deck 
States the Imiler-drck is the deck on which the boilers are 
carried. A cambered declr is a deck arched so as to lie 
higher in the middle than at tlie stem or stern -the op- 
posite of the usual practice. 
I boarded the king's ship : now on the beak, 
Now in the waist, the deck, in every cabin, 
I flaiu'd amazement. Shale., Tempest, i. 2. 
3. In mining, the platform of the cage ; that 
part of the cage on which the cars stand or the 
men ride. Cages are sometimes built with as 
many as four decks. 4f. A pile of things laid 
one upon another; a heap; a store; a file, as of 
cards or papers. 
And for a song I have 
A paper-blurrer, who, on all occasions, 
For all times and all seasons, hath such trinkets 
Ready in the deck. Massinger, Guardian, iii. 3. 
5. A pack of cards containing only those ne- 
cessary to play any given game : as, a euchre 
deck ; a bezique deck. 
Well, if I chance but once to get the deck, 
To deal about and shuttle as I would. 
Solinnts, Empermir of the Turks (1638). 
6. That part of a pack which remains after the 
deal, and from which cards may be drawn 
during the course of the game. 
I'll deal the cards, and cut you from the deck. 
Two Maids of Moredacke (1609). 
Whiles he thought to steal the single ten, 
The king was slyly flnger'd from the deck. 
S/wfr.,3Hen. VI., v. 1. 
Cold deck, a pack of cards assorted or arranged in a 
known way. [Gamblers' slang. ] Officer of the deck. 
See oj/lcer. On deck, on hand ; ready for action or duty ; 
hence, in bane-ball, next at the bat ; having the right or 
privilege of batting next. To clear the decks, to pre- 
pare a ship of war for action. To sweep the deck or 
the decks, (a) To dash violently over or along the deck of 
a vessel, as a great wave or the fire of an enemy's guns, 
carrying everything before it. (6) To command every part 
of the deck, as with small arms, from the tops of an at- 
tacking vessel, (c) To take otf or carry away all the stakes 
on a card-table ; hence, generally, to gain everything. 
deck-beam (dek'bem), . A strong transverse 
beam of timber or iron stretching across a 
ship from side to side, in order to support the 
deck and retain the sides at their proper dis- 
tance. 
deck-bridge (dek'brij), . A bridge in which 
the roadway is laid upon the top of the truss : 
opposed to bottom-road or through bridge. Also 
called top-road bridge. 
deck-cargo (dek'kar"go), w. Cargo stowed on 
the deck of a vessel ; a deck-load. 
deck-cleat (dek'klet), n. A cleat fastened to a 
deck. 
deck-collar (dek'kol"ar), n. The collar or ring 
which lines the hole iii the roof of a railroad- 
car, through which the stove-pipe passes. 
decked (dekt), p. a. 1. Dressed; adorned. 
2. Furnished with a deck or decks : as, a three- 
decked ship. 3. In Iter., edged or purfled with 
another color: thus, the feathers of a bird of 
one tincture are decked of another tincture. 
Also marguette. 
deckel, n. See deckle. 
decker (dek'er), n. [= D. dekker (tafddckker, 
driedekker) = G. decker = Dan. dcekker (in comp. 
taffeldaikker, tredaikker) = Sw. tackare ; as deck 
+ -er 1 . Cf. thatcher."] 1. One who or that 
which decks or adorns ; a coverer : as, a table- 
decker. 2. A vessel that has a deck or decks : 
as, a two-decker. [Only in composition.] 
deck-feather (dek'teTH^er), n. See feather. 
deck-flat (dek'flat), . See flat. 
deck-hand (dek'hand), n. A person regularly 
employed as a laborer on the deck of a vessel. 
deck-head (dek'hed), n. A slipper limpet, or 
species of Crepidula. 
deck-hook (dek'huk), n. A heavy knee-shaped 
timber in the extreme end of a ship, either bow 
or stern, serving to support the deck and to 
strengthen the frame. See cut under stem. 
deck-house (dek'hous), n. A small house 
erected on the deck of a ship for any purpose. 
decking (dek'ing), n. 1. The act of adorning. 
2. Ornament ; embellishment. 
Such glorious deckings of the temple. 
Homilies, li., Against Idolatry. 
No decking sets forth anything so much as affection. 
Sir P. Sidney. 
deckle (dek'l), n. [Also written dekle, deckel; 
= Sw. deckel = Buss, dekele, < LG. dekkel = G. 
deckel (of. D. deksel = Dan. da-ksel), a cover, lid, 
tympan, dim. of decke, cover, covering, deck, 
deck: see deck."] In paper-making : (a) In hand 
paper-making, a rectangular frame laid upon 
the wire mold on which the paper-pulp is 
placed, to confine it within the limits of the re- 
quired size of sheet ; in machine paper-making, 
a belt of linen and caoutchouc placed on either 
side of the apron, to keep the pulp from spread- 
ing out laterally and making the paper wider 
than is desired, (ft) The rough or raw edge 
of paper ; specifically, the ragged edge of hand- 
made paper, produced by the deckle. 
deckle-edged (dek'1-ejd), n. See the extract. 
Deckle-edited. This term has lately been adopted in the 
advertisements of books to indicate that the edges of the 
paper have not been cut or trimmed, so that it is equiva- 
lent to the more common designation, " rough-edged." 
N. and Q., 7th ser., V. 227. 
deckle-Strap (dek'l-strap), . A strap used on 
paper-making machines to confine the flow of 
the pulp and to determine the width of the 
sheet. 
deck-load (dek'lod), . Same as deck-cargo. 
deck-passage (dek'pas"aj), . Conveyance of 
a passenger on the deck of a vessel. 
deck-passenger (dek'pas"en-jer), . A passen- 
ger who pays for accommodation on the deck 
of a vessel. 
deck-pipe (dek'pip), . An iron pipe through 
which the chain-cable is paid into the chain- 
locker. 
deck-planking (dek'plaug"king), . Planking 
cut suitably for forming the deck of a vessel. 
deck-plate (dek' plat), . A metallic plate 
placed about the smoke-stack or the furnace 
of a marine engine, to protect the wood of the 
deck. 
deck-pump (dek'pump), n. A hand-pump used 
for washing decks. 
deck-sheet (dek'shet), n. The sheet of a stud- 
ding-sail leading directly to the deck, by which 
it is steadied until set. 
deck-stopper (dek'stop"er), w. A strong stop- 
per used for securing the cable. 
deck-tackle (dek'tak'l), n. A heavy tackle 
used for hauling in cable, or for other purposes. 
deck-transom (dek'tran'sum), n. See transom. 
decl. An abbreviation of declension. 
declaim (de-klam'), v. [< ME. declamen = OF. 
declamer, F. declamer (> D. declameren = G. de- 
clamiren = Dan. deklamere = Sw. deklamera) = 
Sp. Pg. declamar = It. declamare, < L. declamare, 
cry aloud, make a speech, < de- (intensive) + 
clamare, cry, shout : see claim 1 , clamor."] I. iw- 
trans. 1. To make a formal speech or oration ; 
harangue. 
With what impatience he declaim'd .' 
Sicift, Death of Dr. Swift. 
It is usual for masters to make their boys declaim on 
both sides of the argument. Sirift. 
To declaim on the temporal advantages . . . [the poor] 
enjoy, is only repeating what none either believe or prac- 
tise.' Goldamith, Vicar, xxix. 
2. To speak or write for rhetorical effect ; speak 
or write pompously or elaborately, without ear- 
nestness of purpose, sincerity, or sound argu- 
ment; rant. 
It is not enough in general to declaim against our sins, 
but we must search out particularly those predominant 
vices which by their boldness and frequency have provoked 
God thus to punish ns. Stillingfleet, Sermons, I. i. 
The Rogue has (with all the Wit he could muster up) 
been declaiming against Wit. 
Conffreoe, Love for Love, i. 2. 
At least he [Milton] does not declaim. J. A. St. John. 
The preacher declaimed most furiously, for an hour, 
against luxury, although . . . there were not three pairs 
of shoes in the whole congregation. 
R. Choate, Addresses, p. 21. 
3. To repeat a select piece of prose or poetry 
in public, as an exercise in oratory or to ex- 
hibit skill in elocution. 
The undergraduates shall in their course declaime pub- 
licly in the hall, in one of the three learned languages. 
Laws of Harvard Univ. (1734), in Peirce's Hist. Harv. 
[Univ., App., p. 129. 
II. trans. 1. To utter or deliver in public in 
a rhetorical or oratorical manner. 2. To speak 
as an exercise in elocution: as, he declaimed 
Mark Antony's speech. 3f. To maintain or 
advocate oratorically. 
Makes himself the devil's orator, and declnims his cause. 
South, Sermons, VIII. 82. 
4f. To speak against ; cry down ; decry. 
This banquet then ... is at once declared and de- 
claimed, spoken of and forbidden. 
Ken. T. Adama, Works, I. 175. 
declaimant (de-kla'mant), n. [< declaim + 
-ant, after L. declamdn(t-)n, ppr. of declama- 
re, declaim : see declaim."] Same as declaimer. 
[Rare.] 
declaimer (de-kla'mer), . One who declaims ; 
one who speaks for rhetorical effect or as an 
exercise in elocution ; one who attempts to con- 
vince by a harangue. 
declaration 
Loud tfi'rUinnri-H on the part 
l >f liberty, themselves the slaves of lust. Coteper. 
I have little sympathy with decluiintirx about the Pilgrim 
Fathers, who look npon them all as men of grand concep- 
tions and superhuman foresight. 
Lowell, Among my Books, 1st ser., p. 289. 
declamando (dek-la-man'do). [It., ppr. of nr- 
i-ldinare, < L. declamare, declaim: see declaim.] 
In music, in a declamatory style. E. D. 
declamation (dek-la-ma'shon), . [=D. decla- 
matie = G. declamation = Dan. Sw. declamation, 
<. F. declamation = Sp. dcclamacion = Pg. decla- 
magao = It. deelamazione, < L. declamatio(n-), < 
declamare, declaim: see declaim. 1 1. The act 
or art of declaiming or making rhetorical ha- 
rangues in public ; especially, the delivery of 
a speech or an exercise in oratory or elocution, 
as by a student of a college, etc. : as, a public 
declamation; the art of declamation. 
The public listened with little emotion ... to five acts 
of monotonous declamation. Macavlay. 
Then crush'd by rules and weaken'd as refin'd, 
For years the power of tragedy declin'd ; 
From bard to bard the frigid caution crept 
Till declamation roar'd, while passion slept. 
Johnson, Drury Lane, I'rol. 
Specifically 2. In rocal music, the proper rhe- 
torical enunciation of the words, especially in 
recitative and in dramatic music. 3. A pub- 
lic harangue or set speech ; an oration. 
The declatnationsol the pulpit described the sufferings of 
the saved souls in purgatory as incalculably greater than 
were endured by the most wretched mortals upon earth. 
Lecky, Europ. Morals, II. 247. 
4. Pompous, high-sounding verbiage in speech 
or writing ; stilted oratory. 
Many of the finest passages in his [Milton's] controver- 
sial writings are sometimes spoken of, even by favourable 
judges, as declamation. J. A. St. John. 
Loose declamation may deceive the crowd. 
Story, Advice to a Young Lawyer. 
declamatort (dek'la-ma-tor), n. [== F. decla- 
mateur = Sp. Pg. declamador = It. declamatore, 
<. L. declamator, <. declamare, declaim.] A de- 
claimer. 
Who could, I say, hear this generous declamator with- 
out being flr'd at his noble zeal ? Steele, Tatler, No. 56. 
declamatory (de-klam'a-to-ri), a. [= F. decla- 
matoire = Sp. Pg. It. declamatorio, ( L. declama- 
torius, declamatory, (. declamare, declaim : see 
declaim.'} 1. Pertaining to the practice of de- 
claiming in oratory or music ; having the char- 
acter of declamation. 
The public will enter no protest if the gaps between them 
are filled up with the declamatory odds and ends, provided 
something on the stage be more or less occupying their at- 
tention. 
Wagner and Wagnerism , Nineteenth Century, March, 1883. 
2. Merely rhetorical; stilted; straining after 
effect: as, a declamatory style. 
That perfection of tone which can be eloquent without 
being declamatory. Lowell, New Princeton Rev., I. 155. 
declarable (de-klar'a-bl), a. [= F. declarable; 
< declare + -able."] 'Capable of being declared 
or proved. 
What slender opinions the ancients held of the eflicacy 
of this star is declarable from their compute. 
Sir T. Browne, Vulg. BIT., iv. 13. 
declarant (de-klar'ant), n. [< F. declarant, < 
L. declaran(t-)s, ppr. of declarare: see declare."] 
One who makes a declaration ; specifically, in 
law, one whose admission or statement, made 
in writing or orally at some former time, is 
sought to be offered in evidence. Such declara- 
tions, even though made by a stranger to the litigation, 
are received in several classes of cases : as, for instance, to 
prove a fact of pedigree, or when made in the course of 
duty by a person since deceased, or against the interest of 
the declarant. 
The acknowledgment of payment was held to be "against 
the declarant's interest," and rendered the whole state- 
ment admissible. Encyc. Brit., VIII. 741. 
declaration (dek-la-ra'shon), n. [< ME. decla- 
ration = D. declaratie = Gr. declaration = Dan. 
declaration, < OF. decliiriitinn, F. declaration = 
Sp. declaracion = Pg. d<-<-liir<t<;8o = It. dichin- 
rn:ione, clichiurugiime, < L. dei'laratio(n-), a de- 
claration, < declarare, declare : see declare."] If. 
A clearing up; that which makes plain ; expla- 
nation. 
Of this forseide skale, fro the croos-lyne vnto the verre 
angle, is cleped vmbra versa, and the nether partie is 
cleped the vmbra recta. And for the more tiff la ration, 
loo here the figure. Chaucer. 
2. A positive or formal statement in regard to 
anything : affirmation ; explicit assertion ; avow- 
al; publication; proclamation. 
His promises are nothing else but declaration* wli^l <i"d 
will do for the good of man. Hooker, Eccles. Polity. 
