Debark. To leave a ship or boat and pass to the land; to go on shore; as, the troops debarked at 4 o’clock; disembark.
Deblai. The hollow space or excavation formed by removing earth for the construction of parapets in fortification. Thus the ditch or fosse whence the earth has been taken represents the deblai, while the earth itself, so removed, constitutes the [remblai].
Deblayer un Camp (Fr.). To evacuate a camp for the purpose of cleaning and purifying the ground.
Debouch. A military term, signifying to march out from a wood, defile, or other confined place into open ground; also an outlet or available issue by which an army can march out.
Débris (Fr.). Remains, ruins of a building or town which has been sacked; broken remains of an army after defeat.
Debruised. A term in English heraldry used to indicate the restrained position of an animal in a coat of arms, by having any of the ordinaries laid over it.
Decagon. In fortification, is a polygon figure, having 10 sides, and as many angles; and if all the sides and angles be equal, it is called a regular decagon, and may be inscribed in a circle. The sides of a regular decagon are in power and length equal to the greatest segment of a hexagon, inscribed in the same circle and cut in extreme and mean proportion.
Decamp, To. To march an army or body of men from the ground where it before lay encamped. It also signifies to quit any place or position in an unexpected manner.
Decanus. In Roman military history, a petty officer who presided over the 10 soldiers of his contubernium, or those living in the same ten.
Deccan. An extensive region of India; invaded by the Mohammedans in 1294. About 1686-90, Aurungzebe I. recovered the Deccan, but soon lost great part of it to the Mahrattas. A large part of the Deccan was ceded to the English in 1818.