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The cause of great harm, evil, or misfortune; that which brings evil or severe affliction; torment. The common curse of mankind, folly and ignorance. Shak. All that I eat, or drink, or shall beget, Is propagated curse. Milton. The curse of Scotland (Card Playing), the nine of diamonds. -- Not worth a curse. See under…

One of a race of giants, sons of Neptune and Amphitrite, having but one eye, and that in the middle of the forehead. They were fabled to inhabit Sicily, and to assist in the workshops of Vulcan, under Mt. Etna.

for want of a friend to tell them of them, to the great damage both of their fame and fortune. Bacon.

A tune by which dancing is regulated, as the minuet, the waltz, the cotillon, etc.

ed hand Dangled a length of ribbon. Tennyson. To dangle about or after, to hang upon importunately; to court the favor of; to beset. The Presbyterians, and other fanatics that dangle after them, are well inclined to pull down the present establishment. Swift.

the power of hearing; to render incapable of perceiving sounds distinctly. Deafened and stunned with their promiscuous cries. Addison.

To stun or stupefy with noise; to deafen. [Scot.]

fail; to become weak, corrupt, or disintegrated; to rot; to perish; as, a tree decays; fortunes decay; hopes decay. Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey, Where wealth accumulates and men decay. Goldsmith.

ondition; affected with decay; rotten; as, decayed vegetation or vegetables; a decayed fortune or gentleman. -- De*cay"ed*ness, n.

t; hence, respectable; fairly good; reasonably comfortable or satisfying; as, a decent fortune; a decent person. A decent retreat in the mutability of human affairs. Burke. -- De"cent*ly, adv. -- De"cent*ness, n.

n empty speech; to rehearse trite arguments in debate; to rant. Grenville seized the opportunity to declaim on the repeal of the stamp act. Bancroft.

he deeps of knowledge springs. Cowley. The hollow deep of hell resounded. Milton. Blue Neptune storms, the bellowing deeps resound. Pope.

Lowness of spirits occasioned by grief or misfortune; mental depression; melancholy. What besides, Of sorrow, and dejection, and despair, Our frailty can sustain, thy tidings bring. Milton.

To come down to a lower, less fortunate, humbler, less virtuous, or worse, state or station; to lower or abase one's self; as, he descended from his high estate.

The division of Tunicata which includes the Salpæ. See Salpa.

able; past cure, or, at least, extremely dangerous; as, a desperate disease; desperate fortune.

em which despitefully use you. Matt. v. 44. Let us examine him with despitefulness and fortune. Book of Wisdom ii. 19.

e for; to purpose to obtain. For wisdom is most riches; fools therefore They are which fortunes do by vows devise. Spenser.

Same as Diapason. [Obs.] A tuneful diapase of pleasures. Spenser.

A standard of pitch; a tuning fork; as, the French normal diapason.