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ntercourse, in actions, or in discourse; proper formality; becoming ceremony; seemliness; hence, freedom from obscenity or indecorum; modesty. Observances of time, place, and of decency in general. Burke. Immodest words admit of no defense, For want of decency is want of sense. Roscommon.

Moderate, but competent; sufficient; 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.

A book consisting of sheets, each of which is folded into sixteen leaves; hence, indicating, more or less definitely, a size of book; -- usually written 16mo or 16º.

A duck used to lure wild ducks into a decoy; hence, a person employed to lure others into danger. Beau. & Fl.

Fact; reality; -- whence we have indeed.

Burning with a sudden and sparkling combustion, as niter; hence, slightly explosive; liable to snap and crackle when heated, as salt.

To be or grow worse than one's kind, or than one was originally; hence, to be inferior; to grow poorer, meaner, or more vicious; to decline in good qualities; to deteriorate. When wit transgresseth decency, it degenerates into insolence and impiety. Tillotson.

Pottery made at the city of Delft in Holland; hence:

neness of form, texture, or constitution; softness; elegance; smoothness; tenderness; and hence, frailty or weakness; as, the delicacy of a fiber or a thread; delicacy of a hand or of the human form; delicacy of the skin; delicacy of frame.

Pleasing to the senses; refinedly; hence, adapted to please a nice or cultivated taste; nice; fine; elegant; as, a delicate dish; delicate flavor.

The mistress of Samson, who betrayed him (Judges xvi.); hence, a harlot; a temptress. Other Delilahs on a smaller scale Burns met with during his Dumfries sojourn. J. C. Shairp.

ure; in drawing and engraving, to represent in lines, as with the pen, pencil, or graver; hence, to represent with accuracy and minuteness. See Delineation. Adventurous to delineate nature's form. Akenside.

To require as necessary or useful; to be in urgent need of; hence, to call for; as, the case demands care.

of garnet found in the Urals. It is valued as a gem because of its brilliancy of luster, whence the name.

The decease of a royal or princely person; hence, also, the death of any illustrious person. After the demise of the Queen [of George II.], in 1737, they [drawing-rooms] were held but twice a week. P. Cunningham.

eged by the opposite party, it is sufficient in law to sustain the action or defense, and hence whether the party resting is bound to answer or proceed further. Demurrer to evidence, an exception taken by a party to the evidence offered by the opposite party, and an objecting to proceed further, on the allegation that…

That which removes oxygen; hence, a reducing agent; as, nascent hydrogen is a deoxidizer.

To paint; to picture; hence, to describe; to delineate in words; to depict. [Obs.] And do unwilling worship to the saint That on his shield depainted he did see. Spenser. In few words shall see the nature of many memorable persons . . . depainted. Holland.

r or to before the destination. I will depart to mine own land. Num. x. 30. Ere thou from hence depart. Milton. He which hath no stomach to this fight, Let him depart. Shak.

Worthy of being deplored or lamented; lamentable; causing grief; hence, sad; calamitous; grievous; wretched; as, life's evils are deplorable. Individual sufferers are in a much more deplorable conditious than any others. Burke.