Dictionary: DEL'TA – DEM'A-GOG-ISM

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DEL'TA, n.

The Greek letter Δ. A tract of alluvial land in the form of that letter, or triangular. It is particularly applied to such a tract of land in Egypt, formed by two main branches of the Nile, and the Mediterranean sea; but the word is applied to any tract of land of a similar figure and formation.

DEL'TOID, a. [Gr. δελτα, the letter Δ, and ειδος, form.]

  1. Resembling the Greek Δ, triangular; an epithet applied to a muscle of the shoulder which moves the arm forward, upward, and backward. – Coxe.
  2. In botany, shaped somewhat like a delta or rhomb, having four angles, of which the lateral ones are less distant from the base than the others; as, a deltoid leaf. – Linnæus. Martyn. Trowel-shaped, having three angles, of which the terminal one is much further from the base than the lateral ones. – Smith.

DE-LUD'A-BLE, a. [See Delude.]

That may be deluded or deceived; liable to be imposed on. – Brown.

DE-LUDE', v.t. [L. deludo; de and ludo, to play, to mock; Ch. and Heb. לוץ. Class Ls, No. 3, 5, 30, 46.]

  1. To deceive; to impose on; to lead from truth or into error; to mislead the mind or judgment; to beguile. Cheat is generally applied to deception in bargains; delude, to deception in opinion. An artful man deludes his followers. We are often deluded by false appearances.
  2. To frustrate or disappoint.

DE-LUD'ED, pp.

Deceived; misled; led into error.

DE-LUD'ER, n.

One who deceives; a deceiver; an impostor; one who holds out false pretenses.

DE-LUD'ING, n.

The act of deceiving; falsehood. – Prideaux.

DE-LUD'ING, ppr.

Deceiving; leading astray; misleading the opinion or judgment.

DEL'UGE, n. [Fr. deluge; Arm. diluich; Sp. diluvio; It. id.; L. diluvies, diluvium, from diluo, diluvio; di and luo, lavo, to wash. If deluge and diluvium are the same word, of which there can be little doubt, the fact proves that luo, lavo, is contracted or changed from lugo, and that the primitive word was lugo; and it is certain that the radix of fluo is flugo. See Flow.]

  1. Any overflowing of water; an inundation; a flood; a swell of water over the natural banks of a river or shore of the ocean, spreading over the adjacent land. But appropriately, the great flood or overflowing of the earth by water, in the days of Noah; according to the common chronology, Anno Mundi, 1656. – Gen. vi.
  2. A sweeping or overwhelming calamity.

DEL'UGE, v.t.

  1. To overflow with water; to inundate; to drown. The waters deluged the earth and destroyed the old world.
  2. To overwhelm; to cover with any flowing or moving, spreading body. The Northern nations deluged the Roman empire with their armies.
  3. To overwhelm; to cause to sink under the weight of a general or spreading calamity; as, the land is deluged with corruption.

DEL'U-GED, pp.

Overflowed; inundated; overwhelmed.

DEL'U-GING, ppr.

Overflowing; inundating; overwhelming.

DE-LU'SION, n. [s as z; L. delusio. See Delude.]

  1. The act of deluding; deception; a misleading of the mind. We are all liable to the delusions of artifice.
  2. False representation; illusion; error or mistake proceeding from false views. And fondly mourn'd the dear delusion gone. – Prior.

DE-LU'SIVE, a.

Apt to deceive; tending to mislead the mind; deceptive; beguiling; as, delusive arts; delusive appearances.

DE-LU'SIVE-LY, adv.

In a delusive manner.

DE-LU'SIVE-NESS, n.

The quality of being delusive; tendency to deceive.

DE-LU'SO-RY, a.

Apt to deceive; deceptive. – Glanville.

DELVE, n. [delv.]

A place dug; a pit; a pit-fall; a ditch; a den; a cave. [Not now used.] – Spenser. Delve of coals, a quantity of fossil coals dug. [Not used, or local.]

DELVE, v.t. [delv; Sax. delfan; D. delven; Russ. dolblyu; to dig. Qu. Arm. toulla, to dig or make a hole, W. twll, a hole, and L. talpa, a mole, perhaps the delver.]

  1. To dig; to open the ground with a spade. Delve of convenient depth your thrashing floor. – Dryden.
  2. To fathom; to sound; to penetrate. I can not delve him to the root. – Shak.

DELV'ED, pp.

Dug; fathomed.

DELV'ER, n.

One who digs, as with a spade.

DELV'ING, ppr.

Digging.

DE-MAG-NET-IZ-A'TION, n.

The act or process of depriving one of magnetic influence.

DE-MAG'NET-IZE, v.t.

To deprive of magnetic influence; to restore from a sleep-waking state.

DEM'A-GOG-ISM, n.

The practices of a demagogue.