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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.

  1. De-spāir'er, n.p. 362One who despairs.
  2. De-spâir'ful, a.p. 362Hopeless. [Obs.] Spenser.
  3. De-spāir'ing-ly, adv.p. 362In a despairing manner; hopelessly.
  4. De-spāir'ing-ness, n.p. 362State of being despairing.
  5. De-spătch', n.p. 362See DISPATCH.
  6. De-spĕc'tion, n.p. 362A looking down; a despising. [Rare.] Monstrōqu.
  7. De-speed', v. t.p. 362To send with speed. [Obs.] “Despeeded certain of their crew.” Speed.
  8. De-spend', v. t.p. 362To pay out; to squander; to waste. [Obs.] Some noble men in Spain can despend £50,000. Howell.
  9. Dēs′per-ā′do, n.p. 362A desperate fellow; a person urged by furious passions; one fearless or regardless of safety; a madman.
  10. Dĕs'per-ate, a.p. 362Without hope; given to despair; hopeless; despairing. [Obs.] I am desperate of obtaining her. Shak. 2. Beyond hope; despaired of; irretrievable; past cure; as, a desperate disease; desperate ruin.…
  11. Dés'per-ate, n.p. 362A desperate person; one without hope. [Obs.] Donne.
  12. Dĕs'per-ate-ly, adv.p. 362In a desperate manner; without regard to danger or safety; beyond hope of rescue; as, the troops fought desperately. She fell desperately in love with him. Addison.
  13. Dĕs'per-ate-ness, n.p. 362The state of being desperate.
  14. Dĕs'per-ā'tion, n.p. 362The act of despairing; a giving up of hope. “Desperation of success.” Hammond. 2. The state of despair, or hopelessness; abandonment of hope; disregard of consequences. In the desperation of the…
  15. Dĕs'pi-ca-bĭl'i-ty, n.p. 362Despicableness. [Rare.]
  16. Dĕs'pi-ca-ble, a.p. 362Fit or deserving to be despised; contemptible; mean; vile; worthless; as, a despicable man; despicable company; despicable gift. Syn.—Contemptible; mean; vile; worthless; pitiful; paltry; sordid…
  17. Dĕs'pi-ca-ble-ness, n.p. 362The quality or state of being despicable; meanness; vileness; worthlessness.
  18. Dĕs'pi-ca-bly, adv.p. 362In a despicable or mean manner; contemptibly; as, despicably poor.
  19. Des-pĭ'cien-cy, n.p. 362A looking down; despection. [Obs.]
  20. De-spis'a-ble, a.p. 362Despicable; contemptible. [Rare.]
  21. De-spiʹsal, n.p. 362Contempt. [Obs.] “A despisal of religion.” South.
  22. De-spīse', v. t.p. 362To look down upon with contempt; to contemn; to scorn; to disdain; to have a low opinion of. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. Prov. i. 7. Let not your ears despise my tongue forever. Which shall…
  23. De-spīs'ed-ness, n.p. 362The state of being despised.
  24. De-spīs'er, n.p. 362One who despises; a contemner; a scorner.
  25. De-spīs'ing-ly, adv.p. 362In a despising manner; contemptuously.
  26. De-spite', n.p. 362Extreme malice; violent hatred; malignity; malice irritated or enraged; angry hatred; vexation. With all thy despite against the land of Israel. Ezek. xxv. 6. 2. An act prompted by feelings of hatred…
  27. De-spite', v. t.p. 362To vex; to offend contemptuously. [Obs.] Raleigh.
  28. De-spite', prep.p. 362In spite of; as, despite his prejudices. Syn.—See NOTWITHSTANDING.
  29. De-spite'ful, a.p. 362Full of despite; malicious; malignant; as, a despiteful enemy. Haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters. Rom. i. 30.
  30. De-spîte'ful-ly, adv.p. 362In a despiteful manner; maliciously; cruelly. Pray for them which despitefully use you. Matt. v. 44.
  31. De-spite'ful-ness, n.p. 362The state of being despiteful.
  32. Des-pĭt'e-ōus, a.p. 362Feeling or showing despite; malicious. [Obs.] “Despitous reproaches.” Holland. He was to sinful man not despitous. Chaucer.
  33. Des-pĭt'e-oŭs-ly, adv.p. 362In a despiteous manner. [Obs.] Speed.
  34. De-spoil', v. t.p. 362To strip, as of clothing; to divest or unclothe; to deprive for spoil; to bereave; to rob; to pillage;—usually followed by of. The clothed earth is then bare, Despoiled is the summer fair. Gower. He…
  35. De-spoil′, n.p. 363Despoliation. [Obs.] Wolsey.
  36. De-spoil'er, n.p. 363One who despoils or strips by force.
  37. De-spoil'ment, n.p. 363Act of despoiling; a plundering.
  38. De-spō'li-ā'tion, n.p. 363The act of despoiling, or the state of being despoiled.
  39. De-spōnd', v. i.p. 363To give up; to abandon hope; to lose courage; to become dispirited or depressed; to despair. I should despair, or at least despond. Scott’s Letters. Others depress their own minds, [and] despond at…
  40. De-spŏnd', n.p. 363Despondency. [Obs.] “The slough of despond.” Bunyan.
  41. De-spōnd'ençe or De-spōnd'en-cy, n.p. 363The state of desponding; abandonment of hope; discouragement; permanent depression or dejection. The people, when once infected, lose their relish for happiness, [and] saunter about with looks of…
  42. De-spōnd'ent, a.p. 363Marked by despondence; given to despondence; as, a despondent manner; a despondent prisoner.
  43. De-spōnd'ent-ly, adv.p. 363In a despondent manner.
  44. De-spōnd'er, n.p. 363One destitute of hope.
  45. De-spōnd'ing-ly, adv.p. 363In a desponding manner.
  46. De-spōn'sa'ge, n.p. 363Betrothal. [Obs.] Ethelbert . . . went peaceably to King Offa for desponsage of A thilrid, his daughter. Foxe.
  47. De-spŏn'/sāte, v. t.p. 363To betroth. [Obs.]
  48. Dēs'pon-sā'tion, n.p. 363A betrothing; alliance. [Obs.] For all this desponsation of her . . . she had not set one step toward the consummation of her marriage. Bp. Taylor.
  49. De-spōn'so-ry, n.p. 363A written pledge of marriage. The desponsories . . . in which Don Carlos was constituted the prince's proxy to marry the Infanta on his behalf. Clarendon.
  50. Dēs'pot, n.p. 363One who exercises or possesses absolute power over another; a master; a lord; especially, a sovereign invested with absolute power. 2. One who rules regardless of a constitution or laws; a tyrant.
  51. Des-pŏt'ic or Des-pŏt'ic-al, a.p. 363Having the character of, or pertaining to, a despot; absolute in power; unrestrained by, or regardless of, constitution and laws; evincing despotism; tyrannical; arbitrary.
  52. Des-pŏt'ic-al-ly, adv.p. 363In a despotic manner.
  53. Des-pöt'ic-al-ness, n.p. 363The state of being despotic.
  54. Dēs'pot-izm, n.p. 363The power, spirit, or principles of a despot; absolute control over others; tyranny. 2. A government which is directed by a despot; absolutism; autocracy. Despotism is the only form of government…
  55. Dĕs'pu-māte or De-spū'māte, v. i.p. 363To throw off impurities; to form froth or scum; to foam.
  56. Dēs'pu-mā'tion, n.p. 363The separation of the froth or scum on the surface of liquor; clarification; scumming.
  57. De-spūme′, v. t.p. 363To free from froth or foam. [Obs.] “If honey be despūmed.” Holland.
  58. Dēs'qua-mā'tion, n.p. 363(Med.) The separation of the cuticle or epidermis in the form of flakes or scales; exfoliation.
  59. Des-quām'a-to-ry, n.p. 363An instrument for the performance of the operation of desquamation.
  60. Dēss, n.p. 363The same as DESK. [Obs.]