Chapter 21

Syn. -- Deposition, Affidavit. Affidavit is the wider term. It denotes any authorized ex parte written statement of a person, sworn to or affirmed before some competent magistrate. It is made without cross-examination, and requires no notice to an opposing party. It is generally signed by the party making it, and may be drawn up by himself or any other person. A deposition is the written testimony of a witness, taken down in due form of law, and sworn to or affirmed by the deponent. It must be taken before some authorized magistrate, and upon a prescribed or reasonable notice to the opposing party, that may attend and cross-examine. It is generally written down from the mouth of the witness by the magistrate, or some person for him, and in his presence.

De*pos"i*tor (d*pz"*tr), n. [L., fr. deponere. See Depone.] One who makes a deposit, especially of money in a bank; -- the correlative of depository.

De*pos"i*to*ry (-t*r), n.; pl. Depositories (-rz). 1. A place where anything is deposited for sale or keeping; as, warehouse is a depository for goods; a clerk's office is a depository for records.

2. One with whom something is deposited; a depositary.

I am the sole depository of my own secret, and it shall perish with me.

Junius.

||De*pos"i*tum (-tm), n. [L.] Deposit.

De*pos"i*ture (-tr; 135), n. The act of depositing; deposition. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

De"pot (d"p; French d*p"; 277), n. [F. dépôt, OF. depost, fr. L. depositum a deposit. See Deposit, n.] 1. A place of deposit for the storing of goods; a warehouse; a storehouse.

The islands of Guernsey and Jersey are at present the great depots of this kingdom.

Brit. Critic (1794).

2. (Mil.) (a) A military station where stores and provisions are kept, or where recruits are assembled and drilled. (b) (Eng. & France) The headquarters of a regiment, where all supplies are received and distributed, recruits are assembled and instructed, infirm or disabled soldiers are taken care of, and all the wants of the regiment are provided for.

3. A railway station; a building for the accommodation and protection of railway passengers or freight. [U. S.]

Syn. -- See Station.

Dep"per (dp"pr), a. Deeper. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Dep`ra*va"tion (dp`r*v"shn), n. [L. depravitio, from depravare: cf. F. dépravation. See Deprave.] 1. Detraction; depreciation. [Obs.]

To stubborn critics, apt, without a theme, For depravation.

Shak.

2. The act of depraving, or making anything bad; the act of corrupting.

3. The state of being depraved or degenerated; degeneracy; depravity.

The depravation of his moral character destroyed his judgment.

Sir G. C. Lewis.

4. (Med.) Change for the worse; deterioration; morbid perversion.

Syn. -- Depravity; corruption. See Depravity.

De*prave" (d*prv"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Depraved (-prvd"); p. pr. & vb. n. Depraving.] [L. depravare, depravatum; de- + pravus crooked, distorted, perverse, wicked.] 1. To speak ill of; to depreciate; to malign; to revile. [Obs.]

And thou knowest, conscience, I came not to chide Nor deprave thy person with a proud heart.

Piers Plowman.

2. To make bad or worse; to vitiate; to corrupt.

Whose pride depraves each other better part.

Spenser.

Syn. -- To corrupt; vitiate; contaminate; pollute.

De*prav"ed*ly (?), adv. In a depraved manner.

De*prav"ed*ness, n. Depravity. Hammond.

De*prave"ment (-ment), n. Depravity. [Obs.] Milton.

De*prav"er (-r), n. One who depraves or corrupts.

De*prav"ing*ly, adv. In a depraving manner.

De*prav"i*ty (?), n. [From Deprave: cf. L. pravitas crookedness, perverseness.] The state of being depraved or corrupted; a vitiated state of moral character; general badness of character; wickedness of mind or heart; absence of religious feeling and principle.

Total depravity. See Original sin, and Calvinism.

Syn. -- Corruption; vitiation; wickedness; vice; contamination; degeneracy. -- Depravity, Depravation, Corruption. Depravilty is a vitiated state of mind or feeling; as, the depravity of the human heart; depravity of public morals. Depravation points to the act or process of making depraved, and hence to the end thus reached; as, a gradual depravation of principle; a depravation of manners, of the heart, etc. Corruption is the only one of these words which applies to physical substances, and in reference to these denotes the process by which their component parts are dissolved. Hence, when figuratively used, it denotes an utter vitiation of principle or feeling. Depravity applies only to the mind and heart: we can speak of a depraved taste, or a corrupt taste; in the first we introduce the notion that there has been the influence of bad training to pervert; in the second, that there is a want of true principle to pervert; in the second, that there is a want of true principles to decide. The other two words have a wider use: we can speak of the depravation or the corruption of taste and public sentiment. Depravity is more or less open; corruption is more or less disguised in its operations. What is depraved requires to be reformed; what is corrupt requires to be purified.

Dep"re*ca*ble (?), a. [L. deprecabilis exorable.] That may or should be deprecated. Paley.

Dep"re*cate (dp"r*kt), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deprecated (- k`td); p. pr. & vb. n. Deprecating (-k`tng).] [L. deprecatus, p. p. of deprecari to avert by player, to deprecate; de- + precari to pray. See Pray.] To pray against, as an evil; to seek to avert by prayer; to desire the removal of; to seek deliverance from; to express deep regret for; to disapprove of strongly.

His purpose was deprecated by all round him, and he was with difficulty induced to adandon it.

Sir W. Scott.

Dep"re*ca`ting*ly (-k`tng*l), adv. In a deprecating manner.

Dep`re*ca"tion (dp`r*k"shn), n. [L. deprecatio; cf. F. déprécation.] 1. The act of deprecating; a praying against evil; prayer that an evil may be removed or prevented; strong expression of disapprobation.

Humble deprecation.

Milton.

2. Entreaty for pardon; petitioning.

3. An imprecation or curse. [Obs.] Gilpin.

Dep"re*ca*tive (?), a. [L. deprecativus: cf. F. déprécatif.] Serving to deprecate; deprecatory.

-- Dep"re*ca*tive*ly, adv.

Dep"re*ca`tor (?), n. [L.] One who deprecates.

Dep"re*ca*to*ry (?), a. [L. deprecatorius.] Serving to deprecate; tending to remove or avert evil by prayer; apologetic.

Humble and deprecatory letters.

Bacon.

De*pre"ci*ate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Depreciated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Depreciating (?).] [L. depretiatus, depreciatus, p. p. of depretiare, -ciare, to depreciate; de- + pretiare to prize, fr. pretium price. See Price.] To lessen in price or estimated value; to lower the worth of; to represent as of little value or claim to esteem; to undervalue. Addison.

Which . . . some over-severe philosophers may look upon fastidiously, or undervalue and depreciate.

Cudworth.

To prove that the Americans ought not to be free, we are obliged to depreciate the value of freedom itself.

Burke.

Syn. -- To decry; disparage; traduce; lower; detract; underrate. See Decry.

De*pre"ci*ate, v. i. To fall in value; to become of less worth; to sink in estimation; as, a paper currency will depreciate, unless it is convertible into specie.

De*pre`ci*a"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. dépréciation.] 1. The act of lessening, or seeking to lessen, price, value, or reputation.

2. The falling of value; reduction of worth. Burke.

3. the state of being depreciated.

De*pre"ci*a`tive (?), a. Tending, or intended, to depreciate; expressing depreciation; undervaluing. -- De*pre"ci*a`tive*ly, adv.

De*pre"ci*a`tor (?), n. [L.] One who depreciates.

De*pre"ci*a*to*ry (?), a. Tending to depreciate; undervaluing; depreciative.

Dep"re*da*ble (?), a. Liable to depredation. [Obs.] "Made less depredable." Bacon.

Dep"re*date (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Depredated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Depredating (?).] [L. depraedatus, p. p. of depraedari to plunder; de- + praedari to plunder, praeda plunder, prey. See Prey.] To subject to plunder and pillage; to despoil; to lay waste; to prey upon.

It makes the substance of the body . . . less apt to be consumed and depredated by the spirits.

Bacon.

Dep"re*date, v. i. To take plunder or prey; to commit waste; as, the troops depredated on the country.

Dep`re*da"tion (?), n. [L. depraedatio: cf. F. déprédation.] The act of depredating, or the state of being depredated; the act of despoiling or making inroads; as, the sea often makes depredation on the land.

Dep"re*da`tor (?), n. [L. depraedator.] One who plunders or pillages; a spoiler; a robber.

Dep"re*da`to*ry (?), a. Tending or designed to depredate; characterized by depredation; plundering; as, a depredatory incursion.

De*pred"i*cate (?), v. t. [Pref. de- (intensive) + predicate.] To proclaim; to celebrate. [R.]

Dep`re*hend" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deprehended; p. pr. & vb. n. Deprehending.] [L. deprehendere, deprehensum; de- + prehendere to lay hold of, seize. See Prehensile.] 1. To take unawares or by surprise; to seize, as a person commiting an unlawful act; to catch; to apprehend.

The deprehended adulteress.Jer.

Taylor.

2. To detect; to discover; to find out.

The motion . . . are to be deprehended by experience.

Bacon.

Dep`re*hen"si*ble (?), a. That may be caught or discovered; apprehensible. [Obs.] Petty.

-- Dep`re*hen"si*ble*ness, n. [Obs.]

Dep`re*hen"sion (?), n. [L. deprehensio.] A catching; discovery. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.

De*press" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Depressed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Depressing.] [L. depressus, p. p. of deprimere; de- + premere to press. See Press.] 1. To press down; to cause to sink; to let fall; to lower; as, to depress the muzzle of a gun; to depress the eyes. "With lips depressed." Tennyson.

2. To bring down or humble; to abase, as pride.

3. To cast a gloom upon; to sadden; as, his spirits were depressed.

4. To lessen the activity of; to make dull; embarrass, as trade, commerce, etc.

5. To lessen in price; to cause to decline in value; to cheapen; to depreciate.

6. (Math.) To reduce (an equation) in a lower degree.

To depress the pole (Naut.), to cause the sidereal pole to appear lower or nearer the horizon, as by sailing toward the equator.

Syn. -- To sink; lower; abase; cast down; deject; humble; degrade; dispirit; discourage.

De*press", a. [L. depressus, p. p.] Having the middle lower than the border; concave. [Obs.]

If the seal be depress or hollow.

Hammond.

De*press"ant (?), n. (Med.) An agent or remedy which lowers the vital powers.

De*pressed" (?), a. 1. Pressed or forced down; lowed; sunk; dejected; dispirited; sad; humbled.

2. (Bot.) (a) Concave on the upper side; -- said of a leaf whose disk is lower than the border. (b) Lying flat; -- said of a stem or leaf which lies close to the ground.

3. (Zoöl.) Having the vertical diameter shorter than the horizontal or transverse; -- said of the bodies of animals, or of parts of the bodies.

De*press"ing*ly, adv. In a depressing manner.

De*pres"sion (?), n. [L. depressio: cf. F. dépression.] 1. The act of depressing.

2. The state of being depressed; a sinking.

3. A falling in of the surface; a sinking below its true place; a cavity or hollow; as, roughness consists in little protuberances and depressions.

4. Humiliation; abasement, as of pride.

5. Dejection; despondency; lowness.

In a great depression of spirit.

Baker.

6. Diminution, as of trade, etc.; inactivity; dullness.

7. (Astron.) The angular distance of a celestial object below the horizon.

8. (Math.) The operation of reducing to a lower degree; -- said of equations.

9. (Surg.) A method of operating for cataract; couching. See Couch, v. t., 8.

Angle of depression (Geod.), one which a descending line makes with a horizontal plane. -- Depression of the dewpoint (Meteor.), the number of degrees that the dew-point is lower than the actual temperature of the atmosphere. -- Depression of the pole, its apparent sinking, as the spectator goes toward the equator. -- Depression of the visible horizon. (Astron.) Same as Dip of the horizon, under Dip.

Syn. -- Abasement; reduction; sinking; fall; humiliation; dejection; melancholy.

De*press"ive (?), a. Able or tending to depress or cast down. -- De*press"ive*ness, n.

De*pres`so*mo"tor (?), a. (Med.) Depressing or diminishing the capacity for movement, as depressomotor nerves, which lower or inhibit muscular activity. -- n. Any agent that depresses the activity of the motor centers, as bromides, etc.

De*press"or (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, presses down; an oppressor.

2. (Anat.) A muscle that depresses or tends to draw down a part.

Depressor nerve (Physiol.), a nerve which lowers the activity of an organ; as, the depressor nerve of the heart.

Dep"ri*ment (?), a. [L. deprimens, p. pr. of deprimere. See Depress.] Serving to depress. [R.] "Depriment muscles." Derham.

De*pri"sure (?), n. [F. dépriser to undervalue; pref. dé- (L. dis-) + priser to prize, fr. prix price, fr. L. pretium. See Dispraise.] Low estimation; disesteem; contempt. [Obs.]

De*priv"a*ble (?), a. Capable of being, or liable to be, deprived; liable to be deposed.

Kings of Spain . . . deprivable for their tyrannies.

Prynne.

Dep`ri*va"tion (?), n. [LL. deprivatio.] 1. The act of depriving, dispossessing, or bereaving; the act of deposing or divesting of some dignity.

2. The state of being deprived; privation; loss; want; bereavement.

3. (Eccl. Law) the taking away from a clergyman his benefice, or other spiritual promotion or dignity.

Deprivation may be a beneficio or ab officio; the first takes away the living, the last degrades and deposes from the order.

De*prive" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deprived (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Depriving.] [LL. deprivare, deprivatium, to divest of office; L. de- + privare to bereave, deprive: cf. OF. depriver. See Private.] 1. To take away; to put an end; to destroy. [Obs.]

'Tis honor to deprive dishonored life.

Shak.

2. To dispossess; to bereave; to divest; to hinder from possessing; to debar; to shut out from; -- with a remoter object, usually preceded by of.

God hath deprived her of wisdom.

Job xxxix. 17.

It was seldom that anger deprived him of power over himself.

Macaulay.

3. To divest of office; to depose; to dispossess of dignity, especially ecclesiastical.

A minister deprived for inconformity.

Bacon.

Syn. -- To strip; despoil; rob; abridge.

De*prive"ment (?), n. Deprivation. [R.]

De*priv"er (?), n. One who, or that which, deprives.

De*pros"trate (?), a. Fully prostrate; humble; low; rude. [Obs.]

How may weak mortal ever hope to file His unsmooth tongue, and his deprostrate style.

G. Fletcher.

De`pro*vin"cial*ize (?), v. t. To divest of provincial quality or characteristics.

Depth (spth), n. [From Deep; akin to D. diepte, Icel. dpt, dpð, Goth. diupiþa.] 1. The quality of being deep; deepness; perpendicular measurement downward from the surface, or horizontal measurement backward from the front; as, the depth of a river; the depth of a body of troops.

2. Profoundness; extent or degree of intensity; abundance; completeness; as, depth of knowledge, or color.

Mindful of that heavenly love Which knows no end in depth or height.

Keble.

3. Lowness; as, depth of sound.

4. That which is deep; a deep, or the deepest, part or place; the deep; the middle part; as, the depth of night, or of winter.

From you unclouded depth above.

Keble.

The depth closed me round about.

Jonah ii. 5.

5. (Logic) The number of simple elements which an abstract conception or notion includes; the comprehension or content.

6. (Horology) A pair of toothed wheels which work together. [R.]

<! p. 395 !>

Depth of a sail (Naut.), the extent of a square sail from the head rope to the foot rope; the length of the after leach of a staysail or boom sail; -- commonly called the drop of a sail.

Depth"en (?), v. t. To deepen. [Obs.]

Depth"less, a. 1. Having no depth; shallow.

2. Of measureless depth; unfathomable.

In clouds of depthless night.

Francis.

De*pu"ce*late (?), v. t. [L. de + LL. pucella virgin, F. pucelle: cf. F. dépuceler.] To deflour; to deprive of virginity. [Obs.] Bailey.

De*pu"di*cate (?), v. t. [L. depudicatus, p. p. of depudicare.] To deflour; to dishonor. [Obs.]

De*pulse" (?), v. t. [L. depulsus, p. p. of depellere to drive out; de- + pellere to drive.] To drive away. [Obs.] Cockeram.

De*pul"sion (?), n. [L. depulsio.] A driving or thrusting away. [R.] Speed.

De*pul"so*ry (?), a. [L. depulsorius.] Driving or thrusting away; averting. [R.] Holland.

Dep"u*rant (?), a. & n. (Med.) Depurative.

Dep"u*rate (?), a. [LL. depuratus, p. p. of depurare to purify; L. de- + purare to purify, purus clean, pure. Cf. Depure.] Depurated; cleansed; freed from impurities. Boyle.

Dep"u*rate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Depurated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Depurating (?).] To free from impurities, heterogeneous matter, or feculence; to purify; to cleanse.

To depurate the mass of blood.

Boyle.

Dep`u*ra"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. dépuration.] The act or process of depurating or freeing from foreign or impure matter, as a liquid or wound.

Dep"u*ra*tive (?), a. [Cf. F. dépuratif.] (Med.) Purifying the blood or the humors; depuratory. -- n. A depurative remedy or agent; or a disease which is believed to be depurative.

Dep"u*ra`tor (?), n. One who, or that which, cleanses.

Dep"u*ra*to*ry (?), a. [Cf. F. dépuratoire.] Depurating; tending to depurate or cleanse; depurative.

De*pure" (?), v. t. [F. dépurer. See Depurate.] To depurate; to purify. [Obs.]

He shall first be depured and cleansed before that he shall be laid up for pure gold in the treasures of God.

Sir T. More.

De*pur"ga*to*ry (?), a. Serving to purge; tending to cleanse or purify. [Obs.] Cotgrave.

Dep`u*ri"tion (?), n. See Depuration.

Dep"u*ta*ble (?), a. Fit to be deputed; suitable to act as a deputy. Carlyle.

Dep`u*ta"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. députation. See Depute.] 1. The act of deputing, or of appointing or commissioning a deputy or representative; office of a deputy or delegate; vicegerency.

The authority of conscience stands founded upon its vicegerency and deputation under God.

South.

2. The person or persons deputed or commissioned by another person, party, or public body to act in his or its behalf; delegation; as, the general sent a deputation to the enemy to propose a truce.

By deputation, or In deputation, by delegated authority; as substitute; through the medium of a deputy. [Obs.]

Say to great Cæsar this: In deputation I kiss his conquering hand.

Shak.

Dep"u*ta`tor (?), n. One who deputes, or makes a deputation. [R.] Locke.

De*pute" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deputed; p. pr. & vb. n. Deputing.] [F. députer, fr. L. deputare to esteem, consider, in LL., to destine, allot; de- + putare to clean, prune, clear up, set in order, reckon, think. See Pure.] 1. To appoint as deputy or agent; to commission to act in one's place; to delegate.

There is no man deputed of the king to hear thee.

2. Sam. xv. 3.

Some persons, deputed by a meeting.

Macaulay.

2. To appoint; to assign; to choose. [R.]

The most conspicuous places in cities are usually deputed for the erection of statues.

Barrow.

De*pute", n. A person deputed; a deputy. [Scot.]

Dep"u*tize (dp"*tz), v. t. To appoint as one's deputy; to empower to act in one's stead; to depute.

Dep"u*ty (-t), n.; pl. Deputies (#). [F. député, fr. LL. deputatus. See Depute.] 1. One appointed as the substitute of another, and empowered to act for him, in his name or his behalf; a substitute in office; a lieutenant; a representative; a delegate; a vicegerent; as, the deputy of a prince, of a sheriff, of a township, etc.

There was then [in the days of Jehoshaphat] no king in Edom; a deputy was king.

1 Kings xxii. 47.

God's substitute, His deputy anointed in His sight.

Shak.

Deputy is used in combination with the names of various executive officers, to denote an assistant empowered to act in their name; as, deputy collector, deputy marshal, deputy sheriff.

2. A member of the Chamber of Deputies. [France]

Chamber of Deputies, one of the two branches of the French legislative assembly; -- formerly called Corps Législatif. Its members, called deputies, are elected by the people voting in districts.

Syn. -- Substitute; representative; legate; delegate; envoy; agent; factor.

De*quan"ti*tate (?), v. t. [L. de- + quantitas, -atis. See Quantity.] To diminish the quantity of; to disquantity. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

De*rac"i*nate (d*rs"*nt), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deracinated (-n`td); p. pr. & vb. n. Deracinating (n`tng).] [F. déraciner; pref. dé- (L. dis) + racine root, fr. an assumed LL. radicina, fr. L. radix, radicis, root.] To pluck up by the roots; to extirpate. [R.]

While that the colter rusts That should deracinate such savagery.

Shak.

De*rac`i*na"tion (?), n. The act of pulling up by the roots; eradication. [R.]

{ De*raign", De*rain" } (?), v. t. [See Darraign.] (Old Law) To prove or to refute by proof; to clear (one's self). [Obs.]

{ De*raign"ment, De*rain"ment } (?), n. [See Darraign.] 1. The act of deraigning. [Obs.]

2. The renunciation of religious or monastic vows. [Obs.] Blount.

De*rail" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Derailed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Derailing.] To cause to run off from the rails of a railroad, as a locomotive. Lardner.

De*rail"ment (?), n. The act of going off, or the state of being off, the rails of a railroad.

De*range" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deranged (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Deranging.] [F. déranger; pref. dé- = dés- (L. dis) + ranger to range. See Range, and cf. Disarrange, Disrank.] 1. To put out of place, order, or rank; to disturb the proper arrangement or order of; to throw into disorder, confusion, or embarrassment; to disorder; to disarrange; as, to derange the plans of a commander, or the affairs of a nation.

2. To disturb in action or function, as a part or organ, or the whole of a machine or organism.

A sudden fall deranges some of our internal parts.

Blair.

3. To disturb in the orderly or normal action of the intellect; to render insane.

Syn. -- To disorder; disarrange; displace; unsettle; disturb; confuse; discompose; ruffle; disconcert.

De*ranged" (?), a. Disordered; especially, disordered in mind; crazy; insane.

The story of a poor deranged parish lad.

Lamb.

De*range"ment (?), n. [Cf. F. dérangement.] The act of deranging or putting out of order, or the state of being deranged; disarrangement; disorder; confusion; especially, mental disorder; insanity.

Syn. -- Disorder; confusion; embarrassment; irregularity; disturbance; insanity; lunacy; madness; delirium; mania. See Insanity.

De*ran"ger (?), n. One who deranges.

De*ray" (?), n. [OF. derroi, desroi, desrei; pref. des- (L. dis-) + roi, rei, rai, order. See Array.] Disorder; merriment. [Obs.]

||Der"bi*o (?), n. (Zoöl.) A large European food fish (Lichia glauca).

Der"by (?; usually ? in Eng.; 85), n. 1. A race for three-old horses, run annually at Epsom (near London), for the Derby stakes. It was instituted by the 12th Earl of Derby, in 1780.

Derby Day, the day of the annual race for the Derby stakes, -- Wednesday of the week before Whitsuntide.

2. A stiff felt hat with a dome-shaped crown.

Der"by*shire spar" (?). (Min.) A massive variety of fluor spar, found in Derbyshire, England, and wrought into vases and other ornamental work.

Der*do"ing (?), a. [See Dere, v. t.] Doing daring or chivalrous deeds. [Obs.] "In derdoing arms." Spenser.

Dere (?), v. t. [AS. derian to hurt.] To hurt; to harm; to injure. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Dere, n. Harm. [Obs.] Robert of Brunne.

{ De*reine, De*reyne" (?) }, v. t. Same as Darraign. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Der"e*lict (?), a. [L. derelictus, p. p. of derelinquere to forsake wholly, to abandon; de- + relinquere to leave. See Relinquish.] 1. Given up or forsaken by the natural owner or guardian; left and abandoned; as, derelict lands.

The affections which these exposed or derelict children bear to their mothers, have no grounds of nature or assiduity but civility and opinion.