DERRING-DOE, der'ring-d[=oo], _n._ daring action. [M. E. _dorryng-don_, _duryng-do_, &c., as in Chaucer; taken over by Spenser in the spellings _derring-doe_ and _der-doing_, with the noun _derring-doer_. _Daring-do_ should be the modern English form.]
DERRINGER, der'in-jer, _n._ a short-rifled pistol, with one barrel--from the inventor, an American.
DERTH, d[.e]rth, _n._ (_Spens._). Same as DEARTH.
DERVISH, d[.e]r'vish, _n._ among Mohammedans, a member of one of the numerous orders of monks who profess poverty and lead an austere life.
[Pers. _darvish_, a dervish--lit., a poor man.]
DESART, des'art, _n._ an old form of DESERT.
DESCANT, des'kant, _n._ the air in a four-part song: a discourse or disquisition under several heads.--_v.i._ DESCANT', to discourse at length: to comment. [O. Fr. _descant_--L. _dis_, apart, and _cantus_, a song--_cant[=a]re_, to sing.]
DESCEND, d[=e]-send', _v.i._ to climb down: to pass from a higher to a lower place or condition: to pass from general to particulars: to fall upon or invade: to be derived.--_v.t._ to go down upon: to go to the bottom of.--_n._ DESCEND'ANT, one who descends, as offspring from an ancestor.--_adjs._ DESCEND'ENT, descending or going down: proceeding from an ancestor; DESCEND'IBLE, that may descend or be descended: capable of transmission by inheritance, heritable.--_p.adj._ DESCEND'ING.--_n._ DESCEN'SION.--_adj._ DESCEN'SIONAL.--_n._ DESCENT', act of descending: transmission by succession: motion or progress downward: slope: a falling upon or invasion: derivation from an ancestor: a generation, a degree in genealogy: descendants collectively.--DESCENT FROM THE CROSS, a picture representing Christ being taken down from the cross. [Fr. _descendre_--L.
_descend[)e]re_--_de_, down, _scand[)e]re_, to climb.]
DESCRIBE, d[=e]-skr[=i]b', _v.t._ to trace out or delineate: to give an account of.--_adj._ DESCRIB'ABLE.--_n._ DESCRIB'ER. [L.
_describ[)e]re_--_de_, down, and _scrib[)e]re_, _scriptum_, to write.]
DESCRIPTION, de-skrip'shun, _n._ act of describing: an account of anything in words: definition: sort, class, or kind.--_adj._ DESCRIP'TIVE, containing description.--_adv._ DESCRIP'TIVELY.--_n._ DESCRIP'TIVENESS.
DESCRIVE, de-skr[=i]v', _v.t._ an obsolete form of _describe_.
DESCRY, de-skr[=i]', _v.t._ to discover by the eye: to espy:--_pr.p._ descry'ing; _pa.p._ descried'.--_n._ discovery: (_Shak._) a thing discovered. [O. Fr. _descrire_ for _descrivre_--L. _describ[)e]re_: a doublet of _describe_. Others derive the word from O. Fr. _descrier_, _decryer_, proclaim, announce--_des-_, _de-_, and _crier_, to cry, in which case it would be a doublet of _decry_.]
DESECRATE, des'e-kr[=a]t, _v.t._ to divert from a sacred purpose: to profane.--_ns._ DESECRAT'ER, -OR, DESECR[=A]'TION, act of desecrating: profanation. [L. _desecr[=a]re_, _-[=a]tum_--_de_, away from, and _sacr[=a]re_, to make sacred--_sacer_, sacred.]
DESERT, de-z[.e]rt', _n._ the reward or punishment deserved: claim to reward: merit--_adj._ DESERT'LESS, without merit. [See DESERVE.]
DESERT, de-z[.e]rt', _v.t._ to leave: to forsake.--_v.i._ to run away: to quit a service, as the army, without permission.--_ns._ DESERT'ER, one who deserts or quits a service without permission; DESER'TION, act of deserting: state of being deserted: wilful abandonment of a legal or moral duty or obligation. [L. _deser[)e]re_, _desertum_--_de_, neg., and _ser[)e]re_, to bind.]
DESERT, dez'[.e]rt, _adj._ deserted: desolate: uninhabited: uncultivated: a desolate or barren place: a wilderness: a solitude. [O. Fr. _desert_--L.
_desertum_, _deser[)e]re_, to desert, unbind.]
DESERVE, de-z[.e]rv', _v.t._ to earn by service: to merit.--_v.i._ to be worthy of reward.--_adj._ DESERV'ING, worthy.--_n._ desert.--_advs._ DESERV'INGLY, DESERV'EDLY, according to desert: justly. [Fr.,--L.
_deserv[=i]re_--_de_, inten., _serv[=i]re_, to serve.]
DESHABILLE, des-a-bil', _n._ an undress: a careless toilet. [Fr.
_deshabille_, undressed--_des_ = L. _dis_ = _un_, not, and _habiller_, to dress.]
DESICCATE, de-sik'[=a]t, or des'i-k[=a]t, _v.t._ to dry up.--_v.i._ to grow dry.--_adjs._ DESIC'CANT, DESIC'CATIVE, drying: having the power of drying.--_n._ an application that tends to dry up sores.--_n._ DESICC[=A]'TION, the act of desiccating: state of being desiccated. [L.
_desicc[=a]re_, _-[=a]tum_, to dry up--_de_, and _siccus_, dry.]
DESIDERATE, de-sid'[.e]r-[=a]t, _v.t._ to long for or earnestly desire a thing: to want or miss.--_n._ DESIDER[=A]'TION, the act of desiderating: the thing desiderated.--_adj._ DESID'ERATIVE, implying desire, as in desiderative verb.--_n._ DESIDER[=A]'TUM, something desired or much wanted:--_pl._ DESIDER[=A]'TA. [L. _desider[=a]re_, _-[=a]tum_, to long for. A doublet of _desire_.]
DESIGHTMENT, d[=e]-s[=i]t'ment, _n._ disfigurement.
DESIGN, de-z[=i]n', or de-s[=i]n', _v.t._ to draw: to form a plan of: to contrive: to intend.--_n._ a drawing or sketch: a plan in outline: a plan or scheme formed in the mind: plot: intention.--_adj._ DESIGN'ABLE.--_v.t._ DES'IGN[=A]TE, to mark out so as to make known: to show: to name.--_ns._ DESIGN[=A]'TION, a showing or pointing out: name: title; DES'IGN[=A]TOR.--_adv._ DESIGN'EDLY, by design: intentionally.--_n._ DESIGN'ER, one who furnishes designs or patterns: a plotter.--_adjs._ DESIGN'FUL, full of design; DESIGN'ING, artful: scheming: deceitful.--_n._ the art of making designs or patterns.--_adj._ DESIGN'LESS.--_n._ DESIGN'MENT, the design or sketch of a work: (_Shak._) intention, purpose, enterprise.--THE ARGUMENT FROM DESIGN, the argument for the existence of God derived from the evidences of design in creation. [Fr.,--L.
_design[=a]re_, _-[=a]tum_--_de_, and _signum_, a mark.]
DESILVER, de-sil'v[.e]r, _v.t._ to deprive of silver: to extract the silver from--also DESIL'VERISE.--_n._ DESILVERIS[=A]'TION.
DESINE, de-s[=i]n', _v.t._ (_Spens._) to denote.
DESIPIENCE, de-sip'i-ens, _n._ (_rare_) silliness, nonsense.--_adj._ DESIP'IENT, foolish. [L. _desipiens_, _desip[)e]re_, to be foolish, _de-_, neg., _sap[)e]re_, to be wise.]
DESIRE, de-z[=i]r', _v.t._ to long for the possession of: to wish for: to request, ask: (_B._) to regret.--_v.i._ to be in a state of desire.--_n._ an earnest longing for: eagerness to obtain: a prayer or request: the object desired: lust.--_adj._ DESIR'ABLE, worthy of desire: pleasing: agreeable.--_ns._ DESIR'ABLENESS, DESIRABIL'ITY.--_adv._ DESIR'ABLY.--_adj._ DESIRE'LESS.--_n._ DESIR'ER.--_adj._ DESIR'OUS, full of desire: anxious to obtain: eager.--_adv._ DESIR'OUSLY.--_n._ DESIR'OUSNESS.
[Fr. _desirer_--L. _desider[=a]re_. See DESIDERATE.]
DESIST, de-sist', _v.i._ to stop: to forbear.--_ns._ DESIST'ANCE, -ENCE, a desisting. [Fr.,--L. _desist[)e]re_--_de_, away, and _sist[)e]re_, to cause to stand.]
DESK, desk, _n._ a sloping table for the use of writers or readers, often fitted with drawers, &c.: a shut-up writing-box: a pulpit or lectern.--_n._ DESK'-WORK, work done at a desk, professional labours of a clerk or author.
[M. E. _deske_--L. _discus_. It is a variant of _dish_ and _disc_.]
DESMAN, des'man, _n._ a kind of musk-rat, found in Russia and the Pyrenees.
[Sw. _desman_, musk; Ice. _des_, musk.]
DESMID, des'mid, _n._ one of a group of microscopic algae. [Formed as a dim.
of Gr. _desmos_, a chain.]
DESMINE, des'min, _n._ a zeolitic mineral occurring in clusters. [Gr.
_desmos_, a band.]
DESMODIUM, des-m[=o]'di-um, _n._ a genus of leguminous plants to which the _D. gyrans_, or telegraph plant, belongs. [Gr. _desmos_, chain, _eidos_, form.]
DESMOID, des'moid, _adj._ arranged in bundles. [Gr. _desmos_, a chain, a bundle, and _eidos_, form.]
DESMOLOGY, des-mol'o-ji, _n._ the anatomy of the ligaments.--_ns._ DESMOG'RAPHY, the description of these; DESMOT'OMY, their dissection. [Gr.
_desmos_, a ligament, and _logia_, a discourse.]
DESOLATE, des'o-l[=a]t, _v.t._ to make solitary: to deprive of inhabitants: to lay waste.--_adj._ solitary: destitute of inhabitants: laid waste.--_adv._ DES'OLATELY.--_ns._ DES'OLATENESS; DESOLAT'ER, -OR; DESOL[=A]'TION, waste: destruction: a place desolated.--_adj._ DES'OLATORY.
[L. _desol[=a]re_, _-[=a]tum_--_de_, inten., and _sol[=a]re_, to make alone--_solus_, alone.]
DESPAIR, de-sp[=a]r', _v.i._ to be without hope: to despond.--_n._ want of hope: utter hopelessness: that which causes despair.--_adj._ DESPAIR'FUL (_Spens._).--_p.adj._ DESPAIR'ING, apt to despair: full of despair.--_adv._ DESPAIR'INGLY. [O. Fr. _desperer_--L. _desper[=a]re_, _-[=a]tum_--_de_, neg., and _sper[=a]re_, to hope.]
DESPATCH, de-spach', DISPATCH, dis-pach', _v.t._ to send away hastily: to send out of the world: to put to death: to dispose of: to perform speedily.--_v.i._ (_Shak._) to make haste.--_n._ a sending away in haste: dismissal: rapid performance: haste: the sending off of the mails: that which is despatched, as a message, esp. telegraphic.--_ns._ DESPATCH'-BOAT, a government vessel for carrying despatches; DESPATCH'-BOX, a box for containing official despatches; DESPATCH'ER.--_adv._ DESPATCH'FUL (_Milt._), swift.--HAPPY DESPATCH, a playful name given to the Japanese _hara-kiri_ or judicial suicide; PNEUMATIC DESPATCH (see PNEUMATIC). [O.
Fr. _despeecher_ (mod. Fr. _depecher_); acc. to Littre, from an assumed Low L. _despedic[=a]re_, to remove obstacles (_pedica_, a fetter), the opp. of _impedic[=a]re_. See IMPEACH.]
DESPERADO, des-p[.e]r-[=a]'d[=o], _n._ a desperate fellow: one reckless of danger: a madman:--_pl._ DESPER[=A]'DOS. [Sp. _desesperado_--L.
_desper[=a]tus_.]
DESPERATE, des'p[.e]r-[=a]t, _adj._ in a state of despair: hopeless: beyond hope: fearless of danger: rash: furious.--_adv._ DES'PERATELY.--_ns._ DES'PERATENESS, DESPER[=A]'TION, state of despair: disregard of danger: fury. [See DESPAIR.]
DESPICABLE, des'pi-ka-bl, _adj._ deserving to be despised: contemptible: worthless.--_ns._ DES'PICABLENESS, DESPICABIL'ITY.--_adv._ DES'PICABLY. [L.
_despic[)e]re_, to despise.]
DESPIGHT, de-sp[=i]t', an old form of _despite_.
DESPISE, de-sp[=i]z', _v.t._ to look down upon with contempt: to scorn.--_adj._ DESPIS'ABLE.--_ns._ DESP[=I]'SAL, contempt; DESPIS'EDNESS (_Milt._); DESPIS'ER. [O. Fr. _despiz_, _despire_--L. _despic[)e]re_--_de_, down, _spec[)e]re_, to look.]