Emily Dickinson Lexicon

DE-PRAVE', v.t. [L. depravo; de and pravus, crooked, perverse, wicked.]

1. To make bad or worse; to impair good qualities; to make bad qualities worse; to vitiate; to corrupt; as, to deprave manners, morals, government, laws; to deprave the heart, mind, will, understanding, taste, principles, &c.
2. To defame; to vilify. [Not now used.] – Shak. Spenser.

DE-PRAV'ED, pp.

1. Made bad or worse; vitiated; tainted; corrupted.
2. adj. Corrupt; wicked; destitute of holiness or good principles.

DE-PRAV'ED-LY, adv.

In a corrupt manner.

DE-PRAV'ED-NESS, n.

Corruption; taint; a vitiated state. – Hammond.

DE-PRAVE'MENT, n.

A vitiated state. – Brown.

DE-PRAV'ER, n.

A corrupter; he who vitiates; a vilifier.

DE-PRAV'ING, n.

A traducing. [Obs.]

DE-PRAV'ING, ppr.

Making bad; corrupting.

DE-PRAV'ING-LY, adv.

In a depraving manner.

DE-PRAV'I-TY, n.

1. Corruption; a vitiated state; as, the depravity of manners and morals. – Burke.
2. A vitiated state of the heart; wickedness; corruption of moral principles; destitution of holiness or good principles.

DEP'RE-CA-BLE, a.

That is to be deprecated.

DEP'RE-CATE, v.t. [L. deprecor; de and precor, to pray. See Pray and Preach.]

1. To pray against; to pray or entreat that a present evil may be removed, or an expected one averted. We should all deprecate the return of war. The judgments we would deprecate are not removed. – Smallridge.
2. More generally, to regret; to have or to express deep sorrow at a present evil, or at one that may occur. This word is seldom used to express actual prayer; but it expresses deep regret that an evil exists or may exist, which implies a strong desire that it may be removed or averted.
3. To implore mercy of. [Improper.] – Prior.

DEP'RE-CA-TED, pp.

Prayed against; deeply regretted.

DEP'RE-CA-TING, ppr.

Praying against regretting.

DEP'RE-CAT-ING-LY, adv.

By deprecation. – Marryatt.

DEP-RE-CA'TION, n.

1. A praying against; a praying that an evil may be removed or prevented. – Milton.
2. Entreaty; petitioning; an excusing; a begging pardon for. – Johnson.

DE'PRE-CA-TOR, n.

One who deprecates.

DEP'RE-CA-TO-RY, or DEP'RE-CA-TIVE, a.

1. That serves to deprecate; tending to remove or avert evil by prayer; as, deprecatory letters. – Bacon.
2. Having the form of prayer.

DE-PRE'CIATE, v.i.

To fall in value; to become of less worth. A paper currency will depreciate, unless it is convertible into specie. Estates are apt to depreciate in the hands of tenants on short leases. Continental bills of credit, issued by the Congress, during the revolution, depreciated to the one hundredth part of their nominal value.

DE-PRE'CIATE, v.t. [Low L. depretio; de and pretium, price; Fr. depriser. See Price.]

1. To lessen the price of a thing; to cry down the price or value.
2. To undervalue; to represent as of little value or merit, or of less value than is commonly supposed; as, one author is apt to depreciate the works of another, or to depreciate their worth.
3. To lower value. The issue of a superabundance of notes depreciates them, or depreciates their value.

DE-PRE'CIA-TED, pp.

Lessened in value or price; undervalued.

DE-PRE'CIA-TING, ppr.

1. Lessening the price or worth; undervaluing.
2. Falling in value.

DE-PRE-CI-A'TION, n.

1. The act of lessening or crying down price or value.
2. The falling of value; reduction of worth; as the depreciation of bills of credit.

DE-PRE'CIA-TIVE, a.

Undervaluing.

DEP'RE-DATE, v.i.

To take plunder or prey; to commit waste; as, the troops depredated on the country.