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-mŏr'al-i-zā'tion, n. p. 353The act of subverting or corrupting morals; destruction of moral principles; especially, the act of corrupting discipline, courage, &c.; as, the demoralization of an army or navy.De-mŏr'al-īze, v. t. p. 353To corrupt or undermine the morals of; to destroy or lessen the effect of moral principles on; to render corrupt in morals, in discipline, in courage, &c. “The demoralizing example of profligate…Dēm'os-thĕn'ic, a. p. 353Pertaining to, or in the style of, Demosthenes, the Grecian orator.De-mŏt'ic, a. p. 353(Gr. δημοτικός, from δῆμος, the people; Fr. démotique.) Pertaining to the people; popular; common. Demotic alphabet or character, a form of writing used in Egypt after six or seven centuries before…Dēm'p'ster, n. p. 353(O. Scots Law.) An officer of the court whose duty it was to pronounce the doom or sentence of the court. [Obs.] Burvill.De-mŭlçe', v. t. p. 353To soften; to soothe; to coax or wheedle. [Obs.] “Saturn was demulced or appeased.” Sir T. Elyot.De-mŭl'çent, a. p. 353Softening; mollifying; lenient; as, oil is demulcent.De-mŭl'cent, n. p. 353(Med.) A substance of a bland, mucilaginous nature, supposed to be capable of protecting the tissues from the action of irritant or acrid humors.De-mŭl’sion, n. p. 353The act of demulcing, soothing, or coaxing; flattery. “The soft demulsions of a present content.” Feltham.De-mur′, v. i. p. 353To linger; to stay; to abide. [Obs.] Yet durst they not demur nor abide upon the camp. Nicols. 2. To delay; to pause; to suspend proceedings in view of a doubt or difficulty; to put off determination…De-mûr', v. t. p. 353To suspend judgment concerning; to doubt of. [Obs.] The latter I demur; for in their looks Much reason, and in their actions oft appears. Milton. 2. To cause delay to; to put off. [Obs.] He demands a…De-mūr', n. p. 353Stop; pause; hesitation as to proceeding; suspense of decision or action. All my demurs but double his attacks. Pope.De-mūre', a. p. 353Of sober or serious mien; composed and decorous in bearing; of modest look; grave. “With countenance demure, and modest grace.” Spenser. 2. Hiding immodesty, vivacity, or interested attention, under…De-müre', v. i. p. 353To look demurely. [Obs.] Shak.De-mūre'ly, adv. p. 353In a demure manner; with a mere show of gravity or modesty. They . . . looked as demurely as they could; for ’twas a hanging matter to laugh unseasonably. Dryden.De-mūre'ness, n. p. 353The state of being demure; gravity; the show of gravity or modesty.De-mŭr'rage, n. p. 353(Com.) (a.) The detention of a vessel by the freighter beyond the time allowed by her charter-party for loading, unloading, or sailing. (b.) The payment made for such delay or detention. Kent.…De-mûr'rer, n. p. 353One who demurs. 2. (Law.) A stop or pause by a party to an action for the judgment of the court on the question, whether, assuming the truth of the matter alleged by the opposite party, it is…De-mÿ', n. p. 353A size of paper next smaller than medium: that used for printing is about 22 by 18 inches; that used for writing is about 19 by 15 inches. 2. A half fellow at Magdalen College, Oxford. [Written also…De-mȳ', a. p. 353Pertaining to, or made of, the size of paper called demy; as, a demy book.Dĕn, n. p. 353A cave or hollow place in the earth, used for concealment, shelter, protection, or security; as, a lion’s den; a den of robbers. 2. A customary place of resort; a haunt; a retreat; as, a den of…Dĕn, v. i. p. 353To dwell as in a den. “Sluggish salvages that den below.” Fletcher. Black sea-calves den in my poor soil. Chapman.De-när'co-tīze, v. t. p. 354To deprive of narcotine; as, to denarcotize opium.De-nā'rī-ūs, n. p. 354A Roman coin of the value of about sixteen or seventeen cents;—so called from being worth originally ten of the pieces called as.Dēn'a-ry, a. p. 354Containing ten; tenfold.Dēn'a-ry, n. p. 354The number ten.De-nā'tion-al-īze, v. t. p. 354To divest of national character or rights, by transference to the service of another nation. A ship built and registered in the United States is denationalized by being employed in the service of…De-nāt'ū-ral-īze, v. t. p. 354To render unnatural; to alienate from nature. 2. To renounce the natural rights and duties of; to denationalize. [Rare.] They also claimed the privilege, when aggrieved, of denaturalizing themselves…De-nāy', n. p. 354Denial; refusal. [Obs.] “My love can give no place, bide no denay.” Shak.De-nā'y', v. t. p. 354To deny. [Obs.] Spenser.Dĕn'dra-chate, n. p. 354(Min.) Arborescent agate; agate containing the figures of shrubs or parts of plants.Dĕn'dri-fōrm, a. p. 354Having the appearance of a tree.Dĕn'drīte, n. p. 354(Min.) A stone or mineral, on or in which are branching figures resembling shrubs or trees. Dana.Den-drīt'ic or Den-drīt'ic-al, a. p. 354Containing delineations which branch like shrubs or trees.Dēn'dro-eo-lāp'tes, n. pl. p. 354(Ornith.) A genus of tenuirostral birds, of which several species are found in South America; tree creepers, or hook-billed creepers.Dĕn'droid, a. p. 354Resembling a shrub or tree in form.Dĕn'droit, n. p. 354(Palæon.) A fossil which has some resemblance in form to the branch of a tree.Den-drōl'a-gūs, n. p. 354(Zoöl.) The tree-kangaroo, a genus of marsupial animals found in New Guinea.Dĕn'dro-līte, n. p. 354(Palæon.) A petrified or fossil shrub, plant, or part of a plant.Den-drōl'o-ǧist, n. p. 354One acquainted with the natural history of trees.Den-drŏl'o-gy, n. p. 354A discourse or treatise on trees; the natural history of trees.Den-drōm'e-ter, n. p. 354An instrument to measure the height and diameter of trees.Dĕn'dro-mŷs, n. p. 354(Zoöl.) A genus of rodent animals of South Africa, resembling mice, and inhabiting the branches of trees.Dĕn'dro-phĭs, n. p. 354(Zoöl.) A sub-genus of harmless serpents, having a long and slender body, and classed under the genus Coluber.Dēn'e-gāte, v. t. p. 354To deny. [Obs.]Dēn'e-gā'tion, n. p. 354Denial. [Obs.]Dēn'gue, n. p. 354(Med.) A peculiar sort of fugitive and erratic epidemic rheumatism. ☞ This disease, when it first appeared in the British West India islands, was called the dandy fever, from the stiffness and…De-nī'a-ble, a. p. 354Capable of being denied, contradicted, refuted, or disowned.De-nī'al, n. p. 354The act of contradicting, refusing, or disowning. “Hence with denial vain.” Milton. 2. An affirmation or assertion of the untruth of a thing stated or maintained; a contradiction; a negation. “An…De-nī'ance, n. p. 354Denial. [Obs.]De-nī'er, n. p. 354One who denies, contradicts, refuses, or disowns; as, a denier of a fact, or of the faith, or of Christ.De-nīer', n. p. 354A small denomination of French money, the twelfth part of a sou; a small copper coin of insignificant value. “My kingdom to a beggarly denier.” Shak.Dĕn'i-grāte, v. t. p. 354To blacken; to make black. [Obs.] Boyle.Dēn'i-grā'tion, n. p. 354The act of making black; a blacking. [Obs.] Doyle.Dĕn'i-grā'tor, n. p. 354One who denigrates or blackens.Dēn'im, n. p. 354A coarse cotton drilling used for overalls, &c.Dēn'i-trā'tion, n. p. 354A disengaging of nitric acid. [Obs.]Dĕn'i-zā'tion, n. p. 354The act of making one a denizen or adopted citizen. Davies.De-nīze', v. t. p. 354To make a denizen; to confer the right of citizenship upon as a favor. [Obs. and rare.] There was a private act made for denizing the children of Richard Hill. Styppe.Dĕn'i-zen, n. p. 354One who is admitted by favor to all or a part of the rights of citizenship, where he did not possess them by birth; an adopted or naturalized citizen. 2. Hence, a stranger admitted to residence in a…