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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- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
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.De-tẽr'ġent, n. p. 364(Med.) A medicine that has the power of cleansing the vessels or skin from offending matter.De-tē'ri-o-rāte, v. t. p. 364To make worse; to make inferior in quality.De-tē'ri-o-rāte, v. i. p. 364To grow worse; to be impaired in quality; to degenerate. The art of war ... was greatly deteriorated. Southey.De-tē'ri-o-rā'tion, n. p. 364The state of growing worse, or of having grown worse.De-tē'rĭ-ŏr'i-ty, n. p. 364Worse state or quality; as, deteriority of diet. [Rare.] Hay.De-tĕr'ment, n. p. 364The act of deterring; also, that which deters. Boyle.De-těr'mi-na-bĭl'i-ty, n. p. 364The quality of being determinable; determinableness.De-těr'mi-na-ble, a. p. 364Capable of being determined, definitely ascertained, decided upon, or brought to a conclusion. Not wholly determinable from the bare grammatical use of the words. South.De-tĕr′mi-na-ble-ness, n. p. 364Capability of being determined; determinability.De-tér'mi-nant, a. p. 364Serving to determine; determinative.De-tĕr′mi-nant, n. p. 364That which serves to determine; that which causes determination. 2. (Math.) The sum of a series of products of several numbers, these products being formed according to certain specified laws; thus…De-tĕr’mi-nate, a. p. 364Having defined limits; not uncertain or arbitrary; fixed; established. “Quantity of words and a determinate number of feet.” Dryden. 2. Conclusive; decisive; positive. The determinate counsel and…De-tēr'mi-nāte, v. t. p. 364To bring to an end. [Obs.] See DETERMINE. The fly-slow hours shall not determinate / The dateless limit of thy dear exile. Shak.De-tēr'mi-nate-ly, adv. p. 364In a determinate manner; definitely; ascertainably; distinctly; resolutely; unchangeably. “Being determinately . . . bent to marry.” Sidney. The principles of religion are already either…De-tēr'mi-nate-ness, n. p. 364The state of being determinate.De-tĕr′mi-nā′tion, n. p. 364The act of determining, or the state of being determined. 2. Bringing to an end; termination. “A speedy determination of that war.” Ludlow. 3. Direction or tendency to a certain end; guiding…De-tĕr'mi-na-tive, a. p. 364Having power to determine; limiting; shaping; directing; conclusive. “Incidents . . . determinative of their course.” J. Taylor. Determinative tables (Nat. Hist.), tables presenting the specific…De-tĕr′mi-nā′tor, n. p. 364One who determines. [Rare.]De-têr'mine, v. t. p. 364To fix the boundaries of; to mark off and separate. Who . . . hath determined the times . . . appointed. Acts xvii. 26. 2. To set bounds to; to fix the termination of; to limit; to bound; to bring to…De-tér'mine, v. i. p. 364To come to an end; to terminate. [Obs.] It becomes a mischief, and determines in a curse. South. Some estates may determine on future contingencies. Blackstone. 2. To come to a decision; to conclude…De-tér'min-ed-ly, adv. p. 365In a determined manner.De-tér'min-er, n. p. 365One who determines or decides.Dē/ter-mis'sion, n. p. 365Determination; distinction. [Obs.]De-tér'min-ism, n. p. 365(Metaph.) The doctrine that the will is not free, but is inevitably and invincibly determined by motives.Dē'ter-rā'tion, n. p. 365The uncovering of any thing which is buried or covered with earth; a taking out of the earth. Woodward.De-tér'rence, n. p. 365That which deters; a deterrent; a hinderance. [Rare.]De-tĕr'rent, n. p. 365That which deters or prevents by appealing to the principle of fear. [Rare.]De-tér'rent, a. p. 365Serving to deter. “The deterrent principle.” E. Davis.De-tēr'sion, n. p. 365The act of deterging or cleansing, as a sore.De-tēr′sive, a. p. 365Having power to free from offending matter; cleansing; detergent.De-tēr'sive-ly, adv. p. 365In a detersive manner; in a way to cleanse or purify.