Thomas Davidson

“ Debt of nature, death.—Active debt, a debt due to one, as opposed to Passive debt, a debt one owes; Floating debt, miscellaneous public debt, like exchequer and treasury bills, as opposed to Funded debt, that which has been converted into perpetual annuities like consols in Britain.—In one's debt, under a pecuniary obligation to one. [O. Fr. dette—L. debitum, debēre, to owe.]
Début, de-bü′ (u sounded as in Scot. gude) , n. a beginning or first attempt: a first appearance before the public, as of an actor, &c.—n. Débutant′, one who makes his first appearance before the public:—fem. ”

“ Death′-rate, the proportion of deaths to the population; Death′-ratt′le, a rattling in the throat which sometimes accompanies the last uneasy breathings of a dying person; Death's′-door, the point of death ”

“ Dead′-fall, a trap operated by a weight that, when its support is removed, falls upon and kills or holds an animal; Dead′-freight, money paid for the empty space in a ship by a person who engages to freight her, but fails to make out a full cargo; Dead′-head (U.S.) , one who is allowed, without payment, to ride in a public carriage, sit in a theatre, or hold a privilege having a money value; Dead′-heat, a heat or race in which no one gains the advantage; Dead′-house, the house or room where (in hospitals, police-offices, &c.) dead bodies are kept till buried: a mortuary ”

“ Davenport-trick, dā′ven-port-trik, n. the artifice by which a man can free himself from ropes wound round him and tied.
Davit, dāv′it, n. one of a pair of pieces of timber or iron, projecting over a ship's side or stern, having tackle to raise a boat by. [Cf. Fr. davier, a forceps.]
Davy, dā′vi, Davy-lamp, dā′vi-lamp, n. the safety-lamp for coal-miners of Sir Humphry Davy (1778-1829) .
Davy Jones, dā′vi jōnz, n. a sailor's familiar name for the (malignant) spirit of the sea, the devil; hence Davy Jones's locker, of the sea, as the grave of men drowned at sea. ”

“ Be in at the death, in hunting, to be up on the animal before the dogs have killed it.—Do, or Put, to death, to kill: to cause to be killed.—Gates, or Jaws, of death, death's door, the point of death.—To death, expressive of intensity, very much. ”

“ Dead′-pay, continued pay dishonestly drawn for men actually dead; Dead′-reck′oning, an estimation of a ship's place simply by the log-book; Dead′-rope, a rope not running in any block; Dead′-set, a determined and prolonged attempt; Dead′-shot, an unerring marksman.—adj. Dead′-stroke, without recoil.—ns. Dead′-wall, a wall unbroken by windows or other openings; Dead′-wa′ter, the eddy water closing in behind a ship's stern as she sails; Dead′-weight, a heavy or oppressive burden; Dead′-wind, a wind coming directly ahead or opposed to a ship's course ”

“ Deer, dēr, n. a quadruped of several species, as the stag, reindeer, &c.; in M. E., any kind of animal.—ns. Deer′-hair, heath club-rush; Deer′-herd; Deer′-hound; Deer′-lick, a spot of salt ground whither deer come to lick the earth; Deer′-mouse, a common name for several species of American mice—so called from their agility; Deer′-neck, a thin, ill-shaped neck—of horses; Deer′-skin, the skin of the deer, or leather made therefrom; Deer′-stalk′er; Deer′-stalk′ing, the hunting of deer by stalking, or stealing upon them unawares. ”

“ Dead language, one no longer spoken; Dead-men's bells, the foxglove; Dead-men's fingers, a very common cœlenterate belonging to the Actinozoa—also Cow-paps and Mermaid's glove; Dead-men's shoes, a situation formerly held by some one now dead; Dead's part (Scots law) , the part of a man's movable property which he may bequeath by will, and which is not due to wife and children.—Be dead set against, to be utterly opposed to.—Put the dead wood on (U.S. slang) , to gain a great advantage over. ”

“ Deacon, dē′kn, n. in Episcopal churches, a member of the order of clergy under priests: in some Presbyterian churches, an officer, distinct from the elders, who attends to the secular affairs of the church: in Congregational and some other churches, an officer who advises the pastor, distributes the elements at the Communion, and dispenses charity: in Scotland, the master of an incorporated company:—fem. ”

“ Deck′-car′go, cargo stowed on the deck of a vessel; Deck′-chair, a light chair of spars and canvas, to be used on board ship; Deck′er, the person or thing that decks: a vessel which has a deck or decks, used only in composition, as a three-decker, a ship with three decks; Deck′-hand, a person employed on deck; Deck′-house, a house or box on deck; Deck′ing, adornment; Deck′-load, a deck-cargo; Deck′-pass′age, a passage securing only the right of being on deck, without cabin accommodation; Deck′-pass′enger; Flush′-deck, a deck continuous from stem to stern at the same level (see Quarter-deck) ”

“ Death′-trap, an unsafe building, vessel, or place that shuts up its occupants to almost certain death; Death′-warr′ant, an order from the authorities for the execution of a criminal; Death′-watch, a watch by a dying person: a popular name for several insects which produce a ticking noise, specially audible in the stillness of a death-chamber; Death′-wound, a wound which caused death.—Death's′-head moth, a species of hawk-moth, having pale markings on the back of the thorax somewhat like a skull.—Be death on, to be fond of, to be good at ”

“ Death′-fire, a kind of light supposed to presage death.—adjs. Death′ful, Death′ly, deadly, destructive; Death′less, never dying: everlasting.—n. Death′lessness.—adj. Death′-like (Shak.) , like a dead person, deadly.—n. ”

“ Decillion, de-sil′yun, n. a million raised to the tenth power: in the French and American notation, a thousand raised to the eleventh power.
Decimal, des′i-mal, adj. numbered or proceeding by tens.—n. a fraction having ten or some power of ten for its denominator.—v.t. Dec′imalise, to reduce to the decimal system.—ns. Dec′imalism; Dec′imalist.—adv. Dec′imally.—Decimal notation, a system of writing numbers based on ten and powers of ten, like our ordinary system; Decimal system, a system whose units are tens and powers of tens, esp. in the French metric system of weights and measures. ”

“ Dawnering = dandering. [See Dander (1) .]
Dawtie, daw′ti, n. (Scot.) a darling: a beloved child—also Daut′ie.—v.t. Daut, to fondle.
Day, dā, n. the time of light, from sunrise to sunset: the time from morning till night: twenty-four hours, the time the earth takes to make a revolution on her axis—this being the solar or natural day as distinguished from the sidereal day, between two transits of the same star: a man's period of existence or influence: a time or period.—ns. Day′-bed (Shak.) , a couch or sofa; Day′-blind′ness, a defect of vision, in which objects are best seen by a dim light ”

“ Dean′ship, the office or dignity of a dean.—Dean of Arches, dean of the Court of Arches (see Arch) ; Dean of Faculty, president of the Faculty of Advocates in Scotland: Dean of Guild, a municipal functionary in Scotland, who has authority over building and altering of houses.—Rural dean, one who, under the bishop, has the special care and inspection of the clergy in certain parishes. [O. Fr. deien (Fr. doyen) —Low L. decanus, a chief of ten—L. decem, ten.]
Dear, dēr, adj. high in price: costly: scarce: highly valued: beloved: (Shak.) , earnest, inmost.—n. one who is dear or beloved.—adv. ”

“ Dark′y, Dark′ey, a negro: (slang) a policeman's lantern.—Dark ages, the period of intellectual darkness in Europe, from the 5th to the 15th century.—Darken the door, to enter in at the door.—A dark horse, in racing, a horse whose capabilities are not known: a candidate about whom it is not known till the last moment that he is a candidate.—Keep dark, to be silent or secret ”

“ Default′er, one who fails to appear in court, or to account for money entrusted to his care, or to settle a debt of honour.—Judgment by default, judgment given against a person because he fails to plead or make an appearance in court. ”

“ Dec′orātor.—Decorated style (archit.) , a style of Gothic architecture, elaborated and richly decorated, which prevailed till near the end of the 14th century.—Decoration Day, May 30th, when the memory of the soldiers who fell in the American Civil War of 1861-65 is honoured by the decoration of their graves, speeches, processions, &c. [L. decorāre, -ātum—decus, what is becoming—decēre, to be becoming.]
Decorous, de-kō′rus, or dek′o-rus, adj. becoming: suitable: proper: decent.—adv. ”

“ Decision, de-sizh′un, n. the act of deciding: settlement: judgment: the quality of being decided in character.—adj. Decī′sive, having the power of deciding: showing decision: final: positive.—adv. Decī′sively.—n. Decī′siveness.—adj. Decī′sory, decisive. [See Decide.]
Decistère, des-i-stār, n. a cubic measure equal to 1⁄10 stere.
Decitizenise, dē-sit′i-zen-īz, v.t. to deprive of citizenship.
Decivilise, dē-siv′i-līz, v.t. to reduce from a civilised to a more savage state.
Deck, dek, v.t. to cover: to clothe: to adorn: to furnish with a deck, as a vessel.—n. ”

“ Dam′assin, damask with flowered patterns in gold or silver thread.—Damascus blade, a Damascus sword, the surface marked by wavy and variegating lines. [From Damascus, in Syria, where damask was orig. made.]
Damboard, dam′bōrd, Dambrod, dam′brod, n. (Scot.) a draughtboard, the pieces being dams. [Fr. jeu de dames, copied by the Germans as damenspiel, by the Swedes as damspel, &c., perhaps from the movement of the pieces being like those of the queen (reine or dame) in chess.]
Dame, dām, n. the mistress of a house: a matron: a noble lady.—ns. Dame′-school, a school for children kept by a woman ”

“ Spar′-deck, the upper deck of a ship. [Dut. dekken, to cover; Ger. decken; akin to L. tegĕre.]
Deckle, dek′l, n. the gauge on a paper-making machine.—n. Deck′le-edge, the raw or ragged edge of handmade paper.—adj. Deck′le-edged, having a rough uncut edge. [Ger.]
Declaim, de-klām′, v.i. to make a set or rhetorical speech: to harangue: to recite in public.—ns. Declaim′ant, Declaim′er.—p.adj. Declaim′ing.—ns. Declamā′tion, act of declaiming: a set speech in public: display in speaking.—adj. Declam′atory, of the nature of declamation: appealing to the passions: noisy and rhetorical merely. ”

“ Decasyllabic, dek-a-sil-ab′ik, adj. having ten syllables. [Gr. deka, ten, syllabē, a syllable.]
Decaudate, de-kaw′dāt, v.t. to cut off the tail of. [L. de, and cauda, tail.]
Decay, dē-kā′, v.i. to fall away from a state of health or excellence: to waste away.—v.t. to cause to waste away: to impair.—n. a falling into a worse or less perfect state: a passing away: loss of fortune: (obs.) misfortune.—p.adj. Decayed′, reduced in circumstances.—n. Decayed′ness. [O. Fr. decair—L. de, from cadĕre, to fall.]
Decease, dē-sēs′, n. death.—v.i. to die.—p.adj. Deceased′, dead. ”

“ Decandria, de-kan′dri-a, n. a class of plants in the Linnæan system having ten stamens.—adjs. Decan′drian, Decan′drous. [Gr. deka, ten, and anēr, andros, a man.]
Decangular, dek-ang′gū-lar, adj. having ten angles. [Gr. deka, ten, and L. angulus, an angle.]
Decant, de-kant′, v.t. to pour off, leaving sediment: to pour from one vessel into another.—ns. Decantā′tion; Decant′er, an ornamental bottle for holding decanted liquor. [Fr. décanter (It. decantare) —de, from, and Low L. cantus, a side or corner.] ”

“ Debilitate, de-bil′i-tāt, v.t. to make weak: to impair the strength of.—adj. Deb′ile (arch.) , weak, feeble.—ns. Debilitā′tion; Debil′ity, weakness and languor: a weak action of the animal functions. [L. debilitāre, ātum—debilis, weak—de, not, habilis, able. See Ability.]
Debit, deb′it, n. a debt or something due: an entry on the debtor side of an account.—v.t. to charge with debt: to enter on the debtor side of an account.—n. ”

“ Dæmon, dē′mon, n. a spirit holding a middle place between gods and men, like the dæmon or good genius of Socrates.—adj. Dæ′monic, supernatural: of power or intelligence more than human. [L. dæmon—Gr. daimōn, a spirit, a genius, and later a devil. See Demon.]
Daff, daf, v.i. to play, to play the fool.—n. Daff′ing (Scot.) , foolery, gaiety. [M. E. daf, deaf, prob. Ice. dawfr (Sw. döf, Dan. döv) , deaf.]
Daff, daf, v.t. (Shak.) to put off. ”

“ Dalmatian, dal-mā′shun, adj. belonging to Dalmatia, a strip of Austrian territory along the Adriatic.—Dalmatian dog, the spotted coach-dog, resembling the pointer in shape.
Dalmatic, dal-mat′ik, n. a loose-fitting, wide-sleeved ecclesiastical vestment, worn specially by deacons in the R.C. Church, also sometimes by bishops. [Low L. dalmatica, a robe worn by persons of rank in the early Christian centuries, on the pattern of a dress worn in Dalmatia.]
Dalt, dält, n. (Scot.) a foster-child. [Gael. dalta.] ”

“ Dander, dan′dėr, Daunder, dawn′dėr, v.i. (Scot.) to walk leisurely or idly. [Akin to dandle.]
Dander, n. a form of Dandruff (vulg.) , anger: passion.—Raise a person's dander, to put him in a temper.
Dander, n. (Scot.) furnace cinders. [Ety. dub.]
Dandle, dan′dl, v.t. to play with: to fondle or toss in the arms, as a baby. [Prob. Teut.; cf. Ger. tändeln—tand, a toy.] ”