Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Dell, n. p. 351A small, retired valley; a ravine. “In dells and dales concealed from human sight.” Tickell. 2. A young woman; a wench. [Obs.] “Sweet doxies and dells.” B. Jonson.Dĕlph, a. p. 351See DELF.Dĕl'phi-an or Dĕl'phie, a. p. 351(Gr. Antiq.) Relating to Delphi, and to the oracle of that place.Dĕl'phin or Dĕl'phine, a. p. 351Pertaining to the dauphin of France; as, the Delphin classics, an edition of the Latin classics, prepared under Louis XIV., “in usum Delphini”—for the use of the dauphin.Dĕl'phine, a. p. 351Pertaining to the dolphin, a genus of fishes.Del-phin'-i-um, n. p. 351(Bot.) A genus of plants of the order Ranunculaceæ; lark-spur;—so called from the form of the nectary, which resembles the ordinary representations of the dolphin.Del'phī'nus, n. p. 351(Zoöl.) A Linnean genus of cetaceous mammals, including the dolphin, restricted in modern zoölogy to those species of cetacea which have teeth in both jaws, all simple, and almost all conical. Brande.Del Segno p. 351See DAL SEGNO.Dĕl'ta, n. p. 351The Greek letter Δ. 2. A tract of land of a similar figure; especially, the space between two mouths of a river; as, the delta of the Nile.Dĕl'ta-ti-ā'tion, n. p. 351The formation of deltas at the mouth of rivers.Del-tā'ic, a. p. 351Relating to, or like, a delta. Ogilvie.Dĕl'toid, a. p. 351Resembling the Greek Δ (delta); triangular. Deltoid leaf (Bot.), one in the form of a triangle.—Deltoid muscle (Anat.), a muscle in the shoulder which serves to move the arm directly upward.De-lūd'a-ble, a. p. 351Capable of being deluded or deceived; liable to be imposed on. “Him whose cognition is no way deludable.” Browne.De-lūde', v. t. p. 351To lead from truth or into error; to mislead the mind or judgment of; to beguile; to impose on. “To delude the nation by an airy phantom.” Burke. 2. To frustrate or disappoint. “It deludes thy…De-lūd'er, n. p. 351One who deludes, or deceives; a deceiver; an impostor.Dĕl'ūge, n. p. 351A washing away; an overflowing of the land by water; an inundation; a flood; especially, the great flood or overflowing of the earth by water in the days of Noah. 2. Any thing which overwhelms, as a…Dĕl'ūge, v. t. p. 351To overflow, as with water; to inundate; to drown. The deluged earth would useless grow. Blackmore. 2. To overwhelm; to cover with any flowing or moving, spreading body; as, the northern nations…De-lu'sion, n. p. 351The act of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind. “Laborious in delusion.” Pope. 2. The state of being deluded or misled. 3. That which is falsely or delusively believed or propagated; false…De-lū'sive, a. p. 351Fitted to delude; tending to mislead the mind; deceptive; beguiling; delusory; as, delusive arts; delusive appearances. “Delusive and unsubstantial ideas.” Whewell.De-lū'sive-ly, adv. p. 351In a delusive manner.De-lū'sive-ness, n. p. 351The quality of being delusive; tendency to deceive.De-lū'so-ry, a. p. 351Apt to delude; delusive; fallacious. “A delusory prejudice.” Glanville.Dēlve, v. t. p. 351To dig; to open with a spade. Delve of convenient depth your thrashing-floor. Dryden. 2. To fathom; to penetrate; to trace out. I can not delve him to the root. Shak.Dĕlve, v. i. p. 351To labor with the spade; to labor as a drudge. Delve may I not, I shame to beg. Luke xvi. 3, Wycliffe's Trans.Dĕlve, n. p. 351A place dug; a pit; a ditch; a den; a cave. “To that shady delve him brought.” Spenser. The very tigers from their delves Look out. Moore. 2. A quantity of coals dug. [Prov. Eng.]Dĕl′ver, n. p. 351One who digs, as with a spade.De-măg'net-i-zā'tion, n. p. 351The act or process of depriving of magnetic polarity, or of mesmeric influence.De-măg'net-ize, v. t. p. 351To deprive of magnetic polarity; to restore from a sleep-waking state.Dēm'a-gōg'ic or Dēm'a-gōg'ic-al, a. p. 351Relating to, or like, a demagogue; factious.Dēm'a-gōg'ĭsm, n. p. 351The practices of a demagogue.Dēm'a-gōgue, n. p. 351A leader of the people, especially one who controls the multitude by specious or deceitful arts; a panderer to popular prejudices; an artful political orator.Dēm'a-gōg'y, n. p. 351Demagogism.De-māin', n. p. 351See DEMESNE.De-mānd', v. t. p. 351To ask or call for, as one who has a claim, right, or power to enforce the claim; to call for urgently or peremptorily; to press or sue a claim to; to make requisition of; as, to demand a debt, or…De-mănd', v. i. p. 351To make a demand; to ask; to inquire. The soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? Luke iii. 14.De-mānd', n. p. 351The act of demanding; an asking with authority; a peremptory urging of a claim; a challenging as due; requisition; exaction; as, the demand of a creditor; a note payable on demand. He that has…De-mānd'a-ble, a. p. 351Capable of being demanded, claimed, asked for, or required; as, payment is demandable at the expiration of the credit.De-mānd’ant, n. p. 351One who demands; the plaintiff in a real action; any plaintiff.De-mānd’er, n. p. 351One who demands, requires, or claims as due; one who asks; one who seeks to obtain.De-mānd'ress, n. p. 351A female demandant. Cotgrave.De-mär'ēāte, v. t. p. 351To mark by bounds; to set the limits of; to divide. [Rare.] Wilkinson.Dē'mar-cā'tion, n. p. 351See DEMARKATION.De-märch’, n. p. 351March; walk; gait. [Obs.]Dē'march (-märk), n. p. 351A chief or ruler, as the mayor of a town among the modern Greeks.Dē'mar-kā'tion, n. p. 351The act of marking, or of ascertaining and setting a limit; division; separation. 2. A limit or bound ascertained and fixed; quality of serving as a dividing limit. The speculative line of…Dē'ma-tē'ri-al-īze, v. t. p. 351To deprive of material qualities or characteristics. Dematerializing matter by stripping it of every thing which ... has distinguished matter. Milman.Dēme, n. p. 351(Gr. Antiq.) A territorial subdivision of Attica, corresponding to a township. “The eponymous hero of a deme in Attica.” Grote.De-mēan', v. t. p. 351To manage; to conduct; to treat. Our obdurate clergy have with violence demeaned the matter. Milton.De-mēan', v. t. p. 351To carry or conduct; to behave; — followed by the reflexive pronoun. They answered . . . that they should demean themselves according to their instructions. Clarendon. 2. [From de and mean, q. v.] To…De-mēan', n. p. 352Management; treatment. [Obs.] “Ville demean and usage bad.” Spenser. 2. Behavior; carriage; conduct; demeanor. [Obs.] “Grave demean and solemn vanity.” West.De-méan’, n. p. 352Property; means. [Obs.] You know How narrow our demeans are. Massinger.De-mēan'ance, n. p. 352Demeanor. [Obs.] “Royal demeanance.” Skelton.De-méaned', p. p. p. 352Behaved well;— in a good sense. Lessened; debased;— in a bad sense.De-mēan'or, n. p. 352Management; conduct. [Obs.] God commits the managing so great a trust ... wholly to the demeanor of every grown man. Milton. 2. Behavior; deportment; carriage; bearing; mien. His demeanor was…De-mēan'ūre, n. p. 352Behavior. [Obs.] Barret.Dē'men-cy, n. p. 352Dementia; temporary or permanent suspension of the exercise of the reason; insanity.De-mĕnt’, v. t. p. 352To deprive of reason; to make mad. [Rare.] Bale.De-mĕn'tate, a. p. 352Deprived of reason. Hammond.De-mĕn’tāte, v. t. p. 352[Lat. dementatus, p. p. of dementare. To deprive of reason. Barton.Dé′men-tā′tion, n. p. 352The act of depriving of reason, or the state of being so deprived. Whitlock.