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To see and identify by noting a difference or differences; to note the distinctive character of; to discriminate; to distinguish. To discern such buds as are fit to produce blossoms. Boyle. A counterfeit stone which thine eye can not discern from a right stone. Robynson (More's Utopia).

Reasoning; characterized by reasoning; passing from premises to consequences; discursive. Milton.

Marking a difference; distinguishing; distinctive; characteristic. That peculiar and discriminative form of life. Johnson.

self, or as not deserving one's notice; to look with scorn upon; to scorn, as base acts, character, etc. When the Philistine . . . saw Dawid, he disdained him; for he was but a youth. 1 Sam. xvii. 42. 'T is great, 't manly to disdain disguise. Young.

affection; illness; sickness; disorder; -- applied figuratively to the mind, to the moral character and habits, to institutions, the state, etc. Diseases desperate grown, By desperate appliances are relieved. Shak. The instability, injustice, and confusion introduced into the public counsels have, in truth, been the mo…

; to cloak by a false show; to mask; as, to disguise anger; to disguise one's sentiments, character, or intentions. All God's angels come to us disguised. Lowell.

Characterized by fraud; indicating a want of probity; knavish; fraudulent; unjust. To get dishonest gain. Ezek. xxii. 27. The dishonest profits of men in office. Bancroft.

or shame on; to treat with indignity, or as unworthy in the sight of others; to stain the character of; to lessen the reputation of; as, the duelist dishonors himself to maintain his honor. Nothing . . . that may dishonor Our law, or stain my vow of Nazarite. Milton.

Wanting in honor; not honorable; bringing or deserving dishonor; staining the character, and lessening the reputation; shameful; disgraceful; base.

Inclined to dispute; apt to civil or controvert; characterized by dispute; as, a disputatious person or temper. The Christian doctrine of a future life was no recommendation of the new religion to the wits and philosophers of that disputations period. Buckminster. -- Dis`pu*ta"tious*ly, adv. -- Dis`pu*ta"tious*ness, n…

Loss or want of reputation; ill character; disesteem; discredit. At the beginning of the eighteenth century astrology fell into general disrepute. Sir W. Scott.

Disagreement in opinion, usually of a violent character, producing warm debates or angry words; contention in words; partisan and contentious divisions; breach of friendship and union; strife; discord; quarrel. Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them. Acts xv. 2. Debates, dissension, uproars…

Marking or expressing distinction or difference; distinguishing; characteristic; peculiar. The distinctive character and institutions of New England. Bancroft.

marks; to make distinctive or discernible by exhibiting differences; to mark off by some characteristic. Not more distinguished by her purple vest, Than by the charming features of her face. Dryden. Milton has distinguished the sweetbrier and the eglantine. Nares.

Constituting difference, or distinction from everything else; distinctive; peculiar; characteristic. The distinguishing doctrines of our holy religion. Locke. Distinguishing pennant (Naut.), a special pennant by which any particular vessel in a fleet is recognized and signaled. Simmonds.

To invest with a divine character; to deify. [R.] M. Arnold. Man had divinized all those objects of awe. Milman.

Aptness for being taught; teachableness; docility. To persons of docibility, the real character may be easily taught in a few days. Boyle. The docibleness of dogs in general. Walton.

The manner or character of a dogmatist; arrogance or positiveness in stating opinion. The self-importance of his demeanor, and the dogmatism of his conversation. Sir W. Scott.

The character, or individuality, of a dog.

A character in Dickens's novel "Barnaby Rudge," a beautiful, lively, and coquettish girl who wore a cherry-colored mantle and cherry-colored ribbons.