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  • English Word De bene esse Definition Of well being; of formal sufficiency for the time; conditionally; provisionally.
  • English Word De facto Definition Actually; in fact; in reality; as, a king de facto, -- distinguished from a king de jure, or by right.
  • English Word De jure Definition By right; of right; by law; -- often opposed to de facto.
  • English Word De- Definition A prefix from Latin de down, from, away; as in debark, decline, decease, deduct, decamp. In words from the French it is equivalent to Latin dis-apart, away; or sometimes to de. Cf. Dis-. It is negative and opposite in derange, deform, destroy, etc. It is intensive in deprave, despoil, declare, desolate, etc.
  • English Word Deacon Definition An officer in Christian churches appointed to perform certain subordinate duties varying in different communions. In the Roman Catholic and Episcopal churches, a person admitted to the lowest order in the ministry, subordinate to the bishops and priests. In Presbyterian churches, he is subordinate to the minister and elders, and has charge of certain duties connected with the communion service and the care of the poor. In Congregational churches, he is subordinate to the pastor, and has duties as in the Presbyterian church.
  • English Word Deacon Definition The chairman of an incorporated company.
  • English Word Deacon Definition To read aloud each line of (a psalm or hymn) before singing it, -- usually with off.
  • English Word Deaconess Definition A female deacon
  • English Word Deaconess Definition One of an order of women whose duties resembled those of deacons.
  • English Word Deaconess Definition A woman set apart for church work by a bishop.
  • English Word Deaconess Definition A woman chosen as a helper in church work, as among the Congregationalists.
  • English Word Deaconhood Definition The state of being a deacon; office of a deacon; deaconship.
  • English Word Deaconry Definition See Deaconship.
  • English Word Deaconship Definition The office or ministry of a deacon or deaconess.
  • English Word Dead Definition Deprived of life; -- opposed to alive and living; reduced to that state of a being in which the organs of motion and life have irrevocably ceased to perform their functions; as, a dead tree; a dead man.
  • English Word Dead Definition Destitute of life; inanimate; as, dead matter.
  • English Word Dead Definition Resembling death in appearance or quality; without show of life; deathlike; as, a dead sleep.
  • English Word Dead Definition Still as death; motionless; inactive; useless; as, dead calm; a dead load or weight.
  • English Word Dead Definition So constructed as not to transmit sound; soundless; as, a dead floor.
  • English Word Dead Definition Unproductive; bringing no gain; unprofitable; as, dead capital; dead stock in trade.
  • English Word Dead Definition Lacking spirit; dull; lusterless; cheerless; as, dead eye; dead fire; dead color, etc.
  • English Word Dead Definition Monotonous or unvaried; as, a dead level or pain; a dead wall.
  • English Word Dead Definition Sure as death; unerring; fixed; complete; as, a dead shot; a dead certainty.
  • English Word Dead Definition Bringing death; deadly.
  • English Word Dead Definition Wanting in religious spirit and vitality; as, dead faith; dead works.
  • English Word Dead Definition Flat; without gloss; -- said of painting which has been applied purposely to have this effect.
  • English Word Dead Definition Not brilliant; not rich; thus, brown is a dead color, as compared with crimson.
  • English Word Dead Definition Cut off from the rights of a citizen; deprived of the power of enjoying the rights of property; as, one banished or becoming a monk is civilly dead.
  • English Word Dead Definition Not imparting motion or power; as, the dead spindle of a lathe, etc. See Spindle.
  • English Word Dead Definition To a degree resembling death; to the last degree; completely; wholly.