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That addition to a writing, inscription, coin, etc., which specifies the time (as day, month, and year) when the writing or inscription was given, or executed, or made; as, the date of a letter, of a will, of a deed, of a coin. etc. And bonds without a date, they say, are void. Dryden.

A fatal wound or injury. (b) (Naut.) The springing of a fatal leak. -- Spiritual death (Scripture), the corruption and perversion of the soul by sin, with the loss of the favor of God. -- The gates of death, the grave. Have the gates of death been opened unto thee Job xxxviii. 17. -- The second death, condemnation t…

The act of defining; definition; description. [Obs.] Shak.

Act of ascertaining and explaining the signification; a description of a thing by its properties; an explanation of the meaning of a word or term; as, the definition of "circle;" the definition of "wit;" an exact definition; a loose definition. Definition being nothing but making another understand by words what the te…

That which destroys. [Obs.] They [the Scriptures] are the only deletery of heresies. Jer. Taylor.

A delineated picture; representation; sketch; description in words. Their softest delineations of female beauty. W. Irving.

That delineates; descriptive; drawing the outline; delineating.

An anatomical description of, or treatise on, the skin.

That can be described; capable of description.

To use the faculty of describing; to give a description; as, Milton describes with uncommon force and beauty.

and make known; to point out; to name; to indicate; to show; to distinguish by marks or description; to specify; as, to designate the boundaries of a country; to designate the rioters who are to be arrested.

deathbed's detector of the heart. Young. Bank-note 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.

Scientific determination of any kind; the concise description of characterization of a species.

Descriptive.

The art or science of descriptive drawing; especially, the art or science of drawing by mechanical appliances and mathematical rule.

red with authority; an order; a command; an authoritative rule, principle, or maxim; a prescription; as, listen to the dictates of your conscience; the dictates of the gospel. I credit what the Grecian dictates say. Prior.

appropriate for strengthening and comfort. Grant that we may in such wise hear them [the Scriptures], read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them. Book of Common Prayer.

That which is imposed by directing; a guiding or authoritative instruction; prescription; order; command; as, he grave directions to the servants. The princes digged the well . . . by the direction of the law giver. Numb. xxi. 18.

ck harmony; to differ; to be unlike; to be at variance. They reject the plainest sense of Scripture, because it seems disagree with what they call reason. Atterbury.

isper, circling round, Convey'd the dismal tidings when he frowned. Goldsmith. A dismal description of an English November. Southey.