Emily Dickinson Lexicon

DE-FRAUD'ER, a.

One who defrauds; one who takes from another his right by deception, or withholds what is his due; a cheat; a cozener; an embezzler; a peculator.

DE-FRAUD'ING, ppr.

Depriving another of his property or right by deception or artifice; injuring by withholding wrongfully what is due.

DE-FRAUD'MENT, n.

The act of defrauding. Milton.

DE-FRAY', v.t. [Fr. defrayer; de and frais, fraix, expense; Arm. defraei.]

1. To pay; to discharge, as cost or expense; to bear, as charge, cost or expense. It is followed chiefly by expense, charge or cost. The acquisitions of war seldom defray the expenses. The profits of a voyage will not always defray the charges, or even the cost of the first outfits.
2. To satisfy; as, to defray anger. [Obs.] Spenser.
3. To fill; as, to defray a bottle. [Obs.] Spenser.

DE-FRAY'ED, pp.

Paid; discharged; as expense, or cost.

DE-FRAY'ER, n.

One who pays or discharges expenses.

DE-FRAY'ING, ppr.

Paying; discharging.

DE-FRAY'MENT, n.

Payment. Shelton.

DEFT, a. [Sax. dæft.]

Neat; handsome; spruce; ready; dextrous; fit; convenient. [Obs.] Shak. Dryden.

DEFT'LY, adv.

Neatly; dextrously; in a skillful manner. [Obs.] Shak. Gray.

DEFT'NESS, n.

Neatness; beauty. [Obs.] Drayton.

DE-FUNCT', a. [L. defunctus, from defungor, to perform and discharge; de and fungor, id.]

Having finished the course of life; dead; deceased. Shak.

DE-FUNCT', n.

A dead person; one deceased. Shak.

DE-FUNC'TION, n.

Death. [Not used.] Shak.

DE-FY', n.

A challenge. [Not used.] Dryden.

DE-FY', v.t. [Fr. defier; de, des, from, and fier, to trust; It. sfidare; Sp. desafiar; des and fiar; Port. id.; Arm. difyal; Low L. diffidare, and diffiduciare, from fido, to trust. See Faith. The word diffidare seems originally to have signified, to dissolve the bond of allegiance, as between the lord and his vassal; opposed to affidare. Spelman, ad voc. Hence it came to be used for the denunciation of enmity and of war. Hence, to challenge. If we understand defier to signify to distrust, then to defy is to call in question the courage of another, according to the popular phrase, “you dare not fight me.”]

1. To dare; to provoke to combat or strife, by appealing to the courage of another; to invite one to contest; to challenge; as, Goliath defied the armies of Israel.
2. To dare; to brave; to offer to hazard a conflict by manifesting a contempt of opposition, attack or hostile force; as, to defy the arguments of an opponent; to defy the power of the magistrate. Were we to abolish the common law, it would rise triumphant above its own ruins, deriding and defying, its impotent enemies. Duponceau.
3. To challenge to say or do any thing.

DE-FY'ER, n.

One who defies.

DE-FY'ING, ppr.

Challenging; daring to combat.

DE-GARN'ISH, v.t. [Fr. degarnir; de and garnir, to furnish. See Garnish.]

1. To unfurnish; to strip of furniture, ornaments, or apparatus.
2. To deprive of a garrison, or troops necessary for defense; as, to degarnish a city or fort. Washington's Letter, Nov. 11, 1778.

DE-GARN'ISH-ED, pp.

Stripped of furniture or apparatus; deprived of troops for defense.

DE-GARN'ISH-ING, ppr.

Stripping of furniture dress, apparatus, or a garrison.

DE-GARN'ISH-MENT, n.

The act of depriving of furniture, apparatus, or a garrison.

DE-GEN'DER, v.i.

To degenerate. [Not in use.] Spenser.

DE-GEN'ER-A-CY, n. [See Degenerate, the verb.]

1. A growing worse or inferior; a decline in good qualities; or a state or being less valuable; as, the degeneracy of a plant.
2. In morals, decay of virtue; a growing worse; departure from the virtues of ancestors; desertion of that which is good. We speak of the degeneracy of men in modern times, or of the degeneracy of manners, of the age, of virtue, &c., sometimes without reason.
3. Poorness; meanness; as, a degeneracy of spirit.

DE-GEN'ER-ATE, a.

1. Having fallen from a perfect or good state into a less excellent or worse state; having lost something of the good qualities possessed; having declined in natural or moral worth. The degenerate plant of a strange vine. Jer. ii.
2. Low; base; mean; corrupt; fallen from primitive or natural excellence; having lost the good qualities of the species. Man is considered a degenerate being. A coward is a man of degenerate spirit.