Emily Dickinson Lexicon

DE-BAC-CHA'TION, n.

A raving.

DE-BAC'LE, n. [Fr.]

A breaking or bursting forth. – Buckland. The geological deluge, which is supposed to have swept the surface of the earth, and to have conveyed the fragments of rocks, and the remains of animals and vegetables, to a distance from their native localities. – Ed. Encyc.

DE-BAR', v.t. [de and bar.]

To cut off from entrance; to preclude; to hinder from approach, entry, or enjoyment; to shut out or exclude; as, we are not debarred from any rational enjoyment; religion debars us from no real pleasure.

DE-BARK', v.i.

To leave a ship or boat and pass to the land; as, the troops debarked at four o'clock.

DE-BARK', v.t. [Fr. debarquer; de and barque, a boat or vessel.]

To land from a ship or boat; to remove from on board any water-craft, and place on land; to disembark; as, to debark artillery. [It is less used, especially in a transitive sense, than disembark.]

DE-BARK-A'TION, n.

The act of disembarking.

DE-BARK'ED, pp.

Removed to land from on board a ship or boat.

DE-BARK'ING, ppr.

Removing from a ship to the land; going from on board a vessel.

DE-BAR'RAS, v.t. [Fr. débarrasser.]

To disembarrass; to extricate from difficulty. [Little used.] – Jefferson.

DE-BAR'RED, pp. [from debar.]

Hindered from approach, entrance or possession.

DE-BAR'RING, n.

Hinderance from approach.

DE-BAR'RING, ppr.

Preventing from approach, entrance or enjoyment.

DE-BASE', v.t. [de and base.]

1. To reduce from a higher to a lower state in quality or respectability. The drunkard debases himself and his character. Intemperance and debauchery debase men almost to a level with beasts.
2. To reduce or lower in quality, purity, or value; to adulterate; as, to debase gold or silver by alloy.
3. To lower or degrade; to make mean or despicable. Religion should not be debased by frivolous disputes. Vicious habits debase the mind as well as the character.
4. To sink in purity or elegance; to vitiate by meanness; as, to debase style by the use of vulgar words.

DE-BAS'ED, pp.

Reduced in estimated value; lowered in estimation; reduced in purity, fineness, quality or value; adulterated; degraded; rendered mean.

DE-BASE'MENT, n.

The act of debasing; degradation, reduction of purity; fineness, quality or value; adulteration; a state of being debased; as, debasement of character, of our faculties, of the coin, of style, &c.

DE-BAS'ER, n.

One who debases or lowers in estimation, or in value; one who degrades or renders mean; that which debases.

DE-BAS'ING, ppr.

1. Reducing in estimation or worth; adulterating; reducing in purity or elegance; degrading; rendering mean.
2. adj. Lowering; tending to debase or degrade; as, debasing vices.

DE-BAS'ING-LY, adv.

So as to debase.

DE-BAT'A-BLE, a. [See Debate.]

That may be debated; disputable; subject to controversy or contention; as, a debatable question.

DE-BATE', n. [Fr. debat; Sp. debate; Port. id; de and battre, to beat.]

1. Contention in words or arguments; discussion for elucidating truth; strife in argument or reasoning, between persons of different opinions, each endeavoring to prove his own opinion right, and that of his opposer wrong; dispute; controversy; as, the debates in parliament or in congress.
2. Strife; contention. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate. – Is. lviii.
3. The power of being disputed; as, this question is settled beyond debate; the story is true beyond debate.
4. Debate or debates; the published report of arguments for and against a measure; as, the debates in the convention are printed.

DE-BATE', v.i.

1. To debate on or in, to deliberate; to discuss or examine different arguments in the mind. – Shak.
2. To dispute. – Tatler.
3. To engage in combat. [Not in use.]

DE-BATE', v.t. [Fr. debattre; Sp. debatir; Port. debater. See Beat and Abate.]

To contend for in words or arguments; to strive to maintain a cause by reasoning; to dispute; to discuss; to argue; to contest, as opposing parties; as, the question was debated till a late hour. Debate thy cause with thy neighbor himself. Prov. xxv.

DE-BAT'ED, pp.

Disputed; argued; discussed.

DE-BATE'FUL, a.

1. Of things, contested; occasioning contention. – Spenser.
2. Of persons, quarrelsome; contentious. [Little used.]

DE-BATE'FUL-LY, adv.

With contention. – Sherwood.