DERTH
Derth, n.
Defn: Dearth; scarcity. [Obs.] Spenser.
DERTROTHECA
Der`tro*the"ca, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The horny covering of the end of the bill of birds.
DERVISH; DERVISE; DERVIS Der"vish, Der"vise, Der"vis, n. Etym: [Per. derw, fr. OPer. derew to beg, ask alms: cf. F. derviche.]
Defn: A Turkish or Persian monk, especially one who professes extreme poverty and leads an austere life.
DERWORTH
Der"worth, a. Etym: [AS. deórwurpe, lit., dearworth.]
Defn: Precious. [Obs.] Piers Plowman.
DESCANT
Des"cant, n. Etym: [OF. descant, deschant, F. déchant, discant, LL.
discantus, fr. L. dis + cantus singing, melody, fr. canere to sing.
See Chant, and cf. Descant, v. i., Discant.]
1. (Mus.) (a) Originally, a double song; a melody or counterpoint sung above the plain song of the tenor; a variation of an air; a variation by ornament of the main subject or plain song. (b) The upper voice in part music. (c) The canto, cantus, or soprano voice; the treble. Grove. Twenty doctors expound one text twenty ways, as children make descant upon plain song. Tyndale. She [the nightingale] all night long her amorous descant sung. Milton.