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ontest; to discuss; to argue for and against. A wise council . . . that did debate this business. Shak. Debate thy cause with thy neighbor himself. Prov. xxv. 9.

sink; to diminish; to lessen; as, the day declines; virtue declines; religion declines; business declines. That empire must decline Whose chief support and sinews are of coin. Waller. And presume to know . . . Who thrives, and who declines. Shak.

One who decorates, adorns, or embellishes; specifically, an artisan whose business is the decoration of houses, esp. their interior decoration.

An edict or law made by a council for regulating any business within their jurisdiction; as, the decrees of ecclesiastical councils.

The act of delaying; postponement. [R.] My grief, joined with the instant business, Begs a deferment. Suckling.

nd as one's representative; to empower as an ambassador; to send with power to transact business; to commission; to depute; to authorize.

One whose business it is to clean, extract, or repair natural teeth, and to make and insert artificial ones; a dental surgeon.

Subdivision of business or official duty; especially, one of the principal divisions of executive government; as, the treasury department; the war department; also, in a university, one of the divisions of instructions; as, the medical department; the department of physics.

One who business it is so detect criminals or discover matters of secrecy.

te of being devastated; a laying waste. Even now the devastation is begun, And half the business of destruction done. Goldsmith.

A form of phonographic recorder and reproducer adapted for use in dictation, as in business.

a common tariff, allow one of their number to make, in order to get a fair share of the business. The lower rate is called a differential rate. Differentials are also sometimes granted to cities.

The state of being difficult, or hard to do; hardness; arduousness; -- opposed to easiness or facility; as, the difficulty of a task or enterprise; a work of difficulty. Not being able to promote them [the interests of life] on account of the difficulty of the region. James Byrne.

ste; impairing of church property by an incumbent, through neglect or by intention. The business of dilapidations came on between our bishop and the Archibishop of York. Strype.

ation to a subject or pursuit; assiduous; industrious. Seest thou a man diligent in his business he shall stand before kings. Prov. xxii. 29. Diligent cultivation of elegant literature. Prescott.

sidences of the inhabitants of any place, or of classes of them; an address book; as, a business directory.

ation, responsibility, accusation, etc.; to absolve; to acquit; to clear. Discharged of business, void of strife. Dryden. In one man's fault discharge another man of his duty. L'Estrange.

Want of comfort; uneasiness, mental or physical; disturbance of peace; inquietude; pain; distress; sorrow. "An age of spiritual discomfort." M. Arnold. Strive against all the discomforts of thy sufferings. Bp. Hall.

Causing discomfort; occasioning uneasiness; making sad. [Obs.] Sir P. Sidney.

Want of content; uneasiness and inquietude of mind; dissatisfaction; disquiet. Now is the winter of our discontent Made glorious summer by this sun of York. Shak. The rapacity of his father's administration had excited such universal discontent. Hallam