive music."
Shak.
Defuse De·fuse" transitive verb [ Confer
Diffuse .]
To disorder; to make shapeless. [ Obsolete]
Shak.
Defy De·fy" transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Defied ;
present participle & verbal noun Defying .] [ French
défier , Old French
deffier ,
desfier , Late Latin
disfidare to disown faith or fidelity, to dissolve the bond of allegiance, as between the vassal and his lord; hence, to challenge, defy; from Latin
dis- +
fides faith. See
Faith , and confer
Diffident ,
Affiance .]
1. To renounce or dissolve all bonds of affiance, faith, or obligation with; to reject, refuse, or renounce. [ Obsolete]
I defy the surety and the bond.
Chaucer. For thee I have defied my constant mistress.
Beau. & Fl. 2. To provoke to combat or strife; to call out to combat; to challenge; to dare; to brave; to set at defiance; to treat with contempt; as, to defy an enemy; to defy the power of a magistrate; to defy the arguments of an opponent; to defy public opinion. I once again
Defy thee to the trial of mortal fight.
Milton. I defy the enemies of our constitution to show the contrary.
Burke.
Defy De·fy" noun A challenge. [ Obsolete]
Dryden.
Dégagé Dé`ga`gé" adjective [ French, past participle of
dégager to disengage. See
De- , lst Gage, and confer
Disgage .]
Unconstrained; easy; free. Vanbrugh. A graceful and dégagé manner.
Poe.
Degarnish De·gar"nish transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Degarnished ;
present participle & verbal noun Degarnishing .] [ French
dégarnir ; prefix
dé- ,
des- (L.
dis- ) +
garnir to furnish. See
Garnish , and confer
Disgarnish .]
1. To strip or deprive of entirely, as of furniture, ornaments, etc.; to disgarnish; as, to degarnish a house, etc. [ R.]
2. To deprive of a garrison, or of troops necessary for defense; as, to degarnish a city or fort. [ R.]
Washington.
Degarnishment De·gar"nish·ment noun The act of depriving, as of furniture, apparatus, or a garrison. [ R.]
Degender, Degener De·gen"der, De·gen"er intransitive verb [ See
Degenerate .]
To degenerate. [ Obsolete] "
Degendering to hate."
Spenser. He degenereth into beastliness.
Joye.
Degeneracy De·gen"er·a·cy noun [ From
Degenerate ,
adjective ]
1. The act of becoming degenerate; a growing worse. Willful degeneracy from goodness.
Tillotson. 2. The state of having become degenerate; decline in good qualities; deterioration; meanness. Degeneracy of spirit in a state of slavery.
Addison. To recover mankind out of their universal corruption and degeneracy .
S. Clarke.
Degenerate De·gen"er·ate adjective [ Latin
degeneratus , past participle of
degenerare to degenerate, cause to degenerate, from
degener base, degenerate, that departs from its race or kind;
de- +
genus race, kind. See
Kin relationship.]
Having become worse than one's kind, or one's former state; having declined in worth; having lost in goodness; deteriorated; degraded; unworthy; base; low. Faint-hearted and degenerate king.
Shak. A degenerate and degraded state.
Milton. Degenerate from their ancient blood.
Swift. These degenerate days.
Pope. I had planted thee a noble vine . . . : how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?
Jer. ii. 21.
Degenerate De·gen"er·ate intransitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Degenerated ;
present participle & verbal noun Degenerating .]
1. To be or grow worse than one's kind, or than one was originally; hence, to be inferior; to grow poorer, meaner, or more vicious; to decline in good qualities; to deteriorate. When wit transgresseth decency, it degenerates into insolence and impiety.
Tillotson. 2. (Biol.) To fall off from the normal quality or the healthy structure of its kind; to become of a lower type.
Degenerately De·gen"er·ate·ly adverb In a degenerate manner; unworthily.
Degenerateness De·gen"er·ate·ness noun Degeneracy.
Degeneration De·gen`er·a"tion noun [ Confer French
dégénération .]
1. The act or state of growing worse, or the state of having become worse; decline; degradation; debasement; degeneracy; deterioration. Our degeneration and apostasy.
Bates. 2. (Physiol.) That condition of a tissue or an organ in which its vitality has become either diminished or perverted; a substitution of a lower for a higher form of structure; as, fatty degeneration of the liver. 3. (Biol.) A gradual deterioration, from natural causes, of any class of animals or plants or any particular organ or organs; hereditary degradation of type. 4. The thing degenerated. [ R.]
Cockle, aracus, . . . and other degenerations .
Sir T. Browne. Amyloid degeneration ,
Caseous degeneration , etc.
See under Amyloid , Caseous , etc.
Degenerationist De·gen`er·a"tion·ist noun (Biol.) A believer in the theory of degeneration, or hereditary degradation of type; as, the degenerationists hold that savagery is the result of degeneration from a superior state.
Degenerative De·gen"er·a·tive adjective Undergoing or producing degeneration; tending to degenerate.
Degenerous De·gen"er·ous adjective [ Latin
degener . See
Degenerate .]
Degenerate; base. [ Obsolete] "
Degenerous passions."
Dryden. "
Degenerous practices."
South.
Degenerously De·gen"er·ous·ly adverb Basely. [ Obsolete]
Degerm De·germ" transitive verb (Milling) To extract the germs from, as from wheat grains.
Degerminator De·ger"mi·na`tor noun (Milling) A machine for breaking open the kernels of wheat or other grain and removing the germs.
Deglaze De·glaze" transitive verb To remove the glaze from, as pottery or porcelain, so as to give a dull finish.
Deglazing De·glaz"ing noun The process of giving a dull or ground surface to glass by acid or by mechanical means. Knight.
Degloried De·glo"ried adjective Deprived of glory; dishonored. [ Obsolete] "With thorns
degloried ."
G. Fletcher.
Deglutinate De·glu"ti·nate transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Deglutinated ;
present participle & verbal noun Deglutinating .] [ Latin
deglutinatus , past participle of
deglutinare to deglutinate;
de- +
glutinare to glue,
gluten glue.]
To loosen or separate by dissolving the glue which unties; to unglue.
Deglutination De·glu`ti·na"tion noun The act of ungluing.
Deglutition Deg`lu·ti"tion noun [ Latin
deglutire to swallow down;
de- +
glutire to swallow: confer French
déglutition . See
Glut .]
The act or process of swallowing food; the power of swallowing. The muscles employed in the act of deglutition .
Paley.
Deglutitious Deg`lu·ti"tious adjective Pertaining to deglutition. [ R.]
Deglutitory De·glu"ti·to·ry adjective Serving for, or aiding in, deglutition.
Degradation Deg`ra·da"tion noun [ Late Latin
degradatio , from
degradare : confer French
dégradation . See
Degrade .]
1. The act of reducing in rank, character, or reputation, or of abasing; a lowering from one's standing or rank in office or society; diminution; as, the degradation of a peer, a knight, a general, or a bishop. He saw many removes and degradations in all the other offices of which he had been possessed.
Clarendon. 2. The state of being reduced in rank, character, or reputation; baseness; moral, physical, or intellectual degeneracy; disgrace; abasement; debasement. The . . . degradation of a needy man of letters.
Macaulay. Deplorable is the degradation of our nature.
South. Moments there frequently must be, when a sinner is sensible of the degradation of his state.
Blair. 3. Diminution or reduction of strength, efficacy, or value; degeneration; deterioration. The development and degradation of the alphabetic forms can be traced.
I. Taylor (The Alphabet). 4. (Geol.) A gradual wearing down or wasting, as of rocks and banks, by the action of water, frost etc. 5. (Biol.) The state or condition of a species or group which exhibits degraded forms; degeneration. The degradation of the species man is observed in some of its varieties.
Dana. 6. (Physiol.) Arrest of development, or degeneration of any organ, or of the body as a whole. Degradation of energy , or
Dissipation of energy (Physics) ,
the transformation of energy into some form in which it is less available for doing work. Syn. -- Abasement; debasement; reduction; decline.
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