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The act of depredating, or the state of being depredated; the act of despoiling or making inroads; as, the sea often makes depredation on the land.

the taking away from a clergyman his benefice, or other spiritual promotion or dignity.

The act of leaving with an intention not to reclaim or resume; an utter forsaking abandonment. Cession or dereliction, actual or tacit, of other powers. Burke.

The act of deserting or forsaking; abandonment of a service, a cause, a party, a friend, or any post of duty; the quitting of one's duties willfully and without right; esp., an absconding from military or naval service. Such a resignation would have seemed to his superior a desertion or a reproach. Bancroft.…

The act of making unsightly; disfigurement. [R.] To substitute jury masts at whatever desightment or damage in risk. London Times.

The act of making designs or sketches; the act of forming designs or plans.

ion of what belongs to another; detention of what is another's, even though the original taking may have been lawful. Forcible detainer is indictable at common law.

The uncovering of anything buried or covered with earth; a taking out of the earth or ground. Woodward.

A taking away or withdrawing. [Obs.] The detraction of the eggs of the said wild fowl. Bacon.

A making foul. [Obs.] Jer. Taylor.

at, broiled and excessively peppered; a grill with Cayenne pepper. Men and women busy in baking, broiling, roasting oysters, and preparing devils on the gridiron. Sir W. Scott.

A will or testament, conveying real estate; the clause of a will making a gift of real property. Fines upon devises were still exacted. Bancroft.

iagonal built (Shipbuilding), built by forming the outer skin of two layers of planking, making angles of about 45º with the keel, in opposite directions. -- Diagonal cleavage. See under Cleavage. -- Diagonal molding (Arch.), a chevron or zigzag molding. -- Diagonal rib. (Arch.) See Cross-springer. -- Diagonal scal…

Pertaining to, or exhibiting the phenomena of, diamagnetism; taking, or being of a nature to take, a position at right angles to the lines of magnetic force. See Paramagnetic. Diamagnetic attraction. See under Attraction.

The speaking to, or the giving orders to, in an overbearing manner; authoritative utterance; as, his habit, even with friends, was that of dictatio.

To take ore from its bed, in distinction from making excavations in search of ore.

to turn aside from the main subject of attention, or course of argument, in writing or speaking. Moreover she beginneth to digress in latitude. Holland. In the pursuit of an argument there is hardly room to digress into a particular definition as often as a man varies the signification of any term. Locke.…

Departing from the main subject; partaking of the nature of digression. Johnson.

Interested and persevering application; devoted and painstaking effort to accomplish what is undertaken; assiduity in service. That which ordinary men are fit for, I am qualified in; and the best of me is diligence. Shak.

Prosecuted with careful attention and effort; careful; painstaking; not careless or negligent. The judges shall make diligent inquisition. Deut. xix. 18.