Chapter 8

De*ben"tured (?; 135), a. Entitled to drawback or debenture; as, debentured goods.

Deb"ile (?), a. [L. debilis: cf. F. débile. See Debility.] Weak. [Obs.] Shak.

De*bil"i*tant (?), a. [L. debilitants, p. pr.] (Med.) Diminishing the energy of organs; reducing excitement; as, a debilitant drug.

De*bil"i*tate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Debilitated; p. pr. & vb. n. Debilitating.] [L. debilitatus, p. p. of debilitare to debilitate, fr. debilis. See Debility.] To impair the strength of; to weaken; to enfeeble; as, to debilitate the body by intemperance.

Various ails debilitate the mind.

Jenyns.

The debilitated frame of Mr. Bertram was exhausted by this last effort.

Sir W. Scott.

De*bil`i*ta"tion (?), n. [L. debilitatio: cf. F. débilitation.] The act or process of debilitating, or the condition of one who is debilitated; weakness.

De*bil"i*ty (?), n. [L. debilitas, fr. debilis weak, prob. fr. de- + habilis able: cf. F. débilité. See Able, a.] The state of being weak; weakness; feebleness; languor.

The inconveniences of too strong a perspiration, which are debility, faintness, and sometimes sudden death.

Arbuthnot.

Syn. -- Debility, Infirmity, Imbecility. An infirmity belongs, for the most part, to particular members, and is often temporary, as of the eyes, etc. Debility is more general, and while it lasts impairs the ordinary functions of nature. Imbecility attaches to the whole frame, and renders it more or less powerless. Debility may be constitutional or may be the result or superinduced causes; Imbecility is always constitutional; infirmity is accidental, and results from sickness or a decay of the frame. These words, in their figurative uses, have the same distinctions; we speak of infirmity of will, debility of body, and an Imbecility which affects the whole man; but Imbecility is often used with specific reference to feebleness of mind.

Deb"it (?), n. [L. debitum what is due, debt, from debere to owe: cf. F. débit. See Debt.] A debt; an entry on the debtor (Dr.) side of an account; -- mostly used adjectively; as, the debit side of an account.

Deb"it, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Debited; p. pr. & vb. n. Debiting.] 1. To charge with debt; -- the opposite of, and correlative to, credit; as, to debit a purchaser for the goods sold.

2. (Bookkeeping) To enter on the debtor (Dr.) side of an account; as, to debit the amount of goods sold.

Deb"it*or (?), n. [L. See Debtor.] A debtor. [Obs.] Shak.

De`bi*tu`mi*ni*za"tion (?), n. The act of depriving of bitumen.

De`bi*tu"mi*nize (?), v. t. To deprive of bitumen.

||Dé`blai" (?), n. [F.] (Fort.) The cavity from which the earth for parapets, etc. (remblai), is taken.

Deb`o*nair" (?), a. [OE. debonere, OF. de bon aire, debonaire, of good descent or lineage, excellent, debonair, F. débonnaire debonair; de of (L. de) + bon good (L. bonus) + aire. See Air, and Bounty, and cf. Bonair.] Characterized by courteousness, affability, or gentleness; of good appearance and manners; graceful; complaisant.

Was never prince so meek and debonair.

Spenser.

Deb`o*nair"i*ty (?), n. [OF. debonaireté, F. débonnaireté.] Debonairness. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Deb`o*nair"ly, adv. Courteously; elegantly.

Deb`o*nair"ness, n. The quality of being debonair; good humor; gentleness; courtesy. Sterne.

De*bosh" (?), v. t. [Old form of debauch.] To debauch. [Obs.] "A deboshed lady." Beau. & Fl.

De*bosh"ment (?), n. Debauchment. [Obs.]

De*bouch" (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Debouched (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Debouching.] [F. déboucher; pref. dé- (L. dis- or de) + boucher to stop up, fr. bouche mouth, fr. L. bucca the cheek. Cf. Disembogue.] To march out from a wood, defile, or other confined spot, into open ground; to issue.

Battalions debouching on the plain.

Prescott.

||Dé`bou`ché" (?), n. [F.] A place for exit; an outlet; hence, a market for goods.

The débouchés were ordered widened to afford easy egress.

The Century.

||Dé`bou`chure" (?), n. [F.] The outward opening of a river, of a valley, or of a strait.

||Dé`bris" (?), n. [F., fr. pref. dé- (L. dis) + briser to break, shatter; perh. of Celtic origin.] 1. (Geol.) Broken and detached fragments, taken collectively; especially, fragments detached from a rock or mountain, and piled up at the base.

2. Rubbish, especially such as results from the destruction of anything; remains; ruins.

De*bruised" (?), a. [Cf. OF. debruisier to shatter, break. Cf. Bruise.] (Her.) Surmounted by an ordinary; as, a lion is debruised when a bend or other ordinary is placed over it, as in the cut.

The lion of England and the lilies of France without the baton sinister, under which, according to the laws of heraldry, they where debruised in token of his illegitimate birth.

Macaulay.

Debt (?), n. [OE. dette, F. dette, LL. debita, fr. L. debitus owed, p. p. of debere to owe, prop., to have on loan; de- + habere to have. See Habit, and cf. Debit, Due.] 1. That which is due from one person to another, whether money, goods, or services; that which one person is bound to pay to another, or to perform for his benefit; thing owed; obligation; liability.

Your son, my lord, has paid a soldier's debt.

Shak.

When you run in debt, you give to another power over your liberty.

Franklin.

2. A duty neglected or violated; a fault; a sin; a trespass. "Forgive us our debts." Matt. vi. 12.

3. (Law) An action at law to recover a certain specified sum of money alleged to be due. Burrill.

Bond debt, Book debt, etc. See under Bond, Book, etc. -- Debt of nature, death.

Debt"ed, p. a. Indebted; obliged to. [R.]

I stand debted to this gentleman.

Shak.

Debt*ee" (?), n. (Law) One to whom a debt is due; creditor; -- correlative to debtor. Blackstone.

Debt"less (?), a. Free from debt. Chaucer.

Debt"or (?), n. [OE. dettur, dettour, OF. detor, detur, detour, F. débiteur, fr. L. debitor, fr. debere to owe. See Debt.] One who owes a debt; one who is indebted; -- correlative to creditor.

[I 'll] bring your latter hazard back again, And thankfully rest debtor for the first.

Shak.

In Athens an insolvent debtor became slave to his creditor.

Mitford.

Debtors for our lives to you.

Tennyson.

De*bul"li*ate (?), v. i. [Pref. dé- + L. bullire to boil.] To boil over. [Obs.]

Deb`ul*li"tion (?), n. [See Debulliate.] A bubbling or boiling over. [Obs.] Bailey.

De*burse" (?), v. t. & i. [Pref. de + L. bursa purse.] To disburse. [Obs.] Ludlow.

De"bu*scope (?), n. [From the inventor, Debus, a French optician + -scope.] (Opt.) A modification of the kaleidoscope; -- used to reflect images so as to form beautiful designs.

||Dé`but" (?), n. [F. début, prop., the first cast or throw at play, fr. but aim, mark. See Butt an end.] A beginning or first attempt; hence, a first appearance before the public, as of an actor or public speaker.

||Dé`bu`tant" (?), n.; fem. Dé`bu`tante" (&?;). [F., p. pr. of débuter to have the first throw, to make one's début. See Début.] A person who makes his (or her) first appearance before the public.

Dec"a- (?). [Cf. Ten.] A prefix, from Gr. de`ka, signifying ten; specifically (Metric System), a prefix signifying the weight or measure that is ten times the principal unit.

||De*cac`e*ra"ta (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. de`ka ten + ke`ras a horn.] (Zoöl.) The division of Cephalopoda which includes the squids, cuttlefishes, and others having ten arms or tentacles; -- called also Decapoda. [Written also Decacera.] See Dibranchiata.

{ Dec"a*chord (?), Dec`a*chor"don (?), } n. [Gr. deka`chordos tenstringed; de`ka ten + chordj` a string.] 1. An ancient Greek musical instrument of ten strings, resembling the harp.

2. Something consisting of ten parts. W. Watson.

Dec`a*cu"mi*na`ted (?), a. [L. decacuminare to cut off the top. See Cacuminate.] Having the point or top cut off. [Obs.] Bailey.

Dec"ad (?), n. A decade.

Averill was a decad and a half his elder.

Tennyson.

Dec"a*dal (?), a. Pertaining to ten; consisting of tens.

Dec"ade (?), n. [F. décade, L. decas, -adis, fr. Gr. &?;, fr. de`ka ten. See Ten.] A group or division of ten; esp., a period of ten years; a decennium; as, a decade of years or days; a decade of soldiers; the second decade of Livy. [Written also decad.]

During this notable decade of years.

Gladstone.

{ De*ca"dence (?), De*ca"den*cy (?), } n. [LL. decadentia; L. de- + cadere to fall: cf. F. décadence. See Decay.] A falling away; decay; deterioration; declension. "The old castle, where the family lived in their decadence." Sir W. Scott.

De*ca"dent (?), a. Decaying; deteriorating.

Dec"a*dist (?), n. A writer of a book divided into decades; as, Livy was a decadist. [R.]

Dec"a*gon (?), n. [Pref. deca- + Gr. &?; a corner or angle: cf. F. décagone.] (Geom.) A plane figure having ten sides and ten angles; any figure having ten angles. A regular decagon is one that has all its sides and angles equal.

De*cag"o*nal (?), a. Pertaining to a decagon; having ten sides.

{ Dec"a*gram, Dec"a*gramme } (?), n. [F. décagramme; Gr. de`ka ten + F. gramme. See Gram.] A weight of the metric system; ten grams, equal to about 154.32 grains avoirdupois.

||Dec`a*gyn"i*a (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. de`ka ten + &?; a woman, a female.] (Bot.) A Linnæan order of plants characterized by having ten styles.

{ Dec`a*gyn"i*an (?), Dec*cag"y*nous (?), } a. [Cf. F. décagyne.] (Bot.) Belonging to the Decagynia; having ten styles.

Dec`a*he"dral (?), a. Having ten sides.

Dec`a*he"dron (?), n.; pl. E. Decahedrons (#), L. Decahedra (#). [Pref. deca- + Gr. 'e`dra a seat, a base, fr. 'e`zesthai to sit: cf. F. décaèdre.] (Geom.) A solid figure or body inclosed by ten plane surfaces. [Written also, less correctly, decaedron.]

De*cal`ci*fi*ca"tion (?), n. The removal of calcareous matter.

De*cal"ci*fy (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Decalcified (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Decalcifying.] To deprive of calcareous matter; thus, to decalcify bones is to remove the stony part, and leave only the gelatin.

{ De*cal`co*ma"ni*a (?), De*cal`co*ma"nie (?), } n. [F. décalcomanie.] The art or process of transferring pictures and designs to china, glass, marble, etc., and permanently fixing them thereto.

{ Dec"a*li`ter, Dec"a*li`tre } (?), n. [F. décalitre; Gr. de`ka ten + F. litre. See Liter.] A measure of capacity in the metric system; a cubic volume of ten liters, equal to about 610.24 cubic inches, that is, 2.642 wine gallons.

Dec"a*log (?; 115), n. Decalogue.

De*cal"o*gist (?), n. One who explains the decalogue. J. Gregory.

Dec"a*logue (?; 115), n. [F. décalogue, L. decalogus, fr. Gr. &?;; de`ka ten + &?; speech, &?; to speak, to say. See Ten.] The Ten Commandments or precepts given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai, and originally written on two tables of stone.

De*cam"e*ron (?), n. [It. decamerone, fr. Gr. de`ka ten + &?; part; though quite generally supposed to be derived from &?; day: cf. F. décaméron.] A celebrated collection of tales, supposed to be related in ten days; -- written in the 14th century, by Boccaccio, an Italian.

{ Dec"a*me`ter, Dec"a*me`tre } (?), n. [F. décamètre; Gr. de`ka ten + mètre. See Meter.] A measure of length in the metric system; ten meters, equal to about 393.7 inches.

De*camp" (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Decamped (?; 215); p. pr. & vb. n. Decamping.] [F. décamper; pref. dé- (L. dis) + camp camp. See Camp.] 1. To break up a camp; to move away from a camping ground, usually by night or secretly. Macaulay.

2. Hence, to depart suddenly; to run away; -- generally used disparagingly.

The fathers were ordered to decamp, and the house was once again converted into a tavern.

Goldsmith.

De*camp"ment (?), n. [Cf. F. décampement.] Departure from a camp; a marching off.

Dec"a*nal (?; 277), a. [Cf. F. décanal. See Dean.] Pertaining to a dean or deanery.

His rectorial as well as decanal residence.

Churton.

Decanal side, the side of the choir on which the dean's tall is placed. -- Decanal stall, the stall allotted to the dean in the choir, on the right or south side of the chancel. Shipley.

||De*can"dri*a (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. de`ka ten + &?;, &?;, a man.] (Bot.) A Linnæan class of plants characterized by having ten stamens.

{ De*can"dri*an (?), De*can"drous (?), } a. [Cf. F. décandre.] (Bot.) Belonging to the Decandria; having ten stamens.

Dec"ane (?), n. [See Deca-.] (Chem.) A liquid hydrocarbon, C10H22, of the paraffin series, including several isomeric modifications.

Dec*an"gu*lar (?), a. [Pref. deca- + angular.] Having ten angles.

||De*ca"ni (?), a. [L., lit., of the dean.] Used of the side of the choir on which the dean's stall is placed; decanal; -- correlative to cantoris; as, the decanal, or decani, side.

De*cant" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Decanted; p. pr. & vb. n. Decanting.] [F. décanter (cf. It. decantare), prop., to pour off from the edge of a vessel; pref. dé- (L. de) + OF. cant (It. canto) edge, border, end. See Cant an edge.] To pour off gently, as liquor, so as not to disturb the sediment; or to pour from one vessel into another; as, to decant wine.

De*can"tate (?), v. t. To decant. [Obs.]

De`can*ta"tion (?; 277), n. [Cf. F. décantation.] The act of pouring off a clear liquor gently from its lees or sediment, or from one vessel into another.

De*cant"er (?), n. 1. A vessel used to decant liquors, or for receiving decanted liquors; a kind of glass bottle used for holding wine or other liquors, from which drinking glasses are filled.

2. One who decants liquors.

De*caph"yl*lous (?), a. [Pref. deca- + Gr. &?; leaf: cf. F. décaphylle.] (Bot.) Having ten leaves.

De*cap"i*tate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Decapitated; p. pr. & vb. n. Decapitating.] [LL. decapitatus, p. p. of decapitare; L. de- + caput head. See Chief.] 1. To cut off the head of; to behead.

2. To remove summarily from office. [Colloq. U. S.]

De*cap`i*ta"tion (?), n. [LL. decapitatio: cf. F. décapitation.] The act of beheading; beheading.

Dec"a*pod (dk"*pd), n. [Cf. F. décapode.] (Zoöl.) A crustacean with ten feet or legs, as a crab; one of the Decapoda. Also used adjectively.

<! p. 375 !>

||De*cap"o*da (d*kp"*d), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. de`ka ten + poy`s, podo`s, foot.] 1. (Zoöl.) The order of Crustacea which includes the shrimps, lobsters, crabs, etc.

They have a carapace, covering and uniting the somites of the head and thorax and inclosing a gill chamber on each side, and usually have five (rarely six) pairs of legs. They are divided into two principal groups: Brachyura and Macrura. Some writers recognize a third (Anomura) intermediate between the others.

2. (Zoöl.) A division of the dibranchiate cephalopods including the cuttlefishes and squids. See Decacera.

{ De*cap"o*dal (?), De*cap"o*dous (?), } a. (Zoöl.) Belonging to the decapods; having ten feet; ten-footed.

De*car"bon*ate (?), v. t. To deprive of carbonic acid.

De*car`bon*i*za"tion (?), n. The action or process of depriving a substance of carbon.

De*car"bon*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Decarbonized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Decarbonizing.] To deprive of carbon; as, to decarbonize steel; to decarbonize the blood.

Decarbonized iron. See Malleable iron. -- Decarbonized steel, homogenous wrought iron made by a steel process, as that of Bessemer; ingot iron.

De*car"bon*i`zer (?), n. He who, or that which, decarbonizes a substance.

De*car`bu*ri*za"tion (?), n. The act, process, or result of decarburizing.

De*car"bu*rize (?), v. t. To deprive of carbon; to remove the carbon from.

De*card" (?), v. t. To discard. [Obs.]

You have cast those by, decarded them.

J. Fletcher.

De*car"di*nal*ize (?), v. t. To depose from the rank of cardinal.

Dec"a*stere (?), n. [L. décastère; Gr. de`ka ten + F. stère a stere.] (Metric System) A measure of capacity, equal to ten steres, or ten cubic meters.

Dec"a*stich (?), n. [Pref. deca- + Gr. sti`chos a row, a line of writing, a verse.] A poem consisting of ten lines.

Dec"a*style (?), a. [Gr. &?;; de`ka ten + sty`los a column.] (Arch.) Having ten columns in front; -- said of a portico, temple, etc. -- n. A portico having ten pillars or columns in front.

Dec`a*syl*lab"ic (?), a. [Pref. deca- + syllabic: cf. F. décasyllabique, décasyllable.] Having, or consisting of, ten syllables.

Dec`a*to"ic (?), a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or derived from, decane.

De*cay" (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Decayed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Decaying.] [OF. decaeir, dechaer, decheoir, F. déchoir, to decline, fall, become less; L. de- + cadere to fall. See Chance.] To pass gradually from a sound, prosperous, or perfect state, to one of imperfection, adversity, or dissolution; to waste away; to decline; to fail; to become weak, corrupt, or disintegrated; to rot; to perish; as, a tree decays; fortunes decay; hopes decay.

Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey, Where wealth accumulates and men decay.

Goldsmith.

De*cay", v. t. 1. To cause to decay; to impair. [R.]

Infirmity, that decays the wise.

Shak.

2. To destroy. [Obs.] Shak.

De*cay", n. 1. Gradual failure of health, strength, soundness, prosperity, or of any species of excellence or perfection; tendency toward dissolution or extinction; corruption; rottenness; decline; deterioration; as, the decay of the body; the decay of virtue; the decay of the Roman empire; a castle in decay.

Perhaps my God, though he be far before, May turn, and take me by the hand, and more - May strengthen my decays.

Herbert.

His [Johnson's] failure was not to be ascribed to intellectual decay.

Macaulay.

Which has caused the decay of the consonants to follow somewhat different laws.

James Byrne.

2. Destruction; death. [Obs.] Spenser.

3. Cause of decay. [R.]

He that plots to be the only figure among ciphers, is the decay of the whole age.

Bacon.

Syn. -- Decline; consumption. See Decline.

De*cayed" (?), a. Fallen, as to physical or social condition; affected with decay; rotten; as, decayed vegetation or vegetables; a decayed fortune or gentleman. -- De*cay"ed*ness (#), n.

De*cay"er (?), n. A causer of decay. [R.]

De*cease" (?), n. [OE. deses, deces, F. décès, fr. L. decessus departure, death, fr. decedere to depart, die; de- + cedere to withdraw. See Cease, Cede.] Departure, especially departure from this life; death.

His decease, which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.

Luke ix. 31.

And I, the whilst you mourn for his decease, Will with my mourning plaints your plaint increase.

Spenser.

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

De*cease", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Deceased (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Deceasing.] To depart from this life; to die; to pass away.

She's dead, deceased, she's dead.

Shak.

When our summers have deceased.

Tennyson.

Inasmuch as he carries the malignity and the lie with him, he so far deceases from nature.

Emerson.

De*ceased" (?), a. Passed away; dead; gone.

The deceased, the dead person.

De*cede" (?), v. i. [L. decedere. See Decease, n.] To withdraw. [Obs.] Fuller.

De*ce"dent (?), a. [L. decedens, p. pr. of decedere.] Removing; departing. Ash.

De*ce"dent, n. A deceased person. Bouvier.

De*ceit" (?), n. [OF. deceit, desçait, decept (cf. deceite, deçoite), fr. L. deceptus deception, fr. decipere. See Deceive.] 1. An attempt or disposition to deceive or lead into error; any declaration, artifice, or practice, which misleads another, or causes him to believe what is false; a contrivance to entrap; deception; a wily device; fraud.

Making the ephah small and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit.

Amos viii. 5.

Friendly to man, far from deceit or guile.

Milton.

Yet still we hug the dear deceit.

N. Cotton.

2. (Law) Any trick, collusion, contrivance, false representation, or underhand practice, used to defraud another. When injury is thereby effected, an action of deceit, as it called, lies for compensation.

Syn. -- Deception; fraud; imposition; duplicity; trickery; guile; falsifying; double-dealing; stratagem. See Deception.

De*ceit"ful (?), a. Full of, or characterized by, deceit; serving to mislead or insnare; trickish; fraudulent; cheating; insincere.

Harboring foul deceitful thoughts.

Shak.

De*ceit"ful*ly, adv. With intent to deceive.

De*ceit"ful*ness, n. 1. The disposition to deceive; as, a man's deceitfulness may be habitual.

2. The quality of being deceitful; as, the deceitfulness of a man's practices.

3. Tendency to mislead or deceive. "The deceitfulness of riches." Matt. xiii. 22.

De*ceit"less, a. Free from deceit. Bp. Hall.

De*ceiv"a*ble (?), a. [F. décevable.] 1. Fitted to deceive; deceitful. [Obs.]

The fraud of deceivable traditions.

Milton.

2. Subject to deceit; capable of being misled.

Blind, and thereby deceivable.

Milton.

De*ceiv"a*ble*ness, n. 1. Capability of deceiving.

With all deceivableness of unrighteousness.

2 Thess. ii. 10.

2. Liability to be deceived or misled; as, the deceivableness of a child.

De*ceiv"a*bly, adv. In a deceivable manner.

De*ceive" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deceived (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Deceiving.] [OE. deceveir, F. décevoir, fr. L. decipere to catch, insnare, deceive; de- + capere to take, catch. See Capable, and cf. Deceit, Deception.] 1. To lead into error; to cause to believe what is false, or disbelieve what is true; to impose upon; to mislead; to cheat; to disappoint; to delude; to insnare.

Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

2 Tim. iii. 13.

Nimble jugglers that deceive the eye.

Shak.

What can 'scape the eye Of God all-seeing, or deceive his heart?

Milton.

2. To beguile; to amuse, so as to divert the attention; to while away; to take away as if by deception.

These occupations oftentimes deceived The listless hour.

Wordsworth.

3. To deprive by fraud or stealth; to defraud. [Obs.]

Plant fruit trees in large borders, and set therein fine flowers, but thin and sparingly, lest they deceive the trees.

Bacon.

Syn. -- Deceive, Delude, Mislead. Deceive is a general word applicable to any kind of misrepresentation affecting faith or life. To delude, primarily, is to make sport of, by deceiving, and is accomplished by playing upon one's imagination or credulity, as by exciting false hopes, causing him to undertake or expect what is impracticable, and making his failure ridiculous. It implies some infirmity of judgment in the victim, and intention to deceive in the deluder. But it is often used reflexively, indicating that a person's own weakness has made him the sport of others or of fortune; as, he deluded himself with a belief that luck would always favor him. To mislead is to lead, guide, or direct in a wrong way, either willfully or ignorantly.

De*ceiv"er (?), n. One who deceives; one who leads into error; a cheat; an impostor.

The deceived and the deceiver are his.

Job xii. 16.

Syn. -- Deceiver, Impostor. A deceiver operates by stealth and in private upon individuals; an impostor practices his arts on the community at large. The one succeeds by artful falsehoods, the other by bold assumption. The faithless friend and the fickle lover are deceivers; the false prophet and the pretended prince are impostors.

De*cem"ber (d*sm"br), n. [F. décembre, from L. December, fr. decem ten; this being the tenth month among the early Romans, who began the year in March. See Ten.] 1. The twelfth and last month of the year, containing thirty-one days. During this month occurs the winter solstice.

2. Fig.: With reference to the end of the year and to the winter season; as, the December of his life.

De`cem*den"tate (?), a. [L. decem ten + E. dentate.] Having ten points or teeth.

De*cem"fid (d*sm"fd), a. [L. decem ten + root of findere to cleave.] (Bot.) Cleft into ten parts.

De`cem*loc"u*lar (?), a. [L. decem ten + E. locular.] (Bot.) Having ten cells for seeds.

De*cem"pe*dal (d*sm"p*dal), a. [L. decem ten + E. pedal.] 1. Ten feet in length.

2. (Zoöl.) Having ten feet; decapodal. [R.] Bailey.

De*cem"vir (?), n.; pl. E. Decemvirs (#), L. Decemviri (#). [L., fr. decem ten + vir a man.] 1. One of a body of ten magistrates in ancient Rome.