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The act or process of boiling anything in a watery fluid to extract its virtues. In decoction . . . it either purgeth at the top or settleth at the bottom. Bacon.

To render infamous; to bring into disrepute. My guilt thy growing virtues did defame; My blackness blotted thy unblemish'd name. Dryden.

Fault; offense; ill deed; wrong act; failure in virtue or wisdom. And pardon craved for his so rash default. Spenser. Regardless of our merit or default. Pope.

o expound or interpret; as, to define a word, a phrase, or a scientific term. They define virtue to be life ordered according to nature. Robynson (More's Utopia).

uirement, and the like; a stage in progression; grade; gradation; as, degrees of vice and virtue; to advance by slow degrees; degree of comparison.

Endowed with delight. If virtue no delighted beauty lack. Shak.

The right or title in virtue of which anything may be claimed; as, to hold a demand against a person.

To comment freely; to discourse with fullness and particularity; to discourse at large. A virtuous man should be pleased to find people descanting on his actions. Addison.

To come down to a lower, less fortunate, humbler, less virtuous, or worse, state or station; to lower or abase one's self; as, he descended from his high estate.

Progress downward, as in station, virtue, as in station, virtue, and the like, from a higher to a lower state, from a higher to a lower state, from the more to the less important, from the better to the worse, etc.

To teach; to train. [Obs.] That better were in virtues discipled. Spenser.

noble prince. Shak. Prosperity doth best discover vice; but adversity doth best discover virtue. Bacon. We will discover ourselves unto them. 1 Sam. xiv. 8. Discover not a secret to another. Prov. xxv. 9.

ts were used to discuss the beginnings of new affection. Sir H. Wotton. A pomade . . . of virtue to discuss pimples. Rambler.

xxi. 7. Wilt thou be displeased at us forever Psalms lxxxv. 5 (Bk. of Com. Prayer). This virtuous plaster will displease Your tender sides. J. Fletcher. Adversity is so wholesome . . . why should we be displeased therewith Barrow.

A dissuasive. [R.] This virtuous and reasonable person, however, has ill luck in all his dissuasories. Jeffrey.

To flow. [Poetic] Yet o'er that virtuous blush distreams a tear. Shenstone.

Something divine or superhuman; supernatural power or virtue; something which inspires awe. They say there is divinity in odd numbers. Shak. There's such divinity doth hedge a king. Shak.

ve sentences do is, for the most part, archaic or poetical; as, "This just reproach their virtue does excite." Dryden. To do one's best, To do one's diligence (and the like), to exert one's self; to put forth one's best or most or most diligent efforts. "We will . . . do our best to gain their assent." Jowett (Thucyd.)…

lestial hierarchy; -- a meaning given by the schoolmen. Thrones, dominations, princedoms, virtues, powers. Milton.

To fill with fear; to affright. [Obs.] The virtues of the valiant Caratach More doubt me than all Britain. Beau. & Fl.