Despitous De·spit"ous adjective Despiteous; very angry; cruel. [ Obsolete]
He was to sinful man not despitous .
Chaucer.
Despoil De·spoil" transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Despoiled ;
present participle & verbal noun Despoiling .] [ Old French
despoiller , French
dépouiller , Latin
despoliare ,
despoliatum ;
de- +
spoliare to strip, rob,
spolium spoil, booty. Confer
Spoil ,
Despoliation .]
1. To strip, as of clothing; to divest or unclothe. [ Obsolete]
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" noun Spoil. [ Obsolete]
Wolsey.
Despoiler De·spoil"er noun One who despoils.
Despoilment De·spoil"ment noun Despoliation. [ R.]
Despoliation De·spo`li·a"tion noun [ Latin
despoliatio . See
Despoil .]
A stripping or plundering; spoliation. Bailey.
Despond De·spond" intransitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Desponded ;
present participle & verbal noun Desponding .] [ Latin
despondēre ,
desponsum , to promise away, promise in marriage, give up, to lose (courage);
de- +
spondēre to promise solemnly. See
Sponsor .]
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 the 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" noun Despondency. [ Obsolete]
The slough of despond .
Bunyan.
Despondence De·spond"ence noun Despondency. The people, when once infected, lose their relish for happiness [ and] saunter about with looks of despondence .
Goldsmith.
Despondency De·spond"en·cy noun 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 adjective [ Latin
despondens ,
-entis , present participle of
despond...re .]
Marked by despondence; given to despondence; low-spirited; as, a despondent manner; a despondent prisoner. --
De*spond"ent*ly ,
adverb
Desponder De·spond"er noun One who desponds.
Despondingly De·spond"ing·ly adverb In a desponding manner.
Desponsage De·spon"sage noun [ From Latin
desponsus , past participle See
Despond .]
Betrothal. [ Obsolete]
Ethelbert . . . went peaceably to King Offa for desponsage of Athilrid, his daughter.
Foxe.
Desponsate De·spon"sate transitive verb [ Latin
desponsatus , past participle of
desponsare , intens. of
despondere to betroth. See
Despond .]
To betroth. [ Obsolete]
Johnson.
Desponsation Des`pon·sa"tion noun [ Latin
desponsatio : confer Old French
desponsation .]
A betrothing; betrothal. [ Obsolete]
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 noun ;
plural Desponsories A written pledge of marriage. Clarendon.
Desport De·sport" transitive verb & i. See Disport .
Despot Des"pot noun [ French
despote , Late Latin
despotus , from Greek
despo`ths master, lord, the second part of which is akin to
po`sis husband, and Latin
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 noun [ Confer French
despotat .]
The station or government of a despot; also, the domain of a despot. Freeman.
Despotic, Despotical Des·pot"ic, Des·pot"ic·al adjective [ Greek ...: confer French
despotique .]
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 ,
adverb --
Des*pot"ic*al*ness ,
noun
Despotism Des"po·tism noun [ Confer French
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 noun A supporter of despotism. [ R.]
Despotize Des"po·tize transitive verb To act the despot.
Despread De·spread" transitive verb & i. See Dispread .
Despumate Des"pu·mate transitive verb & i. [
imperfect & past participle Despumated ;
present participle & verbal noun Despumating .] [ Latin
despumatus , past participle of
despumare to despume;
de- +
spumare to foam, froth,
spuma froth, scum.]
To throw off impurities in spume; to work off in foam or scum; to foam.
Despumation Des`pu·ma"tion noun [ Latin
despumatio : confer French
despumation .]
The act of throwing up froth or scum; separation of the scum or impurities from liquids; scumming; clarification.
Despume De·spume" transitive verb [ Confer French
despumer . See
Despumate .]
To free from spume or scum. [ Obsolete]
If honey be despumed .
Holland.
Desquamate Des"qua·mate intransitive verb [ Latin
desquamatus , past participle of
desquamare to scale off;
de- +
squama scale.]
(Medicine) To peel off in the form of scales; to scale off, as the skin in certain diseases.
Desquamation Des`qua·ma"tion noun [ Confer French
desquamation .]
(Medicine) 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 adjective Of, pertaining to, or attended with, desquamation.
Desquamatory De·squam"a·to·ry noun (Surg.) An instrument formerly used in removing the laminæ of exfoliated bones.
Dess Dess noun Dais. [ Obsolete]
Dessert Des·sert" noun [ French, from
desservir to remove from table, to clear the table; prefix
des- (L.
dis- ) +
servir to serve, to serve at table. See
Serve .]
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 ,
noun ,
plural Dessert- spoonfuls ,
as much as a dessert spoon will hold, usually reckoned at about two and a half fluid drams.
Destemper Des·tem"per noun [ Confer French
détrempe , from
détremper .]
A kind of painting. See Distemper .
Destin Des"tin noun [ Confer French
destin .]
Destiny. [ Obsolete]
Marston.
Destinable Des"ti·na·ble adjective [ Confer Old French
destinable .]
Determined by destiny; fated. Chaucer.
Destinably Des"ti·na·bly adverb In a destinable manner.
Destinal Des"ti·nal adjective Determined by destiny; fated. [ Obsolete] "The order
destinal ."
Chaucer.
Destinate Des"ti·nate adjective [ Latin
destinatus , past participle of
destinare . See
Destine .]
Destined. [ Obsolete] "
Destinate to hell."
Foxe.
Destinate Des"ti·nate transitive verb To destine, design, or choose. [ Obsolete] "That name that God . . . did
destinate ."
Udall.
Destination Des`ti·na"tion noun [ Latin
destinatio determination: confer French
destination destination.]
1. The act of destining or appointing. 2. Purpose for which anything is destined; predetermined end, object, or use; ultimate design. 3. The place set for the end of a journey, or to which something is sent; place or point aimed at. Syn. -- Appointment; design; purpose; intention; destiny; lot; fate; end.
Destine Des"tine transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Destined ;
present participle & verbal noun Destining .] [ French
destiner , Latin
destinare ;
de + the root of
stare to stand. See
Stand , and confer
Obstinate .]
To determine the future condition or application of; to set apart by design for a future use or purpose; to fix, as by destiny or by an authoritative decree; to doom; to ordain or preordain; to appoint; -- often with the remoter object preceded by to or for . We are decreed,
Reserved, and destined to eternal woe.
Milton. Till the loathsome opposite
Of all my heart had destined , did obtain.
Tennyson. Not enjoyment and not sorrow
Is our destined end or way.
Longfellow. Syn. -- To design; mark out; determine; allot; choose; intend; devote; consecrate; doom.
Destinist Des"ti·nist noun A believer in destiny; a fatalist. [ R.]
Destiny Des"ti·ny noun ;
plural Destinies . [ Middle English
destinee ,
destene , French
destinée , from
destiner . See
Destine .]
1. That to which any person or thing is destined; predetermined state; condition foreordained by the Divine or by human will; fate; lot; doom. Thither he
Will come to know his destiny .
Shak. No man of woman born,
Coward or brave, can shun his destiny .
Bryant. 2. The fixed order of things; invincible necessity; fate; a resistless power or agency conceived of as determining the future, whether in general or of an individual. But who can turn the stream of destiny ?
Spenser. Fame comes only when deserved, and then is as inevitable as destiny , for it is destiny .
Longfellow. The Destinies (Anc. Myth.) ,
the three Parcæ, or Fates; the supposed powers which preside over human life, and determine its circumstances and duration. Marked by the Destinies to be avoided.
Shak.
Destituent De·stit"u·ent adjective [ Latin
destituens , present participle of
destituere .]
Deficient; wanting; as, a destituent condition. [ Obsolete]
Jer. Taylor.
Destitute Des"ti·tute adjective [ Latin
destitutus , past participle of
destituere to set away, leave alone, forsake;
de +
statuere to set. See
Statute .]
1. Forsaken; not having in possession (something necessary, or desirable); deficient; lacking; devoid; -- often followed by of . In thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute .
Ps. cxli. 8. Totally destitute of all shadow of influence.
Burke. 2. Not possessing the necessaries of life; in a condition of want; needy; without possessions or resources; very poor. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute , afflicted, tormented.
Hebrew xi. 37.
Destitute Des"ti·tute transitive verb 1. To leave destitute; to forsake; to abandon. [ Obsolete]
To forsake or destitute a plantation.
Bacon. 2. To make destitute; to cause to be in want; to deprive; -- followed by of . [ Obsolete]
Destituted of all honor and livings.
Holinshed. 3. To disappoint. [ Obsolete]
When his expectation is destituted .
Fotherby.
Destitutely Des"ti·tute·ly adverb In destitution.
Destituteness Des"ti·tute·ness noun Destitution. [ R.]
Ash.
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