Definitively thus I answer you; Your love deserves my thanks; but my desert, Unmeritable, shuns your high request. Shaksp. Bellarmine saith: because we think that the body of Christ may be in many places at once, locally and visibly; therefore we say and hold, that the same body may be circumscriptively and definitively in more places at once. Hall.

"That Metheuselah was the longest lived of all the children of Adam, we need not grant; nor is it definitively set down by Moses. Brown. DEFINITIVENESS. n. s. [from definitive.] Decisiveness. Dict. DEFLAGRABILITY. n. s. [from deflagro, Lat.] Combustibility; the quality of taking fire, and burning totally away. We have spent more time than the opinion of the ready deflagrability, if I may so speak, of salt-petre did permit us to imagine. Boyles DEFLA GRABLE. adj. [from deflagro, Lat. Having the quality of wasting away wholly in fire, without any remains.

Our chymical oils, supposing that they were exactly pure, yet they would be, as the best spirit of wine is, but the more inflammable and deflagrable. Boyle. DEFLAGRA'TION. n. s. [deflagratio, Lat.] A term frequently made use of in chymistry, for setting fire to several things in their preparation as in making Æthiops with fire, with sal prunellæ, and many others. Quincy.

The true reason why paper is not burned by the flame that plays about it seems to be, that the aqueous part of the spirit of wine, being imbibed by the paper, keeps it so moist, that the flame of the sulphureous parts of the same spirit cannot fasten on it; and, therefore, when the deflagration is over, you shall always find the Boyle. paper moist. T DEFLECT. v. n. [deflecto, Latin.] To turn aside; to deviate from a true course, or right line.

At some parts of the Azores the needle deflecteth not, but lieth in the true meridian: on the other side of the Azores, and this side of the equator, the north point of the needle wheeleth to the west. Brown's Vulgar Errours. For, did not some from a straight course deflect, They could not meet, they could no world erect. Blackmore.

DEFLECTION. n. s. [from deflecto, Lat.] 1. Deviation; the act of turning aside.

Needles incline to the south on the other side of the equator; and at the very line, or middle circle, stand without deflection.

Brown.

2. A turning aside, or out of the way. 3. [In navigation.] The departure of a ship from its true course. DEFLEXURE. n. s. [from deflecto, Latin.] A bending down; a turning aside, or out of the way. Diet. DEFLORATION. n. s. [defloration, Fr. from defloratus, Latin.]

1. The act of deflouring; the taking away of a woman's virginity.

2. A selection of that which is most valuable.

The laws of Normandy are, in a great measure, the defloration of the English laws, and a transcript of them. Hale

T. DEFLOUR. v. a. [deflorer, Fr.]

If he died young, he died innocent, and before the sweetness of his soul was defeured and ravished from him by the flames and follies of a froward age. Tayer. DEFLOURER. n. s. [from deflour.] A ravisher; one that takes away virginity. I have often wondered that those deflourers of innocence, though dead to all the sentiments of virtue and honour, are not restrained by huma nity. Addison DEELU'OUS. adj. [defluus, Lat.] 1. That flows down. 2. That falls off.

"

DEFLUX. n. s. [defluxus, Lat.] Downward flow.

Both bodies are clammy, and bridle the deflux of humours without penning them in too much Bacon.

DEFLUXION. n. s. [defluxio, Lat.] The

flow of humours downward.

We see that taking cold moveth looseness, by

- contraction of the skin and outward parts; and so doth cold likewise cause rheums and defluxions from the head. Bacon.

DE'FLY. adv. [from deft.] Dexterously;
skilfully. Obsolete. Properly deftly.
Lo, how finely the Graces can it foot
To the instrument;

They dauncen defly, and singen soote, In their merriment. DEFOEDA'TION. n. s. [from defædus, Spenser. Lat.] The act of making filthy; pol lution. This is no English word; at least, to make it English, it should be written defedation.

What native unextinguishable beauty must be impressed and instincted through the whole, which the defadation of so many parts by a bad printer, and a worse editor, could not hinder from shining forth! Bentley. DEFORCEMENT. n. s. [from force.] A withholding of lands and tenements by force from the right owner. To DEFO'RM. v. a. [deformo, Lat.] 1. To disfigure; to make ugly; to spoil the form of any thing.

I that am curtail'd of all fair proportion, Cheated of feature by dissembling nature, Deform'd, unfinish'd, sent before my time Into this breathing world, scarce half made up. Shakspeare,

Wintry blasts

Thomson.

Deform the year delightless. 2. To dishonour; to make ungraceful. Old men with dust deform'd their hoary hair. Dryden DEFO'RM. adj. [deformis, Lat.] Ugly; disfigured; of an irregular form. I did proclaim,

That whoso kill'd that monster most deform, Should have mine only daughter to his dame.

Spence

So spake the griesly terror; and in shape, So speaking and so threatening, grew tenfold More dreadful and deform.

Milton.

Milton.

Sight so deform what heart of rock could long Dry-eyed behold? DEFORMATION. n. s. [deformatio, Lat.] A defacing; a disfiguring. DEFORMED. participial adj. Ugly ; wanting natural beauty.

DEFORMEDLY. adv. [from deform.] In an ugly manner.

DEFORMEDNESS. n. s. [from deformed.]
Ugliness; a disagreeable form.
DEFORMITY. 2. 3. [deformitas, Lat.]
1. Ugliness; illfavouredness..

1, in this weak piping time of peace,
Have no delight to pass away the time,
Unless to spy my shadow in the sun,
And descant on mine own deformity.
Proper deformity seems not in the fiend
So horrid as in woman.

Shaksp.

Shakspeare.

Where sits deformity to mock my body; To shape my legs of an unequal size,

Shaks.

In part, from such deformities be free,
And, for his Maker's image sake, exempt?

Milton.

2. Ridiculousness; the quality of something worthy to be laughed at, or censured.

In comedy there is somewhat more of the worse likeness to be taken; because it is often to produce laughter, which is occasioned by the sight of some deformity.

3. Irregularity; inordinateness.

Dryden.

No glory is more to be envied than that of due reforming either church or state, when deformities are such, that the perturbation and novelty are not like to exceed the benefit of reforming. King Charles. DEFO'RSOR, n. s. [from forceur, Fr.] One that overcomes and casts out by force. A law term. Blount. To DEFRAUD. v. a. [defraudo, Latin.] To rob or deprive by a wile or trick; to cheat; to cozen; to deceive; to beguile with of before the thing taken by fraud.

:

That no man go beyond and defraud his bro ther in any matter, because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.

Thessalonians.

My son, defraud not the poor of his living, and make not the needy eyes to wait long. Ecclus. Churches seem injured and defrauded of their right, when places, not sanctified as they are, prevent them unnecessarily in that pre-eminence and honour. Hooker.

DÉFKA'UDER. n. s. [from defraud.] ́A deceiver; one that cheats.

Blackmore.

The profligate in morals grow severe, Defrauders just, and sycophants sincere. To DEFRAY. v. a: [defrayer, Fr.] To bear the charges of; to discharge expences.

He would, out of his own revenue, defray the charges belonging to the sacrifices., 2 Mac. It is easy to lay a charge upon any town; but to foresee how the same may be answered and defrayed, is the chief part of good advisement. Spenser It is long since any stranger arrived in this part, and therefore take ye no care; the state will defray you all the time you stay, neither shall you stay one day the less for that. Bacon. DEFRA YER, n. s. [from defray.] One that discharges expences. DEFRA'YMENT. n. s. [from defray.] The payment of expences.

DEFT. adj. [dæft, Sax.] Obsolete. 1. Neat; handsome; spruce.

2. Proper; fitting.

You go not the way to examine: you must call the watch, that are their accusers.

-Yea, marry; that 's the deftest way. Shaksp. 3. Ready; dexterous.

Loud fits of laughter seiz'd the guests, to see The limping god so deft at his new ministry.

Dryden.

The wanton calf may skip with many a bound;

And my cur, Tray, play deftest feats around.

Gay. DE'FTLY. adv. [from deft.] Obsolete. 1. Neatly; dexterously.

Come, high or low,

Thyself and office deftly show! Shaks. Macbeth. 2. In a skilful manner.

Young Colin Clout, a lad of peerless meed, Full well could dance, and deftly tune the reed.

Gay. DEFUNCT. adj. [defunctus, Lat.] Dead; deceased.

I therefore beg it not To please the palate of my appetite; Nor to comply with heat, the young affects, In me defunct, and proper satisfaction. Shaksp. Here entity and quiddity, The souls of defunct bodies, fly. Hudibras. DEFUNCT. n. s. [from the adjective.] One that is deceased; a dead man or

s. [from defunct.]

Death. Nor did the French possess the Salique land Until four hundred one and twenty years After defunction of king Pharamond. Shaksp. To DEFY'. v. a. [defier, Fr. from de fide decedere, or some like phrase, to fall from allegiance to rebellion, contempt, or insult.]

1. To call to combat; to challenge. I once again

Defy thee to the trial of mortal fight. Milton."

Where seek retreat, now innocence is filed? Safe in that guard, I durst even hell defy; Without it, tremble now when heav'n is nigh. Dryden. Agis, the Lycian, stepping forth with pride, To single fight the boldest foe defied. Dryden. 2. To treat with contempt; to slight. As many fools that stand in better place, Garnish'd like him, that for a tricksy word Defy the matter. Shakspeare. DEFV'. n. s. [from the verb.] A challenge; an invitation to fight: this is now hardly used.

At this the challenger, with fierce defy, His trumpet sounds; the challeng'd makes reply:

With clangour rings the field, resounds the vaulted sky. Dryden. DEFY'ER. n. s. [from defy.] A challenger; one that invites to fight: more properly defier.

God may revenge the affronts put upon them by such impudent defyers of both, as neither believe a God, nor ought to be believed by man. South. DEGENERACY. n. s. [from degeneratio, Latin.] 1. A departure from the virtue of our an

cestors.

2. A desertion of that which is good.

"T is true, we have contracted a great deal of

weakness and impotency by our wilful degeneracy from goodness; but that grace, which the gospel offers to us for our assistance, is sufficient for us. Tillotson.

The ruin of a state is generally preceded by an universal degeneracy of manners, and contempt of religion, which is entirely our case at present. Swift.

3. Meanness.

There is a kind of sluggish resignation, as well as poorness and degeneracy of spirit, in a state of slavery. Addison To DEGE'NERATE. v. n. [degenerare, Lat. degenerer, Fr. degenerar, Span.] 1. To fall from the virtue of ancestors. 2. To fall from a more noble to a base state.

When wit transgresseth decency, it degenerates into insolence and impiety. Tillotson. 3. To fall from its kind; to grow wild or base.

Most of those fruits that use to be grafted, if they be set of kernels or stones, degenerate.

Bacon.

DEGENERATE. adj. [from the verb.] 1. Unlike his ancestors; fallen from the virtue and merit of his ancestors. Thou art like enough To fight against me under Piercy's pay; To dog his heels, and curt'sy at his frowns; To show how much thou art degenerate. Shaksp. Yet thou hast greater cause to be Asham'd of them, than they of thee; Degenerate from their ancient brood, Since first the court allow'd them food. Scaift. 2. Unworthy; base; departing from its kind or nature.

So all shall turn degen'rate, all deprav'd; Justice and temperance, truth and faith, forgot! One man except.

Milton.

When a man so far becomes degenerate as to quit the principles of human nature, and to be a noxious creature, there is commonly an injury

Locke.

done some person or other. DEGENERATENESS. n. s. [from degene

2. Vile; base; infamous; unworthy.

Let not the tumultuary violence of some men's immoderate demands ever betray me to that degenerous and unmanly slavery, which should make me strengthen them by my consent.

King Charki. Shame, instead of piety, restrains them from many base and degenerous practices. South Degenerous passion, and for man too base, It seats its empire in the female race; There rages, and, to make its blow secure, Puts flatt ry on, until the aim be sure. Dryden.

DEGENEROUSLY. adv. [from degener ous.] In a degenerate manner; basely; meanly.

How wounding a spectacle is it to see heroes, like Hercules at the distaff, thus degenerously employed! Decay of Piety. DEGLUTITION. n. s. [deglutition, Fr. from deglutio, Lat] The act or power of swallowing.

When the deglutition is totally abolished, the patient may be nourished by clysters. Arbuth. DEGRADA'TION. n. s. [degradation, Fr.] I. A deprivation of dignity; dismission from office.

The word degradation is commonly used to denote a deprivation and removing of a man from his degree. Ayliffe

2. Degeneracy; baseness.

So deplorable is the degradation of our nature, that whereas before we bore the image of God, we now retain only the image of men. Sauth. 3. Diminution, with respect to strength, efficacy, or value.

4. [In painting.] A term made use of to express the lessening and rendering confused the appearance of distant objects in a landscape, so as they may ap pear there as they would do to an eye placed at that distance from them. Dict. To DEGRA'DE. v. a. [degrader, Fr.] 1. To put one from his degree, to deprive him of his office, dignity, or title. He should Be quite degraded, like a hedgeborn swain That doth presume to boast of gentle blood. Shakspeart.

2. To lessen; to diminish the value of Nor shalt thou, by descending to assume Man's nature, lessen or degrade thine own. Mill. All higher knowledge in her presence falls Degraded. Milton. 3. To reduce from a higher to a lower state, with respect to qualities: as, gold is degraded into silver.

Dict.

DEGRAVATION. n. s. [from degravatus, of degravo, Lat.] The act of making heavy. DEGREE. n. s. [degré, Fr. from gradus, Latin.]

1. Quality; rank; station; place of dignity.

It was my fortune, common to that age, To love a lady fair, of great degree,

The which was born of noble parentage, And set in highest seat of dignity.

Spenser. I embrace willingly the ancient received course and conveniency of that discipline, which teacheth inferior degrees and orders in the church of God. Hooker.

Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity. Psalms. Well then, Coleville is your name, a knight is your degree, and your place the dale. Shaksp. Degree being vizarded, Th' unworthiest shews as fairly in the mask. Shakspeare. This noble youth to madness lov'd a dame Of high degree, Honoria was her name. Dryden. Farmers in degree;

He a good husband, a good housewife she. Dryd. But is no rank, no station, no degree, From this contagious taint of sorrow tree? Prior. 2. The comparative state and condition in which a thing is.

The book of Wisdom noteth degrees of idolatry, making that of worshipping petty and vile idols more gross than simply the worshipping of the

creature.

Bacon.

Admits of no degrees; but must be still Sublimely good, or despicably ill. Roscommon. 3. A step or preparation to any thing.

Her first degree was by setting forth her beauties; truly in nature not to be misliked, but as much advanced to the eye, as abased to the judgment, by art. Sidney.

Which sight the knowledge of myself might bring,

Which to true wisdom is the first degree. Davies. 4. Order of lineage; descent of family. King Latinus, in the third degree, Had Saturn author of his family. 5. Order or class.

Dryden.

The several degrees of angels may probably have larger views; and be endowed with capaci ties able to set before them, as in one picture, all their past knowledge at once. Locke.

6. Measure; proportion.

If all the parts are equally heard as loud as one another, they will 'stun you to that degree, that you will fancy your ears were torn in pieces.

Dryden.

7. In geometry.] The three hundred and sixtieth part of the circumference of a circle. The space of one degree in the heavens is accounted to answer to sixty miles on earth.

In minds and manners, twins oppos'd we see; In the same sign, almost the same degree. Dryd. To you who live in chill degree, As map informs, of fifty-three.

Dryden.

3. [In arithmetick.] A degree consists of three figures, viz. of three places, comprehending units, tens, and hundreds; so three hundred and sixty-five is a degree Cocker's Arithmetick.

9. The division of the lines upon several sorts of mathematical instruments. 10. [In musick.] The intervals of sounds, which are usually marked by little lines. Dict 11. [In philosophy.] The vehemence or slackness of the hot or cold quality.

The second, third, and fourth degrees of heat are more easily introduced than the first: every ⚫ one is both a preparative and a step to the next. South.

By DEGREES. adv. Gradually; by little and little.

Their bodies are exercised in all abilities both of doing and suffering, and their minds acquainted by degrees with danger. Sidney.

Doth not this etherial medium, in passing out of water, glass, crystal, and other compact and dense bodies, into empty spaces, grow denser and denser by degrees? Neroton

Exulting in triumph now swell the bold notes; In broken air, trembling, the wild musick floats; Till by degrees remote and small,

The strains decay,

And melt away,

In a dying, dying fall.

Pope.

A person who is addicted to play or gaming, though he took but little delight in it at first, by degrees contracts a strong inclination towards it. Spectator

DEGUSTATION. n. s. [degustatio, Lat.] A tasting. Dict. To DEHORT. v. a. [dehortor, Lat.] To dissuade; to advise to the contrary.

One severely deberted all his followers from prostituting mathematical principles unto common apprehension or practice. Wilkins. The apostles vehemently debort us from unbelief. Ward. DEHORTATION. n. s. [from debortor, Lat.] Dissuasion; a counselling to the contrary; advice against something. The author of this epistle, and the rest of the apostles, do every where vehemently and earnest, ly dehort from unbelief: did they never read these dekortations? Ward on Infidelity. DEHORTATORY. adj. [from debortor, Latin.] Belonging to dissuasion. DEHO'RTER. n. s. [from debort.] A dissuader; an adviser to the contrary. DEICIDE. n. s. [from deus and cado, Latin.] The murder of God; the act of killing God. It is only used in speaking of the death of our blessed Saviour.

Explaining how Perfection suffer'd pain, Almighty languish'd, and Eternal died;

How by her patient victor Death was slain, And earth profan'd, yet bless'd, with deicide! Prior.

To DEJECT. v. a. [dejicio, Latin.] 1. To cast down; to afflict; to grieve; to depress; to sink; to discourage; to crush.

Well, I am your theme; you have the start of me; I am dejected; ignorance itself is a plummet o'er me; use me as you will. Shakspeare. The lowest, most dejected thing of fortune, Stands still in esperance; lives not in fear.

Shakspeare. Nor think, to die dejects my lofty mind; All that I dread is leaving you behind! Pope. 2. To change the form with grief; to make to look sad.

Eneas here beheld, of form divine, A godlike youth in glitt'ring armour shine; With great Marcellus keeping equal pace; But gloomy were his eyes, dejected was his face. Dryden. DEJECT. adj. [dejectus, Latin.] Cast down; afflicted; low-spirited.

I am of ladies most deject and wretched, That suck'd the honey of his musick vows. Shakspeare. DEJECTEDLY. adv. [from deject.] In a dejected manner; sadly; heavily.

No man in that passion doth look strongly, but dejectedly: and that repulsion from the eyes diverteth the spirits, and gives heat more to the ears, and the parts by them. Bacon DEJECTEDNESS. n. s. [from dejected.] The state of being cast down; a lowness of spirits. DEJE'CTION. n. s. [dejection, Fr. from dejettio, Latin.]

a

Dict.

1. Lowness of spirits; melancholy; depression of mind.

What besides

Of sorrow, and dejection, and despair, Our frailty can sustain, thy tidings bring. Milt. Deserted and astonished, he sinks into utter dejection; and even hope itself is swallowed up in despair. Rogers.

2. Weakness; inability.

The effects of an alkalescent state, in any great degree, are thirst and a dejection of appetite, which putrid things occasion more than any other. Arbuthnot on Aliments.

3. [In medicine.] Going to stool.

The liver should continually separate the choler from the blood, and empty it into the intestines; where there is good use for it, not only to provoke dejection, but also to attenuate the chyle. Ray on the Creation. DEJECTURE. n. s. [from deject.] The

DEJERA'TION. n. s. [from dejero, Latin.] A taking of a solemn oath. Dict. DEIFICATION. n. s. [deification, French.] The act of deifying, or making a god. DE'IFORM. adj. [from deus and forma, Latin.] Of a godlike form.

To DE'IFY. v. a. [deifier, French; from deus and fio, Latin.]

7. To make a god of; to adore as god;

to transfer into the number of the divinities.

Daphnis, the fields delight, the shepherds love, Renown'd on earth, and deified above. Dryden.

The seals of Julius Cæsar which we know to be antique, have the star of Venus over them, though they were all graven after his death, as a note that he was deified. Dryden.

Persuade the covetous man not to defy his money, and the proud man not to adore himself. South.

DE'ISM. n. s. [deisme, French.] The opinion of those that only acknowledge one God, without the reception of any revealed religion.

Deism, or the principles of natural worship, are only the faint remnants or dying flames of revealed religion in the posterity of Noah, Dryd DE'IST. n. s. [deiste, French.] A man who follows no particular religion, but only acknowledges the existence of God, without any other article of faith.

In the second epistle of St. Peter, certain deists, as they seem to have been, laughed at the prophecy of the day of judgment. Burnet. DEI'STICAL. adj. [from deist.] Belonging to the heresy of the deists.

Weakness does not fall only to the share of christian writers, but to some who have taken the pen in hand to support the deistical or antichrisWatts. tian scheme of our days.

DE'ITY. n. s. [déité, French; from deitas, Latin.]

1. Divinity; the nature and essence of God.

Some things he doth as God, because his deity alone is the spring from which they flow; some things as man, beause they issue from his mere human nature; some things jointly as both God and man, because both natures concur as principles thereunto. Hooker.

With what arms

2. A fabulous god; a term applied to the heathen gods and goddesses.

Will you suffer a temple, how poorly built soever, but yet a temple of your deity, to he razed? Sidney Give the gods a thankful sacrifice when it pleaseth their deities to take the wife of a man from him. Shakspeart. 3. The supposed divinity of a heathen god; divine qualities.

They on their former journey forward pass, With pains far passing that long wandering Greek

That for his love refused deity.

Spenstr

Heard you not what an humble suppliant Lord Hastings was to her for his delivery? -Who, humbly complaining to her deity, Got my lord chamberlain his liberty. Shakop