760 T) £ S 
DESIDER A'f lJM, [Lat.] Somewhatwhich enquiry 
has not yet been able to fettle or difcover; as the longi¬ 
tude is the deceleration of navigation. The trifetlion of 
an angle, and the quadrature of a circle, are the defdcrata 
of geometry. 
DKSI'DIA, [ [from defes, Lat. flothful. ] A kind of 
floih or inadtivity which approaches to lethargy. 
DESI'DIOSE, or Desidious, adj. [ defdiofus, Lat.] 
Idle ; lazy; heavy. 
To DESI'GN, v. a. [dcfgno, Lat. dejftver, Fr.] To pur- 
pofe ; to intend any thing. To form or order with a par¬ 
ticular purpofe ; with for. —The afts of religious wor- 
fhip were purpofely dcfgnedfor the acknowledgment of a 
Being, whom the mod excellent creatures are bound to 
adore as well as we. Stillingfeet. 
You are not for obfeurity defgn'd. 
But, like the fun, mud cheer all human kind. Dryden. 
To devote intentionally: with to. —He was born to the 
inheritance of a fplendid fortune ; he was dtfgned to the 
ftudy of the law. Dry dm. —To plan ; to project; to form 
an idea.—We are to obferve whether the picture or out¬ 
lines be well drawn, or, as more elegant artizans term it, 
■well defgned. Wotton. 
Thus while they fpeed their pace, the prince defigns 
The new-eledted feat, and draws the lines. Dryden. 
To mark out by particular tokens : little nfcd. —’Tis not 
enough to make a man a fubject, to convince him that 
there is regal power in the world ; but there mud be 
ways of defigning and knowing the perfon to whom this 
regal power of right belongs. Locke. 
DESI'GN, f. 'An intention ; a purpofe. A fcheme ; 
a plan of aftion.—Is he a prudent man as to his tempo¬ 
ral edate, that lays defigns only for a day, without any 
profpect to the remaining part of his life ? Tillotfon. —A 
fcheme formed to the detriment of another.—•A fedate 
fettled defgn upon another man’s life, put him in a date 
of war with him agnind whom he has declared fuch an 
intention. "Locke. —The idea which an artid endeavours 
(to execute or exprefs. See the article Painting.— I 
doubt not but in the defgns of feveral Greek medals one 
may often fee the hand of an Apelles or Protogenes. Addif 
Thy hand drikes out fome new defgn , 
Where life awakes and dawns at every line. Pope. 
DESIGN'ABLE, adj. \_defgno, Lat.] Didinguidiable; 
capable to be particularly marked out.—The power of 
all natural agents is limited : the mover mud be confined 
to obferve thefe proportions, and cannot pafs over all 
thefe infinite defgnablc degrees in an indant. Digby. 
DESIGNA'TION,/ \_defgnatio, Lat.] The aft of 
pointing or marking out by fome particular token.—This 
is a plain defoliation of the duke of Marlborough : one 
kind of dud' ufed to fatten land is called marie, and every 
body knows that borough is a name for a town. Swift. — 
Appointment; direction.—William the Conqueror fore¬ 
bore to ufe that claim in the beginning, but mixed it with 
a-titulary pretence, grounded upon the will and defgna- 
tion of Edward the Confeffor. Bacon. —Import; inten¬ 
tion.—Finite and infinite feem to be looked upon by the ■ 
mind as the modes of quantity, and to be attributed pri¬ 
marily in their fird defgnation only to thofe things which 
have parts, and are capable of increafe or diminution. 
DESIGN'EDLY, adv. Purpofely; intentionally ; by 
defign or purpofe ; not ignorantly ; not inadvertently ; 
not fortuitoufiy.—Ufes made things ; that is to fay, fome 
things were made dcfgnedly, and on purpofe, for fuch an 
ufe as they ferve to. Ray. 
DESIGN'ER, f One that defigns, intends, or pur- 
pofes; a purpofer. A plotter; a contriver; one that 
lays fchemes.—It has therefore always been both the 
rule and practice for fuch dcfgners to fuborn the public 
intered, to countenance and cover their private. Decay of 
Piety. —One that forms the idea of any thing in painting, 
D E S 
fculpture, architefture, gardening, Sec .—There is a great 
affinity between defigning and poetry ; for the Latin poets, 
and the dcfgners of the Roman medals, lived very near 
one another, and were bred up to the fame reliflv for wit 
and fancy. Addifon. 
DESIGNING, part. adj. Infidious; treacherous; de¬ 
ceitful ; fraudulently artful : 
’Twould fhew me poor, indebted, and compell'd, 
Defigning , mercenary ; and I know 
You would not wilh to think I could be bought. Southern. 
DESIGN'ING,y. The a£t of drawing defigns. 
DESIGN'LESS, adj. Without intention; without de¬ 
fign ; unknowing; inadvertent. 
DESIGN'LESbLY, adv. Without intention; igno¬ 
rantly ; inadvertently.—In this great concert of his whole 
creation, the defgnlcfsly confpiring voices are as differing 
as the conditions of the refpective fingers. Boyle. 
DESIGN'MENT, f. A purpofe and intent.—The 
fanefity of the Chriilian religion excludes fraud and falfe- 
hood from the defignments and aims of its firfi: promulga¬ 
tors. Decay of Piety. —A fcheme of hofiility.—She re¬ 
ceived advice both of the king’s defperate efiate, and of 
the duke’s defignments againfl her. Hayward. 
News, lords ! our wars are done : 
The defperate tempeft hath fo bang’d the Turks, 
That their dfgnment halts. Skakejpeare. 
The idea, or Iketch, of a work : 
When abfent, yet we conquer’d in his right; 
For though that fome mean artift’s (kill were ffiown 
In mingling colours, or in placing light, 
Yet (till the fair defgnment was his own. Dryden. 
DESIN'E, a town of Arabia, in the country of Oman ; 
240 miles fouth-wefi of Mafcat. 
DESIP'IENCE, f. [ defpientia , Lat.] Foolifhnefs, in«~ 
diferetion, doating. Bailey.. 
DESIPIE'NTI A, f. [from defpio, Lat,.to.dote.] A- 
defeat of reafon. With phyficians, the fymptomatic 
phrenfy. 
DESI'RABLE, adj. That which is to be wifiied 
witli earneftnefs.—Adjudged cafes, colledled by men of 
great fagacity, will improve his mind toward acquiring 
this defirable amplitude and extent of thought. Watts. — 
Pleafing; delightful.—Our own fex, our kindred, our 
lioufes, and our very names, feem to have fomething 
good and defirable in them. Watts. 
DESI'RE, f. [ defir, Fr. defeo, Ttal. dcfdcrium, Lat.] 
With ; eagernefs to obtain or enjoy.—Drink provokes, 
and unprovokes ; it provokes the defre, but it takes away 
the performance. Skakejpeare. 
Defre' s the vaft extent of human mind ; 
It mounts above, and leaves poor hope behind. Dryden „ 
To DESI'RE, v. a. \_defrer , Fr. defdersrc, Lat.] To 
with ; to long for ; to covet. Thou (halt not defre the 
filver or gold. Deut. vii. 25.—To exprefs wifhes; to ap¬ 
pear to long.—Jove beheld it with a def.ring look, Dry¬ 
den.— To afk ; to intreat: 
But fince you take fuch inffreft in our woe, 
And Troy’s difaft’rons end defre to know, 
I will reftrain my tears, and briefly tell 
What in our laft and fatal night befell. Dryden „ 
To require ; to demand. Not in ufe: 
A doleful cafe def res a doleful fong, 
Without vain art or curious compliments* Spenfcr. 
DESI'RER, f. One that is eager of any tiling; a 
wifher.—I will counterfeit the bewitchment of fome po¬ 
pular man, and give it bountifully to the defrers. Shake/. 
DESl'ROUS, adj. Full of defire ; eager ; longing af¬ 
ter ; wifliing for.—Be not defrous of his dainties; for they 
are deceitful meat. Prov. xxiii. 3.—Men are drowfy and 
def rous to ileep before the fit of.an ague, and yawn and 
ftretch. Bacon.. 
Conjugal 
