Dés'e-crāte, v. t.

v. t. [imp. & p. p. DESECRATED; p. pr. & vb. n. DESECRATING.] [Lat. desecrāre, desecrātum, desecrāre, desecrātum, from de and sacrāre, to declare as sacred, to consecrate, from sacer, sacred.] To divest of a sacred character or office; to divert from a sacred purpose or appropriation; to treat in a sacrilegious manner.

The [Russian] clergy can not suffer corporal punishment without being previously desecrated. Tooke.

The founders of monasteries imprecated evil on those who should desecrate their donations. Salmasius.