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.
De-scrip'tive-ness, n. p. 360The state of being descriptive.De-scrive', v. t. p. 360To describe. [Obs.] Spenser.De-scry′, v. t. p. 360To spy out and make known; to discover by the eye, as objects at a distance that can be faintly seen; to espy; to detect; to recognize. Edmund, I think, is gone . . . to descry The strength of the…De-sery', n. p. 360The thing descried, as an army seen at a distance. [Obs.] Near, and on speedy foot; the main descry Stands on the hourly thought. Shak.Dĕs'e-cāte, v. t. p. 360To cut, as with a scythe; to mow. [Obs.]Dés'e-crāte, v. t. p. 360To divest of a sacred character or office; to divert from a sacred purpose or appropriation; to treat in a sacrilegious manner. The [Russian] clergy can not suffer corporal punishment without being…Dĕs'e-crā'tion, n. p. 360The act of diverting from the sacred purpose or use to which a thing had been devoted; the act of diverting from a sacred character or office; the act of treating sacrilegiously.De-sért', v. t. p. 360To part from; to end a connection with; to abandon; to forsake; — usually in an opprobrious sense; as, to desert a friend; to desert our country; to desert a cause. “The deserted fortress.” Prescott.…De-sért', v. i. p. 360To quit a service without permission; to run away; as, to desert from the army. Syn.—To abandon; forsake; leave; relinquish; quit; depart from; abdicate. See ABANDON.Dĕs'ert, a. p. 361Forsaken; without life or cultivation; untilled; unproductive; waste; barren; wild; desolate; — used especially in speaking of a region of country. Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, And…Dĕs'ert, n. p. 361A deserted or forsaken tract of land; an uninhabited and unproductive region; a wilderness; a solitude; a region destitute of moisture and vegetation; as, the Desert of Sahara. Hadst thou sprung In…De-sērt', n. p. 361That which is deserved; the reward or punishment to which one is entitled; claim to recompense, usually in a good sense; right to reward; merit. Yet, more to move you, Take my deserts to his, and…De-sĕrt'er, n. p. 361One who forsakes his duty, his post, or his party or friend; especially, a soldier or seaman who quits the service without permission, in violation of his engagement.De-sērt'ful, a. p. 361High in desert; meritorious. [Obs.] “Till I be more desertful in your eye.” Beau. & Fl.De-sēr'tion, n. p. 361The act of deserting or forsaking; especially, the abandonment of a service, a party, or a post. Such a resignation would have seemed to his superior a desertion or a reproach. Bancroft. 2. The state…De-sērt'less, a. p. 361Without desert or merit. [Obs.] “Desertless arm.” Beau. & Fl.De-sērt'less-ly, adv. p. 361Undeservedly. [Obs.] B. & Fl.Dĕs'ert-ness, n. p. 361A deserted state; desertion. [Obs.] “The desertness of the country.” Udal.De-sērt'rice or De-sērt'rix, n. p. 361A female who deserts. [Obs.] Milton.De-sērve', v. t. p. 361To earn by service; to be worthy of on ground of labor or services, of good or bad character and actions; to merit; to be entitled to; as, the laborer deserves his wages; a work of value deserves…De-sērve', v. i. p. 361To be worthy of recompense; — usually with ill or with well. One man may merit or deserve of another. South.De-sĕrv'ed-ly, adv. p. 361According to desert, whether good or evil; justly.De-sēr'ver, n. p. 361One who deserves, merits, or is worthy.De-sērv'ing-ly, adv. p. 361In a deserving manner.Des-ha-billé, n. p. 361An undress; a careless toilet.De-sic'ant, a. p. 361Drying.De-sie′cant, n. p. 361(Med.) A medicine or application that dries a sore.Dĕs'ic-cāte or De-sic'cate, v. t. p. 361To exhaust of moisture; to exhale or remove moisture from; to dry. Wine helped to digest and desiccate the moisture. Bacon.Dēs'ic-cāte or De-sic'cate, v. i. p. 361To become dry.Dēs'ic-cā'tion, n. p. 361The act of desiccating, or the state of being desiccated.De-sie'ca-tive, a. p. 361Drying; tending to dry. Ferrand.De-sic'ca-tive, n. p. 361An application which tends to dry up secretions.Dēs'ic-cā'tor, n. p. 361One who, or that which, desic- cates.De-sid’er-āte, v. t. p. 361To be sensible of the lack of; to lack; to want; to miss; to desire. Pray have the goodness to point out one word missing that ought to have been there—please to insert a desiderated stanza. You can…De-sid'er-ā'tion, n. p. 361The act of desiderating or desiring. [Rare.]De-sid'er-a-tive, a. p. 361Expressing or denoting desire; as, desiderative verbs.De-sid'er-a-tive, n. p. 361An object of desire; a desideratum. 2. (Gram.) A verb formed from another verb by a particular change of termination, and expressing the desire of doing that which is indicated by the primitive verb.De-sīd'e-rā'tum, n. p. 361That of which the lack is felt; a thing desiderated, wanted, or desired; a want generally felt and acknowledged.De-sid'i-ōse or De-sid'i-ōus, a. p. 361Idle; lazy. [Obs.]De-sid'i-ōŭs-ness, n. p. 361The state or quality of being desidiose or indolent. [Obs.] N. Bacon.De-sight', n. p. 361An unsightly object. [Obs.]De-sight'ment, n. p. 361The act of making unsightly; disfigurement. Substitute jury-masts at whatever desightment or damage in risk. London Times.De-sign', v. t. p. 361To draw the preliminary outline or main features of; to sketch for a pattern or model; to delineate; to trace out; to draw. Thus while they speed their pace, the prince designs The new-elected seat…De-sign', v. i. p. 361To start or proceed in accordance with a settled plan. [Obs. and rare.] From this city she designed for Collin [Cologne] conducted by the Earl of Arundel. Evelyn. 2. To have a purpose; to intend.De-sign', n. p. 361A preliminary sketch; a representation of the outlines or main features of something to be executed, as of a picture, a building, or a decoration; a delineation; a plan. 2. A plan or scheme formed in…De-sign'a-ble, a. p. 361Capable of being designated or distinctly marked out; distinguishable. Boyle.Dĕs'ig-nāte, v. t. p. 361To mark out and make known; to point out to general knowledge; to indicate; to show; to call by a distinctive title; to denominate; to name; as, to designate the boundaries of a country. 2. To point…Dĕs'ig-nate, a. p. 361Designated. [Rare.] Sir G. Buck.Dés'ig-nā'tion, n. p. 361The act of designating or pointing out; indication; denomination. 2. Selection and appointment for a purpose; allotment; application. 3. That which designates; distinctive title; appellation. “The…Dĕs'ig-nā'tive, a. p. 361Serving to designate or indicate.Dĕs'ig-nā'tor, n. p. 361One who designates or points out. 2. (Rom. Antiq.) An officer who assigned to each person his rank and place in public shows and ceremonies.Dĕs'ig-na-to-ry, a. p. 361Serving to designate; indicating; pointing out. [Rare.]De-sign'ed-ly, adv. p. 361By design; purposely; intentionally; — opposed to accidentally, ignorantly, or inadvertently.De-sign'er, n. p. 361One who designs, marks out, or plans; an artist who furnishes designs, as for prints; a contriver. 2. A plotter; a schemer; — used in a bad sense.De-sign'ful, a. p. 361Full of design, plot, or artifice.De-sign'ful-ness, n. p. 361The state or quality of being designful or plotting. [Obs.] Barrow.De-sign'ing, p. a. p. 361Intriguing; artful; scheming; as, a designing man.De-sign'less, a. p. 361Without design or intention.De-sign'less-ly, adv. p. 361Without design; inadvertently.De-sign'ment, n. p. 361Act of designing; delineation; plan. [Obs.] For though that some mean artist's skill were shown In mingling colors, or in placing light, Yet still the fair designment was his own. Dryden. 2. Design…