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One holding high rank; a dignitary. These filthy dreamers . . . speak evil of dignities. Jude. 8.

y, 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.…

To speak largely and copiously; to dwell in narration; to enlarge; -- with on or upon. But still on their ancient joys dilate. Crabbe.

ied to persons or to things, and to thoughts, feelings, or purposes. A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. Prov. vi. 19. Peace to arise out of universal discord fomented in all parts of the empire. Burke.

The art and manner of speaking and conversing. Of excellent breeding, admirable discourse. Shak.

One who discourse; a narrator; a speaker; an haranguer. In his conversation he was the most clear discourser. Milward.

the circulation of the blood. A brilliant career of discovery and conquest. Prescott. We speak of the "invention" of printing, the discovery of America. Trench.

To disable; to disqualify. The sight of it might damp me and disenable me to speak. State Trials (1640).

shameful; indecent; unchaste; lewd. [Obs.] Inglorious triumphs and dishonest scars. Pope. Speak no foul or dishonest words before them [the women]. Sir T. North.

comparison with what is inferior; to lower in rank or estimation by actions or words; to speak slightingly of; to depreciate; to undervalue. Those forbidding appearances which sometimes disparage the actions of men sincerely pious. Bp. Atterbury. Thou durst not thus disparage glorious arms. Milton.

est; as, distrustful of ourselves, of one's powers. Distrustful sense with modest caution speaks. Pope.

Speaking in different ways. [R.]

One who dogmatizes; one who speaks dogmatically; a bold and arrogant advancer of principles. I expect but little success of all this upon the dogmatist; his opinioned assurance is paramount to argument. Glanvill.

A translation of the Scriptures into the English language for the use of English-speaking Roman Catholics; -- done from the Latin Vulgate by English scholars resident in France. The New Testament portion was published at Rheims, A. D. 1582, the Old Testament at Douai, A. D. 1609-10. Various revised editions have since…

enly and the other secretly; equivocal; deceitful; insincere. With a double heart do they speak. Ps. xii. 2.

Deceit; duplicity. Now cometh the sin of double-tongue, such as speak fair before folk and wickedly behind. Chaucer.

n India, which seem to have been the idioms of the natives, before the invasion of tribes speaking Sanskrit. Of these languages, the Tamil is the most important.

To speak with slow and lingering utterance, from laziness, lack of spirit, affectation, etc. Theologians and moralists . . . talk mostly in a drawling and dreaming way about it. Landor.

The act of speaking with a drawl; a drawl. -- Drawl"ing*ly, adv. Bacon.

To mumble in speaking. [Obs.]