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One who decorates, adorns, or embellishes; specifically, an artisan whose business is the decoration of houses, esp. their interior decoration.

To lead into danger by artifice; to lure into a net or snare; to entrap; to insnare; to allure; to entice; as, to decoy troops into an ambush; to decoy ducks into a net. Did to a lonely cot his steps decoy. Thomson. E'en while fashion's brightest arts decoy, The heart, distrusting, asks if this be joy. Goldsmith.…

With profound skill; with art or intricacy; as, a deeply laid plot or intrigue.

of jurors, witnesses, etc. In default of, in case of failure or lack of. Cooks could make artificial birds and fishes in default of the real ones. Arbuthnot. -- To suffer a default (Law), to permit an action to be called without appearing to answer.

Same as Deficiency. Thou in thyself art perfect, and in thee Is no deficience found. Milton.

The art or act of determining the directions and heights of the lines of rampart with reference to the protection of the interior from exposure to an enemy's fire from any point within range, or from any works which may be erected. Farrow.

Serving to define or restrict; limiting; determining; as, the definite article. Definite article (Gram.), the article the, which is used to designate a particular person or thing, or a particular class of persons or things; -- also called a definitive. See Definitive, n. -- Definite inflorescence. (Bot.) See Determina…

to define or limit the extent of the signification of a common noun, such as the definite article, and some pronouns.

d in worth; having lost in goodness; deteriorated; degraded; unworthy; base; low. Faint-hearted and degenerate king. Shak. A degenerate and degraded state. Milton. Degenerate from their ancient blood. Swift. These degenerate days. Pope. I had planted thee a noble vine . . . : how then art thou turned into the degenerat…

college or university, in recognition of their attainments; as, the degree of bachelor of arts, master, doctor, etc.

, or time of arrival, of; as, the mail is delayed by a heavy fall of snow. Thyrsis! whose artful strains have oft delayed The huddling brook to hear his madrigal. Milton.

ation by means of tints shades; accurate and minute representation, as distinguished from art that is careless of details, or subordinates them excessively.

To give or transfer; to yield possession or control of; to part with (to); to make over; to commit; to surrender; to resign; -- often with up or over, to or into. Thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand. Gen. xl. 13. The constables have delivered her over. Shak. The exalted mind All sense of woe delivers to the…

tted to delude; tending to mislead the mind; deceptive; beguiling; delusory; as, delusive arts; a delusive dream. Delusive and unsubstantial ideas. Whewell. -- De*lu"sive*ly, adv. -- De*lu"sive*ness, n.

leader of the rabble; one who attempts to control the multitude by specious or deceitful arts; an unprincipled and factious mob orator or political leader.

-- followed by the reflexive pronoun. Her son would demean himself by a marriage with an artist's daughter. Thackeray.

aring; mien. His demeanor was singularly pleasing. Macaulay. The men, as usual, liked her artless kindness and simple refined demeanor. Thackeray.

A half vault; one of the seven artificial motions of a horse, in which he raises his fore legs in a particular manner.

Capable of being demonstrated; that can be proved beyond doubt or question. The grand articles of our belief are as demonstrable as geometry. Glanvill.

Formed by the aid of the teeth; -- said of certain articulations and the letters representing them; as, d t are dental letters. Dental formula (Zoöl.), a brief notation used by zoölogists to denote the number and kind of teeth of a mammal. -- Dental surgeon, a dentist.