Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
- Pages
- 1,538
- Illustrations
- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
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.De·ci'pher·er, n. p. 341One who explains what is written in ciphers.De-cĭ'pher-ess, n. p. 341She who deciphers.De-cĭ'pher-ment, n. p. 341The act of deciphering. [R.]De·ci'sion, n. p. 341The act of separation or cutting off; detachment of a part. [Obs.] Pearson. 2. The act of settling or terminating, as a controversy, by giving the victory to one side; determination; settlement…De-ci'sive, a. p. 341Having the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy, &c.; final; conclusive; putting an end to controversy. “A decisive, irrevocable doom.” Bates. “Decisive campaign.” Macaulay.…De-ci'sive-ly, adv. p. 341In a manner to end deliberation, controversy, doubt, or contest.De-cĭ'sive-ness, n. p. 341The quality of ending doubt, controversy, &c.; conclusiveness; as, the decisiveness of a declaration.De-ci′so-ry, a. p. 341Able to decide or determine; having a tendency to decide. [Rare.]Dēck, v. t. p. 341To cover; to overspread. “To deck with clouds the uncolored sky.” Milton. 2. To dress the person of; to clothe; especially, to clothe with more than ordinary elegance; to array; to adorn; to…Dĕck, n. p. 341The floor-like covering or division of a ship. Small vessels have only one deck; larger ships have two or three decks. 2. A heap or store. [Obs.] “Hath such trinkets ready in the deck.” Massinger. 3.…Dĕck'er, n. p. 341One who, or that which, decks or adorns; a coverer; as, a table-decker. 2. A vessel which has a deck or decks;—used especially in composition; as, a two-decker; a three-decker.De-clāim', v. i. p. 341To speak rhetorically; to speak a set oration in public; to make a formal speech or oration; to speak in public as a rhetorical exercise; to harangue; as, the students declaim twice a week. 2. To…De-clāim', v. t. p. 341To utter in public; to deliver in a rhetorical or set manner; to speak in a rhetorical manner. 2. To speak in favor of; to advocate. [Obs.] “Declaims his cause.” South.De-clāim'ant or De-clāim'er, n. p. 341One who declaims; one who speaks habitually for rhetorical purposes or for display; one who attempts to convince by a harangue.Dĕc'la-mā'tion, n. p. 341The act or art of declaiming; rhetorical delivery; haranguing; loud or empty speaking in public; especially, the delivery of a speech or exercise, as in a school, college, &c.; as, a public…Dĕc'la-mā'tor, n. p. 341A declaimer. [Obs.] Sir T. Elyot.De-clăm'a-to-ry, a. p. 341Pertaining to declamation; treated in the manner of a rhetorician; as, a declamatory theme. 2. Characterized by rhetorical display; pretentiously rhetorical; without solid sense or argument; as, a…De-clâr'a-ble, a. p. 341Capable of being declared, exhibited, or made evident. Browne.De-clā'rant, n. p. 341One who declares. [Rare.]Dĕc`la-rā'tion, n. p. 341The act of declaring, proclaiming, or publicly announcing; explicit asserting; undisguised token of a ground or side taken on any subject; exposition; as, the declaration of an opinion, &c. 2. That…De-clār'a-tive, a. p. 341Making declaration, proclamation, or publication; explanatory; making show or manifestation; assertive; declaratory. “Declarative laws.” Baker.De-clār'a-tive-ly, adv. p. 341In a manner to declare or proclaim by distinct assertion; not impliedly; by way of declaration. The priest shall expiate it, that is, declaratively. Bates.Dĕc'la-rā'tor, n. p. 341(Scots Law.) A form of action by which some right or interest is sought to be judicially declared, as a right of property or of servitude.De-clăr'a-to-ri-ly, adv. p. 341By declaration or exhibition.De-clār'a-to-ry, a. p. 341Making declaration, explanation, or exhibition; expressive; as, a clause declaratory of the will of the legislature. Declaratory act (Law), an act or statute which sets forth more clearly and…De-clāre', v. t. p. 341To free from obscurity; to make plain; to clear. [Obs.] “To declare this a little.” Boyle. 2. To make known by language; to manifest or communicate plainly in any way; to publish; to proclaim. This…De-clāre', v. i. p. 341To make a declaration, or an open and explicit avowal; to proclaim one's self; to pronounce adhesion in favor of a party, &c.;—often with for or against: as, victory declares for the allies. Like…De-clâr'ed-ly, adv. p. 341Avowedly; explicitly; confessedly.