Derogate, der′o-gāt, v.i. to lessen by taking away: to detract.—adj. (Shak.) degenerate.—adv. Der′ogātely (Shak.), in a derogatory manner.—n. Derogā′tion, a taking from: detraction: depreciation.—adv. Derog′atorily.—n. Derog′atoriness.—adj. Derog′atory, detracting: injurious. [L. derogāre, -ātum, to repeal part of a law—de, down from, and rogāre, to propose a law.]
Derrick, der′ik, n. an apparatus for lifting weights, closely resembling a crane.—Floating derrick, a derrick mounted on a special boat: a beam supported at an angle between the perpendicular and horizontal, with tackle for raising heavy weights. [From Derrick, the name of a hangman in the early part of the 17th century.]
Derring-doe, der′ring-dōō, n. daring action. [M. E. dorryng-don, duryng-do, &c., as in Chaucer; taken over by Spenser in the spellings derring-doe and der-doing, with the noun derring-doer. Daring-do should be the modern English form.]
Derringer, der′in-jer, n. a short-rifled pistol, with one barrel—from the inventor, an American.
Derth, dėrth, n. (Spens.). Same as Dearth.
Dervish, dėr′vish, n. among Mohammedans, a member of one of the numerous orders of monks who profess poverty and lead an austere life. [Pers. darvísh, a dervish—lit., a poor man.]
Desart, des′art, n. an old form of Desert.
Descant, des′kant, n. the air in a four-part song: a discourse or disquisition under several heads.—v.i. Descant′, to discourse at length: to comment. [O. Fr. descant—L. dis, apart, and cantus, a song—cantāre, to sing.]
Descend, dē-send′, v.i. to climb down: to pass from a higher to a lower place or condition: to pass from general to particulars: to fall upon or invade: to be derived.—v.t. to go down upon: to go to the bottom of.—n. Descend′ant, one who descends, as offspring from an ancestor.—adjs. Descend′ent, descending or going down: proceeding from an ancestor; Descend′ible, that may descend or be descended: capable of transmission by inheritance, heritable.—p.adj. Descend′ing.—n. Descen′sion.—adj. Descen′sional.—n. Descent′, act of descending: transmission by succession: motion or progress downward: slope: a falling upon or invasion: derivation from an ancestor: a generation, a degree in genealogy: descendants collectively.—Descent from the cross, a picture representing Christ being taken down from the cross. [Fr. descendre—L. descendĕre—de, down, scandĕre, to climb.]
Describe, dē-skrīb′, v.t. to trace out or delineate: to give an account of.—adj. Describ′able.—n. Describ′er. [L. describĕre—de, down, and scribĕre, scriptum, to write.]