Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Dē'çençe, n. p. 340Decency. [Obs.] Dryden.Dē'çen-çy, n. p. 340The state or quality of being decent, suitable, or becoming, in words or behavior; propriety of form in social intercourse, in actions, or discourse; proper formality; becoming ceremony; modesty…De-cĕn'na-ry, n. p. 340A period of ten years. 2. (Law.) A tithing consisting of ten neighboring families. Burrill.De-çĕn'ni-al, a. p. 340Consisting of ten years, or happening every ten years; as, a decennial period; decennial games.De-cĕn'ni-um, n. p. 340A period of ten years.De-cĕn'no-val or De-cĕn'no-va-ry, n. p. 340Pertaining to the number nineteen; extending through a period or circle of nineteen years. [Rare.] Möller.Dē'cent, a. p. 340Suitable in words, behavior, dress, and ceremony; becoming; fit; decorous; proper; comely; as, decent conduct; decent language. “Honesty and decent carriage.” Shak. “Before his decent steps.” Milton.…Dē'cent-ly, adv. p. 340In a decent or becoming manner; with propriety or modesty of behavior or speech. Past hope of safety, 'twas his latest care, Like falling Cæsar, decently to die. Dryden.Dē'çent-ness, n. p. 340The state of being decent; decency. [Rare.]De-cen'tral-ize, v. t. p. 340To prevent from centralizing; to withdraw from the center.De-cēp'ti-bil'i-ty, n. p. 340Liability to be deceived. [Obs.]De-çēp'ti-ble, a. p. 340Capable of being deceived; deceivable. [Obs.] Browne.De-çēp'tion, n. p. 340The act of deceiving or misleading. 2. The state of being deceived or misled. There is no one thing relating to the actions or enjoyments of man in which he is not liable to deception. South. 3. That…De-çēp'tiōus, a. p. 340Tending to deceive; deceitful. [Rare.] As if these organs had deceptious functions. Shak.De-çēp'tive, a. p. 340Tending to deceive; having power to mislead, or impress false opinions; as, a deceptive countenance or appearance. Language altogether deceptive, and hiding the deeper reality from our eyes. French.De-çēp'tive-ly, adv. p. 340In a manner to deceive.De-çēp'tive-ness, n. p. 340The power or habit of deceiving; the tendency or aptness to deceive.De-çĕp'to-ry, a. p. 340Tending to deceive; containing qualities or means adapted to mislead.De-cĕrn’, v. t. p. 340To judge. [Obs.]De-çērp', v. t. p. 340To pluck off; to crop; to gather. [Obs.]De-cĕrpt', a. p. 340Cropped. [Obs.] Bailey.De-cĕrpt'i-ble, a. p. 340Capable of being plucked or taken off. [Obs.] Bailey.De-cĕrp'tion, n. p. 340A pulling or plucking off; a cropping. 2. That which is plucked or severed from another.Dē'çer-tā'tion, n. p. 340Contest for mastery. [Rare.]De-cĕs'sion, n. p. 340Departure. [Obs.] Scott.De-chārm', v. t. p. 340To remove a spell or enchantment; to disenchant. Harvey.De-chris'tian-ize, v. t. p. 340To turn from Christianity; to banish Christian belief and principles from.De-cĭd'a-ble, a. p. 340Capable of being decided.De-cīde', v. t. p. 340To cut off; to separate. [Obs.] Our seat denies us traffic here; The sea, too near, decides us from the rest. Fuller. 2. To bring to a termination, as a question, controversy, struggle, by giving the…De-cide', v. i. p. 340To determine; to form a definite opinion; to come to a conclusion; to give decision; as, the court decided in favor of the defendant. Who shall decide when doctors disagree? Pope.De-cid'ed, a. p. 340Free from ambiguity; unequivocal; unmistakable; unquestionable. “A decided taste for science.” Prescott. 2. Free from doubt or wavering; determined; of fixed purpose; positive; as, a decided purpose.…De-cid'ed-ly, adv. p. 340In a decided manner; clearly; indisputably.De-cīde'ment, n. p. 340The act of deciding; decision. [Obs.] “Decidements able to speak, ye noble gentlemen.” Beau. & Fl.De-cĭ'dence or Dĕc'i-dence, n. p. 340A falling off. [Obs.] Browne.De-cid'er, n. p. 340One who decides; one who determines a cause or contest.Dĕc'i-dū'i-ty, n. p. 340Deciduousness. [Rare.] Keith.De·cid'ŭ-ous, a. p. 340Falling off; having but a temporary existence; not perennial or permanent;—said of trees whose leaves fall in autumn, or of the leaves themselves, or of horns and teeth which are shed yearly by…De-cĭd'ŭ-ōŭs-ness, n. p. 340The quality of being deciduous, or of falling off from time to time; want of permanence; temporariness.Dĕc'i-grām, n. p. 340A French measure of weight equal to one tenth of a gramme.Dé-ci-gramme, n. p. 340Same as DECIGRAM.Dĕc'il or Dĕc'ile, n. p. 340(Astrol.) An aspect or position of two planets, when they are distant from each other a tenth part of the zodiac. [Obs.]De-cil'i-ter or Dĕc'i-li'ter, n. p. 340A French measure of capacity equal to one tenth of a litre.Dé·ci·li·tre, n. p. 340Same as DECILITER.De-cil'ion, n. p. 340According to the English notation, a million involved to the tenth power, or a unit with sixty ciphers annexed; according to the French notation, a thousand involved to the eleventh power, or a unit…De-cil'lionth, a. p. 340Pertaining to a decillion; preceded by a decillion less one.De-cil'lionth, n. p. 340(a.) The quotient of unity divided by a decillion. (b.) One of a decillion equal parts.Dĕc'i-mal, a. p. 340Of, or pertaining to, decimals; numbered or proceeding by tens; having a tenfold increase or decrease; as, decimal notation; a decimal coinage. Decimal arithmetic, the common arithmetic in which…Dĕc'i-mal, n. p. 340A decimal number; any number expressed in the scale of tens; especially, and almost exclusively, a decimal fraction. Circulating or circulatory decimal, a decimal fraction in which the same figure…Dĕc'i-mal-īsm, n. p. 340The theory or system of a decimal currency, decimal weights, measures, &c.Dĕc'i-mal-i-zā'tion, n. p. 340The act of reducing, or causing to conform, to the decimal system.Dĕc'i-mal-ize, v. t. p. 340To reduce to the decimal system; as, to decimalize the currency. Dana.Dĕc'i-mal-ly, adv. p. 340By tens; by means of decimals.Dĕc′i-māte, v. t. p. 340To take the tenth part of; to tithe. Johnson. 2. To select by lot and punish with death every tenth man of; as, to decimate an army for the punishment of mutiny; to decimate a collection of prisoners…Dĕc'i-mā'tion, n. p. 341A tithing. [Obs.] State Trials. 2. A selection of every tenth by lot, as for punishment, &c.Dē'ci-mā'tor, n. p. 341One who selects every tenth man for punishment.De-cim'e-ter or Dē'ci-mē'ter, n. p. 341A French measure of length equal to the tenth part of a meter, or nearly four inches.Dē-ci-mētre, n. p. 341Same as DECIMETER.Dĕc'i-mo-sēx'to, n. p. 341The size of one fold of a sheet of printing paper, when doubled so as to make sixteen leaves;—said of a sheet of paper or of a book;—usually written 16mo. or 16°.De-cĭ'pher, v. t. p. 341To translate from a cipher into intelligible terms; as, to decipher a letter written in secret characters. 2. To find out, so as to be able to make known the meaning of; to unravel the difficulty of…De-ci'pher-a-ble, a. p. 341Capable of being deciphered.