Chapter 19

||Dé`noue`ment" (?), n. [F. dénouement, fr. dénouer to untie; pref. dé- (L. dis-) + nouer to tie, fr. L. nodus knot, perh. for gnodus and akin to E. knot.] 1. The unraveling or discovery of a plot; the catastrophe, especially of a drama or a romance.

2. The solution of a mystery; issue; outcome.

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De*nounce" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Denounced (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Denouncing.] [F. dénoncer, OF. denoncier, fr. L. denuntiare, denunciare; de- + nunciare, nuntiare, to announce, report, nuntius a messenger, message. See Nuncio, and cf. Denunciate.] 1. To make known in a solemn or official manner; to declare; to proclaim (especially an evil). [Obs.]

Denouncing wrath to come.

Milton.

I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish.

Deut. xxx. 18.

2. To proclaim in a threatening manner; to threaten by some outward sign or expression.

His look denounced desperate.

Milton.

3. To point out as deserving of reprehension or punishment, etc.; to accuse in a threatening manner; to invoke censure upon; to stigmatize.

Denounced for a heretic.

Sir T. More.

To denounce the immoralities of Julius Cæsar.

Brougham.

De*nounce"ment (?), n. [Cf. OF. denoncement.] Solemn, official, or menacing announcement; denunciation. [Archaic]

False is the reply of Cain, upon the denouncement of his curse.

Sir T. Browne.

De*noun"cer (?) n. One who denounces, or declares, as a menace.

Here comes the sad denouncer of my fate.

Dryden.

Dense (?), a. [L. densus; akin to Gr. &?; thick with hair or leaves: cf. F. dense.] 1. Having the constituent parts massed or crowded together; close; compact; thick; containing much matter in a small space; heavy; opaque; as, a dense crowd; a dense forest; a dense fog.

All sorts of bodies, firm and fluid, dense and rare.

Ray.

To replace the cloudy barrier dense.

Cowper.

2. Stupid; gross; crass; as, dense ignorance.

Dense"ly, adv. In a dense, compact manner.

Dense"ness, n. The quality of being dense; density.

Den*sim"e*ter (?), n. [L. densus dense + -meter: cf. F. densimètre.] An instrument for ascertaining the specific gravity or density of a substance.

Den"si*ty (dn"s*t), n. [L. densitas; cf. F. densité.] 1. The quality of being dense, close, or thick; compactness; -- opposed to rarity.

2. (Physics) The ratio of mass, or quantity of matter, to bulk or volume, esp. as compared with the mass and volume of a portion of some substance used as a standard.

For gases the standard substance is hydrogen, at a temperature of 0° Centigrade and a pressure of 760 millimeters. For liquids and solids the standard is water at a temperature of 4° Centigrade. The density of solids and liquids is usually called specific gravity, and the same is true of gases when referred to air as a standard.

3. (Photog.) Depth of shade. Abney.

Dent (dnt), n. [A variant of Dint.] 1. A stroke; a blow. [Obs.] "That dent of thunder." Chaucer.

2. A slight depression, or small notch or hollow, made by a blow or by pressure; an indentation.

A blow that would have made a dent in a pound of butter.

De Quincey.

Dent, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dented; p. pr. & vb. n. Denting.] To make a dent upon; to indent.

The houses dented with bullets.

Macaulay.

Dent, n. [F., fr. L. dens, dentis, tooth. See Tooth.] (Mach.) A tooth, as of a card, a gear wheel, etc. Knight.

Den"tal (dn"tal), a. [L. dens, dentis, tooth: cf. F. dental. See Tooth.] 1. Of or pertaining to the teeth or to dentistry; as, dental surgery.

2. (Phon.) Formed by the aid of the teeth; -- said of certain articulations and the letters representing them; as, d and t are dental letters.

Dental formula (Zoöl.), a brief notation used by zoölogists to denote the number and kind of teeth of a mammal. -- Dental surgeon, a dentist.

Den"tal, n. [Cf. F. dentale. See Dental, a.] 1. An articulation or letter formed by the aid of the teeth.

2. (Zoöl.) A marine mollusk of the genus Dentalium, with a curved conical shell resembling a tooth. See Dentalium.

Den"tal*ism (-z'm), n. The quality of being formed by the aid of the teeth.

||Den*ta"li*um (?), n. [NL., fr. L. dens, dentis, tooth.] (Zoöl.) A genus of marine mollusks belonging to the Scaphopoda, having a tubular conical shell.

Den"ta*ry (?), a. (Anat.) Pertaining to, or bearing, teeth. -- n. The distal bone of the lower jaw in many animals, which may or may not bear teeth.

{ Den"tate (dn"tt), Den"ta*ted (- t*td), } a. [L. dentatus, fr. dens, dentis, tooth.] 1. (Bot.) Toothed; especially, with the teeth projecting straight out, not pointed either forward or backward; as, a dentate leaf.

2. (Zoöl.) Having teeth or toothlike points. See Illust. of Antennæ.

Den"tate-cil"i*ate (?), a. (Bot.) Having the margin dentate and also ciliate or fringed with hairs.

Den"tate*ly (?), adv. In a dentate or toothed manner; as, dentately ciliated, etc.

Den"tate-sin"u*ate (?), a. (Bot.) Having a form intermediate between dentate and sinuate.

Den*ta"tion (?), n. Formation of teeth; toothed form. [R.]

How did it [a bill] get its barb, its dentation?

Paley.

Dent"ed (?), a. [From Dent, v. t.] Indented; impressed with little hollows.

Dent"el (?), n. Same as Dentil.

||Den*telle" (?), n. [F.] (Bookbinding) An ornamental tooling like lace. Knight.

||Den*tel"li (?), n. pl. [It., sing. dentello, prop., little tooth, dim. of dente tooth, L. dens, dentis. Cf. Dentil.] Modillions. Spectator.

||Den"tex (?), n. [NL., cf. L. dentix a sort of sea fish.] (Zoöl.) An edible European marine fish (Sparus dentex, or Dentex vulgaris) of the family Percidæ.

||Den`ti*ce"te (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. L. dens, dentis, tooth + cetus, pl. cete, whale, Gr. &?;.] (Zoöl.) The division of Cetacea in which the teeth are developed, including the sperm whale, dolphins, etc.

Den"ti*cle (?), n. [L. denticulus a little tooth, dim. of dens, dentis, tooth. See Dental, and cf. Dentelli.] A small tooth or projecting point.

{ Den*tic"u*late (?), Den*tic"u*la`ted (?), } a. [L. denticulatus, fr. denticulus. See Denticle.] Furnished with denticles; notched into little toothlike projections; as, a denticulate leaf of calyx. -- Den*tic"u*late*ly (#), adv.

Den*tic`u*la"tion (?), n. 1. The state of being set with small notches or teeth. Grew.

2. (Bot. & Zoöl.) A diminutive tooth; a denticle.

Den*tif"er*ous (?), a. [L. dens, dentis, tooth + -ferous.] Bearing teeth; dentigerous.

Den"ti*form (?), a. [L. dens, dentis, tooth + -form: cf. F. dentiforme.] Having the form of a tooth or of teeth; tooth-shaped.

Den"ti*frice (?), n. [L. dentifricium; dens, dentis, tooth + fricare to rub: cf. F. dentifrice. See Tooth, and Friction.] A powder or other substance to be used in cleaning the teeth; tooth powder.

Den*tig"er*ous (?), a. [L. dens, dentis, tooth + -gerous.] Bearing teeth or toothlike structures.

Den"til (?), n. [LL. dentillus, for L. denticulus. Cf. Dentelli, Denticle, Dentile.] (Arch.) A small square block or projection in cornices, a number of which are ranged in an ornamental band; -- used particularly in the Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite orders.

Den`ti*la"bi*al (?), a. Formed by the teeth and the lips, or representing a sound so formed. -- n. A dentilabial sound or letter.

Den"ti*la`ted (?), a. Toothed.

Den`ti*la"tion (?), n. Dentition.

Den"ti*lave (?), n. [L. dens, dentis, tooth + lavare to wash.] A wash for cleaning the teeth.

Den"tile (?), n. [LL. dentillus, for L. denticulus. See Dentil.] (Zoöl.) A small tooth, like that of a saw.

Den`ti*lin"gual (?), a. [L. dens tooth + E. lingual.] Produced by applying the tongue to the teeth or to the gums; or representing a sound so formed. -- n. A dentilingual sound or letter.

The letters of this fourth, dentilingual or linguidental, class, viz., d, t, s, z, l, r.

Am. Cyc.

Den*til"o*quist (?), n. One who speaks through the teeth, that is, with the teeth closed.

Den*til"o*quy (?), n. [L. dens, dentis, tooth + loqui to speak.] The habit or practice of speaking through the teeth, or with them closed.

Den"ti*nal (?), a. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to dentine.

Den"tine (-tn), n. [Cf. F. dentine.] (Anat.) The dense calcified substance of which teeth are largely composed. It contains less animal matter than bone, and in the teeth of man is situated beneath the enamel.

Den"ti*phone (dn"t*fn), n. [L. dens, dentis, tooth + Gr. fwnh` sound.] An instrument which, placed against the teeth, conveys sound to the auditory nerve; an audiphone. Knight.

||Den`ti*ros"ter (?), n.; pl. Dentirostres (#). [NL., fr. L. dens, dentis, tooth + rostrum bill, beak: cf. F. dentirostre.] (Zoöl.) A dentirostral bird.

Den`ti*ros"tral (?), a. (Zoöl.) Having a toothed bill; -- applied to a group of passerine birds, having the bill notched, and feeding chiefly on insects, as the shrikes and vireos. See Illust. (N) under Beak.

Den`ti*ros"trate (?), a. Dentirostral.

Den"ti*scalp (?), n. [L. dens tooth + scalpere to scrape.] An instrument for scraping the teeth.

Den"tist (?), n. [From L. dens, dentis, tooth: cf. F. dentiste. See Tooth.] One whose business it is to clean, extract, or repair natural teeth, and to make and insert artificial ones; a dental surgeon.

{ Den*tis"tic (?), Den*tis"ti*cal (?), } a. Pertaining to dentistry or to dentists. [R.]

Den"tist*ry (?), n. The art or profession of a dentist; dental surgery.

Den*ti"tion (?), n. [L. dentitio, fr. dentire to cut teeth, fr. dens, dentis, tooth. See Dentist.] 1. The development and cutting of teeth; teething.

2. (Zoöl.) The system of teeth peculiar to an animal.

Den"tize (?), v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Dentized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Dentizing.] [L. dens, dentis, tooth.] To breed or cut new teeth. [R.]

The old countess . . . did dentize twice or thrice.

Bacon.

Den"toid (?), a. [L. dens, dentis, tooth + -oid.] Shaped like a tooth; tooth- shaped.

Den`to*lin"gual (?), a. Dentilingual.

Den"ture (?; 135), n. [L. dens, dentis, tooth: cf. F. denture, OF. denteure.] (Dentistry) An artificial tooth, block, or set of teeth.

De*nud"ate (?), v. t. [L. denudatus, p. p. of denudare. See Denude.] To denude. [Obs. or R.]

Den`u*da"tion (?; 277), n. [L. denudatio: cf. F. dénudation.] 1. The act of stripping off covering, or removing the surface; a making bare.

2. (Geol.) The laying bare of rocks by the washing away of the overlying earth, etc.; or the excavation and removal of them by the action of running water.

De*nude" (?), v. t. [L. denudare; de- + nudare to make naked or bare, nudus naked. See Nude.] To divest of all covering; to make bare or naked; to strip; to divest; as, to denude one of clothing, or lands.

De*nun"ci*ate (?), v. t. [L. denuntiatus, denunciatus, p. p. of denuntiare, -ciare. See Denounce.] To denounce; to condemn publicly or solemnly. [R.]

To denunciate this new work.

Burke.

De*nun`ci*a"tion (?), n. [L. denuntiatio, -ciatio.] 1. Proclamation; announcement; a publishing. [Obs.]

Public . . . denunciation of banns before marriage.

Bp. Hall.

2. The act of denouncing; public menace or accusation; the act of inveighing against, stigmatizing, or publicly arraigning; arraignment.

3. That by which anything is denounced; threat of evil; public menace or accusation; arraignment.

Uttering bold denunciations of ecclesiastical error.

Motley.

De*nun"ci*a*tive (?), a. [L. denuntiativus, -ciativus, monitory.] Same as Denunciatory. Farrar.

De*nun"ci*a`tor (?), n. [L. denuntiator, -ciator, a police officer.] One who denounces, publishes, or proclaims, especially intended or coming evil; one who threatens or accuses.

De*nun"ci*a*to*ry (?), a. Characterized by or containing a denunciation; minatory; accusing; threatening; as, severe and denunciatory language.

De`nu*tri"tion (?), n. (Physiol.) The opposition of nutrition; the failure of nutrition causing the breaking down of tissue.

De*ny" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Denied (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Denying.] [OE. denien, denaien, OF. denier, deneer, F. dénier, fr. L. denegare; de- + negare to say no, deny. See Negation.] 1. To declare not to be true; to gainsay; to contradict; -- opposed to affirm, allow, or admit.

We deny what another says, or we deny the truth of an assertion, the force of it, or the assertion itself.

2. To refuse (to do something or to accept something); to reject; to decline; to renounce. [Obs.] "If you deny to dance." Shak.

3. To refuse to grant; to withhold; to refuse to gratify or yield to; as, to deny a request.

Who finds not Providence all good and wise, Alike in what it gives, and what denies?

Pope.

To some men, it is more agreeable to deny a vicious inclination, than to gratify it.

J. Edwards.

4. To disclaim connection with, responsibility for, and the like; to refuse to acknowledge; to disown; to abjure; to disavow.

The falsehood of denying his opinion.

Bancroft.

Thou thrice denied, yet thrice beloved.

Keble.

To deny one's self, to decline the gratification of appetites or desires; to practice self- denial.

Let him deny himself, and take up his cross.

Matt. xvi. 24.

De*ny", v. i. To answer in &?;&?;&?; negative; to declare an assertion not to be true.

Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid.

Gen. xviii. 15.

De*ny"ing*ly, adv. In the manner of one denies a request. Tennyson.

De`ob*struct" (?), v. t. To remove obstructions or impediments in; to clear from anything that hinders the passage of fluids; as, to deobstruct the pores or lacteals. Arbuthnot.

De*ob"stru*ent (?), a. (Med.) Removing obstructions; having power to clear or open the natural ducts of the fluids and secretions of the body; aperient. -- n. (Med.) A medicine which removes obstructions; an aperient.

De"o*dand` (?), n. [LL. deodandum, fr. L. Deo dandum to be given to God.] (Old Eng. Law) A personal chattel which had caused the death of a person, and for that reason was given to God, that is, forfeited to the crown, to be applied to pious uses, and distributed in alms by the high almoner. Thus, if a cart ran over a man and killed him, it was forfeited as a deodand.

Deodands are unknown in American law, and in 1846 were abolished in England.

De`o*dar" (?), n. [Native name, fr. Skr. dvadru, prop., timber of the gods.] (Bot.) A kind of cedar (Cedrus Deodara), growing in India, highly valued for its size and beauty as well as for its timber, and also grown in England as an ornamental tree.

De"o*date` (?), n. [L. Deo to God (Deus God) + datum thing given.] A gift or offering to God. [Obs.]

Wherein that blessed widow's deodate was laid up.

Hooker.

De*o"dor*ant (?), n. A deodorizer.

De*o`dor*i*za"tion (?), n. The act of depriving of odor, especially of offensive odors resulting from impurities.

De*o"dor*ize (?), v. t. To deprive of odor, especially of such as results from impurities.

De*o"dor*i`zer (?), n. He who, or that which, deodorizes; esp., an agent that destroys offensive odors.

De*on"er*ate (?), v. t. [L. deoneratus, p. p. of deonerare. See Onerate.] To unload; to disburden. [Obs.] Cockeram.

De*on`to*log"ic*al (?), a. Pertaining to deontology.

De`on*tol"o*gist (?), n. One versed in deontology.

De`on*tol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?; gen. &?;, necessity, obligation (p. neut. of &?; it is necessary) + - logy.] The science which relates to duty or moral obligation. J. Bentham.

De`o*per"cu*late (?), a. (Bot.) Having the lid removed; -- said of the capsules of mosses.

De*op"pi*late (?), v. t. To free from obstructions; to clear a passage through. [Obs.] Boyle.

De*op`pi*la"tion (?), n. Removal of whatever stops up the passages. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

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De*op"pi*la*tive (?), a. & n. (Med.) Deobstruent; aperient. [Obs.] Harvey.

De*or`di*na"tion (?), n. [LL. deordinatio depraved morality.] Disorder; dissoluteness. [Obs.]

Excess of riot and deordination.

Jer. Taylor.

De*os"cu*late (?), v. t. [L. deosculatus, p. p. of deosculari. See Osculate.] To kiss warmly. [Obs.] -- De*os`cu*la"tion (#), n. [Obs.]

De*ox"i*date (?), v. t. (Chem.) To deoxidize.

De*ox`i*da"tion (?), n. (Chem.) The act or process of reducing from the state of an oxide.

De*ox`i*di*za"tion (?), n. (Chem.) Deoxidation.

De*ox"i*dize (?), v. t. (Chem.) To deprive of oxygen; to reduce from the state of an oxide.

De*ox"i*di`zer (?), n. (Chem.) That which removes oxygen; hence, a reducing agent; as, nascent hydrogen is a deoxidizer.

De*ox"y*gen*ate (?), v. t. (Chem.) To deoxidize. [Obs.]

De*ox`y*gen*a"tion (?), n. (Chem.) The act or operation of depriving of oxygen.

De*ox"y*gen*ize (?), v. t. (Chem.) To deoxidize.

De*paint" (?), p. p. [F. dépeint, p. p. of dépeindre to paint, fr. L. depingere. See Depict, p. p.] Painted. [Obs.] Chaucer.

De*paint", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Depainted; p. pr. & vb. n. Depainting.] 1. To paint; to picture; hence, to describe; to delineate in words; to depict. [Obs.]

And do unwilling worship to the saint That on his shield depainted he did see.

Spenser.

In few words shall see the nature of many memorable persons . . . depainted.

Holland.

2. To mark with, or as with, color; to color.

Silver drops her vermeil cheeks depaint.

Fairfax.

De*paint"er (?) n. One who depaints. [Obs.]

De*par"dieux` (?), interj. [OF., a corruption of de part Dieu, lit., on the part of God.] In God's name; certainly. [Obs.] Chaucer.

De*part" (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Departed; p. pr. & vb. n. Departing.] [OE. departen to divide, part, depart, F. départir to divide, distribute, se départir to separate one's self, depart; pref. dé- (L. de) + partir to part, depart, fr. L. partire, partiri, to divide, fr. pars part. See Part.] 1. To part; to divide; to separate. [Obs.] Shak.

2. To go forth or away; to quit, leave, or separate, as from a place or a person; to withdraw; -- opposed to arrive; -- often with from before the place, person, or thing left, and for or to before the destination.

I will depart to mine own land.

Num. x. 30.

Ere thou from hence depart.

Milton.

He which hath no stomach to this fight, Let him depart.

Shak.

3. To forsake; to abandon; to desist or deviate (from); not to adhere to; -- with from; as, we can not depart from our rules; to depart from a title or defense in legal pleading.

If the plan of the convention be found to depart from republican principles.

Madison.

4. To pass away; to perish.

The glory is departed from Israel.

1 Sam. iv. 21.

5. To quit this world; to die.

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace.

Luke ii. 29.

To depart with, to resign; to part with. [Obs.] Shak.

De*part", v. t. 1. To part thoroughly; to dispart; to divide; to separate. [Obs.]

Till death departed them, this life they lead.

Chaucer.

2. To divide in order to share; to apportion. [Obs.]

And here is gold, and that full great plentee, That shall departed been among us three.

Chaucer.

3. To leave; to depart from. "He departed this life." Addison. "Ere I depart his house." Shak.

De*part", n. [Cf. F. départ, fr. départir.] 1. Division; separation, as of compound substances into their ingredients. [Obs.]

The chymists have a liquor called water of depart.

Bacon.

2. A going away; departure; hence, death. [Obs.]

At my depart for France.

Shak.

Your loss and his depart.

Shak.

De*part"a*ble (?), a. Divisible. [Obs.] Bacon.

De*part"er (?), n. 1. One who refines metals by separation. [Obs.]

2. One who departs.

De*part"ment (?), n. [F. département, fr. départir. See Depart, v. i.] 1. Act of departing; departure. [Obs.]

Sudden departments from one extreme to another.

Wotton.

2. A part, portion, or subdivision.

3. A distinct course of life, action, study, or the like; appointed sphere or walk; province.

Superior to Pope in Pope's own peculiar department of literature.

Macaulay.

4. Subdivision of business or official duty; especially, one of the principal divisions of executive government; as, the treasury department; the war department; also, in a university, one of the divisions of instruction; as, the medical department; the department of physics.

5. A territorial division; a district; esp., in France, one of the districts composed of several arrondissements into which the country is divided for governmental purposes; as, the Department of the Loire.

6. A military subdivision of a country; as, the Department of the Potomac.

De`part*men"tal (?), a. Pertaining to a department or division. Burke.

De*par"ture (?; 135), n. [From Depart.] 1. Division; separation; putting away. [Obs.]

No other remedy . . . but absolute departure.

Milton.

2. Separation or removal from a place; the act or process of departing or going away.

Departure from this happy place.

Milton.

3. Removal from the present life; death; decease.

The time of my departure is at hand.

2 Tim. iv. 6.

His timely departure . . . barred him from the knowledge of his son's miseries.

Sir P. Sidney.

4. Deviation or abandonment, as from or of a rule or course of action, a plan, or a purpose.

Any departure from a national standard.

Prescott.

5. (Law) The desertion by a party to any pleading of the ground taken by him in his last antecedent pleading, and the adoption of another. Bouvier.

6. (Nav. & Surv.) The distance due east or west which a person or ship passes over in going along an oblique line.

Since the meridians sensibly converge, the departure in navigation is not measured from the beginning nor from the end of the ship's course, but is regarded as the total easting or westing made by the ship or person as he travels over the course.

To take a departure (Nav. & Surv.), to ascertain, usually by taking bearings from a landmark, the position of a vessel at the beginning of a voyage as a point from which to begin her dead reckoning; as, the ship took her departure from Sandy Hook.

Syn. -- Death; demise; release. See Death.

De*pas"cent (?), a. [L. depascens, p. pr. of depascere; de- + pascere to feed.] Feeding. [R.]

De*pas"ture (?; 135), v. t. & i. To pasture; to feed; to graze; also, to use for pasture. [R.]

Cattle, to graze and departure in his grounds.

Blackstone.

A right to cut wood upon or departure land.

Washburn.

De*pa"tri*ate (?), v. t. & i. [L. de- + patria one's country.] To withdraw, or cause to withdraw, from one's country; to banish. [Obs.]

A subject born in any state May, if he please, depatriate.

Mason.

De*pau"per*ate (?), v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Depauperated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Depauperating (?).] [LL. depauperatus, p. p. depauperare to impoverish; L. de- + pauperare to make poor, pauper poor.] To make poor; to impoverish.

Liming does not depauperate; the ground will last long, and bear large grain.

Mortimer.

Humility of mind which depauperates the spirit.

Jer. Taylor.

De*pau"per*ate (?), a. [L. depauperatus, p. p.] (Bot.) Falling short of the natural size, from being impoverished or starved. Gray.

De*pau"per*ize (?), v. t. To free from paupers; to rescue from poverty. [R.]

De*peach" (?), v. t. [L. dépêcher. See Dispatch.] To discharge. [Obs.]

As soon as the party . . . before our justices shall be depeached.

Hakluyt.

De*pec"ti*ble (?), a. [L. depectere to comb off; de- + pectere to comb.] Tough; thick; capable of extension. [Obs.]

Some bodies are of a more depectible nature than oil.

Bacon.

De*pec`u*la"tion (?), n. [L. depeculari, p. p. depeculatus, to rob. See Peculate.] A robbing or embezzlement. [Obs.]

Depeculation of the public treasure.

Hobbes.

De*peinct" (?), v. t. [See Depaint.] To paint. [Obs.] Spenser.

De*pend" (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Depended; p. pr. & vb. n. Depending.] [F. dépendre, fr. L. depend&?;re; de- + pend&?;re to hang. See Pendant.] 1. To hang down; to be sustained by being fastened or attached to something above.

And ever-living lamps depend in rows.

Pope.

2. To hang in suspense; to be pending; to be undetermined or undecided; as, a cause depending in court.

You will not think it unnatural that those who have an object depending, which strongly engages their hopes and fears, should be somewhat inclined to superstition.

Burke.