dement 
II. H. A demented person; one affected by 
loss of mental capacity. 
It was difficult to keep his sensitive patients from com- 
ing on a group of dements in their daily walks. 
Alien, and Neural., VII. 600. 
The congestion or inflammation of the brain that converts 
a man of giant intellect into a maniac or a dement beyond 
the hope of cure, also irreparably ruins the soul, which, 
we are told, never dies. Pop. Sri. Mo., XXVI. 3. 
dement (de-menf), v. t. [= Sp. Pg. dementar 
= It. dementare, < L. dementare, drive mad, make 
mad, also, like dementire, be mad, rave, < de- 
men(t-)s, mad, out of one's mind : see dement, 
a.] To bring into a state of dementia ; destroy 
the mind of. 
I dug eagerly, and now and then caught myself actually 
looking ... for the fancied treasure, the vision of which 
had demented, my unfortunate companion. 
Poe, Tales, I. 62. 
Do not the gods dement those whom they mean to de- 
stroy? Lowe, Bismarck, II. 259. 
dementate (de-men'tat), v. t. ; pret. and pp. 
dementated, ppr. dementating. [< L. dementatus, 
pp. of dementare, make mad: see dement.'] To 
make mad or insane ; dement. [Bare.] 
Many Antichrists and heretics were abroad, many sprung 
up since, many now present, and will be to the world's 
end, to dementate men's minds. 
Burton, Anat. of Mel., p. 623. 
dementate (de-men'tat), a. [< L. dementatus, 
pp.: see the verb.] Demented; mad. 
Arise, thou detnentate sinner, and come to judgement. 
Hammond, Works, IV. 622. 
dementation (de-men-ta'shon), n. [< demen- 
tate + -ion.] The act of making demented. 
[Rare.] 
Supposing the distemper under command from breaking 
out into any other sins besides its own dementation or 
stupidity. Whitlock, Manners of Eng. People, p. 512. 
demented (de-men'ted), p. a. [Pp. of dement, v. 
Cf. dement, a.] Having lost the normal use of 
the reason ; insane ; specifically, afflicted with 
or characterized by dementia. 
Demented persons are generally quiet and inactive. 
Pritchard. 
dementedness (de-men'ted-nes), n. The state 
of being demented. 
It is named by Pinel dementia or demence, demented- 
ness. Pritchard, Cyc. Pract. Med. 
dementia (de-men'shia), n. [< L. dementia, 
madness, insanity, < d'emen(t-)s, mad, insane: 
see dement, a. Cf. amentia.'] An extremely low 
condition of the mental function; profound 
general mental incapacity. It may be congenital 
ydiocy) or acquired. Acquired dementia may be a primary 
insanity, or it may form the final stage of mania or melan- 
cholia. Acute primary dementia, a form of temporary 
and often extreme dementia occurring in the young, usu- 
ally before the twentieth year, and more often in girls than 
in boys, accompanied by general physical exhaustion, and 
ensuing on conditions likely to produce exhaustion, such 
as scanty or improper food, rapid growth, overwork, or 
dissipation. The prospect of complete recovery under 
proper treatment is very good. Dementia paralytlca, a 
chronic insanity beginning in slight failure of mind, slight 
change of character, and slight loss of muscular strength 
and accuracy of muscular adjustment, and proceeding, 
sometimes faster, sometimes slower, with occasional tem- 
porary improvement, to complete dementia and general 
paralysis. The sensory functions are likewise somewhat 
impaired. In its well-developed stages the disease is marked 
by delusions, especially of grandeur (megalomania), and by 
epileptiform or apoplectif orm attacks, often attended with 
local paralysis, frequently mending rapidly. It occurs usu- 
ally between the ages of 35 and 50, and in 7 or 8 males to 1 
female. Anatomically there is atrophy of the fibers of ner- 
vous network of the cerebral cortex and increase of the sus- 
tentacular tissue of the brain. Also called general paraly- 
sis, general paresis, progressive paralysis, paretic demen- 
tia, cirrhosis of the brain, pericerebritis, periencephalo- 
meningitis diffusa, chronica, encephalitis interstitialis cor- 
ticalis, and popularly sqftening of the brain. Senile de- 
mentia, the failure of mind which occurs in advanced life. 
It depends probably in part on arterial obstruction. 
demephitization (de-mef"i-ti-za'shqn), n. [< 
demephitize + -ation.] The act of purifying 
from mephitic or foul air. 
demephitize (de-mef 'i-tiz), v. t. ; pret. and pp. 
demephitized, ppr. demephitizing. [< de- priv. 
+ mephitis, foul air, + -fee.] To purify from 
foul or unwholesome air. 
demerget (de-merj'), v. t. [= OF. demergier, < 
L. demergere = It. demergere, plunge into, < de, 
down, + mergere, plunge: see merge, and cf. 
demerse, immerse."] To sink or dip; immerse. 
I found the receiver separated from its cover, and the 
air breaking forth through the water in which it was de- 
merged. Boyle, Works, IV. 619. 
demerit 1 ! (de-mer'it), v. [< L. demerits, pp. 
of demerei'e, also deponent, demereri, merit or 
deserve (a thing), esp. deserve well of (a per- 
son), < de, of, + merere, mereri, deserve, merit: 
see merit. Cf. demerit*.] I. trans. 1. To de- 
serve; merit; earn. 
1524 
They brought with them also besyde theyr trybute as- 
signed them, further to demerite the favour of cure men, 
great plentie of vytayles. Eden, tr. of P. Martyr. 
Stella, a nymph within this wood, . . . 
The highest in his fancy stood, 
And she could well demerit this. 
M . Roydon (Arber's Eng. Garner, I. 285). 
2. To deserve to lose from lack of merit or 
desert. 
In thy creation, although thou didst not deserve a be- 
ing, yet thou demented it not. 
Jer. Taylor, Works (ed. 1835), I. 370. 
II. intrans. To be deserving ; deserve. 
I will be tender to his reputation, 
However he demerit. B. Jonson, Volpone, iv. 1. 
demerit 1 ! (de-mer'it), n. [Cf . OF. demerite, de- 
mirite, desert, merit (in neut. sense) ; from the 
verb : see demerit^, v.~] That which one merits ; 
desert. 
By many benefits and demerits whereby they obliged 
their adherents, [they] acquired this reputation. 
Holland, tr. of Plutarch, p. 1101. 
We have heard so much of your demerits, 
That 'twere injustice not to cherish you. 
Shirley, Humorous Courtier. 
demerit 2 ! (de-mer'it), v. t. [< F. demeriter = 
It. demeritare, deserve ill, do amiss; from the 
noun or as freq. of the earlier verb, OF. deme- 
rir, < ML. demercre, deserve ill, do amiss, < L. 
de- priv. + merere, mereri, deserve : see merit. 
Cf. demerit^, v .] To lower the merit of ; dis- 
credit; depreciate. 
Faith by her own dignity and worthiness doth not de- 
merit justice and righteousness. 
Bp. Woolton, Christian Manual, Big. c. iv. 
demerit 2 (de-mer'it), . [< OF. demerite, F. 
demerite = Sp. Pg. demerito = It. demerito, de- 
merto, < ML. demeritmn, fault, demerit, prop, 
neut. of demeritus, pp. of demercre, deserve ill, 
do amiss: see demerit 2 , v. Cf. demerit^, .] 
That which merits ill; censurable conduct; 
wrong-doing; ill desert: opposed to went. 
Mine is the merit, the demerit thine. Dryden, Fables. 
He [William I.] took no Man's living from him, nor dis- 
possess'd any of their Goods, but such only whose Demerit 
made them unworthy to hold them. 
Baker, Chronicles, p. 23. 
Demerit mark, in schools, a mark for bad conduct or 
deficiency. = Syn. Ill desert, delinquency, 
demerlaikt, . [ME. demerJayk, earlier dweo- 
merlak, < AS. *dwimor, in comp. gedwimor, ge- 
dwimer, gedwomer, an illusion, a phantom, + 
lac, play.] Magic ; witchcraft ; sorcery. 
That con dele wyth demerlayk, & deuine lettres. 
Alliterative Poems (ed. Morris), ii. 1561. 
demerset (de-mers'), v. t. [< L. demersus, pp. 
of demeraere, plunge into: see demerge.'] To 
plunge; immerse. 
The receiver being erected, the mercury will again be 
stagnant at the bottom of the phial, and the orifice of the 
tube . . . will be found demerged in it. 
Boyle, Works, IV. 516. 
demerged (de-mersf), a. [< L. demersus, pp.: 
see demerse.] In bot., situated or growing un- 
der water : applied to leaves of plants : same 
as submersed. 
demersion (de-mer'shon), n. [< LL. demcr- 
sio(n-\ < L. de'mersus, pp. of demergere : see de- 
merse, demerge.'] 1. The act of plunging into 
a fluid; immersion. 2. The state of being 
overwhelmed. [Bare or obsolete in both uses.] 
The sinking and demersion of buildings into the earth. 
Kay, Diss. of World, v. 1. 
demesmerization (de-mez-mer-i-za'shon), n. 
The act of demesmerizing. 
demesmerize (de-mez'mer-iz), v. t. ; pret. and 
demi-bombard 
among his tenants, originally called bookland or 
charter-land, and folk-land or estates held in 
villeinage, from which sprang copyhold estates. 
Copyhold estates, however, have been accounted demesnes, 
because the tenants are judged to have their estates only 
at the will of the lord. 
The defects in those acts ... have hitherto been wholly 
ineffectual, except about the demesnes of a few gentlemen. 
Swift. 
3. Any estate in land. 
A gentleman of noble parentage, 
Of fair demesnes, vouthful, and nobly train'd. 
Shak., R. and J., iii. 5. 
My father's dead ; I am a man of war too, 
Moneys, demesnes ; I have ships at sea too, captains. 
Fletcher, Rule a Wife, i. 5. 
The demesnes of John, Lord of Biscay, . . . amounted 
to more than eighty towns and castles. 
Prescott, Ferd. and Isa., Int. 
Ancient demesne, collectively, the manors that, accord- 
ing to the Doomsday book, were actually in the hands of 
the crown at the time of Edward the Confessor or William 
the Conqueror, though they may have been subsequently 
granted to tenants. Demesne lands, lands which the 
lord has not let out in tenancy, but has reserved for his 
own use and occupation. 
The demesne lands of the crown . . . were abundantly 
sufficient to support its dignity and magnificence. 
Hallam, Middle Ages, viii. 2. 
In his demesne as of fee. See demain. 
demesnial (de-me'ni-al), a.. [< demesne + -ial.] 
Pertaining to a demesne. [Bare.] 
Demeter (de-me'ter), n. [L., < Gr. 
Doric &a/tdnjp, usually explained as for * 
TT/P, < 717, = Doric do, earth, + /if/r>ip = K. mother; 
but the identification of <!a, which is found in- 
dependently only in a few exclamatory phrases, 
with yrj, earth, is very doubtful.] In anc. Gr. 
myth., the goddess of vegetation and of useful 
. 
demi, half, < 
pp. demesmerized, ppr. demesmerizing. [< de- 
priv. + mesmerize.] To relieve from mesmeric 
influence. 
demesne (de-men'), n. [Early mod. E. also de- 
measne, prop, demain, demean, < ME. demaine, 
demeine, etc., < OF. demaine, demeine, etc., vars. 
of domaine, right of ownership, power, domin- 
ion, domain : see demain and domain. The cor- 
rupt spelling demesne (cf . OF. demesne, demeisne, 
corrupt spellings of demaine, demeine, adj., of a 
domain) has been preserved through legal con- 
servatism.] If. Power; dominion; possession. 
See demain. 
Whether from the circumstances of their original for- 
mation, or from the prevalence of commendation to a lord 
for purposes of protection, the bulk of English villages 
were now " in demesne " that is to say, in the " domin- 
ion " or lordship of some thegn, or bishop, or in that of the 
crown itself. J. It. Green, Conq. of Eng., p. 315. 
2. A manor-house and the land adjacent ornear, 
which a lord of the manor keeps in his own 
occupation, for the use of his family, as distin- 
guished from his tenemental lands, distributed 
Demeter of Cnichis, in the British Museui 
fruits, protectress of social order and of mar- 
riage; one of the great Olympian deities. She 
is usually associated, and even confounded, in legend and 
in cult, with her daughter Persephone (Proserpine) or 
Kora, whose rape by Hades (Pluto) symbolizes some of the 
most profound phases of Hellenic mysticism. The Romans 
of the end of the republic and of the empire assimilated 
to the Hellenic conception of Demeter the primitive Italic 
chthonian divinity Ceres. 
demi (de-mi'), . Same as demy, 2. 
demi-. ' [OF. F. demi-, < OF. F. 
L. dimidius, half, < di-, apart, + 
medins, middle: see medial, mid- 
dle. Ct.demy.'] A prefix denoting 
' half.' It occurs especially in techni- 
cal terms taken from the French,many of 
them not Anglicized, especially in terms 
of heraldry, fortification, etc. It is also 
freely used as an English prefix. In 
heraldry the half of an animal used as 
a bearing is always the upper half, in- Demi-lion. 
eluding the head and fore legs. Usually 
the creature is in an upright attitude, rampant, comba- 
tant, or the like. 
demi-ass (dem'i-as), n. A book-name of the 
hemione (Equtis hemionus), translating the spe- 
cific name. 
demi-bain (dem'i-ban), n. [F., < demi-, half, 
+ bain, a bath.] Same as demi-bath. 
demi-bastion (dem'i-bas"tiou), TO. [F., < demi-. 
half, + bastion, bastion.] In fort., a bastion 
that has only one face and one flank. 
demi-bath (dem'i-bath), n. [< demi- + bath; 
cf. demi-bain,'] A bath in which only one por- 
tion of the body is immersed. Also demi-baiii. 
demi-bombardt, n. A cannon used in the sec- 
ond half of the sixteenth century, having some- 
times a chamber, and sometimes a uniform 
bore. 
