Dictionary: DE-VEST' – DE-VISE'

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DE-VEST', v.t. [Fr. devêtir; de and vêtir, to clothe, L. vestio, id., vestis, a vest, a garment. Generally written divest.]

  1. To strip; to deprive of clothing or arms; to take off. – Denham.
  2. To deprive; to take away; as, to divest a man or nation of rights. [See Divest.]
  3. To free from; to disengage.
  4. In law, to alienate, as title or right.

DE-VEST'ED, pp.

Stripped of clothes; deprived; freed from; alienated or lost, as title.

DE-VEST'ING, ppr.

Stripping of clothes; depriving; freeing from; alienating.

DE-VEX', a. [L. devexus.]

Bending down. [Not in use.]

DE-VEX'I-TY, n. [L. devexitas, from de and veho, to carry.]

A bending downward; a sloping; incurvation downward. – Davies.

DE'VI-ATE, v.i. [It. deviare; Sp. desviarse; L. devius; de, from, and via, way.]

  1. To turn aside or wander from the common or right way, course or line, either in a literal or figurative sense; as, to deviate from the common track or path, or from a true course. There nature deviates, and here wanders will. – Pope.
  2. To stray from the path of duty; to wander, in a moral sense; to err; to sin.

DE-VI-A'TION, n.

  1. A wandering or turning aside from the right way, course or line.
  2. Variation from a common or established rule, or from analogy.
  3. A wandering from the path of duty; want of conformity to the rules prescribed by God; error; sin; obliquity of conduct.
  4. In commerce, the voluntary departure of a ship, without necessity, from the regular and usual course of the specific voyage insured. This discharges the underwriters from their responsibility. – Park.

DE-VICE', n. [Fr. devis, devise; It. divisa; from L. divisus, divido.]

  1. That which is formed by design, or invented; scheme; artificial contrivance; stratagem; project; sometimes in a good sense; more generally in a bad sense, as artifices are usually employed for bad purposes. In a good sense: His device is against Babylon, to destroy it. – Jer. li. In a bad sense: He disappointeth the devices of the crafty. – Job v. They imagined a mischievous device. – Ps. xxi.
  2. An emblem intended to represent a family, person, action or quality, with a suitable motto; used in painting, sculpture and heraldry. It consists in a metaphorical similitude between the things representing and represented, as the figure of a plow representing agriculture. Knights-errant used to distinguish themselves by devices on their shields. – Addison.
  3. Invention; genius; faculty of devising; as a man of noble device. – Shak.
  4. A spectacle or show. [Obs.] – Beaum.

DE-VICE'FUL, a.

Full of devices; inventive. – Spenser.

DE-VICE'FUL-LY, adv.

In a manner curiously contrived. – Donne.

DEV'IL, n. [dev'l; Sax. diafol; D. duivel; G. teufel; Sw. diefvul; Dan. diævel; Russ. diavol; Tartar, diof; L. diabolus; Gr. διαβολος, said to be from διαβαλλω, to calumniate; Fr. diable; Sp. diablo; Port. diabo; It. diavolo. The Armoric is diaul; W. diawl, which Owen supposes to be compounded of di, a negative, and awl, light – one without light, (prince of darkness.) The Irish is diabhail, which, according to O'Brien, is composed of dia, deity, and bhal, air, (god of the air.) If these Celtic words are justly explained, they are not connected with diabolus, or the latter is erroneously deduced.]

  1. In the Christian theology, an evil spirit or being; a fallen angel, expelled from heaven for rebellion against God; the chief of the apostate angels; the implacable enemy and tempter of the human race. In the New Testament, the word is frequently and erroneously used for demon.
  2. A very wicked person, and in ludicrous language, any great evil. In profane language, it is an expletive expressing wonder, vexation, &c.
  3. An idol, or false god. – Lev. xvii. 2 Chron. xi.

DEV'IL-ING, n.

A young devil. [Not in use.] – Beaum.

DEV'IL-ISH, a.

  1. Partaking of the qualities of the devil; diabolical; very evil and mischievous; malicious; as, a devilish scheme; devilish wickedness. – Sidney.
  2. Having communication with the devil; pertaining to the devil. – Shak.
  3. Excessive; enormous; in a vulgar and ludicrous sense; as, a devilish cheat. – Addison.

DEV'IL-ISH-LY, adv.

  1. In a manner suiting the devil; diabolically; wickedly. – South.
  2. Greatly; excessively; in a vulgar sense.

DEV'IL-ISH-NESS, n.

The qualities of the devil.

DEV'IL-ISM, n.

The state of devils. [Not used.] – Bp. Hall.

DEV'IL-IZE, v.t.

To place among devils. [Not used.] – Bp. Hall.

DEV'IL-KIN, n.

A little devil. – Clarissa.

DEV'IL-SHIP, n.

The character of a devil.

DEV'IL-TRY, n.

Diabolical act.

DE'VI-OUS, a. [L. devius; de and via, way.]

  1. Out of the common way or track; as, a devious course.
  2. Wandering; roving; rambling. To bless the wildly devious morning walk. – Thomson.
  3. Erring; going astray from rectitude or the divine precepts. One devious step at first may lead into a course of habitual vice. – Anon.

DE-VIR'GIN-ATE, v.t. [Low L. devirgino.]

To deflour. – Sandys.

DE-VIR'GIN-A-TED, pp.

Deprived of virginity.

DE-VIS'A-BLE, a. [s as z; See the Verb.]

  1. That may be bequeathed or given by will. – Blackstone.
  2. That can be invented or contrived. – Sadler.

DE-VISE', n.1

  1. Primarily, a dividing or division: hence, the act of bequeathing by will; the act of giving or distributing real estate by a testator. – Blackstone.
  2. A will or testament.
  3. A share of estate bequeathed.