Dictionary: DE-FAULT'ING – DE-FEND'

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DE-FAULT'ING, ppr.

  1. Failing to fulfill a contract; delinquent.
  2. Failing to perform a duty or legal requirement; as, a defaulting creditor. – Walsh.
  3. Calling out of court, and entering judgment against for non-appearance, as a defendant.

DE-FEAS'ANCE, n. [s as z; Norm. defesance; Fr. defesant, from defaire, to undo; de and faire, L. facio.]

  1. Literally, a defeating; a rendering null; the preventing of the operation of an instrument.
  2. In law, a condition, relating to a deed, which being performed, the deed is defeated or rendered void; or a collateral deed, made at the same time with a feoffment or other conveyance, containing conditions, on the performance of which the estate then created may be defeated. A defeasance, on a bond, or a recognizance, or a judgment recovered, is a condition which, when performed, defeats it. A defeasance differs from the common condition of a bond, in being a separate deed, whereas a common condition is inserted in the bond itself. – Blackstone.
  3. The writing containing a defeasance.
  4. Defeat. [Obs.] – Spenser.

DE-FEAS'I-BLE, a. [s as z.]

That may be defeated, or annulled; as, a defeasible title; a defeasible estate.

DE-FEAS'I-BLE-NESS, a.

The quality of being defeasible.

DE-FEAT', n. [Fr. defaite, from defaire, to undo; de and faire.]

  1. Overthrow; loss of battle; the check, rout, or destruction of an army by the victory of an enemy.
  2. Successful resistance; as, the defeat of an attack.
  3. Frustration; a rendering null and void; as, the defeat of a title.
  4. Frustration; prevention of success; as, the defeat of a plan or design.

DE-FEAT', v.t.

  1. To overcome or vanquish, as an army; to check, disperse or ruin by victory; to overthrow; applied to an army, or a division of troops; to a fleet, or to a commander. The English army defeated the French on the plains of Abraham. General Wolf defeated Montcalm. The French defeated the Austrians at Marengo.
  2. To frustrate; to prevent the success of; to disappoint. We say, our dearest hopes are often defeated. Then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel. – 2 Sam. xv, and xvii.
  3. To render null and void; as, to defeat a title or an estate.
  4. To resist with success; as, to defeat an attempt or assault.

DE-FEAT'ED, pp.

Vanquished; effectually resisted; overthrown; frustrated; disappointed; rendered null or inoperative.

DE-FEAT'ING, ppr.

Vanquishing; subduing; opposing successfully; overthrowing; frustrating; disappointing; rendering null and void.

DE-FEAT'URE, n.

  1. Change of feature. – Shak.
  2. Overthrow; defeat. [Obs.] Beaum.

DEF'E-CATE, v.t. [L. defæco; de and fæx, dregs.]

  1. To purify; to refine; to clear from dregs or impurities; to clarify; as, to defecate liquor.
  2. To purify from admixture; to clear; to purge of extraneous matter.

DEF'E-CA-TED, pp.

Purified; clarified; refined.

DEF'E-CA-TING, ppr.

Purifying; purging of lees or impurities.

DEF-E-CA'TION, a.

The act of separating from lees or dregs; purification from impurities or foreign matter.

DE-FECT', n. [L. defectus; It. difetto; Sp. defetto; from L. deficio, to fail; de and facio, to make or do.]

  1. Want or absence of something necessary or useful toward perfection; fault; imperfection. We say, there are numerous defects in the plan, or in the work, or in the execution. Errors have been corrected, and defects supplied. – Davies.
  2. Failing; fault; mistake; imperfection in moral conduct, or in judgment. A deep conviction of the defects of our lives tends to make us humble. Trust not yourself; but, your defects to know, / Make use of every friend and every foe. – Pope.
  3. Any want, or imperfection, in natural objects; the absence of anything necessary to perfection; any thing unnatural or misplaced; blemish; deformity. We speak of a defect in the organs of seeing or hearing, or in a limb; a defect in timber; a defect in an instrument, &c.

DE-FECT', v.i.

To be deficient. [Not in use.] – Brown.

DE-FECT-I-BIL'I-TY, n.

Deficiency; imperfection. [Little used.] – Digby. Hale.

DE-FECT'I-BLE, a.

Imperfect; deficient; wanting. [Little used.] – Hale.

DE-FEC'TION, n. [L. defectio. See Defect.]

  1. Want or failure of duty; particularly, a falling away; apostasy; the act of abandoning a person or cause to which one is bound by allegiance or duty, or to which one has attached himself. Our defection from God is proof of our depravity. The cause of the king was rendered desperate by the defection of the nobles.
  2. Revolt; used of nations or states.

DE-FECT'IVE, a. [L. defectivus. See Defect.]

  1. Wanting either in substance, quantity, or quality, or in any thing necessary; imperfect; as, a defective limb; defective timber; a defective copy or book; a defective account. Defective articulation, in speaking, renders utterance indistinct.
  2. Wanting in moral qualities; faulty; blamable; not conforming to rectitude or rule; as, a defective character.
  3. In grammar, a defective noun is one which wants a whole number or a particular case; an indeclinable noun.
  4. A defective verb, is one which wants some of the tenses.

DE-FECT'IVE-LY, adv.

In a defective manner; imperfectly.

DE-FECT'IVE-NESS, n.

Want; the state of being imperfect; faultiness.

DE-FECT-U-OS'I-TY, n.

Defectiveness; faultiness. [Not used.] – Montagu.

DE-FECT'U-OUS, a.

Full of defects. [Little used.] Worthington.

DEF-E-DA'TION, n.

Pollution. [Not in use.] Bentley.

DE-FEND', v.i.

To make opposition; as, the party comes into court, defends and says.