decephalize 
decephalize (de-set"a-u/.). <: '. : pret. and pp. 
decephultecd, ppr. deeeplniluiiii/. [< ill'- ]>riv. + 
Gr. mijia/ii, head, + -i^<?.] In .:<>/.. t<i cause or 
effect deeepb&lixotion inorof: reduce, degrade, 
or simplify the parts of the head of; remove 
weight or force of cephalic purls backward: 
opposed to rephali:e. 
deceptibilityt ('le-sep-ti-bil'i-ti), . [tdcccpti- 
lili 1 : sec -hilily.] Capability or liability of be- 
ing deceived; deceivability. 
'll,' ,lr,'i-i,lil,:i:iii of our decayed natures. 
<;lnnrill>: V:inil.v of DtVMtMOg, viii. 
deceptiblet (de-sep'ti-bl), . [< OF. deceptiblc 
(also deeeptalile), < L. as if *dcceptiliilix, < de- 
fi'iilHK, ])p. of deeiperc, deceive : sec di-erin: \ 
Caj>able of being deceived ; deceivable. 
Popular errours . . . are more neerly founded upon an 
erroneous inclination of the people, as being the must '/''- 
f/ilililf part nf inunkinil, and ready with open anus to re- 
ceive the encroachments of errour. 
Sir T. Browne, Vulg. Err., i. 3. 
deception (de-sep'shon), n. [< ME. decepcioun, 
< OF. deception, F. deception = Pr. deceptio = 
Sp. decepcion = It. decezioiie, < LL. deceptio(n-), 
< decipere, deceive: see deceive.} 1. The act 
of deceiving or misleading. 
All <le<'i'i>tnin is a misapplying of those signs which, by 
runi|.;irt or institution, were made thu means of men's 
signifying or conveying their thoughts. South. 
2. The state of being deceived or misled. 
We cannot unite the incompatible advantages of reality 
and deception, the clear discernment of truth and the ex- 
quisite enjoyment of fiction. Macaulny. 
3. That which deceives; artifice; cheat: as, 
the scheme is all a deception. =Syn. 1 ami 3. Deceit, 
Deception, Fraud. See deceit. 3. Trick, imposition, ruse, 
wile. 
deceptioust (de-sep'shus), a. [< OP. deceptieux, 
derepcieux, < ML. deeeptionus, deceitful, < LL. 
deceptio(n-), deception : see deception.} Tend- 
ing to deceive ; deceitful. 
Yet there is a credence in my heart, 
An esperance so obstinately strong, 
That doth invert the attest of eyes and ears, 
As If those organs had deception* functions, 
Created only to calumniate. Shak., T. and C., v. 2. 
deceptitious (de-sep-tish'us), a. [< L. decep- 
tm, pp. of decipere, deceive, + -itious.] Tend- 
ing to deceive. [Rare.] 
Arrangements competent to the process of investigation 
are in every case necessary, to preserve the aggregate mass 
of evidence from being untrustworthy and deceptitioux on 
the score of Incompleteness. 
Bentham, Prin. of Judicial Evidence, II. 3. 
deceptive (de-sep'tiv), a. [< OF. deeeptif, F. 
deceptif = Pr. deeeptiu = Sp. deeeptif o, < L. as if 
*deceptirux, < deceptux, pp. of decipere, deceive : 
see deceive.} Tending to deceive ; apt or hav- 
ing power to mislead or impress false opinions : 
as, a deceptive countenance or appearance. 
Deceptive cadence, in tim*ie. See interrupted cadence, 
under cadence. =SyH. Deceptive, Deceitful, Fraudulent, 
delusive, fallacious, false, misleading. Essentially, the 
same distinction holds among the first three words as 
among deception, deceit, and fraud (see deceit). deceptive 
does not necessarily imply intent to deceive ; deceitful al- 
ways does. Fraudulent is much stronger, implying that 
the intention is criminal. See/a#flr/<'*. 
The word "fishes" can be used in two senses, one of 
which has a deceptive appearance of adjustability to the 
" Mosaic " account. 
Huxleii, in Nineteenth Century, XIX. 190. 
\Voman '. 
Destructive, damnable, deceitful woman '. 
Otiraii, Orphan, iii. 1. 
One writer gravely assures us that Maurice of Saxony 
learned all his fraudulent policy from that execrable vol. 
ume [Machiavelli's "Prinre"). Mijrniilnit, Machiavelli. 
deceptively (de-sep'tiv-li), adr. In a manner 
to deceive. 
deceptiyeness (de-sep'tiv-nes), n. The power 
of deceiving ; tendency or aptness to deceive. 
deceptivity (de-sep-tiv'i-ti), . [< deceptive + 
-iti/.} 1. The quality of being deceptive. 2. 
Something deceptive; a sham. CttrMe. [Rare.] 
deceptory (de-sep'to-ri), a. [< OF. deceptmre = 
Sp. rg. deceptnrio, < LL. deeepturiiix, < deceptor, 
a deceiver, < L. deeiperc, deceive: see deceive.} 
Tending to deceive; containing qualities or 
means adapted to mislead. [Riire.J 
decerebrize (de-ser'e-briz), r. t. ; pret. and pp. 
deceri'liri-ed, ppr. deeerehri:imj. [< dr- ]iriv. + 
eerehnini + -('-(.] To deprive of the cerebrum ; 
remove the cerebrum from. [Rare.] 
decern (de-sern'), c. [< OF. deccrner, de.wrinr, 
dixcerner, F. decerner = Pr. decernir = Sp. din- 
<( rxir = It. decernere, < L. di -ei-nien; pp. ilc- 
eretux, decide, determine, judge, decree, < <k. 
from, -t- center/; separate, distinguish, discern : 
see concern, dincerii, and cf. deem: The word 
1483 
ill, -i i-ii in E. u nd Rom. has been in part merged 
\\Mlixri ni.} I. trim*. 1. In Scots law, to decree ; 
judge; adjudge. 
Tin- lordx ilei;-r,,,;l him lo give Krendrallght a new tack 
of the waiil tcimls. 
>><//. /.'/i/. Mi-t. Tioniilcs in Scotland, I. 51. 
2t. To discern ; discriminate. 
They can see nothing, nor decern what makcth for them, 
nor what ;iy;iinst them. f'/-<niin>'>-, Sacrament*, fol. s:l. 
II. intrans. In .S'coto law, to decree ; pass 
judgment : an essential word in all decrees and 
interlocutors. 
The said lords ami estates of parliament find, decern, 
and declare that the said Francis, sometime earl uf Both- 
well, has committed and done open treason. 
Act*, Jas. I., 1593. 
decernert (de-ser'n6r), w. One who gives a judg- 
ment or an opinion. 
Those slight ami vulgar decemerg. 
GlannUe, Lux Orientalis, Pref. 
decerniture (de-ser'ni-tur), n. [< decent + 
-it-itre.} In Scotg law, a decree or sentence of 
a court : as, he resolved to appeal against the 
decerniture of the judge. 
decernmentt, [< decern + -ment; var. of rft- 
cernment.} Discernment. 
A yet more refined elective discretion or decerninent. 
Ooodtrin, Works, III. 4S8. 
decerpt (de-serp'), c. t. [< L. decerpere, pp. de- 
cerptus, pluck off, < de, off, + carpere, pluck: see 
carp 1 .} To pluck off ; crop; tear; rend. 
O what mysery was the people then in ! <) howe this 
moste noble isle of the worlde was decerpt and rent to 
pieces ! Sir T. Elyot, The Oovernour, I. 2. 
decerptiblet (de-serp'ti-bl), . [< L. decerptus, 
pp., + E. -Me.] That may be plucked. 
decerptiont (de-serp'shon), w. [< L. deceri>tns, 
pp.: see decer'p.} 1. The act of pulling or 
plucking off; a cropping. 2. That which is 
pulled off or separated ; a fragment. 
If our souls are but particles and decerptiont of our 
parents, then I must be guilty of all the sins that ever 
were committed by my progenitors ever since Adam. 
Glanville, Pre-existence of Souls, iii. 
decertationt (de-ser-ta'shqn), n. [< L. decerta- 
tio(n-), < decertare, contend, < de + certare, fight, 
contend.] Strife; contest for mastery. 
A decertation betweene the disease and nature. 
Sir T. Browne, Vulg. Err. 
de certificando (de ser'ti-fi-kan'do). [ML. : 
L. de, of, to; ML. certificando, abl. of certificaii- 
dus, ger. of certificare, certify: see certify.} 
In early Eng, law, the short name of a writ re- 
quiring an officer to certify to the court some- 
thing within his cognizance. 
decesset, A Middle English form of decease. 
decessiont (de-sesh'on), n. [= OF. decesxion = 
Sp. (obs. ) decesion, < L. decesaio(n-), adeparture, 
< decedere, pp. decessus, depart : see decede, de- 
cease.} Departure; decrease; diminution. 
(Implyiug the necessity of a bishop to govern in their 
absence or decesxion any ways) they ordained St. James 
the first bishop of Jerusalem. 
Jer. Taylor, Works (ed. 1835), II. 166. 
Blindness, dumbness, deafness, silence, death, 
All which are neither natures by themselves 
Nor substances, but mere decays of form, 
And absolute deeexximut of nature. 
Chapman, Byron's Conspiracy, i. 1. 
The accession and deception of the matter. 
H'. Scott, Essay on Drapery, p. 7. 
decessort (de-ses'or), H. [< L. decexxor, a retir- 
ing officer, LL. a predecessor, < decedere, pp. 
decessus, depart, retire: see decede, decease.} 
A predecessor. 
David . . . humbled himself for the sins of his ances- 
tors and aecesmr*. Jer. Taylor, Works (ed. 1835), I. 777. 
decharm (de-charm'), r. t. [< OF. deschariiiir, 
decharnier, F. decharmer, < des-, de-, priv., + 
charmer, charm : see ctuirm 1 .} To remove the 
spell or enchantment of; disenchant. 
Notwithstanding the help of physick, he was suddenly 
cured by d,-i'lnii-Minii the witchcraft. Harvey. 
dechausse (da-sho-sa'), a. [F., pp. of dechans- 
.11 -r. take off one's shoes, make bare. < iU-, from, 
away, + clutututrr, shoe, < chausxe, a shoe, < L. 
cnlceus, a shoe.] In her. : (a) Dismembered 
and the different parts represented as sepa- 
rated from one another by a little distance : said 
of an animal used as a bearing: as, a lion de- 
(liuuxfte. (b) Without claws: said of an animal 
used as a bearing : a term of French heraldry, 
sometimes used in English. 
Also (lentf)ith(Tf il. 
decheerfult (tle-cher'ful), . [Irreg. < de- priv. 
+ cheerful.] Not cheerful: sad; depressed: 
gloomy. 
decidedly 
\\ln-n didht thnu ever conn- t me lull with thy h<;i<! 
bullying <l<i!i.' o /.'/(. . 'ftut j.rviiti- r, uiii'oinfoi t;illc 
servant! I//-/.//, to,*. \MILI l'i\e ilallalit.-s, iv. 7. 
dechenite (di c-li'en-it), //. [Named after the 
Herman geologist E. H. K. von Itn-lun (l>orn 
1800).] A native vanadate of lead, occurring 
massive, with botryoidal structure, and of yel- 
lowish- or brownish-red color. 
dechlorometer (de-klo-rom'e-ter), H. Same as 
flil'H'tiiiieter (with unnecessary prefix). 
dechristianize (de-kris'tian-i/.), r. t. ; pret. and 
pp. declirixtianized, ppr. dechrixtianiiing. [= F. 
dcehrixtiiiniser; as de- priv. + chrixtitiirize.] To 
turn from Christianity ; banish Christian belief 
and principles from; paganize. Also spelled 
dechristianwe. 
deci-. [Short for decimi-, (. L. decimus, tenth : 
see decimal.] An element, meaning 'tenth,' in 
the nomenclature of the metric system, as in 
decimeter, the tenth of a meter, decigram, the 
tenth of a gram, etc. 
declare (des-iar'), . [< F. deciare, < L. deci- 
(mus), tenth, + F. are, are : see are 2 .] In the 
metric system, a unit of superficial measure, the 
tenth part of an are, or 107.6 square feet, Eng- 
lish measure. 
decidable (de-si'da-bl), a. [< decide + -able.] 
That may be decided. 
decide (de-sid'). r. ; pret. and pp. decided, ppr. 
deciding.' [< ME. deciden, < OF. decider, F. 
decider = Sp. Pg. decidir = It. decidere, < L. de- 
cidere, decide, also lit. cut off, < de, off, T ccedere, 
cut. Cf. decise, and concise, indie, etc.] I. 
trans. If. To cut off; separate. . 
Our seat denies us trafflck here ; 
The sea, too near, deciden us from the rest. 
Fviler, Holy State, II. 20. 
2. To determine, as a question, controversy, 
or struggle, by some mode of arbitrament ; set- 
tle by giving the victory to one side or the 
other; determine the issue or result of; adjust; 
conclude ; end : as, the court decided the case 
in favor of the plaintiff; the umpire decided 
the contest ; the fate of the bill is decided. 
The quarrel toucheth none but us alone ; 
Betwixt ourselves let us decide it then. 
Shot., 1 Hen. VI., iy. 1. 
They [the Greeks] were the first . . . to decide questions 
of war and policy by the free vote of the people fairly 
taken. E. A. Freeman, Amer. Lects.,p. 256. 
They fought with unabated ardour ; and the victory was 
only decided by their almost total extermination. 
/(. W . Dixon, Hist. Church of Eng., xv. 
3. To resolve; determine in the mind: as, he 
decided to go. 
Who decided 
What our gifts, and what our wants should be? 
M. Arnold, Self- Deception. 
II. intrans. To determine ; form a definite 
opinion ; come to a conclusion ; pronounce a 
judgment : as, the court decided in favor of the 
defendant ; to decide upon one's course. 
Who shall decide, when doctors disagree? 
Pope, Moral Essays, ill. 1. 
Shall I wait a day ere I decide 
On doing or not doing justice here? 
Broicninir, Ring and Book, I. 17. 
decided (de-sl'ded), a. [Cf. F. decide, = Sp. Pg. 
decidido, pp., used in the same way.] 1. Free 
from ambiguity or uncertainty ; unmistakable ; 
unquestionable : as, a decided improvement. 
I find much cause to reproach myself that I have lived 
so long, and have given no decided and public proofs of my 
being a Christian. P. Henry, in Wirt's Sketches. 
2. Resolute ; determined ; free from hesitation 
or wavering : as, a decided character. 
A politic caution, a guarded circumspection, were among 
the ruling principles of our forefathers in their most de- 
cided conduct Bnrke. 
= Syn. 1. J)f tided, Decitirr, indisputable, undeniable, cer- 
tain, positive, absolute. Decided and decixire are some- 
times confounded, but are distinct, decided being passive 
and decisive active. A decided victory is a real, unmistaka- 
ble victory ; a decixiee victory is one that dot-ides the Issue 
of the campaign. The battle of Bull Run ended in a de- 
cided victory, but not a decisive one ; the victory at Water- 
loo was both decided and decisive. Compare a decided an- 
swer with a ilecigire one. The difference is the same as 
between definite and definitive. See definite. 
He had marked preferences, and . . . his opinions were 
as decided as his prejudices. Edinburgh Rev. 
The sentence of superior judges Is final, decisive, and ir- 
revocable. Blackittone. 
All the most eminent men, . . . Hampden excepted, were 
inclined to half measures. They dreaded a decisive victory 
almost as much as & decisive overthrow. 
Maeaulay, Hallam's Const. Hist. 
2. I'lihesitntinL'. 
decidedly (de-si'ded-li), adv. In a decided or 
determined manner; clearly; indisputably; in 
a manner to preclude doubt. 
While tasting smm'tli in-..' </'</</'//!/ 1 titter, sweet ness can- 
not be thought of. //. S'/xmw. Prill, of Psychol., *L 
