Emily Dickinson Lexicon

DE-MOL'ISH-ED, pp.

Pulled down; thrown down; razed; destroyed, as a fabric or structure.

DE-MOL'ISH-ER, n.

One who pulls or throws down; one who destroys or lays waste; as, a demolisher of towns.

DE-MOL'ISH-ING, ppr.

Pulling or throwing down; a destroying.

DE-MOL'ISH-MENT, n.

Ruin; overthrow. Beaum.

DE-MO-LI'TION, n.

The act of overthrowing, pulling down or destroying a pile or structure; ruin; destruction; as the demolition of a house, or of military works.

DE'MON, n. [L. dæmon; Gr. δαιμων; Sp. It. demonio; Fr. demon; Ir. deamal or deamon. The origin and primary sense of this word I have not been able to ascertain. Qu. Ar. دَهِمَ dahima, daima, to fall suddenly, to rush, to overwhelm, to obscure, to blacken; whence misfortune, black, blackness, evil, a monster: or is it a compound of dea, dia, deus, and mon, a word signifying evil, from the Persian? I place little confidence in these conjectures.]

A spirit, or immaterial being, holding a middle place between men and the celestial deities of the Pagans. The ancients believed that there were good and evil demons, which had influence over the minds of men, and that these beings carried on an intercourse between men and gods, conveying the addresses of men to the gods, and divine benefits to men. Hence demons became the objects of worship. It was supposed also that human spirits, after their departure from the body, became demons, and that the souls of virtuous men, if highly purified, were exalted from demons into gods. In the Scriptures, the Greek δαιμων is rendered devil, and sometimes at least improperly; for nothing is more certain than that different beings are intended by διαβολος and δαιμην. The demons of the New Testament were supposed to be spiritual beings which vexed and tormented men. And in general, the word, in modern use, signifies an evil spirit or genius, which influences the conduct or directs the fortunes of mankind. [See Campbell's Dissert.]

DE'MON-ESS, n.

A female demon. Mede.

DE-MO'NI-AC, or DE-MO-NI'AC-AL, a. [or DE-MO'NI-AN.]

1. Pertaining to demons or evil spirits. From thy demoniac holds. Milton.
2. Influenced by demons; produced by demons or evil spirits. Demoniac phrensy. Milton.

DE-MO'NI-AC, n.

A human being possessed by a demon; one whose volition and other mental faculties are overpowered, restrained or disturbed, in their regular operation, by an evil spirit, or by a created spiritual being of superior power. Encyc.

DE-MO-NI'AC-AL-LY, adv.

In a demoniacal manner.

DE-MO-NI'A-CISM, n.

The state of being demoniac; or the practice of demoniacs. Milman.

DE-MO'NI-ACS, n.

In Church history, a branch of the Anabaptists, whose distinguishing tenet is, that at the end of the world the devil will be saved. Encyc.

DE-MO'NI-AN-ISM, n.

The state of being possessed by a demon. Warburton.

DE'MON-ISM, n.

The belief in demons or false gods. Jefferson.

DE'MON-IZE, v.t.

To convert into a demon; to infuse the principles or fury of a demon.

DE-MON-OC'RA-CY, n. [Gr. δαιμων, demon, and κρατεω, to hold.]

The power or government of demons.

DE-MON-OL'A-TRY, n. [Gr. δαιμων, demon, and λατρεια, worship.]

The worship of demons, or of evil spirits. Campbell.

DE-MON-O-LOG'IC, or DE-MON-O-LOG'IC-AL, a.

Pertaining to demonology.

DE-MON-OL'O-GIST, n.

One who writes on demonology.

DE-MON-OL'O-GY, n. [Gr. δαιμων, demon, and λογος, discourse.]

A discourse on demons; a treatise on evil spirits. So King James entitled his book concerning witches.

DE-MON'O-MIST, n. [Gr. δαιμων, demon, and νομος, law.]

One that lives in subjection to the devil, or to evil spirits. Herbert.

DE-MON'O-MY, n. [supra.]

The dominion of demons, or evil spirits. Herbert.

DE'MON-SHIP,

It. The state of a demon. Mede.

DE-MON'STRA-BLE, a. [See Demonstrate.]

That may be demonstrated; that may be proved beyond doubt or contradiction; capable of being shown by certain evidence, or by evidence that admits of no doubt; as, the principles of geometry are demonstrable.

DE-MON'STRA-BLE-NESS, a.

The quality of being demonstrable.