Discradle Dis·cra"dle transitive verb To take from a cradle. [ R.]

This airy apparition first discradled
From Tournay into Portugal.

Ford.

Discredit Dis·cred"it noun [ Confer French discrédit .] 1. The act of discrediting or disbelieving, or the state of being discredited or disbelieved; as, later accounts have brought the story into discredit .

2. Hence, some degree of dishonor or disesteem; ill repute; reproach; -- applied to persons or things.

It is the duty of every Christian to be concerned for the reputation or discredit his life may bring on his profession.

Rogers.

Syn. -- Disesteem; disrepute; dishonor; disgrace; ignominy; scandal; disbelief; distrust.

Discredit Dis·cred"it transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Discredited ; present participle & verbal noun Discrediting .] [ Confer French discréditer .] 1. To refuse credence to; not to accept as true; to disbelieve; as, the report is discredited .

2. To deprive of credibility; to destroy confidence or trust in; to cause disbelief in the accuracy or authority of.

An occasion might be given to the . . . papists of discrediting our common English Bible.

Strype.

2. To deprive of credit or good repute; to bring reproach upon; to make less reputable; to disgrace.

He. . . least discredits his travels who returns the same man he went.

Sir H. Wotton.

Discreditable Dis·cred"it·a·ble adjective Not creditable; injurious to reputation; disgraceful; disreputable. -- Dis*cred"it*a*bly , adverb

Discreditor Dis·cred"it·or noun One who discredits.

Discreet Dis·creet" adjective [ Compar. Discreeter ; superl. Discreetest .] [ French discret , Latin discretus separated (whence the meaning reserved , prudent ), past participle of discernere . See Discern , and confer Discrete .] 1. Possessed of discernment, especially in avoiding error or evil, and in the adaptation of means to ends; prudent; sagacious; judicious; not rash or heedless; cautious.

It is the discreet man, not the witty, nor the learned, nor the brave, who guides the conversation, and gives measures to society.

Addison.

Satire 's my weapon, but I 'm too discreet
To run amuck, and tilt at all I meet.

Pope.

The sea is silent, the sea is discreet .

Longfellow.

2. Differing; distinct. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

-- Dis*creet"ly , adverb -- Dis*creet"ness , noun

Discrepance Dis·crep"ance (?; 277), Dis*crep"an*cy noun ; plural -ances , -ancies . [ Latin disrepantia : confer Old French discrepance . See Discrepant .] The state or quality of being discrepant; disagreement; variance; discordance; dissimilarity; contrariety.

There hath been ever a discrepance of vesture of youth and age, men and women.

Sir T. Elyot.

There is no real discrepancy between these two genealogies.

G. S. Faber.

Discrepant Dis·crep"ant adjective [ Latin discrepans , -antis , present participle of discrepare to sound differently or discordantly; dis- + crepare to rattle, creak: confer Old French discrepant . See Crepitate .] Discordant; at variance; disagreeing; contrary; different.

The Egyptians were . . . the most oddly discrepant from the rest in their manner of worship.

Cudworth.

Discrepant Dis·crep"ant noun A dissident. J. Taylor.

Discrete Dis·crete" adjective [ Latin discretus , past participle of discernere . See Discreet .] 1. Separate; distinct; disjunct. Sir M. Hale.

2. Disjunctive; containing a disjunctive or discretive clause; as, "I resign my life, but not my honor," is a discrete proposition.

3. (Botany) Separate; not coalescent; -- said of things usually coalescent.

Discrete movement . See Concrete movement of the voice , under Concrete , adjective -- Discrete proportion , proportion where the ratio of the means is different from that of either couplet; as, 3:6::8:16, 3 bearing the same proportion to 6 as 8 does to 16. But 3 is not to 6 as 6 to 8. It is thus opposed to continued or continual proportion ; as, 3:6::12:24. -- Discrete quantity , that which must be divided into units, as number, and is opposed to continued quantity , as duration, or extension.

Discrete Dis·crete" transitive verb To separate. [ Obsolete] Sir T. Browne.

Discretely Dis·crete"ly adverb Separately; disjunctively.

Discretion Dis·cre"tion noun [ French discrétion , Latin discretio separation, difference, discernment, from discernere , discretum . See Discreet , Discern .] 1. Disjunction; separation. [ Obsolete] Mede.

2. The quality of being discreet; wise conduct and management; cautious discernment, especially as to matters of propriety and self-control; prudence; circumspection; wariness.

The better part of valor is discretion .

Shak.

The greatest parts without discretion may be fatal to their owner.

Hume.

3. Discrimination.

Well spoken, with good accent and good discretion .

Shak.

4. Freedom to act according to one's own judgment; unrestrained exercise of choice or will.

At discretion , without conditions or stipulations.

Discretional, Discretionary Dis·cre"tion·al, Dis·cre"tion·a·ry [ Confer French discrétionnaire .] Left to discretion; unrestrained except by discretion or judgment; as, an ambassador with discretionary powers.

Discretionally, Discretionarily Dis·cre"tion·al·ly, Dis·cre"tion·a·ri·ly adverb At discretion; according to one's discretion or judgment.

Discretive Dis·cre"tive adjective [ Latin discretivus . See Discrete .] Marking distinction or separation; disjunctive.

Discretive proposition (Logic & Gram.) , one that expresses distinction, opposition, or variety, by means of discretive particles, as but , though , yet , etc.; as, travelers change their climate, but not their temper.

Discretively Dis·cre"tive·ly adverb In a discretive manner.

Discriminable Dis·crim"i·na·ble adjective Capable of being discriminated. [ Obsolete] Bailey.

Discriminal Dis·crim"i·nal adjective [ Latin discriminalis serving to divide.] In palmistry, applied to the line which marks the separation between the hand and the arm.

Discriminant Dis·crim"i·nant noun [ Latin discriminans , present participle of discriminare .] (Math.) The eliminant of the n partial differentials of any homogenous function of n variables. See Eliminant .

Discriminate Dis·crim"i·nate adjective [ Latin discriminatus , past participle of discriminare to divide, separate, from discrimen division, distinction, decision, from discernere . See Discern , and confer Criminate .] Having the difference marked; distinguished by certain tokens. Bacon.

Discriminate Dis·crim"i·nate transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Discriminated ; present participle & verbal noun Discriminating .] To set apart as being different; to mark as different; to separate from another by discerning differences; to distinguish. Cowper.

To discriminate the goats from the sheep.

Barrow.

Discriminate Dis·crim"i·nate intransitive verb 1. To make a difference or distinction; to distinguish accurately; as, in judging of evidence, we should be careful to discriminate between probability and slight presumption.

2. (a) To treat unequally. (b) (Railroads) To impose unequal tariffs for substantially the same service.

Discriminately Dis·crim"i·nate·ly adverb In a discriminating manner; distinctly.

Discriminateness Dis·crim"i·nate·ness noun The state of being discriminated; distinctness.

Discriminating Dis·crim"i·na`ting adjective Marking a difference; distinguishing. -- Dis*crim"i*na`ting*ly , adverb

And finds with keen discriminating sight,
Black's not so black; -- nor white so very white.

Canning.

Discrimination Dis·crim`i·na"tion noun [ Latin discriminatio the contrasting of opposite thoughts.] 1. The act of discriminating, distinguishing, or noting and marking differences.

To make an anxious discrimination between the miracle absolute and providential.

Trench.

2. The state of being discriminated, distinguished, or set apart. Sir J. Reynolds.

3. (Railroads) The arbitrary imposition of unequal tariffs for substantially the same service.

A difference in rates, not based upon any corresponding difference in cost, constitutes a case of discrimination .

A. T. Hadley.

4. The quality of being discriminating; faculty of nicely distinguishing; acute discernment; as, to show great discrimination in the choice of means.

5. That which discriminates; mark of distinction.

Syn. -- Discernment; penetration; clearness; acuteness; judgment; distinction. See Discernment .

Discriminative Dis·crim"i·na·tive adjective 1. Marking a difference; distinguishing; distinctive; characteristic.

That peculiar and discriminative form of life.

Johnson.

2. Observing distinctions; making differences; discriminating. " Discriminative censure." J. Foster. " Discriminative Providence." Dr. H. More.

Discriminatively Dis·crim"i·na·tive·ly adverb With discrimination or distinction. J. Foster.

Discriminator Dis·crim"i·na`tor noun [ Late Latin ] One who discriminates.

Discriminatory Dis·crim"i·na·to·ry adjective Discriminative.

Discriminous Dis·crim"i·nous adjective [ Late Latin discriminosus , from Latin discrimen the dangerous, decisive moment. See Discriminate , adjective ] Hazardous; dangerous. [ Obsolete] Harvey.

Discrive Dis·crive" transitive verb [ Old French descrivre . See Describe .] To describe. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Discrown Dis·crown" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Discrowned ; present participle & verbal noun Discrowning .] To deprive of a crown.

The end had crowned the work; it not unreasonably discrowned the workman.

Motley.

Discruciate Dis·cru"ci·ate transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Discruciated ; present participle & verbal noun Discruciating .] [ Latin discruciatus , past participle of discruciare . See Cruciate .] To torture; to excruciate. [ Obsolete]

Discruciate a man in deep distress.

Herrick.

Discubitory Dis·cu"bi·to·ry adjective [ Latin discumbere , discubitum , to lie down, recline at table; dis- + cumbere (in comp.) to lie down.] Leaning; fitted for a reclining posture. [ Obsolete] Sir T. Browne.

Disculpate Dis·cul"pate transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Disculpated ; present participle & verbal noun Disculpating .] [ Late Latin disculpatus , past participle of disculpare to disculpate; dis- + Latin culpare to blame, culpa fault.] To free from blame or the imputation of a fault; to exculpate.

I almost fear you think I begged it, but I can disculpate myself.

Walpole.

Disculpation Dis`cul·pa"tion noun [ Confer French disculpation .] Exculpation. Burke.

Disculpatory Dis·cul"pa·to·ry adjective Tending to exculpate; exculpatory.

Discumbency Dis·cum"ben·cy noun [ From Latin discumbens , present participle of discumbere . See Discubitory .] The act of reclining at table according to the manner of the ancients at their meals. Sir T. Browne.

Discumber Dis·cum"ber transitive verb [ Prefix dis- + cumber : confer Old French descombrer .] To free from that which cumbers or impedes; to disencumber. [ Archaic] Pope.

Discure Dis·cure" transitive verb [ See Discover .] To discover; to reveal; to discoure. [ Obsolete]

I will, if please you it discure , assay
To ease you of that ill, so wisely as I may.

Spenser.

Discurrent Dis·cur"rent adjective Not current or free to circulate; not in use. [ Obsolete] Sir E. Sandys.

Discursion Dis·cur"sion noun [ Late Latin discursio a running different ways. See Discourse .] The act of discoursing or reasoning; range, as from thought to thought. Coleridge.

Discursist Dis·cur"sist noun A discourser. [ Obsolete] Latin Addison.

Discursive Dis·cur"sive adjective [ Confer French discursif . See Discourse , and confer Discoursive .] 1. Passing from one thing to another; ranging over a wide field; roving; digressive; desultory. " Discursive notices." De Quincey.

The power he [ Shakespeare] delights to show is not intense, but discursive .

Hazlitt.

A man rather tacit than discursive .

Carlyle.

2. Reasoning; proceeding from one ground to another, as in reasoning; argumentative.

Reason is her being,
Discursive or intuitive.

Milton.

-- Dis*cur"sive*ly , adverb -- Dis*cur"sive*ness , noun

Discursory Dis·cur`so·ry adjective Argumentative; discursive; reasoning. [ R.] Bp. Hall.

Discursus Dis·cur"sus noun [ Latin ] (Logic) Argumentation; ratiocination; discursive reasoning.

Discus Dis"cus noun ; plural English Discuses , Latin Disci . [ Latin See Disk .] 1. (a) A quoit; a circular plate of some heavy material intended to be pitched or hurled as a trial of strength and skill. (b) The exercise with the discus.

» This among the Greeks was one of the chief gymnastic exercises and was included in the Pentathlon (the contest of the five exercises). The chief contest was that of throwing the discus to the greatest possible distance.

2. A disk. See Disk .

Discuss Dis·cuss" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Discussed ; present participle & verbal noun Discussing .] [ Latin discussus , past participle of discutere to strike asunder (hence came the sense to separate mentally , distinguish ); dis- + quatere to shake, strike. See Quash .] 1. To break to pieces; to shatter. [ Obsolete] Sir T. Browne.

2. To break up; to disperse; to scatter; to dissipate; to drive away; -- said especially of tumors.

Many arts were used to discuss the beginnings of new affection.

Sir H. Wotton.

A pomade . . . of virtue to discuss pimples.

Rambler.

3. To shake; to put away; to finish. [ Obsolete]

All regard of shame she had discussed .

Spenser.

4. To examine in detail or by disputation; to reason upon by presenting favorable and adverse considerations; to debate; to sift; to investigate; to ventilate. "We sat and . . . discussed the farm . . . and the price of grain." Tennyson. "To discuss questions of taste." Macaulay.

5. To deal with, in eating or drinking. [ Colloq.]

We sat quietly down and discussed a cold fowl that we had brought with us.

Sir S. Baker.

6. (Law) To examine or search thoroughly; to exhaust a remedy against, as against a principal debtor before proceeding against the surety. Burrill.

Syn. -- To Discuss , Examine , Debate . We speak of examining a subject when we ponder it with care, in order to discover its real state, or the truth respecting it. We speak of discussing a topic when we examine it thoroughly in its distinct parts. The word is very commonly applied to matters of opinion. We may discuss a subject without giving in an adhesion to any conclusion. We speak of debating a point when we examine it in mutual argumentation between opposing parties. In debate we contend for or against some conclusion or view.

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