Dessert, dez-ėrt′, n. fruits, confections, &c., served at the close of an entertainment after the rest has been taken away.—ns. Dessert′-serv′ice, the dishes used for dessert; Dessert′-spoon, a spoon smaller than a table-spoon and larger than a tea-spoon, used not so much for dessert as for pudding. [O. Fr. dessert, desservir, to clear the table—des, away, and servir, to serve—L. servīre.]
Dessiatine, Dessyatine, des′ya-tin, n. a Russian measure of land, 2.7 English acres. [Russ. desyatina, a measure of land, a tenth; desyati, ten.]
Destemper. See Distemper (1).
Destine, des′tin, v.t. to ordain or appoint to a certain use or state: to fix: to doom—also Des′tinate (obs.).—ns. Destinā′tion, the purpose or end to which anything is destined or appointed: end: purpose: design: fate: place to which one is going; Des′tiny, the purpose or end to which any person or thing is destined or appointed: unavoidable fate: necessity. [Fr.,—L. destināre—de, inten., and root sta-, in stāre, to stand.]
Destitute, des′ti-tūt, adj. left alone: forsaken: in want, needy—v.t. to forsake: to deprive.—n. Destitu′tion, the state of being destitute: deprivation of office: poverty. [L. destituĕre, -ūtum—de, away, and statuĕre, to place.]
Destroy, de-stroy′, v.i. to unbuild or pull down: to overturn: to ruin: to put an end to:—pr.p. destroy′ing:—pa.p. destroyed′.—n. Destroy′er. [O. Fr. destruire (Fr. détruire)—L. destruĕre, destructum—de, down, and struĕre, to build.]
Destruction, de-struk′shun, n. act of destroying: overthrow: physical or moral ruin: death: a destructive plague.—adj. Destruc′tible, liable to be destroyed.—ns. Destructibil′ity, Destruc′tibleness.—n. Destruc′tionist, one engaged in destruction: one who believes in the final annihilation of the damned.—adj. Destruc′tive, causing destruction: mischievous: ruinous: deadly.—adv. Destruc′tively.—ns. Destruc′tiveness; Destruc′tivist, a representative of destructive principles, as in Biblical criticism; Destruc′tor, a destroyer: a furnace for burning up refuse.
Desudation, des-ū-dā′shun, n. a violent sweating: an eruption of small pimples on children. [L. desudāre, -ātum, de, inten., and sudāre, to sweat.]
Desuetude, des′we-tūd, n. disuse: discontinuance of custom, habit, or practice. [L. desuetudo—desuētum, desuescĕre—de, neg., and suescĕre, to become used.]
Desulphur, de-sul′fur, v.t. to free of sulphur: to take sulphur out of the ore—also Desul′phurāte, Desul′phurise.—n. Desulphurā′tion.