Chapter 421

The desirableness of the Austrian alliance. Froude.

Desirably <Xpage=398>

De*sir"a*bly , adv. In a desirable manner.

Desire <Xpage=398>

De*sire" (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Desired (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Desiring .] [F. d\'82sirer , L. desiderare , origin uncertain, perh. fr. de- + sidus star, constellation, and hence orig., to turn the eyes from the stars. Cf. Consider , and Desiderate , and see Sidereal .]

1. To long for; to wish for earnestly; to covet.

Neither shall any man desire thy land. Ex. xxxiv. 24.

Ye desire your child to live. Tennyson.

2. To express a wish for; to entreat; to request.

Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? 2 Kings iv. 28.

Desire him to go in; trouble him no more. Shak.

3. To require; to demand; to claim. [Obs.]

A doleful case desires a doleful song. Spenser.

4. To miss; to regret. [Obs.]

She shall be pleasant while she lives, and desired when she dies. Jer. Taylor.

Syn. -- To long for; hanker after; covet; wish; ask; request; solicit; entreat; beg. -- To Desire , Wish . In desire the feeling is usually more eager than in wish . "I wish you to do this" is a milder form of command than "I desire you to do this," though the feeling prompting the injunction may be the susage>

C. J. Smith.

Desire <Xpage=398>

De*sire" , n. [F. d\'82sir , fr. d\'82sirer . See Desire , v. t. ]

1. The natural longing that is excited by the enjoyment or the thought of any good, and impels to action or effort its continuance or possession; an eager wish to obtain or enjoy.

Unspeakable desire to see and know. Milton.

2. An expressed wish; a request; petition.

And slowly was my mother brought To yield consent to my desire . Tennyson.

3. Anything which is desired; an object of longing.

The Desire of all nations shall come. Hag. ii. 7.

4. Excessive or morbid longing; lust; appetite.

5. Grief; regret. [Obs.]

Chapman.

Syn. -- Wish; appetency; craving; inclination; eagerness; aspiration; longing.

Desireful <Xpage=398>

De*sire"ful (?) , a. Filled with desire; eager. [R.]

The desireful troops. Godfrey (1594).

Desirefulness <Xpage=398>

De*sire"ful*ness , n. The state of being desireful; eagerness to obtain and possess. [R.]

The desirefulness of our minds much augmenteth and increaseth our pleasure. Udall.

Desireless <Xpage=398>

De*sire"less , a. Free from desire.

Donne.

Desirer <Xpage=398>

De*sir"er (?) , n. One who desires, asks, or wishes.

Desirous <Xpage=398>

De*sir"ous (?) , a. [F. d\'82sireux , OF. desiros , fr. desir . See Desire , n. ] Feeling desire; eagerly wishing; solicitous; eager to obtain; covetous.

Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him. John xvi. 19.

Be not desirous of his dainties. Prov. xxiii. 3.

Desirously <Xpage=398>

De*sir"ous*ly , adv. With desire; eagerly.

Desirousness <Xpage=398>

De*sir"ous*ness , n. The state of being desirous.

Desist <Xpage=398>

De*sist" (?; 277) , v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Desisted ; p. pr. & vb. n. Desisting .] [L. desistere ; de- + sistere to stand, stop, fr. stare to stand: cf. F. d\'82sister . See Stand .] To cease to proceed or act; to stop; to forbear; -- often with from .

Never desisting to do evil. E. Hall.

To desist from his bad practice. Massinger.

Desist (thou art discern'd, And toil'st in vain). Milton.

Desistance <Xpage=398>

De*sist"ance (?) , n. [Cf. F. desistance .] The act or state of desisting; cessation. [R.]

Boyle.

If fatigue of body or brain were in every case followed by desistance . . . then would the system be but seldom out of working order. H. Spencer.

Desistive <Xpage=398>

De*sist"ive (?) , a. [See Desist .] Final; conclusive; ending. [R.]

Desition <Xpage=398>

De*si"tion (?) , n. [See Desinent .] An end or ending. [R.]

Desitive <Xpage=398>

Des"i*tive (?) , a. Final; serving to complete; conclusive. [Obs.] " Desitive propositions."

I. Watts.

Desitive <Xpage=398>

Des"i*tive , n. (Logic) A proposition relating to or expressing an end or conclusion. [Obs.]

I. Watts.

Desk <Xpage=398>

Desk (?) , n. [OE. deske , the same word as dish , disk . See Dish , and cf. Disk .]

1. A table, frame, or case, usually with sloping top, but often with flat top, for the use writers and readers. It often has a drawer or repository underneath.

2. A reading table or lectern to support the book from which the liturgical service is read, differing from the pulpit from which the sermon is preached; also (esp. in the United States), a pulpit. Hence, used symbolically for "the clerical profession."

Desk <Xpage=398>

Desk , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Desked (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Desking .] To shut up, as in a desk; to treasure.

Deskwork <Xpage=398>

Desk"work` (?) , n. Work done at a desk, as by a clerk or writer.

Tennyson.

Desman <Xpage=398>

Des"man (?) , n. [Cf. Sw. desman musk.] (Zo\'94l.) An amphibious, insectivorous mammal found in Russia ( Myogale moschata ). It is allied to the moles, but is called muscrat by some English writers. [Written also d\'91sman .]

Desmid, Desmidian <Xpage=398>

Des"mid (?) , Des*mid"i*an (?) , n. [Gr. <?/ chain + <?/ form.] (Bot.) A microscopic plant of the family Desmidi\'91 , a group of unicellular alg\'91 in which the species have a greenish color, and the cells generally appear as if they consisted of two coalescing halves.

Desmine <Xpage=398>

Des"mine (?) , n. [Gr. <?/, <?/, bundle, fr. <?/ to bind.] (Min.) Same as Stilbite . It commonly occurs in bundles or tufts of crystals.

Desmobacteria <Xpage=398>

Des`mo*bac*te"ri*a (?) , n. pl. [Gr. <?/ bond + E. bacteria .] See Microbacteria .

Desmodont <Xpage=398>

Des"mo*dont (?) , n. [Gr. <?/ bond + <?/, <?/, tooth.] (Zo\'94l.) A member of a group of South American blood-sucking bats, of the genera Desmodus and Diphylla . See Vampire .

Desmognathous <Xpage=398>

Des*mog"na*thous (?) , a. [Gr. desmo`s bond + <?/ jaw.] (Zo\'94l.) Having the maxillo-palatine bones united; -- applied to a group of carinate birds ( Desmognath\'91 ), including various wading and swimming birds, as the ducks and herons, and also raptorial and other kinds.

Desmoid <Xpage=398>

Des"moid (?) , a. [Gr. desmo`s ligament + -oid .] (Anat.) Resembling, or having the characteristics of, a ligament; ligamentous.

Desmology <Xpage=398>

Des*mol"o*gy (?) , n. [Gr. desmo`s ligament + -logy .] The science which treats of the ligaments. [R.]

Desmomyaria <Xpage=398>

Des`mo*my*a"ri*a (?) , n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. <?/ bond + <?/ muscle.] (Zo\'94l.) The division of Tunicata which includes the Salp\'91. See Salpa .

Desolate <Xpage=398>

Des"o*late (?) , a. [L. desolatus , p. p. of desolare to leave alone, forsake; de- + solare to make lonely, solus alone. See Sole , a. ]

1. Destitute or deprived of inhabitants; deserted; uninhabited; hence, gloomy; as, a desolate isle; a desolate wilderness; a desolate house.

I will make Jerusalem . . . a den of dragons, and I will make the cities of Judah desolate , without an inhabitant. Jer. ix. 11.

And the silvery marish flowers that throng The desolate creeks and pools among. Tennyson.

2. Laid waste; in a ruinous condition; neglected; destroyed; as, desolate altars .

3. Left alone; forsaken; lonely; comfortless.

Have mercy upon, for I am desolate . Ps. xxv. 16.

Voice of the poor and desolate . Keble.

4. Lost to shame; dissolute. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

5. Destitute of; lacking in. [Obs.]

I were right now of tales desolate . Chaucer.

Syn. -- Desert; uninhabited; lonely; waste.

Desolate <Xpage=398>

Des"o*late (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Desolated ; p. pr. & vb. n. Desolating .]

1. To make desolate; to leave alone; to deprive of inhabitants; as, the earth was nearly desolated by the flood .

2. To lay waste; to ruin; to ravage; as, a fire desolates a city .

Constructed in the very heart of a desolating war. Sparks.

Desolately <Xpage=398>

Des"o*late*ly (?) , adv. In a desolate manner.

Desolateness <Xpage=398>

Des"o*late*ness , n. The state of being desolate.

Desolater <Xpage=398>

Des"o*la`ter (?) , n. One who, or that which, desolates or lays waste.

Mede.

Desolation <Xpage=398>

Des`o*la"tion (?) , n. [F. d\'82solation , L. desolatio .]

1. The act of desolating or laying waste; destruction of inhabitants; depopulation.

Unto the end of the war desolations are determined. Dan. ix. 26.

2. The state of being desolated or laid waste; ruin; solitariness; destitution; gloominess.

You would have sold your king to slaughter, . . . And his whole kingdom into desolation . Shak.

3. A place or country wasted and forsaken.

How is Babylon become a desolation ! Jer. l. 23.

Syn. -- Waste; ruin; destruction; havoc; devastation; ravage; sadness; destitution; melancholy; gloom; gloominess.

Desolator <Xpage=398>

Des"o*la`tor (?) , n. [L.] Same as Desolater .

Byron.

Desolatory <Xpage=398>

Des"o*la*to*ry (?) , a. [L. desolatorius .] Causing desolation. [R.]

Bp. Hall.

Desophisticate <Xpage=398>

De`so*phis"ti*cate (?) , v. t. To clear from sophism or error. [R.]

Hare.

Desoxalic <Xpage=398>

Des`ox*al"ic (?) , a. [F. pref. des- from + E. oxalic .] (Chem.) Made or derived from oxalic acid; as, desoxalic acid .

Despair <Xpage=398>

De*spair" (?) , v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Despaired (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Despairing .] [OE. despeiren , dispeiren , OF. desperer , fr. L. desperare ; de- + sperare to hope; akin to spes hope, and perh. to spatium space, E. space , speed ; cf. OF. espeir hope, F. espoir . Cf. Prosper , Desperate .] To be hopeless; to have no hope; to give up all hope or expectation; -- often with of .

We despaired even of life. 2 Cor. i. 8.

Never despair of God's blessings here. Wake.

Syn. -- See Despond .

Despair <Xpage=398>

De*spair" , v. t.

1. To give up as beyond hope or expectation; to despair of. [Obs.]

I would not despair the greatest design that could be attempted. Milton.

2. To cause to despair. [Obs.]

Sir W. Williams.

Despair <Xpage=398>

De*spair" , n. [Cf. OF. despoir , fr. desperer .]

1. Loss of hope; utter hopelessness; complete despondency.

We in dark dreams are tossing to and fro, Pine with regret, or sicken with despair . Keble.

Before he [Bunyan] was ten, his sports were interrupted by fits of remorse and despair . Macaulay.

<page="399"> Page 399

2. That which is despaired of. "The mere despair of surgery he cures."

Shak.

Syn. -- Desperation; despondency; hopelessness.

Despairer <Xpage=399>

De*spair"er (?) , n. One who despairs.

Despairful <Xpage=399>

De*spair"ful (?) , a. Hopeless. [Obs.]

Spenser.

Despairing <Xpage=399>

De*spair"ing , a. Feeling or expressing despair; hopeless. -- De*spair"ing*ly , adv. -- De*spair"ing*ness , n.

Desparple <Xpage=399>

De*spar"ple (?) , v. t. & i. [OF. desparpeillier .] To scatter; to disparkle. [Obs.]

Mandeville.

Despatch <Xpage=399>

De*spatch" (?) , n. & v. Same as Dispatch .

Despecificate <Xpage=399>

De`spe*cif"i*cate (?) , v. t. [Pref. de- (intens.) + specificate .] To discriminate; to separate according to specific signification or qualities; to specificate; to desynonymize. [R.]

Inaptitude and ineptitude have been usefully despecificated . Fitzed. Hall.

Despecfication <Xpage=399>

De*spec`fi*ca"tion (?) , n. Discrimination.

Despect <Xpage=399>

De*spect" (?) , n. [L. despectus , fr. despicere . See Despite , n. ] Contempt. [R.]

Coleridge.

Despection <Xpage=399>

De*spec"tion (?) , n. [L. despectio .] A looking down; a despising. [R.]

W. Montagu.

Despeed <Xpage=399>

De*speed" (?) , v. t. To send hastily. [Obs.]

Despeeded certain of their crew. Speed.

Despend <Xpage=399>

De*spend" (?) , v. t. To spend; to squander. See Dispend . [Obs.]

Some noble men in Spain can despend <?/50,000. Howell.

Desperado <Xpage=399>

Des`per*a"do (?) , n. ; pl. Desperadoes (#) . [OSp. desperado , p. p. of desperar , fr. L. desperare . See Desperate .] A reckless, furious man; a person urged by furious passions, and regardless of consequence; a wild ruffian.

Desperate <Xpage=399>

Des"per*ate (?) , a. [L. desperatus , p. p. of desperare . See Despair , and cf. Desperado .]

1. Without hope; given to despair; hopeless. [Obs.]

I am desperate of obtaining her. Shak.

2. Beyond hope; causing despair; extremely perilous; irretrievable; past cure, or, at least, extremely dangerous; as, a desperate disease; desperate fortune.

3. Proceeding from, or suggested by, despair; without regard to danger or safety; reckless; furious; as, a desperate effort . " Desperate expedients."

Macaulay.

4. Extreme, in a bad sense; outrageous; -- used to mark the extreme predominance of a bad quality.

A desperate offendress against nature. Shak.

The most desperate of reprobates. Macaulay.

Syn. -- Hopeless; despairing; desponding; rash; headlong; precipitate; irretrievable; irrecoverable; forlorn; mad; furious; frantic.

Desperate <Xpage=399>

Des"per*ate , n. One desperate or hopeless. [Obs.]

Desperately <Xpage=399>

Des"per*ate*ly , adv. In a desperate manner; without regard to danger or safety; recklessly; extremely; as, the troops fought desperately .

She fell desperately in love with him. Addison.

Desperateness <Xpage=399>

Des"per*ate*ness n. Desperation; virulence.

Desperation <Xpage=399>

Des`per*a"tion (?) , n. [L. desperatio : cf. OF. desperation .]

1. The act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope.

This desperation of success chills all our industry. Hammond.

2. A state of despair, or utter hopeless; abandonment of hope; extreme recklessness; reckless fury.

In the desperation of the moment, the officers even tried to cut their way through with their swords. W. Irving.

Despicability <Xpage=399>

Des`pi*ca*bil"i*ty (?) , n. Despicableness. [R.]

Carlyle.

Despicable <Xpage=399>

Des"pi*ca*ble (?) , a. [L. despicabilis , fr. despicari to despise; akin to despicere . See Despise .] Fit or deserving to be despised; contemptible; mean; vile; worthless; as, a despicable man; despicable company; a despicable gift.

Syn. -- Contemptible; mean; vile; worthless; pitiful; paltry; sordid; low; base. See Contemptible .

Despicableness <Xpage=399>

Des"pi*ca*ble*ness , n. The quality of being despicable; meanness; vileness; worthlessness.

Despicably <Xpage=399>

Des"pi*ca*bly (?) , adv. In a despicable or mean manner; contemptibly; as, despicably stingy .

Despiciency <Xpage=399>

Des*pi"cien*cy (?) , n. [L. despicientia . See Despise .] A looking down; despection. [Obs.]

Despisable <Xpage=399>

De*spis"a*ble (?) , a. [Cf. OF. despisable .] Despicable; contemptible. [R.]

Despisal <Xpage=399>

De*spis"al (?) , n. A despising; contempt. [R.]

A despisal of religion. South.

Despise <Xpage=399>

De*spise" (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Despised (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Despising .] [OF. despis- , in some forms of despire to despise, fr. L. despicere , despectum , to look down upon, despise; de- + spicere , specere , to look. See Spy , and cf. Despicable , Despite .] To look down upon with disfavor or contempt; to contemn; to scorn; to disdain; to have a low opinion or contemptuous dislike of.

Fools despise wisdom and instruction. Prov. i. 7.

Men naturally despise those who court them, but respect those who do not give way to them. Jowett (Thucyd. ).

Syn. -- To contemn; scorn; disdain; slight; undervalue. See Contemn .

Despisedness <Xpage=399>

De*spis"ed*ness , n. The state of being despised.

Despisement <Xpage=399>

De*spise"ment (?) , n. A despising. [R.]

Holland.

Despiser <Xpage=399>

De*spis"er (?) , n. One who despises; a contemner; a scorner.

Despisingly <Xpage=399>

De*spis"ing*ly , adv. Contemptuously.

Despite <Xpage=399>