n. [ L. desudatio, fr. desudare to sweat greatly; de + sudare to sweat. ] (Med.) A sweating; a profuse or morbid sweating, often succeeded by an eruption of small pimples. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. [ L. desuetus, p. p. of desuescere to disuse. ] Disused; out of use. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ L. desuetudo, from desuescere, to grow out of use, disuse; de + suescere to become used or accustomed: cf. F. désuétude. See Custom. ] The cessation of use; disuse; discontinuance of practice, custom, or fashion. [ 1913 Webster ]
The desuetude abrogated the law, which, before, custom had established. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. t.
n. [ Cf. F. désulfuration. ] The act or process of depriving of sulphur. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. t. To desulphurate; to deprive of sulphur. --
adv. In a desultory manner; without method; loosely; immethodically. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. The quality of being desultory or without order or method; unconnectedness. [ 1913 Webster ]
The seeming desultoriness of my method. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. Desultory. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]
a. [ L. desultorius, fr. desultor a leaper, fr. desilire, desultum, to leap down; de + salire to leap. See Saltation. ]
I shot at it [ a bird ], but it was so desultory that I missed my aim. Gilbert White. [ 1913 Webster ]
He [ Goldsmith ] knew nothing accurately; his reading had been desultory. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]