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.
Dĕs'ti-nā'tion, n. p. 363The act of destining or appointing. 2. That to which any thing is destined or appointed; predetermined end, object, or use. 3. End of a journey; place or point aimed at. Syn. — Appointment; design…Dĕs'tine, v. t. p. 363To determine the future condition or application of; to appoint by decree or authority; to set apart by design or intention; to ordain; to allot; to doom; — generally with the remoter object preceded…Dĕs'ti-nĭst, n. p. 363A believer in destiny; a fatalist.Dĕs'ti-ny, n. p. 363That to which any person or thing is destined; appointed or predetermined state; foreordained condition; fate; doom. Thither he Will come to know his destiny. Shak. 2. The fixed order of things…**Dés'ti-tūte**, a. p. 363Not having in possession; in want; devoid; deficient; lacking; — followed by of. “Totally destitute of all shadow of influence.” Burke. 2. Not possessing the necessaries of life; in a condition of…Dĕs'ti-tūte, n. p. 363One who is without friends or comfort.Dĕs'ti-tūte, v. t. p. 363To leave deserted; to forsake. [Obs.] “To forsake or destitute a plantation.” Bacon. 2. To cause to be in want; to deprive; — followed by of. [Obs.] “Destituted of all honor and livings.” Holinshed.Dĕs'ti-tūte-ness, n. p. 363Destitution. [Rare.] Ash.Dĕs'ti-tū'tion, n. p. 363The state or condition of being destitute, needy, or without resources; deprivation; deficiency; lack; poverty.De-stroy′, v. t. p. 363To unbuild; to pull down; to separate violently into its constituent parts; to break up the structure and organic existence of. 2. To ruin; to bring to naught; to put an end to; to annihilate. 3. To…De-stroy'a-ble, a. p. 363Capable of being destroyed. [R.] Plants scarcely destroyable by the weather. Derham.De-stroy'er, n. p. 363One who destroys, ruins, kills, or desolates.De-strūct′, v. t. p. 363To destroy. [Obs.] “Either wholly destructed or marvelously corrupted.” Mede.De-strūc/ti-bil'i-ty, n. p. 363The quality of being capable of destruction.De-strûc'ti-ble, a. p. 363Liable to destruction; capable of being destroyed.De-strūc'ti-ble-ness, n. p. 363The quality or state of being destructible; destructibility.De-struc'tion, n. p. 363The act of destroying; demolition; the breaking up of a whole into parts, and consequent termination of life, beauty, health, or well-being; a pulling down; ruin; slaying; devastation. “Destruction…De-strūc'tion-ist, n. p. 363One who delights in destroying that which is valuable; one whose principles and influence tend to destroy existing institutions; a destructive. 2. (Theol.) One who believes in the final destruction…De-strŭc'tive, a. p. 363Causing destruction; tending to bring about ruin, death, or devastation; ruinous; productive of serious evil; pernicious;—often with of or to: as, intemperance is destructive of health; evil examples…De-strŭc'tive, n. p. 363One who destroys; a radical reformer; a destructionist.De-strŭc'tive-ly, adv. p. 363In a destructive manner or degree; ruinously; mischievously; with power to destroy. “The doctrine that states the time of repentance destructively to a pious life.” South.De-strūc'tive-ness, n. p. 363The quality of destroying or ruining. “Destructiveness of these monstrous ways to the speedy peace and settlement of our church.” Pryme. 2. (Phren.) The faculty which impels to the commission of acts…De-strŭc'tor, n. p. 363A destroyer; a consumer. [Obs.] “Fire, the destructor and artificial death of things.” Bogle.Dĕs'ū-dā'tion, n. p. 363(Med.) A sweating; a profuse or morbid sweating. Coxe.De-suēte', a. p. 363Disused; out of use. [Rare.]Dés'ue-tûde, n. p. 363The cessation of use; discontinuance of practice, custom, or fashion; disuse. The desuetude abrogated the law, which, before, custom had established. Bp. Taylor.De-sŭl'phu-rāte, v. t. p. 363To deprive of sulphur.De-sûl'phu-râ'tion, n. p. 363The act of depriving of sulphur.De-súl'phu-rize, v. t. p. 363To desulphurate.Dĕs'ul-to-ri-ly, adv. p. 363In a desultory manner; without method; loosely.Dĕs'ul-to-ri-ness, n. p. 363The quality or state of being desultory; a passing from one thing to another without order or method; absence of order and method. “The seeming desultoriness of my method.” Bogle.Dĕs'ul-tō'ri-ous, a. p. 363Desultory. [Obs.] South.Dés'ul-to-ry, a. p. 363Leaping or passing from one thing or subject to another, without order or rational connection; without logical sequence; disconnected; immethodical; suggested out of regular or rational order; as, a…De-sūme’, v. t. p. 363To take from; to borrow. [Obs.] Hale.De'sy-nŏm'y-mize, v. t. p. 364To deprive of synonymous character; to attach a specific meaning to. “Desynonymizing process.” French.De-tăch', v. t. p. 364To part; to separate or disunite; to disengage; as, to detach the coats of a bulbous root from each other; to detach a man from the interest of the minister, or from a party. 2. To separate for a…De-tăched’, p. a. p. 364Separate; unconnected, or imperfectly connected; as, detached parcels. “Extensive and detached empire.” Burke. 2. (Paint.) Appearing to stand out from surrounding objects.De-tăch'ment, n. p. 364The act of detaching or separating. 2. State of being detached. 3. That which is detached; as, especially, a body of troops or part of a fleet detailed for special service. “Troops . . . widely…De-tāil', v. t. p. 364To relate in particulars; to particularize; to report minutely and distinctly; to enumerate; as, he detailed all the facts in due order. 2. (Mil.) To appoint for a particular service, as an officer…Dē'tāil or De-tāil', n. p. 364A minute portion; a particular; — used chiefly in the plural; as, the details of a scheme; the details of a work in the fine arts. “The details of the campaign in Italy.” Motley. 2. A narrative which…De-tāil'er, n. p. 364One who details.De-tāin', v. t. p. 364To keep back or from; to withhold. “Detain not the wages of the hireling.” Bp. Taylor. 2. To restrain from proceeding; to stay or stop; as, we were detained by the rain. Let us detain thee until we…De-tāin', n. p. 364Detention. [Obs.] Spenser.De-tāin'der, n. p. 364(Law.) A writ. See DETINUE.De-tāin'er, n. p. 364One who detains. 2. (Law.) (a.) The keeping possession of what belongs to another; detention of what is another's, even though the original taking may have been lawful. (b.) (Eng. Law.) A writ…De-tāin'ment, n. p. 364The act of detaining; detention.De-tāste’, v. t. p. 364To dislike; to detest. [Obs.] Ah, this blind guide made numbers walk astray, By dreams and fables forcing them to fall. Who now in darkness do detaste the day. Stirling.De-tēct', v. t. p. 364To uncover; to find out; to bring to light; as, to detect a crime, a criminal, or his hiding-place. Plain good intention . . . is as easily discovered at the first view as fraud is surely detected at…De-tēct'a-ble, a. p. 364Capable of being detected. “Parties not detectable.” Fuller.De-tĕct'er, n. p. 364One who detects or brings to light; one who finds out what another attempts to conceal.De-tĕc'tion, n. p. 364The act of detecting; the laying open what was concealed or hidden; discovery; as, the detection of a thief or burglar; the detection of fraud or forgery; the detection of artifice, device, or a…De-tĕc'tive, a. p. 364Fitted for, or skilled in, detecting; employed in detecting; as, detective police.De-tēct'ive, n. p. 364A policeman whose business is to detect rogues by adroitly investigating their haunts and habits.De-tēct'or, n. p. 364One who, or that which, detects; a detector. Bank-note detector, a periodical publication containing a description of worthless bank-notes, and intended to facilitate their detection.De-tĕn'e-brāte, v. t. p. 364To remove darkness from. [Obs.] Ash.De-tĕnt′, n. p. 364(Mech.) That which locks or unlocks a movement; especially in clock-work, the stop which locks and unlocks the wheelwork in striking.De-tĕn’tion, n. p. 364The act of detaining or keeping back; a withholding. 2. The state of being detained; confinement; restraint; delay. The archduke Philip . . . found himself in a sort of honorable detention at Henry’s…De-tĕr', v. t. p. 364To prevent by fear; hence, to hinder, or prevent by opposing motives from doing that to which one is impelled. Potent enemies tempt and deter us from our duty. Tillotson. My own face deters me from…De-tẽrġe', v. t. p. 364To cleanse; to purge away, as foul or offending matter from the body, or from an ulcer.De-tẽr'ġent, a. p. 364Cleansing; purging.