Detecter De·tect"er noun One who, or that which, detects or brings to light; one who finds out what another attempts to conceal; a detector.
Detection De·tec"tion noun [ Latin
detectio an uncovering, revealing.]
The act of detecting; the laying open what was concealed or hidden; discovery; as, the detection of a thief; the detection of fraud, forgery, or a plot. Such secrets of guilt are never from detection .
D. Webster.
Detective De·tect"ive adjective Fitted for, or skilled in, detecting; employed in detecting crime or criminals; as, a detective officer.
Detective De·tect"ive noun One who business it is so detect criminals or discover matters of secrecy.
Detector De·tect"or noun [ Latin , a revealer.]
One who, or that which, detects; a detecter. Shak. A deathbed's detector of the heart.
Young. Bank-note detector ,
a publication containing a description of genuine and counterfeit bank notes, designed to enable persons to discriminate between them. --
Detector lock .
See under Lock .
Detector De·tect"or noun Specifically:
(a) An indicator showing the depth of the water in a boiler. (b) (Electricity) A galvanometer, usually portable, for indicating the direction of a current. (c) (Electricity) Any of various devices for detecting the presence of electric waves.
Detector bar De·tect"or bar (Railroads) A bar, connected with a switch, longer than the distance between any two consecutive wheels of a train (45 to 50 feet), laid inside a rail and operated by the wheels so that the switch cannot be thrown until all the train is past the switch.
Detenebrate De·ten"e·brate transitive verb [ Latin
de +
tenebrare to make dark, from
tenebrae darkness.]
To remove darkness from. [ Obsolete]
Ash.
Detent De·tent" noun [ French
détente , from
détendre to unbend, relax; prefix
dé- (L.
dis- or
de ) +
tendre to stretch. See
Distend .]
(Mech.) That which locks or unlocks a movement; a catch, pawl, or dog; especially, in clockwork, the catch which locks and unlocks the wheelwork in striking.
Detention De·ten"tion noun [ Latin
detentio : confer French
détention . See
Detain .]
1. The act of detaining or keeping back; a withholding. 2. The state of being detained (stopped or hindered); delay from necessity. 3. Confinement; restraint; custody. The archduke Philip . . . found himself in a sort of honorable detention at Henry's court.
Hallam.
Deter De·ter" transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Deterred ;
present participle & verbal noun Deterring .] [ Latin
deterrere ;
de +
terrere to frighten, terrify. See
Terror .]
To prevent by fear; hence, to hinder or prevent from action by fear of consequences, or difficulty, risk, etc. Addison. Potent enemies tempt and deter us from our duty.
Tillotson. My own face deters me from my glass.
Prior.
Deterge De·terge" transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Deterged ;
present participle & verbal noun Deterging .] [ Latin
detergere ,
detersum ;
de +
tergere to rub or wipe off: confer French
déterger .]
To cleanse; to purge away, as foul or offending matter from the body, or from an ulcer.
Detergency De·ter"gen·cy noun A cleansing quality or power. De Foe.
Detergent De·ter"gent adjective [ Latin
detergens ,
-entis , present participle of
detergere : confer French
détergent .]
Cleansing; purging. --
noun A substance which cleanses the skin, as water or soap; a medicine to cleanse wounds, ulcers, etc.
Deteriorate De·te"ri·o·rate (de*tē"rĭ*o*rāt)
transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Deteriorated (- rā`tĕd);
present participle & verbal noun Deteriorating (-rā`tĭng).] [ Latin
deterioratus , past participle of
deteriorare to deteriorate, from
deterior worse, probably a comparative from
de down, away.]
To make worse; to make inferior in quality or value; to impair; as, to deteriorate the mind. Whately. The art of war . . . was greatly deteriorated .
Southey.
Deteriorate De·te"ri·o·rate (de*tē"rĭ*o*rāt)
intransitive verb To grow worse; to be impaired in quality; to degenerate. Under such conditions, the mind rapidly deteriorates .
Goldsmith.
Deterioration De·te`ri·o·ra"tion noun [ Late Latin
deterioratio : confer French
détérioration .]
The process of growing worse, or the state of having grown worse.
Deteriority De·te`ri·or"i·ty noun [ Latin
deterior worse. See
Deteriorate .]
Worse state or quality; inferiority. "The
deteriority of the diet." [ R.]
Ray.
Determent De·ter"ment noun [ From
Deter .]
The act of deterring; also, that which deters. Boyle.
Determinability De·ter`mi·na·bil"i·ty noun The quality of being determinable; determinableness. Coleridge.
Determinable De·ter"mi·na·ble adjective [ Latin
determinabilis finite. See
Determine ,
transitive verb ]
Capable of being determined, definitely ascertained, decided upon, or brought to a conclusion. Not wholly determinable from the grammatical use of the words.
South.
Determinableness De·ter"mi·na·ble·ness noun Capability of being determined; determinability.
Determinacy De·ter"mi·na·cy noun Determinateness. [ R.]
Determinant De·ter"mi·nant adjective [ Latin
determinans , present participle of
determinare : confer French
déterminant .]
Serving to determine or limit; determinative.
Determinant De·ter"mi·nant noun 1. That which serves to determine; that which causes determination. 2. (Math.) The sum of a series of products of several numbers, these products being formed according to certain specified laws ; thus, the
determinant of the nine numbers
a, b, c,
a′, b′, c′,
a′′, b′′, c′′,
is
a b′ c′′ - a b′′ c′ + a′ b′′ c] - a′ b c′′ + a′′ b′ c . The determinant is written by placing the numbers from which it is formed in a square between two vertical lines. The theory of
determinants forms a very important branch of modern mathematics.
3. (Logic) A mark or attribute, attached to the subject or predicate, narrowing the extent of both, but rendering them more definite and precise. Abp. Thomson.
Determinate De·ter"mi·nate adjective [ Latin
determinatus , past participle of
determinare . See
Determine .]
1. Having defined limits; not uncertain or arbitrary; fixed; established; definite. Quantity of words and a determinate number of feet.
Dryden. 2. Conclusive; decisive; positive. The determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God.
Acts ii. 23. 3. Determined or resolved upon. [ Obsolete]
My determinate voyage.
Shak. 4. Of determined purpose; resolute. [ Obsolete]
More determinate to do than skillful how to do.
Sir P. Sidney. Determinate inflorescence (Botany) ,
that in which the flowering commences with the terminal bud of a stem, which puts a limit to its growth; -- also called centrifugal inflorescence . --
Determinate problem (Math.) ,
a problem which admits of a limited number of solutions. --
Determinate quantities ,
Determinate equations (Math.) ,
those that are finite in the number of values or solutions, that is, in which the conditions of the problem or equation determine the number.
Determinate De·ter"mi·nate transitive verb To bring to an end; to determine. See Determine . [ Obsolete]
The sly, slow hours shall not determinate
The dateless limit of thy dear exile.
Shak.
Determinately De·ter"mi·nate·ly adverb 1. In a determinate manner; definitely; ascertainably. The principles of religion are already either determinately true or false, before you think of them.
Tillotson. 2. Resolutely; unchangeably. Being determinately . . . bent to marry.
Sir P. Sidney.
Determinateness De·ter"mi·nate·ness noun State of being determinate.
Determination De·ter`mi·na"tion noun [ Latin
determinatio boundary, end: confer French
détermination .]
1. The act of determining, or the state of being determined. 2. Bringing to an end; termination; limit. A speedy determination of that war.
Ludlow. 3. Direction or tendency to a certain end; impulsion. Remissness can by no means consist with a constant determination of the will . . . to the greatest apparent good.
Locke. 4. The quality of mind which reaches definite conclusions; decision of character; resoluteness. He only is a well-made man who has a good determination .
Emerson. 5. The state of decision; a judicial decision, or ending of controversy. 6. That which is determined upon; result of deliberation; purpose; conclusion formed; fixed resolution. So bloodthirsty a determination to obtain convictions.
Hallam. 7. (Medicine) A flow, rush, or tendency to a particular part; as, a determination of blood to the head. 8. (Physical Sciences) The act, process, or result of any accurate measurement, as of length, volume, weight, intensity, etc.; as, the determination of the ohm or of the wave length of light; the determination of the salt in sea water, or the oxygen in the air. 9. (Logic) (a) The act of defining a concept or notion by giving its essential constituents. (b) The addition of a differentia to a concept or notion, thus limiting its extent; -- the opposite of generalization . 10. (Nat. Hist.) The act of determining the relations of an object, as regards genus and species; the referring of minerals, plants, or animals, to the species to which they belong; classification; as, I am indebted to a friend for the determination of most of these shells. Syn. -- Decision; conclusion; judgment; purpose; resolution; resolve; firmness. See
Decision .
Determinative De·ter"mi·na·tive adjective [ Confer French
déterminatif .]
Having power to determine; limiting; shaping; directing; conclusive. Incidents . . . determinative of their course.
I. Taylor. Determinative tables (Nat. Hist.) ,
tables presenting the specific character of minerals, plants, etc., to assist in determining the species to which a specimen belongs.
Determinative De·ter"mi·na·tive noun That which serves to determine. Explanatory determinatives . . . were placed after words phonetically expressed, in order to serve as an aid to the reader in determining the meaning.
I. Taylor (The Alphabet).
Determinator De·ter"mi·na`tor noun [ Latin ]
One who determines. [ R.]
Sir T. Browne.
Determine De·ter"mine transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Determined ;
present participle & verbal noun Determining .] [ French
déterminer , Latin
determinare ,
determinatum ;
de +
terminare limit,
terminus limit. See
Term .]
1. To fix the boundaries of; to mark off and separate. [ God] hath determined the times before appointed.
Acts xvii. 26. 2. To set bounds to; to fix the determination of; to limit; to bound; to bring to an end; to finish. The knowledge of men hitherto hath been determined by the view or sight.
Bacon. Now, where is he that will not stay so long
Till his friend sickness hath determined me?
Shak. 3. To fix the form or character of; to shape; to prescribe imperatively; to regulate; to settle. The character of the soul is determined by the character of its God.
J. Edwards. Something divinely beautiful . . . that at some time or other might influence or even determine her course of life.
W. Black. 4. To fix the course of; to impel and direct; -- with a remoter object preceded by to ; as, another's will determined me to this course. 5. To ascertain definitely; to find out the specific character or name of; to assign to its true place in a system; as, to determine an unknown or a newly discovered plant or its name. 6. To bring to a conclusion, as a question or controversy; to settle authoritative or judicial sentence; to decide; as, the court has determined the cause. 7. To resolve on; to have a fixed intention of; also, to cause to come to a conclusion or decision; to lead; as, this determined him to go immediately. 8. (Logic) To define or limit by adding a differentia. 9. (Physical Sciences) To ascertain the presence, quantity, or amount of; as, to determine the parallax; to determine the salt in sea water.
Determine De·ter"mine intransitive verb 1. To come to an end; to end; to terminate. [ Obsolete]
He who has vented a pernicious doctrine or published an ill book must know that his life determine not together.
South. Estates may determine on future contingencies.
Blackstone. 2. To come to a decision; to decide; to resolve; -- often with on . "
Determine on some course."
Shak. He shall pay as the judges determine .
Ex. xxi. 22.
Determined De·ter"mined adjective Decided; resolute. "A
determined foe."
Sparks.
Determinedly De·ter"min·ed·ly adverb In a determined manner; with determination.
Determiner De·ter"min·er noun One who, or that which, determines or decides.
Determinism De·ter"min·ism noun (Metaph.) The doctrine that the will is not free, but is inevitably and invincibly determined by motives. Its superior suitability to produce courage, as contrasted with scientific physical determinism , is obvious.
F. P. Cobbe.
Determinist De·ter"min·ist noun (Metaph.) One who believes in determinism. Also adj .; as, determinist theories.
Deterration De`ter·ra"tion noun [ Latin
de +
terra earth: confer French
déterrer to unearth.]
The uncovering of anything buried or covered with earth; a taking out of the earth or ground. Woodward.
Deterrence De·ter"rence noun That which deters; a deterrent; a hindrance. [ R.]
Deterrent De·ter"rent adjective [ Latin
deterrens , present participle of
deterrere . See
Deter .]
Serving to deter. "The
deterrent principle."
E. Davis.
Deterrent De·ter"rent noun That which deters or prevents.
Detersion De·ter"sion noun [ Confer French
détersion . See
Deterge .]
The act of deterging or cleansing, as a sore.
Detersive De·ter"sive adjective [ Confer
détersif .]
Cleansing; detergent. --
noun A cleansing agent; a detergent.
Detersively De·ter"sive·ly adverb In a way to cleanse.
Detersiveness De·ter"sive·ness noun The quality of cleansing.
Detest De·test" transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Detested ;
present participle & verbal noun Detesting .] [ Latin
detestare ,
detestatum , and
detestari , to curse while calling a deity to witness, to execrate, detest;
de +
testari to be a witness, testify,
testis a witness: confer French
détester . See
Testify .]
1. To witness against; to denounce; to condemn. [ Obsolete]
The heresy of Nestorius . . . was detested in the Eastern churches.
Fuller. God hath detested them with his own mouth.
Bale. 2. To hate intensely; to abhor; to abominate; to loathe; as, we detest what is contemptible or evil. Who dares think one thing, and another tell,
My heart detests him as the gates of hell.
Pope. Syn. -- To abhor; abominate; execrate. See
Hate .
Detestability De·test`a·bil"i·ty noun Capacity of being odious. [ R.]
Carlyle.
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