Dictionary: DE-FA'CING-LY – DE-FAULT'ER

a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | i | j | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | t | u | v | w | x | y | z |

1234567891011121314151617181920
2122232425262728293031323334353637383940
4142434445464748495051525354555657585960
6162636465666768697071727374757677787980
81828384858687888990919293949596979899100
101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120
121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135136137138139140
141142143144145146147148149150151152153154155156157158159160
161162163164165166167168169170171172173174175176177178179180
181182183184185186187188189190191192193194195196197198199200
201202203204205206207208209210211212213214215

DE-FA'CING-LY, adv.

In a defacing manner.

DE-FACTO, a. [L.]

Actually; in fact; in reality; existing; as, a king de facto, distinguished from a king de jure or by right.

DE-FAIL'ANCE, n. [Fr. See Fail.]

Failure; miscarriage. [Obs.] – Taylor.

DE-FAL'CATE, v.t. [Fr. defalquer; It. defalcare; Sp. desfalcar; Port. desfalcar; from L. defalco; de and falco, from falx, a sickle.]

To cut off; to take away or deduct a part; used chiefly of money, accounts, rents, income, &c.

DE-FAL'CA-TED, pp.

Taken away; deducted, as a part.

DE-FAL'CA-TING, ppr.

Deducting from a money account, rents, &c.

DE-FAL-CA'TION, n.

  1. The act of cutting off, or deducting a part; deduction; diminution; abatement; as, let him have the amount of his rent without defalcation.
  2. That which is cut off; as, this loss is a defalcation from the revenue.

DE-FALK, v.t.

To defalcate. [Not in use.] – Bp. Hall.

DEF-A-MA'TION, n. [See Defame.]

The uttering of slanderous words with a view to injure another's reputation; the malicious uttering of falsehood respecting another which tends to destroy or impair his good name, character or occupation; slander; calumny. To constitute defamation in law, the words must be false and spoken maliciously. Defamatory words written and published are called a libel – Blackstone.

DE-FAM'A-TO-RY, a.

Calumnious; slanderous; containing defamation; false and injurious to reputation; as, defamatory words; defamatory reports or writings.

DE-FAME', v.t. [Fr. diffamer; It. diffamare; Sp. disfamar; from L. diffamo; de or dis and fama, fame.]

  1. To slander; falsely and maliciously to utter words respecting another which tend to injure his reputation or occupation; as to say, a judge is corrupt; a man is perjured; a trader is a knave.
  2. To speak evil of; to dishonor by false reports; to calumniate; to libel; to impair reputation by acts or words. Being defamed, we entreat. – 1 Cor. iv.

DE-FAM'ED, pp.

Slandered; dishonored or injured by evil reports.

DE-FAM'ER, n.

A slanderer; a detractor; a calumniator.

DE-FAM'ING, n.

Defamation; slander. – Jeremiah.

DE-FAM'ING, ppr.

Slandering; injuring the character by false reports.

DE-FAM'ING-LY, adv.

In a defaming manner.

DE-FAT'I-GA-BLE, a.

Liable to be wearied. [Not much used.] – Glanville.

DE-FAT'I-GATE, v.t. [L. defatigo; de and fatigo, to tire, See Fatigue.]

To weary or tire. [Little used.] – Herbert.

DE-FAT-I-GA'TION, n.

Weariness. [Little used.] – Bacon.

DE-FAULT', n. [Fr. defaut, for default, from defaillir, to fail; de and faillir, to fail. See Fail and Fault.]

  1. A failing, or failure; an omission of that which ought to be done; neglect to do what duty or law requires; as, this evil has happened through the governor's default. A default or fault, may be a crime, a vice, or a mere defect, according to the nature of the duty omitted.
  2. Defect; want; failure. Cooks could make artificial birds, in default of real ones. – Arbuthnot.
  3. In law, a failure of appearance in court at a day assigned, particularly of the defendant in a suit when called to make answer. It may be applied to jurors, witnesses, &c.; but a plaintif's failing to appear by himself or attorney, is usually called a non-appearance. To suffer a default, is to permit an action to be called without appearing or answering; applied to a defendant.

DE-FAULT', v.i.

To fail in performing a contract or agreement. – Johnson.

DE-FAULT', v.t.

  1. In law, to call out a defendant [according to the common expression]. To call a defendant officially, to appear and answer in court, and on his failing to answer, to declare him in default, and enter judgment against him; as, let the defendant be defaulted. No costs are to be awarded for such town, if defaulted. – Mass. Laws.
  2. To call out a cause, in which the defendant does not appear, and enter judgment on the default; as, the cause was defaulted.
  3. To fail in performance. – Milton.

DE-FAULT', v.t.

To offend. [Obs.]

DE-FAULT'ED, pp.

  1. Called out of court, as a defendant or his cause.
  2. adj. Having defect.

DE-FAULT'ER, n.

  1. One who makes default; one who fails to appear in court when called.
  2. One who fails to perform a public duty; particularly, one who fails to account for public money intrusted to his care; a delinquent.