%def%

n. (Zool.) A long, thin, marine fish of Europe (Trichiurus lepturus); the ribbon fish. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Portentous; ominous. Carlyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A joint defendant. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Defaced p. pr. & vb. n. Defacing. ] [ OE. defacen to disfigure, efface, OF. desfacier; L. dis- + facies face. See Face, and cf. Efface. ] 1. To destroy or mar the face or external appearance of; to disfigure; to injure, spoil, or mar, by effacing or obliterating important features or portions of; as, to deface a monument; to deface an edifice; to deface writing; to deface a note, deed, or bond; to deface a record. “This high face defaced.” Emerson. [ 1913 Webster ]

So by false learning is good sense defaced. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. [ Cf. F. défaire. ] To destroy; to make null. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

[ Profane scoffing ] doth . . . deface the reverence of religion. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

For all his power was utterly defaste [ defaced ]. Spenser.

Syn. -- See Efface. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. having the external appearance impaired, usually deliberately.
Syn. -- marred. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. The act of defacing, or the condition of being defaced; injury to the surface or exterior; obliteration. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which mars or disfigures. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who, or that which, defaces or disfigures. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ F. défaillir to fail; pref. dé- (L. de) + faillir. See Fail, and cf. Default. ] To cause to fail. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. défaillance. ] Failure; miscarriage. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Possibility of defailance in degree or continuance. Comber. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Failure. [ Obs. ] Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Defalcated; p. pr. & vb. n. Defalcating. ] [ LL. defalcatus, p. p. of defalcare to deduct, orig., to cut off with a sickle; L. de- + falx, falcis, a sickle. See Falchion. ] To cut off; to take away or deduct a part of; -- used chiefly of money, accounts, rents, income, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

To show what may be practicably and safely defalcated from them [ the estimates ]. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To commit defalcation; to embezzle money held in trust. “Some partner defalcating, or the like.” Carlyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. defalcatio: cf. F. défalcation. ] 1. A lopping off; a diminution; abatement; deficit. Specifically: Reduction of a claim by deducting a counterclaim; set- off. Abbott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which is lopped off, diminished, or abated. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An abstraction of money, etc., by an officer or agent having it in trust; an embezzlement. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A defaulter or embezzler. [ Modern ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ F. défalquer. See Defalcate. ] To lop off; to abate. [ Obs. ] B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. diffamacioun, F. diffamation. See Defame. ] Act of injuring another's reputation by any slanderous communication, written or oral; the wrong of maliciously injuring the good name of another; slander; detraction; calumny; aspersion. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In modern usage, written defamation bears the title of libel, and oral defamation that of slander. Burrill. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Containing defamation; injurious to reputation; calumnious; slanderous; as, defamatory words; defamatory writings. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Defamed p. pr. & vb. n. Defaming. ] [ OE. defamen, diffamen, from F. diffamer, or OF. perh. defamer, fr. L. diffamare (cf. defamatus infamous); dis- (in this word confused with de) + fama a report. See Fame. ] 1. To harm or destroy the good fame or reputation of; to disgrace; especially, to speak evil of maliciously; to dishonor by slanderous reports; to calumniate; to asperse. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To render infamous; to bring into disrepute. [ 1913 Webster ]

My guilt thy growing virtues did defame;
My blackness blotted thy unblemish'd name. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To charge; to accuse. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Rebecca is . . . defamed of sorcery practiced on the person of a noble knight. Sir W. Scott.

Syn. -- To asperse; slander; calumniate; vilify. See Asperse. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Dishonor. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who defames; a slanderer; a detractor; a calumniator. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a defamatory manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Defamatory. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Defatigate. ] Capable of being wearied or tired out. [ R. ] Glanvill. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. defatigatus, p. p. of defatigare; de- + fatigare to weary. See Fatigue. ] To weary or tire out; to fatigue. [ R. ] Sir T. Herbert. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. defatigatio. ] Weariness; fatigue. [ R. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. defaute, OF. defaute, defalte, fem., F. défaut, masc., LL. defalta, fr. a verb meaning, to be deficient, to want, fail, fr. L. de- + fallere to deceive. See Fault. ] 1. A failing or failure; omission of that which ought to be done; neglect to do what duty or law requires; as, this evil has happened through the governor's default. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Fault; offense; ill deed; wrong act; failure in virtue or wisdom. [ 1913 Webster ]

And pardon craved for his so rash default. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

Regardless of our merit or default. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) A neglect of, or failure to take, some step necessary to secure the benefit of law, as a failure to appear in court at a day assigned, especially of the defendant in a suit when called to make answer; also of jurors, witnesses, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

In default of, in case of failure or lack of. [ 1913 Webster ] 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Defaulted; p. pr. & vb. n. Defaulting. ] 1. To fail in duty; to offend. [ 1913 Webster ]

That he gainst courtesy so foully did default. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To fail in fulfilling a contract, agreement, or duty. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To fail to appear in court; to let a case go by default. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To fail to perform or pay; to be guilty of neglect of; to omit; as, to default a dividend. [ 1913 Webster ]

What they have defaulted towards him as no king. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) To call a defendant or other party whose duty it is to be present in court, and make entry of his default, if he fails to appear; to enter a default against. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To leave out of account; to omit. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Defaulting unnecessary and partial discourses. Hales. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who makes default; one who fails to appear in court when court when called. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who fails to perform a duty; a delinquent; particularly, one who fails to account for public money intrusted to his care; a peculator; a defalcator. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. defesance, fr. defesant, F. défaisant, p. pr. of defaire, F. défaire, to undo. See Defeat. ] 1. A defeat; an overthrow. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

After his foes' defeasance. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A rendering null or void. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) A condition, relating to a deed, which being performed, the deed is defeated or rendered void; or a collateral deed, made at the same time with a feoffment, or other conveyance, containing conditions, on the performance of which the estate then created may be defeated. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Mortgages were usually made in this manner in former times, but the modern practice is to include the conveyance and the defeasance in the same deed. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Law) Liable to defeasance; capable of being made void or forfeited. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Defeasance. ] Capable of being annulled or made void; as, a defeasible title. -- De*fea"si*ble*ness, n. [1913 Webster]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Defeated; p. pr. & vb. n. Defeating. ] [ From F. défait, OF. desfait, p. p. ofe défaire, OF. desfaire, to undo; L. dis- + facere to do. See Feat, Fact, and cf. Disfashion. ] 1. To undo; to disfigure; to destroy. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

His unkindness may defeat my life. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To render null and void, as a title; to frustrate, as hope; to deprive, as of an estate. [ 1913 Webster ]

He finds himself naturally to dread a superior Being that can defeat all his designs, and disappoint all his hopes. Tillotson. [ 1913 Webster ]