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a discourse; hence, a part of a discourse deviating from its main design or subject. The digressions I can not excuse otherwise, than by the confidence that no man will read them. Sir W. Temple.

Pertaining to, or having the character of, a digression; departing from the main purpose or subject. T. Warton.

made upon a missed ball; as, to steal a bye. T. Hughes. By the bye, in passing; by way of digression; apropos to the matter in hand. [Written also by the by.]

A piece in a free form, with frequent digressions from the theme; a fantasia; -- often called caprice.

Out of course; by the way; as a digression; not connected with the subject; as, a desultory remark.

Digression. [Obs.] Fuller.

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

By way of digression.

A wandering about or going astray; digression. Let us be set down at Queen's Crawley without further divagation. Thackeray.

A digression in which a person is introduced speaking his own words.

he purpose of giving a greater variety to the events related; an incidental narrative, or digression, separable from the main subject, but naturally arising from it.

recedent for; to exemplify; to give an instance of; to instance. [Obs.] "I may example my digression by some mighty precedent." Shak. Burke devoted himself to this duty with a fervid assiduity that has not often been exampled, and has never been surpassed. J. Morley.

A wandering from a subject; digression. I am not in a scribbling mood, and shall therefore make no excursions. Cowper.

A dissertation or digression appended to a work, and containing a more extended exposition of some important point or topic.

A going out of the way; a digression. [Obs.] Fuller.

to go back for a fresh start, as when one has wandered from his direct course, or made a digression. He must have overshot the mark, and must hark back. Haggard. He harked back to the subject. W. E. Norris.

ls . . . run all out into legs." Hammond. (c) To expatiate; as, to run out into beautiful digressions. (d) To be wasted or exhausted; to become poor; to become extinct; as, an estate managed without economy will soon run out. And had her stock been less, no doubt She must have long ago run out. Dryden. -- To run over.…

An excursion from the usual track; range; digression; deviation. Every one shall know a country better that makes often sallies into it, and traverses it up and down, than he that . . . goes still round in the same track. Locke.

man; a drab; a strumpet. She shall be called his wench or his leman. Chaucer. It is not a digression to talk of bawds in a discourse upon wenches. Spectator.