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Extravagant; above real value. This anxiety never degenerated into a monomania, like that which led his [Frederick the Great's] father to pay fancy prices for giants. Macaulay. Fancy ball, a ball in which porsons appear in fanciful dresses in imitation of the costumes of different persons and nations. -- Fancy fair, a…

One who flatters. The most abject flaterers degenerate into the greatest tyrants. Addison.

Degenerate; mean.

he like; a heavy writer or book. Whilst the heavy plowman snores. Shak. Of a heavy, dull, degenerate mind. Dryden. Neither [is] his ear heavy, that it can not hear. Is. lix. 1.

A worthless, base, degenerate person or animal. [Obs.] Callander.

of service on liking; to engage a servant on liking. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Would he be the degenerate scion of that royal line . . . to be a king on liking and on sufferance Hazlitt.

A person, an individual. [Poetic] They list with women each degenerate name. Dryden. Christian name. (a) The name a person receives at baptism, as distinguished from surname; baptismal name. (b) A given name, whether received at baptism or not. -- Given name. See under Given. -- In name, in profession, or by title on…

A degenerate order of Crustacea, including the Rhizocephala and Cirripedia.

An irregular form of corpuscle found in the blood in cases of profound anæmia, probably a degenerated red blood corpuscle.

Extravagance; profusion. Hospitality sometimes degenerates into profuseness. Atterbury.

ysis, a variety of paralysis in which the muscles are apparently enlarged, but are really degenerated and replaced by fat.

Fig.: To degenerate in idleness; to become dull or impaired by inaction. Must I rust in Egypt never more Appear in arms, and be the chief of Greece Dryden.

mpts us to conceal. HIde, for shame, Romans, your grandsires' images, That blush at their degenerate progeny. Dryden. Have you no modesty, no maiden shame Shak.