Description, de-skrip′shun, n. act of describing: an account of anything in words: definition: sort, class, or kind.—adj. Descrip′tive, containing description.—adv. Descrip′tively.—n. Descrip′tiveness.
Descrive, de-skrīv′, v.t. an obsolete form of describe.
Descry, de-skrī′, v.t. to discover by the eye: to espy:—pr.p. descry′ing; pa.p. descried′.—n. discovery: (Shak.) a thing discovered. [O. Fr. descrire for descrivre—L. describĕre: a doublet of describe. Others derive the word from O. Fr. descrier, decryer, proclaim, announce—des-, de-, and crier, to cry, in which case it would be a doublet of decry.]
Desecrate, des′e-krāt, v.t. to divert from a sacred purpose: to profane.—ns. Desecrat′er, -or, Desecrā′tion, act of desecrating: profanation. [L. desecrāre, -ātum—de, away from, and sacrāre, to make sacred—sacer, sacred.]
Desert, de-zėrt′, n. the reward or punishment deserved: claim to reward: merit—adj. Desert′less, without merit. [See Deserve.]
Desert, de-zėrt′, v.t. to leave: to forsake.—v.i. to run away: to quit a service, as the army, without permission.—ns. Desert′er, one who deserts or quits a service without permission; Deser′tion, act of deserting: state of being deserted: wilful abandonment of a legal or moral duty or obligation. [L. deserĕre, desertum—de, neg., and serĕre, to bind.]
Desert, dez′ėrt, adj. deserted: desolate: uninhabited: uncultivated: a desolate or barren place: a wilderness: a solitude. [O. Fr. desert—L. desertum, deserĕre, to desert, unbind.]
Deserve, de-zėrv′, v.t. to earn by service: to merit.—v.i. to be worthy of reward.—adj. Deserv′ing, worthy.—n. desert.—advs. Deserv′ingly, Deserv′edly, according to desert: justly. [Fr.,—L. deservīre—de, inten., servīre, to serve.]
Deshabille, des-a-bil′, n. an undress: a careless toilet. [Fr. déshabillé, undressed—des = L. dis = un, not, and habiller, to dress.]
Desiccate, de-sik′āt, or des′i-kāt, v.t. to dry up.—v.i. to grow dry.—adjs. Desic′cant, Desic′cative, drying: having the power of drying.—n. an application that tends to dry up sores.—n. Desiccā′tion, the act of desiccating: state of being desiccated. [L. desiccāre, -ātum, to dry up—de, and siccus, dry.]