decay 
inferior condition or state; specifically, become 
decomposed or corrupted ; rot. 
So oiiler the matter that jireaehinu may not (/"</</. 
Ltitiinff, '.M Sermon lief. Kilw. VI., lfi. r iO. 
HUH am- tint melted the roii^h parts away, 
As winter fniit.s ^rnu mil<! ere they decay! 
/',.//., linit. nl Horace, ll. II. 819. 
Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey, 
Where Health accumulates and men d<-<-u,i. 
,,iith, Ites. Vil., 1. 52. 
The woods decay, the woods decay and full. 
Ti'nili/<'JH, Titholllls. 
= Syn. I'utrefy, Corrupt, etc. See rot. 
II. trims. To cause to become unsound or 
impaired; cause to deteriorate ; impair; bring 
to a worse state. [Now rare or colloq.] 
It hath been all his study to ilerui/ this ollicc. 
Latimer, mil Sermon hff. Edw. VI., 1549. 
Infirmity, that decay* the wise, doth ever make the bet- 
ter fool. SAat., T. N., i. 5. 
They . . . thought it u persecution more undermining 
and secretly </<r<fvi'/iv tlie l hill eh then the open cruelty of 
Decius or Dioclesiau. Milton, Areopagltica, p. 14. 
decay (de-ka'), . [< decay, v.] 1. Gradual 
loss of soundness or perfection ; a falling by 
degrees into an impaired condition or state ; im- 
pairment in general ; loss of strength, health, 
intellect, etc. 
And the seyd Churche wytli all the places falleth in gret 
Delcay. Torkinyton, Diarie of Eng. Travel], p. 49. 
I, wofull wight, 
Against my conscience heere did tight, 
And brought my followers all unto decay. 
Thoiuai atukely (Child's Ballads, VII. 311). 
He who hath bent him o'er the dead 
Ere the first day of death Is fled, . . . 
Before Decay's effacing fingers 
Have swept the lines where beauty lingers. 
Byrun, The Giaour, 1. 72. 
His (Johnson's] failure was not to be ascribed to intel- 
lectual decay. Macanlay. 
Specifically 2. Decomposition; putrefaction; 
rot. 3f. Death; dissolution. 
Grit dolour was for his decay, 
That sae uuhappylie was slain. 
Battle of Harlaw (Child's Ballads, VII. 188). 
She forth was brought in sorrowfull dismay 
For to receive the doome of her de-cay. 
Spewer, V. Q., V. xii. 12. 
4f. A disease ; especially, consumption. 
Dr. Middlctmi is dead not killed by Mr. Ashton but 
of a decay that came upon him at once. 
Walpole, Letters, II. 217. 
5f. A cause of decay. 
He that plots to be the only figure among ciphers is the 
decay of the whole age. Bacon. 
6. Loss of fortune or property; misfortune: 
ruin : applied to persons. [Obsolete or archaic.] 
If thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with 
thee. Lev. xxv. 36. 
Then, if he thrive, and 1 be cast away, 
The worst was this, my love was my decay. 
Shak., Sonnets, lx\x. 
A merchant of Pllmouth in England (whose father had 
been mayor there), called [blank] Martin, being fallen 
into decay, came to Casco Bay. 
Winthrup, Hist. New England, II. 368. 
7t. J>1- Ruins. 
As far beyond are the decayc* of a Church : which stood 
in the place where the Patriarch Jacoh inhabited. 
Sandys, Travailes, p. 137. 
= Syn. 1, Decline, decadence, deterioration, degeneracy, 
withering. 
decayable (de-ka'a-bl), a. [< decay + -able. 
Cf. OF. decliedble, dencheabk, dechaable.] Capa- 
ble of or liable to decay. [Rare.] 
Were His strength (/cai/dWtf with time there might be 
some hope in rcluetution ; but never did or shall man con- 
test against <iod without coming short home. 
Rev. T. Adams, Work*, III. 111. 
decayedness (de-kad'nes), n. The state of be- 
ing unpaired; a decayed state. 
decayer (de-ka'er), . That which causes de- 
cay. 
Your water is a sore decayer of your whoreson dead 
iMxIy. Shak., Hamlet, v. 1. 
decease (de-ses'), n. [< ME. deces, deses, de- 
cesse, < OF. deces, F. tUces = Sp. deceso, < L. de- 
cessus, death, lit. departure, < decedere, pp. de- 
cessus, depart, go away: see decede.] Depart- 
ure from life : death. 
Moses and Ellas, who appeared in glory, and spnke of 
his '/T< <JM which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. 
Luke ix. 30, 31. 
= Syn. l>>'>h. tti-eeane. Dentine. Death is the common 
term for the eliding of life. Dec.eaxv is slightly euphe- 
mistic ; it is less forcible and harsh than death. /v//i/< 
applies primarily to a sovereign, who at death sendsdown 
or transmits his title, ete. (see limitation from Hlaekstone, 
miller ./. KM'.-.), and hence to others with reference to the 
transmission of their |>ossessiniis. The u-e of <lenii.*e for 
il<;t!h apart from this idea is limuative, euphemistic, or 
stilted. 
1 1-1 
Among the Lepchas, the house where there has been a 
< l,'<i It- H almost alwavs fi.rsakcu lt> tlic *ilt \ i\ IIIL; inmates. 
//. .S'/K-IKVC. I'rin. of Soeiol., j 110. 
She had Ike care of Lady Ida's youth, 
Anil from the Queen's decease she hrouyht her up. 
YV,</iyx.,, Princess, HI. 
There is such a difference between dying in a sonnet with 
a cambric handkerchief at one's eyes, and the prosaic 
reality of itemixe certified in the parish register. 
/." ", Among my Books, 1st ser., p. 367. 
decease (de-seV), v. i.; pret. and pp. deceased, 
ppr. deceasing. [< MK. tlwxrn, disseasen; from 
the noun.] To depart from life; die. 
It is orde.vncil, that when any Broder or Stutter of this 
Glide is dea'ttnt mite off this worlde, then, withyn the 
xxx. dayes of that Broder or Suster, in the Chin -h of Seynt 
Poules, ye Steward of this Glide shall doo Rynge for hytn. 
Emjlinh (Jild* (E. E. T. S.), p. 190. 
Your brother's dead ; this morning he deccai'd. 
Fletcher, Wife for a Month, v. 3. 
= 8yn. Expire, etc. 
deceased (de-sest'), p. a. Departed from life ; 
dead. 
These poor rude lines of thy deceased lover. 
Shalt., Bonnets, xxxll. 
Deceased wife's sister bill see bill*. 
decedet (de-sed'), r. i. ; pret. and pp. deceded, 
ppr. deceding. [= F. decider = It. decedere, < L. 
decedere, depart, go away, depart from life, die, 
< de-, away, + cedere, go. See decedent.] To 
go away ; depart ; secede. 
The scandal of schisme, to shew that they had, 1. just 
cause for which . . . they deceded from Rome. 
Miller, Ch. Hist., V. iii. 25. 
decedent (de-se'dent), a. and n. [< L. dece- 
den(t-)s, ppr'. of decedere, depart: see decease.] 
I.t a. Going away ; departing ; seceding. 
II. n. A deceased person. [U. S., used 
chiefly in law.] 
deceit (de-set'), n. [Early mod. E. also deceite, 
deccyte, deceete, deceipt, etc. ; < ME. deceite, de- 
ceyte, desceit, disceyte, digsayte, dessayte, etc., < 
OF. deceite, deceyte, deyoite, deyritte, dechoite, 
decepte, f., deceit, descait, decept, m., deceit, < L. 
deceptus, deceit, < decipere, deceive : see deceire, 
deception. Cf. conceit, receipt.] 1. The qual- 
ity of being false or misleading; falseness; 
falsehood; deception; deceptiveness. 
O, that iliri'it should dwell 
In such a gorgeous palace ! Shalt., R. and J., ill. 2. 
2. The act or practice of deceiving ; conceal- 
ment or perversion of the truth for the purpose 
of misleading; fraud; cheating. 
And thus often tytue he was revenged of his enemyes, 
be his sol > Me dixceytei and false Cauteles. 
Mandemlle, Travels, p. 280. 
3. That which deceives; action or speech de- 
signed to mislead or beguile ; a guileful arti- 
fice. 
My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter 
deceit. Job xxvii. 4. 
They . . . imagine deceits all the day long. 
Ps. xxxviii. 12. 
4. In law, any trick, device, craft, collusion, 
false representation, or underhand practice, 
used to defraud another: now more commonly 
called fraud or misrepresentation. =syn. 1 and 
2. Deceit, Deception, Fraud, craft, cunning, duplicity, 
double-dealing, guile, trickery, wiHness, treachery, finesse, 
imposture. Deceit is a shorter and more energetic word 
for i lecc i t fu 1 1 1 es s. indicating the quality ; it is also, but more 
rarely, used to express the act or manner of deceiving. 
The reverse is true of deception, which is properly the act 
or course by which one deceives, and not properly the 
uuality ; it may express the state of being deceived. 
AWM is an act or a series of acts of deceit by which oue 
attempts to benefit himself at the expense of others. It 
is generally a breaking of law ; the others are not. See 
artifice and deceptive. 
Perhaps, as a child of deceit, 
She might by a true descent be untrue. 
Tennyson, Maud, xiii. 3. 
And fall into deception unaware. Milton, P. L., ix. 362. 
Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down 
your fields, which is of you kept back by/raud, crieth. 
Jas. v. 4. 
deceitful (de-set'ful), a. [< deceit + -ful.] Full 
of deceit; tending to mislead, deceive, or in- 
snare; tricky; fraudulent; cheating. 
His hardest labour Is his tongue, as if he were loath to 
vse so decei(full an Organ. 
Bp. Earle, Micro-cosmographie, A Ohilde. 
The smiles of joy, the tears of woe, 
Deceitful shine, deceitful flow, 
There's nothing true but Heaven. 
Moore, This world is all a fleeting show. 
= SyH. Deceptive, Deceitful, etc. (see deceptire), delusive, 
fallacious, insincere, hyjwcritieal, false, hollow, 
deceitfully (de-set'ful-i), rtdr. In a deceitful 
manner; fraudulently ; with deceit; in a man- 
ner or witli a view to deceive. 
December 
The sons of Jacob answered Sheehem and llamor his 
father drrritj'iili.i. Gen. \\\i\. i;:. 
deceitfulness (de-set'ful-nes), n. Disposition 
or tendency to deceive or mislead ; the quality 
of being deceitful. 
lint what kind of r/. . < '. is this in sin, that thebest 
and wisest men are so much caution d against ft? 
Stillinjjleet, [(ennoiis, II. 111. 
deceitless (de-set'les), a. [< deceit + -less.] 
Free from deceit. [Rare.] 
As if that were an epithet in favour, which is Intended 
to aggravation ! So he that should call Hatan an unclean 
. I. . il, should imply that some devil is not unclean ; or de- 
ed vable lusts, some lusts deceitle** .' 
Up. Hall, Old Religion, | 2. 
deceivable (de-se'va-bl), a. and . [Early mod. 
E. also declarable, deceevahle; < ME. deceivable, 
ilrxiti/ni/ir/, etf., only in sense of ' deceitful,' < 
OF. decerable (F. de'cevalilc), deceitful, < decerer, 
deceive: see deceive.] I. a. 1. That maybe de- 
ceived; subject to deceit or imposition; capa- 
ble of being misled or entrapped; exposed to 
imposture. 
Blind, and thereby 
Veceinable In most things as a child. 
Milton, 8. A., 1. 942. 
2f. Producing error or deception ; deceptive. 
How false and deceieable that common saying is, which 
is so much reli'd upon, that the Christian Magistrate U 
custos utriusque tabulae, keeper of both tables. 
Milton, Civil Power. 
H.t n. Capability of being deceived ; deeeiv- 
ableness. 
If t In HI semyst fayr. thy nature maketh nat that, but the 
deceyvable or the feblesse of the eyen that loken. 
Chaucer, Boethius, III. prose 8. 
deceivableness (de-se'va-bl-nes), n. 1. Lia- 
bility to be deceived. 2f. Liability to deceive ; 
deceitfulness. 
All deceirablenets of unrighteousness. 2 Thes. II. 10. 
deceivably (de-se'va-bli), adr. In a deceivable 
manner. 
deceivancet, u. [ME. deceyvance, desceyvancr, 
< OF. dccevance (F. decevance), < decever, deceive : 
see deceive.] Deceit; deception. 
Here of a denceyvance the! conseild him to do. 
Robert of Brunnc, p. 133. 
deceivantt, a. [ME. "deceyvant, disceyramit, < 
OF. decevant (F. decevant), ppr. of decever, de- 
ceive : see deceive.] Deceitful. 
Alle the wordes that I spake thei ben trewe, ffor by 
woman is many a man dfsceyved, and therefore I cleped 
hir ditceyuaunt, for by woman ben many tow nes sonken 
and brent Merlin (E. E. T. 8.), lit 432. 
deceive (de-sev'), . t. ; pret. and pp. deceired, 
ppr. deceiving. [Early mod. E. also deceave, 
deceeve; (. ME. deceyven, desayven, dissayven, etc., 
< OF. decever, deceveir, etc., F. ddcevoir = Pr. 
decebre = OSp. dectbir, < L. decipere, deceive, 
beguile, entrap, < de, from, + capere, take : see 
captive. Cf. conceive, perceive, receive.] 1. To 
mislead by a false appearance or statement ; 
cause to believe what is false, or to disbelieve 
what is true ; delude. 
Take heed that no man deceive yon. Mat, xxlv. 4. 
King Richard, who had deceived many in his Time, was 
at this Time decnccd by many. Batter, Chronicles, p. 233. 
Wooden work 
Painted like porphyry to deceire the eye. 
r.n'n-nin't. Ring and Book, I. 54. 
2. To cause to fail in fulfilment or realization ; 
frustrate or disappoint. 
I now believed 
The happy day approach 'd, 
Nor are my hopes deceived. Dryden. 
3f. To take from ; rob stealthily. 
The borders wherein you plant your fruit-trees [should ] 
be fair, . . . and set with flue flowers, but thin and spar- 
ingly, lest they deceive the trees. Bacon, Gardens. 
4. To cause to pass ; while away. [Poetic and 
rare.] 
These occupations oftentimes deceived the listless hour. 
Wordsworth. 
= 8yn. 1. To beguile, cheat, overreach, circumvent, dupe, 
fool, gull, cozen, hoodwink. 
deceiver (de-se'ver), M. One who deceives: 
one who leads into error ; a cheat ; an impostor. 
My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem 
to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, 
and not a blessing. Gen. xxvii. 12. 
Hence with thy brew'd enchantments, foul deceiver I 
Hast ttn'ii betray 'd my credulous innocence 
With visor'd falsehood and base forgery ? 
Milton, Comus, 1. 696. 
December (de-sem'ber), n. [= F. decembre = 
Sp. tUfiembre = Pg. dezembro = It. dicembre = 
D. G. Dan. Sw. december, < L. december, tin- 
tenth month (see def.). < ilecem = E. ten: see 
ilifinial.] That month of the year in which 
