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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- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
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.De-clār'ed-ness, n. p. 341State of being declared.De-clāre'ment, n. p. 341The act of declaration. [Obs.]De-clār'er, n. p. 341One who makes known or publishes; that which exhibits.De-clēn'sion, n. p. 341That which is inclining, or appears to incline; declination; descent; slope. “The declension of the land from that place to the sea.” Burnet. 2. A falling off from excellence or perfection; a…De-clīn'a-ble, a. p. 341Admitting of declension or inflection; capable of being declined.Dē'clĭ-nate, a. p. 341(Bot.) Bending downward, in a curve; declined.Dĕc/linā'tion, n. p. 341The act or state of bending downward; inclination; as a declination of the head. 2. The act or state of falling off or declining from excellence or perfection; deterioration; decay; decline. “The…Dĕc'li-nā'tor, n. p. 341An instrument for taking the declination, or inclination, of a reclining plane.De-clīn'a-to-ry, a. p. 341Containing or involving a declination or refusal, as of submission to a charge or sentence. Blackstone. Declinatory plea (O. Eng. Law), the plea of sanctuary or of benefit of clergy, before trial or…De-clīn'a-tūre, n. p. 341The act of putting away or refusing; as, the declinature of an office. [Rare.]De-clīne', v. i. p. 341To lean downward; to bend over or hang down, as from weakness, weariness, despondency, &c.; to condescend. He ... would decline even to the lowest of his family. Lady Hutchinson. Disdaining to…De-cline', v. t. p. 342To bend downward; to bring down; to depress; to cause to bow or fall. In melancholy deep, with head declined. Thomson. 2. To cause to decrease or diminish. [Obs.] “Being you have declined his means.”…De-cline', n. p. 342A falling off; a tendency to a worse state; diminution or decay; deterioration; as, the decline of life; the decline of strength; the decline of virtue and religion. Their fathers lived in the…De-clin'er, n. p. 342One who declines. “A studious decliner of honors.” Evelyn.Dĕc'li-nôm'e-ter, n. p. 342An instrument for measuring the declination of the magnetic needle.De-clin'ōus, a. p. 342(Bot.) Bent downward.De-cliv'i-ty, n. p. 342Deviation from a horizontal line; descent of surface; inclination downward; slope;—opposed to acclivity, or ascent; the same slope, considered as descending, being a declivity, and considered as…De-clī'voûs or De-clīv'i-toûs, a. p. 342Gradually descending; sloping.De-cōct', v. t. p. 342To prepare by boiling; to digest in hot or boiling water; to extract the strength or flavor of by boiling; to make an infusion of. 2. To prepare for assimilation by the heat of the stomach; to…De-cōct'i-ble, a. p. 342Capable of being boiled or digested.De-cōc'tion, n. p. 342The act of preparing for use by boiling. In decoction . . . it either purgeth at the top or settleth at the bottom. Bacon. 2. An extract prepared by boiling something in water. If a plant be boiled…