delaine 
delaine Mo-Ian'), n. [Short for musliii-de-lfiinr, 
< F, tHIHIXVlllttl tit [fliltf. llltlslitl of Wool: See 
miinlin : F. Iniiir. < \i. limn, wool. | A litfht tc-x- 
tili 1 fabric', originally of woo], aftprwanl more 
commonly of mixed matorials, and frequently 
printc'il. SIT ititix/iii-ili -l'ii t/i . 
delamination (do-lain-i-na'shon), . [< L. de, 
away. + liiiiiiini, a thin plate of metal : sec //- 
inn, lamination.] A splitting apart in layers; 
a laminar dehiscence: a term specifically ap- 
plied in embryology to the splitting of a primi- 
tively single-layered blastoderm into two lay- 
ers of cells, thus producing a two-layered germ 
without invaginatioii, embolism, or proper gas- 
trulal ion. 
delapidatet, delapidationt, etc. See dilapidate, 
eta. 
delapsationt (de-lap-sa'shon), . [< delapse + 
-itlii>ii.~] The act of falling down, 
delapset (de-laps' ), r. i. [< L. delapsus, pp. of 
(Icliibi, fall or sink down, < de, down, + labi, fall : 
see lapse.] 1. To fall or slide down. 2. To 
be transmitted by inheritance. 
Which Anne derived alone, the right iM-fore all other, 
Of the detained erown, front Philip her fair mother. 
Dttititim, Polyolhion, xxix. 
delapsiont (de-lap'shon), ". [< L. delapsus, pp. 
of tielabi : see delapse.] A falling down ; pro- 
lapse. 
delate 1 (de-laf), v. t. ; pret. and pp. delated, ppr. 
delalina. [= Sp. Pg. delatar, accuse, < ML. de- 
latarc (also contr. deltire), accuse ; < L. dclatus, 
pp. of deferre, bear, carry or bring down, bring, 
give, deliver, report, announce, also, as a legal 
term, with obj. nomeii, name, or later with per- 
son as object, indict, impeach, accuse, denounce, 
< de, down, +ferrc = E. bear 1 : see defer 1 .] If. 
To carry ; convey ; transmit. 
Try extictly ttie time wherein sound is delated. 
Bacon, Nat. Hist., 209. 
2f. To carry on; conduct; manage. 
Uis warlike wife Kemiramls . . . 
Long ruled in his stead, 
Delating in a male's attyre 
The empire new begoune. 
Warner, Albion's England, I. 1. 
3f. To publish or spread abroad ; make public. 
When tlie crime is delated or notorious. 
Jer. Taylor, Rule of Conscience, iii. 4. 
4. To bring a charge against ; accuse; inform 
against; denounce. [In this sense the word is 
still used in the judicatories of the Scottish 
Church.] 
Yet, if I do it not, they may delate 
My slackness to my patron, work me out 
Of his opinion. B. jontton, Volpone, ii. 3. 
As men were delated, they were marked down for such 
a flue. B)>. Bui-net, Hist. Own Times, an. 1GU2. 
Every inmate of a house [of Jesuitsl is liable to secret 
accusation to its superior, while the superior himself may 
be similarly delated to the provincial or the general. 
Kticyc. Brit., XIII. 648. 
delate 2 ! (de-laf), v. t. [< ML. delatare, erro- 
neous form of L. dilatare, dilate, extend, dilute: 
see dilate and delay-.] To allay; dilute, 
delator (de-la' ter), n. [< delate* + -er l ; equiv. 
to delator."] Same as delator. 
delation 1 (de-la'shon), n. [=F. delation = Sp. 
iltlni-iini = Pg. ilt lii^So = It. delazione, accusa- 
tion, < L. delatio(n-), an accusation (not found 
in lit. sense 'carriage, conveyance'), < delatus, 
pp. of deferre, bear, carry or bring down, ac- 
cuse: sec ill lute 1 .] If. Carriage; conveyance; 
transmission. 
The delation of li-lit is in an instant. 
Bacon, Nat. Hist., $ 209. 
In delation of sounds the inclosure of them preserved! 
them, anil eauseth them to be heard further. 
lltif'ii. Nat. Hist 
2. Accusation or criminal information ; spe- 
cifically, interested accusation; secret or sinis- 
ter denunciation. 
A delation Riven in against him to the said committee 
for unsound doc-trine. 
.V'c'c'H.'i-. Hit. Troubles in Scotland, II. 91. 
The accusers were Hot to be liable to the charge of de- 
lation. Mitiiiini, Latin Christianity, ii. 4. 
delation'-'t (de-la'shou), . [For dilation: see 
dilution and delay 1 .] Extension; delay; post- 
ponement. 
This outrage micht sufflr na delacfottn, sen it was sa ner 
approacheand tn the wallls and portis of the town. 
liellf title it. tr. of Livy. 
Although si.metimes the baptism of children was de- 
ferred. . . . and although there might be some advantages 
jiutten b> sin h i/,'/,iliun ; yet it could not be endured that 
they should be sent out of the world without it. 
Jfr. Taylor, Works (ed. 1835), II. 407. 
After this judgment there :i< no drl'itiim of sufferance 
nor mercy. Iknure, tr. of r'roissart s t'hron., I. xxiii. 
1513 
delator (de-ln'tor), n. [= F. drlatrur = Sp. Pg. 
di In/in- = It. delatore. < L. drliiim; an HCI-MM-I-, 
inforiiior, < di-laliix, pp. of deferre, accuse: see 
delate^.] A secret or interested accuser: an 
evil-disposed informer; a spy. Also spelled 
delater. 
Be deaf unto the suggestions of talc-lienrcrs, calumnia- 
tors, piekthank or malevolent (/./</'"/>, who. ulnl. .jiii- t 
men sleep, sowing the tares <>f disci.r.l iiml division, dis- 
tract the tranquillity of charity and all friendly society. 
>'/< /'. Ham, !. Christian Murals, ii. 20. 
Delator*, or political informer*, encouraged by the em- 
perors, and enriched by the confiscated properties of those 
whose condemnation they had secured, rose to great influ- 
ence. Leeky, Europ. Morals, I. 246. 
delatorian (del-a-to'ri-an), a. [< LL. delatori- 
ux, < L. delator, an informer: see delator.] Of 
or pertaining to an informer or a spy; of the 
nature of an informer. 
Delawarean (del-a-war'e-an), a. and . [< 
Delaware (so called from ^Delaware bay and 
river, named from Lord Delawarr, first colonial 
governor of Virginia, 1609-18) + -an.] I. a. 
Of or pertaining to the State of Delaware. 
H. a. A native or an inhabitant of Delaware. 
delay 1 (de-la'), v. [< ME. delat/m. id ///, >F. 
delaier, delayer, deleter, delear, also dellaier, des- 
luier, etc., dilaier, dilayer, etc., later delayer, 
F. djlat/er = Sp. Pg. dilatar = It. dilatare, also 
(afterF.)di/jre, < ML. dilatare (&\sodelatare), 
put off, delay, extend the time of, lit. extend, 
spread out, dilate, < L. dilattix, pp. associated 
with differre, put off, defer, > ult. E. defer^, dif- 
fer: see dilate, defer%, differ. Thus delay 1 is a 
doublet of dilate, and practically of defer'*, dif- 
fer, being ult. attached to the same L. inf. 
differre. Ct.delayZ.] I. trans. 1. To put off; 
defer ; postpone ; remit to a later time, as 
something to be done. 
My lord aela;ieth his coming. Mat. xxiv. 48. 
Come, are you ready ? 
You love so to delay time ! the day grows on. 
Fletehet "/It without Money, ill. I. 
In vain he may your fatal Absence mourn, 
And wish in vain for your delay'd Return. 
Congrerte, Iliad. 
2. To retard ; stop, detain, or hinder for a time ; 
obstruct or impede the course or progress of: 
as, the mail is delayed by bad roads. 
Thyrsis? whose artful strains have oft delay'd 
The huddling brook to hear his madrigal ? 
Milton, C'omus, 1. 494. 
When the case is proved, and the hour is come, justice 
delayed Is Justice denied. 
(ilaiMiin,; Might of Right, p. 272. 
TO delay creditors, in lair, to interpose obstacles in 
their way, with fraudulent intent to hinder collection of 
their demands. = Syn. 1. To stave off, postpone, adjourn, 
procrastinate, protract, impede. 
II. intrani. To linger; move slowly; stop 
for a time ; loiter; be dilatory. 
There are certain Iwunds to the quickness and slowness 
of the succession of ideas, beyond which they can neither 
ilftity nor hasten. Locke. 
Dip down upon the northern shore, 
O sweet new-year delaying long ; 
Thou doest expectant nature wrong ; 
Delaying long, delay no more. 
Tennyfon, In Memoriam, Ixxxiil. 
The wheeling moth delaying to be dead 
Within the taper's flame. 
William Morrif, Earthly Paradise, III. 140. 
delayl (de-la'), n. [< ME. delay, < OF. delai, 
delay, dilai, dilaig, F. delai, m.,OF. also delate, 
f., = It. dilata, t., delay; from the verb.] 1. 
A putting off ; a deferring ; an extension of the 
time; postponement; procrastination: as, the 
delay of trial. 
And thus he seid withoute more delay. 
Qeneryde* (E. E. T. S.X L 441. 
All delay* are dangerous in war. 
Dryden, Tyrannic Love, i. 1. 
O love, why makest thou delay 
Life comes not till thou comest. 
William Morrif, Earthly Paradise, II. 182. 
2. A lingering; loitering; stay; hindrance to 
progress. 
The government ought to lie settled without the ilflnit 
of a day. Matatilai'/. 
delay 2 t (de-la'), v. t. [< F. delayer, dilute, mix 
with water, spin out a discourse, = Pr. dixlr- 
guar = It. dili-aitare, dilute, < ML. "dialiquare, 
*diliquare, the same, with slightly different pre- 
fix (dig-, di-, instead of de-), as L. deliquare, also 
delicare, clarify a liquid by straining it. < de, off, 
+ liquare, liquefy: see delimitate, liquate, lii/niit. 
Appar. more or less associated, erroneously, 
with delay 1 (OF. delayer, etc.). deltite- (which. 
though equiv. in sense to delay'*, is prop, a form 
of dilate), dilate, and with oJteyl, ailny-.] To 
alloy; dilute; temper; soften; weaken. 
delectably 
Wine ttefaitfil :in<l mivd with water. Xotiienctator, 
Those dreailtllll llatnes sll.- ilNu fi.lllni - 
And quenched quite like a r.msiimeil i 
.v>.i..v, K. ().. Ml xu r.' 
delayable (dv-la'a-bl), a. [< delay + -able.] 
Capable of delay or of being delayed. Davien. 
Law thus divisible, debateable, an.l iMiii/nMc, is bernrn.- 
a greater grievance tlian all that it ua- intrnilril t" 
ih. -. //. H(itk, . KIK.I ,.f Duality, I. 250. 
delayedt (de-lad'), p. a. [Pp. of delay!, r.] 
Mixed ; alloyed ; diluted. 
Tlie eye, for the upper halfe of ft a darke hrowne, for 
the nether somewhat yellowish, like delayed gold. 
Holland, tr. of Camden's Brit., p. 471). 
delayer (de-la'er), . 1. One who lingers or 
loiters ; a procrastinator. 
(fuintus Kablus ... Is often times called of them [the 
Romans] Fablus Cunctator : that in to say, the tarrier or 
delayer. Sir T. Klyot, The OoHnoor, i. S3. 
2. One who or that which causes delay ; one 
who hinders or obstructs. 
i oppressor of nobles, sullen, and a delayer of justice. 
Sirift, Character of Hen. II. 
delayingly (de-la'ing-li), adr. In a manner so 
as to delay or detain. 
And yet she held him on delayiiiffly, 
With many a scarce-believable excuse. 
Tennyiwn, Enoch Arden. 
delaymentt (de-la'nient), H. [< ME. delaye- 
ment, < OF. delaiement, delayeinent, deleement, 
etc., < delaier, delay, + -men/.] A lingering; 
stay; delay; loitering. 
He made no delayciiteHt. 
But goeth home in all hie. 
Goteer, Conf. Amant., IV. 
del credere (del kred'e-re). [It., lit. of be- 
lief or trust: del, contr. of de il, of the (L. de, 
of, ille, he, that) ; credere, < L. credere, believe : 
see credit.] An Italian mercantile phrase, 
similar in import to the English guaranty or 
the Scotch tcarrandice. It is used among merchants 
to express the obligation undertaken by a factor, broker, 
or mercantile agent, when he liecomes IMXIIK) not only 
to transact sales or other business for his constituent, but 
also to guarantee the solvency of the persons v, ith whom 
he contract*. Del credere commission, the increased 
compensation paid or due to a factor or agent on such 
an account. 
, n. and r. A Middle English form of rf(M. 
dele-t, . An obsolete form of dell*. 
dele 3 (de'le), r. t. [L. dele, impv. of delere, 
blot out, efface : see delete.] Take out ; re- 
move : a word used in proof-reading as a direc- 
tion to printers to remove a superfluous letter 
or word, and usually expressed by its initial 
letter in the distinctive script form >, or some 
variation of it. 
deleble, delible (del'e-bl, -i-bl), a. [= F. dtle- 
bile = Sp. deleble = P'g. delevel = It. delebile, < 
L. delebilis, < delere, blot out: see delete. Cf. 
indelible.] That can be blotted out or erased. 
[Rare.] 
He that can And of his heart to destroy the deleblt, Im- 
age of God would, if it lay in his power, destroy God 
himself. Dr. H. More, Notes on Piychozoia. 
Various is the use thereof (black-lead), ... for pens, 
so usefull for scholars to note the remarkables they read, 
with an Impression easily delettle without prejudice to the 
iHxik. Fuller, Worthies, Cumberland. 
delectability (de-lek-ta-bil'i-ti), n. [= Sp. de- 
leitabilidad ; as delectable + -ity.] The quality 
of being delectable or pleasing ; delectableness. 
1 think they were not prevented . . . from looking at 
the picture as a picture should always be regarded for 
\tsdeleetability to the eye. Contemporary Kec., XLIX. 827. 
delectable (df-lek'ta-bl), a. [(The ME. form 
was delitable, q. v., < OF. delitable) = F. delec- 
table = Sp. deleitable = Pg. deleitavel = It. delet- 
tuliile, < L. delectabitis, delightful, < drlectare, de- 
light: see delight.] Delightful, especially to 
any of the senses ; highly pleasing; charming; 
affording great enjoyment or pleasure : as, "de- 
lectable bovrers," Qttarleg, To P. Fletcher. 
We are of our own accord apt enough to give enter- 
tainment to things delectable. 
Hooker, Eccles. Polity, v. ;_'. 
Their most resounding denunciation thundered against 
the enormity of allowing the rich precedence in catching 
at the delectable baits of sin. 
E. I'. Wht'i>i>le, Ess. and Rev., II. 10S. 
Winter, at least, seemed to me to have put something 
into these mediaeval cities which the May sun had melted 
away a certain delectable depth of local color, an ex- 
cess of duskiness and decay. 
//. Jamet, Jr., Trans. Sketches, p. 21S. 
delectableness (de-lek'ta-bl-nes), . Delight- 
fulness; the quality of imparting pleasure. 
Full of deleetablriiett and pleasantness. Barret. 
delectably (de-lek'ta-bli), arfr. In a delecta- 
ble manner; delightfully; charmingly. 
Of myrrh, bunme. and iili.es they il. !'< r'.d/ smell. 
Bl>. Bale, On Revelations, ii.. sig. A vli. 
