Dictionary

An American Dictionary of the English Language

Name: An American Dictionary of the English Language
Author: Noah Webster

by Noah Webster

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.

Read it page by page The scan at the Internet Archive

D
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…
De-sĭl'ver, v. t.p. 361To deprive of silver; as, to desilver lead.
Dés'i-nence, n.p. 361Termination; cessation; end; close. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.
Dēs'i-nent, a.p. 361Ending; extreme; lowermost. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
De-sip'i-ent, a.p. 361Trifling; foolish; playful.
De-sir'a-bil'i-ty, n.p. 361The state or quality of being desirable; desirableness.
De-sir'a-ble, a.p. 361Worthy of desire or longing; fitted to excite a wish to possess. All of them desirable young men. Ezek. xxiii. 12. As things desirable excite Desire, and objects move the appetite. Blackmore.
De-sir'a-ble-ness, n.p. 361The quality of being desirable.
De-sir'a-bly, adv.p. 361In a desirable manner.
De-sīre', v. t.p. 361To long for the enjoyment or possession of; to feel the want of; to wish; to mourn the loss of. Neither shall any man desire thy land. Ex. xxxiv. 24. He reigned in Jerusalem eight years, and departed…
De-sīre', n.p. 362The natural longing that is excited by the enjoyment or the thought of any good, and impels to action or effort for its continuance or possession; the controlling or indulged inclination, whether…
De-sīre'ful, a.p. 362Filled with desire; eager. [Rare.] “The desireful troops.” Godfrey.
De-sīre'ful-ness, n.p. 362The state of being desireful; eagerness to obtain and possess. The desirefulness of our minds much augmenteth and increaseth our pleasure. Udal.
De-sīre'less, a.p. 362Free from desire. Donne.
De-sīr'er, n.p. 362One who desires, asks, or wishes.
De-sīr'oŭs, a.p. 362Desiring; feeling desire; solicitous; covetous; eager. Be not desirous of his dainties. Prov. xxiii. 3. Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him. John xvi. 19.
De-sīr'oŭs-ly, adv.p. 362With desire; eagerly.
De-sīr'oŭs-ness, n.p. 362The state or affection of being desirous.
De-sīst', v. i.p. 362To stand aside; to cease to proceed or act; to forbear;—often with from. “Never desisting to do evil.” Hall. “To desist from his bad practice.” Massinger.