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The act of naming or designating.

Possessing, or capable of possessing, a distinct denomination or designation; denominable. The least denominative part of time is a minute. Cocker.

Having power to denote; designating or marking off. Proper names are preëminently denotative; telling us that such as object has such a term to denote it, but telling us nothing as to any single attribute. Latham.

Tending or designed to depredate; characterized by depredation; plundering; as, a depredatory incursion.

up as beyond hope or expectation; to despair of. [Obs.] I would not despair the greatest design that could be attempted. Milton.

To destine, design, or choose. [Obs.] "That name that God . . . did destinate." Udall.

Purpose for which anything is destined; predetermined end, object, or use; ultimate design.

To determine the future condition or application of; to set apart by design for a future use or purpose; to fix, as by destiny or by an authoritative decree; to doom; to ordain or preordain; to appoint; -- often with the remoter object preceded by to or for. We are decreed, Reserved, and destined to eternal woe. Milton…

e detector, a publication containing a description of genuine and counterfeit bank notes, designed to enable persons to discriminate between them. -- Detector l. See under Lock.

That which is devised, or formed by design; a contrivance; an invention; a project; a scheme; often, a scheme to deceive; a stratagem; an artifice. His device in against Babylon, to destroy it. Jer. li. 11. Their recent device of demanding benevolences. Hallam. He disappointeth the devices of the crafty. Job v. 12.…

sort which consists of the constant repetition of one or more simple figures or units of design evenly spaced.

An instrument designed for transmitting pictures by telegraph. Fallows.

rom the main subject of a discourse; hence, a part of a discourse deviating from its main design or subject. The digressions I can not excuse otherwise, than by the confidence that no man will read them. Sir W. Temple.

as usual, brought his dilatory policy to bear upon hiMotley. Dilatory plea (Law), a plea designed to create delay in the trial of a cause, generally founded upon some matter not connected with the merits of the case.

The nomination or designation of candidates for public office by direct popular vote rather than through the action of a convention or body of elected nominating representatives or delegates. The term is applied both to the nomination of candidates without any nominating convention, and, loosely, to the nomination effe…

ess prevalent at the time of the French Directory, characterized by great extravagance of design and imitating the Greek and Roman costumes.

the state of being disappointed; defeat or failure of expectation or hope; miscarriage of design or plan; frustration. If we hope for things of which we have not thoroughly considered the value, our disappointment will be greater our pleasure in the fruition of them. Addison. In disappointment thou canst bless. Keble.…

which has been kept secret or hidden; to reveal; to expose; as, events have disclosed his designs. If I disclose my passion, Our friendship 's an end. Addison.

To manifest without design; to show. The youth discovered a taste for sculpture. C. J. Smith.

for an object or purpose; to apply; to employ; to dispose of. Importuned him that what he designed to bestow on her funeral, he would rather dispose among the poor. Evelyn.