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The office or the revenue of a dean. See the Note under Benefice, n., 3.

The office of a dean. I dont't value your deanship a straw. Swift.

A writing acknowledging a debt; a writing or certificate signed by a public officer, as evidence of a debt due to some person; the sum thus due.

To remove summarily from office. [Colloq. U. S.]

The office or term of office of the decemvirs in Rome.

The office of a decemvir. Holland.

The act of declining or refusing; as, the declinature of an office.

A person employed by officers of justice, or parties exposed to injury, to induce a suspected person to commit an offense under circumstances that will lead to his detection.

A head or chief over ten; especially, an officer who commanded a division of ten soldiers.

The office of a decurion.

An abstraction of money, etc., by an officer or agent

The patron of a church; an officer having charge of the temporal affairs of a church.

Aptly; fitly; dexterously; neatly. "Deftly dancing." Drayton. Thyself and office deftly show. Shak.

rank, character, or reputation, or of abasing; a lowering from one's standing or rank in office or society; diminution; as, the degradation of a peer, a knight, a general, or a bishop. He saw many removes and degradations in all the other offices of which he had been possessed. Clarendon.

To reduce from a higher to a lower rank or degree; to lower in rank' to deprive of office or dignity; to strip of honors; as, to degrade a nobleman, or a general officer. Prynne was sentenced by the Star Chamber Court to be degraded from the bar. Palfrey.

Deprivation of rank or office; degradation. [R.] Milton.

act as its representative in a convention; as, a delegate to a convention for nominating officers, or for forming or altering a constitution. [U.S.] Court of delegates, formerly, the great court of appeal from the archbishops' courts and also from the court of admiralty. It is now abolished, and the privy council is t…

The state of being delivered, or freed from restraint. I do desire deliverance from these officers. Shak.

Resignation of an office. [Scot.]

To lay down, as an office; to resign. [Scot.] General Conway demitted his office. Hume.