Emily Dickinson Lexicon

DE-FLUX'ION, n. [L. defluxio, from defluo, to flow down; de and fluo, to flow. See Flow.]

1. A flowing, running or falling of humors or fluid matter, from a superior to an inferior part of the body; properly, an inflammation of a part, attended with increased secretion.
2. A discharge or flowing off of humors; as, a defluxion from the nose or head in catarrh.

DEF'LY, adv.

Dextrously; skillfully. [Obs.] [See Deft.] Spenser.

DE-FOE-DA'TION, n.

The act of making filthy.

DE-FO-LI-A'TION, n. [L. de and foliatio, foliage, from folium, a leaf, or folior. See Folio.]

Literally, the fall of the leaf or shedding of leaves; but technically, the time or season of shedding leaves in autumn; applied to trees and shrubs. Linnæus.

DE-FORCE', v.t. [de and force.]

To disseize and keep out of lawful possession of an estate; to withhold the possession of an estate from the rightful owner; applied to any possessor whose entry was originally lawful, but whose detainer is become unlawful. Blackstone.

DE-FORC'ED, pp.

Kept out of lawful possession.

DE-FORCE'MENT, n.

1. The holding of lands or tenements to which another person has a right; a general term including abatement, intrusion, disseisin, discontinuance, or any other species of wrong, by which he that hath a right to the freehold is kept out of possession. Blackstone.
2. In Scotland, a resisting of an officer in the execution of law.

DE-FOR'CIANT, n.

He that keeps out of possession the rightful owner of an estate; he against whom a fictitious action is brought in fine and recovery. Blackstone.

DE-FORC'ING, pp.

Keeping out of lawful possession.

DE-FORM', a. [L. deformis.]

Disfigured; being of an unnatural, distorted, or disproportioned form; displeasing to the eye. Spenser. Sight so deform what heart of rock could long / Dry-eyed behold? Milton.

DE-FORM', v.t. [L. deformo; de and forma, form; Sp. desformar; It. deformare.]

1. To mar or injure the form; to alter that form or disposition of parts which is natural and esteemed beautiful, and thus to render it displeasing to the eye; to disfigure; as, a hump on the back deforms the body.
2. To render ugly or displeasing, by exterior applications or appendages; as, to deform the face by paint, or the person by unbecoming dress.
3. To render displeasing. Wintry blasts deform the year. Thomson.
4. To injure and render displeasing or disgusting; to disgrace; to disfigure moral beauty; as, all vices deform the character of rational beings.
5. To dishonor; to make ungraceful. Dryden.

DE-FORM-A'TION, n.

A disfiguring or defacing. Baxter.

DE-FORM'ED, pp.

1. Injured in the form; disfigured; distorted; ugly; wanting natural beauty or symmetry.
2. Base; disgraceful. B. Jonson.

DE-FORM'ED-LY, adv.

In an ugly manner.

DE-FORM'ED-NESS, n.

Ugliness; a disagreeable or unnatural form.

DE-FORM'ER, n.

One who deforms.

DE-FORM'ING, ppr.

Marring the natural form or figure; rendering ugly or displeasing; destroying beauty.

DE-FORM'I-TY, n. [L. deformitas.]

1. Any unnatural state of the shape or form; want of that uniformity or symmetry which constitutes beauty; distortion; irregularity of shape or features; disproportion of limbs; defect; crookedness, &c. Hence, ugliness; as, bodily deformity.
2. Any thing that destroys beauty, grace or propriety; irregularity; absurdity; gross deviation from order, or the established laws of propriety. Thus we speak of deformity in an edifice, or deformity of character.

DE-FORS'ER, n. [from force.]

One that casts out by force. Blount. [Ill formed and not in use.]

DE-FOUL', v.t.

To defile.

DE-FOUL'ED, pp.

Defiled; made dirty.

DE-FOUL'ING, ppr.

Rendering vile.

DE-FRAUD', v.t. [L. defraudo; de and fraudo, to cheat, fraus, fraud; It. defraudare; Sp. defraudar.]

1. To deprive of right, either by obtaining something by deception or artifice, or by taking something wrongfully without the knowledge or consent of the owner; to cheat; to cozen; followed by of before the thing taken; as, to defraud a man of his right. The agent who embezzles public property defrauds the state. The man who by deception obtains a price for a commodity above its value, defrauds the purchaser. We have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man. 2 Cor. vii.
2. To withhold wrongfully from another what is due to him. Defraud not the hireling of his wages.
3. To prevent one wrongfully from obtaining what he may justly claim. A man of fortune who permits his son to consume the season of education in hunting, shooting, or in frequenting horse-races, assemblies, &c., defrauds the community of a benefactor, and bequeaths them a nuisance. Paley.
4. To defeat or frustrate wrongfully. By the duties deserted – by the claims defrauded. Paley.

DE-FRAUD-A'TION, n.

The act of defrauding.

DE-FRAUD'ED, pp.

Deprived of property or right by trick, artifice or deception; injured by the withholding of what is due.