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A thing voluntary abandoned or willfully cast away by its proper owner, especially a ship abandoned at sea.

A Turkish or Persian monk, especially one who professes extreme poverty and leads an austere life.

Incursion; sudden attack; especially, hostile invasion from sea; - - often followed by upon or on; as, to make a descent upon the enemy. The United Provinces . . . ordered public prayer to God, when they feared that the French and English fleets would make a descent upon their coasts. Jortin.

To leave (especially something which one should stay by and support); to leave in the lurch; to abandon; to forsake; -- implying blame, except sometimes when used of localities; as, to desert a friend, a principle, a cause, one's country. "The deserted fortress." Prescott.

ne who forsakes a duty, a cause or a party, a friend, or any one to whom he owes service; especially, a soldier or a seaman who abandons the service without leave; one guilty of desertion.

A master; a lord; especially, an absolute or irresponsible ruler or sovereign. Irresponsible power in human hands so naturally leads to it, that cruelty has become associated with despot and tyrant. C. J. Smith.

To separate for a special object or use; -- used especially in military language; as, to detach a ship from a fleet, or a company from a regiment.

That which is detached; especially, a body of troops or part of a fleet sent from the main body on special service. Troops . . . widely scattered in little detachments. Bancroft.

That which locks or unlocks a movement; a catch, pawl, or dog; especially, in clockwork, the catch which locks and unlocks the wheelwork in striking.

To take away a part or something, especially from one's credit; to lessen reputation; to derogate; to defame; -- often with from. It has been the fashion to detract both from the moral and literary character of Cicero. V. Knox.

A large cephalopod, especially the very large species of Octopus and Architeuthis. See Octopus.

f being devoted; addiction; eager inclination; strong attachment love or affection; zeal; especially, feelings toward God appropriately expressed by acts of worship; devoutness. Genius animated by a fervent spirit of devotion. Macaulay.

The flesh upon the human throat, especially when with age. [Burlesque] On her withered dewlap pour the ale. Shak.

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

A method of surveying, especially in mines, in which the bearings of the courses, or the angles which they make with each other, are determined by means of the circumferentor.

ubstances in solution, as crystalloids and colloids, by means of their unequal diffusion, especially through natural or artificial membranes.

A prolonged or exhaustive discussion; especially, an acrimonious or invective harangue; a strain of abusive or railing language; a philippic. The ephemeral diatribe of a faction. John Morley.

Division into two; especially, the division of a class into two subclasses opposed to each other by contradiction, as the division of the term man into white and not white.

One invested with absolute authority; especially, a magistrate created in times of exigence and distress, and invested with unlimited power. Invested with the authority of a dictator, nay, of a pope, over our language. Macaulay.

Embarrassment of affairs, especially financial affairs; -- usually in the plural; as, to be in difficulties. In days of difficulty and pressure. Tennyson.