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Show \ DE DE DE Dery'. . /. [from the verb.] A chal- Drce'NEROUS. agj. [from degener, Lat. lenge; an invitation to fight: this is 1. Degenerated ; fallen from the virtu and merit of anceftors now hardly ufed 2. Vile; bafe; infamous ; unworthy At this the challenger, with fierce defy His trumpet founds ; the challeng'd makes reply With clangour rings the field, refounds-the vaulte y Dryden Let not the tumultuary violence of fome men' immoderate demands ever betray me to that degenerous and unmanly flavery, which fhould mak me ftrengthen them by my confent. K. Charles Shame, inftead of piety, reftrains them fro many bafe and degencrous practices Soyth Degenerous paflion, and for man too bafe It feats its empire in the female race DEeFY'ER. 7 /. [from defy.] A challenger one that invite to fight: more properl defier God may revenge the affronts put upon the by fuch impudent defyers of both, as neither be There rages lieve a God, por ought to be believed by man South Dece'NErRACY . Lat. Puts flatt'ry on, until the aim be fure In a degenerate manner; bafely; mean ly 1. A departure from the virtue of our an How woundin ceftors *Tis true, we have contracted a great deal o weaknefs and impotency by our wilful degencrac from goodnefs; but that grace, which the gofpe offers to us for our affiftance, is fufficient for us Tillotfon The ruin of a ftate is generally preceded by a univerfal degencracy of manners, and contempt o religion, which is entirely our cafe at praé nt Savift 3. Meannefs There is a kind of fluggith refignation, as wel as poornefs and degeneracy of fpirit, in a ftate o flavery Addifon 7o DEGE'NERATE Lat degenerer, Fr «. n Dryden Dece''NEROUSLY. adv. [from degencrous. 7. [ [from degeneratio 2. A defertion of that which is good and, to make its blow fecure [degencrare degenerar, Spanifh. 1. To fall from the virtue of anceftors 2. To fall from a more noble to a baf ftate a fpectacle is it to fee heroes like Hercules at the diftaff, thus degencronfly employed Decay of Piety Decruri'tioN. n. f. [deglutition, Fr from deglutio, Lat.] The a& or powe of {wallowing Whe the deglutition is totally abolithed, th patient may be nourithed by clyfters Arbuthnot on Dict DEGRADA'TION. 7. /. [degradation, Fr. 1. A deprivation of dignity; difmiflio from office The word degradation is commonly ufed to denote a deprivation and removing of a man fro his degree Ayliffe 2. Degeneracy; bafenefs So deplorable is the degradation of our nature that whereas before we bore the image of God, w now retain only the image of men South 3. Diminution, with refpe& to ftrength efficacy, or value When wit tranfgreffeth decency, it degemerate into infolence and impiety Tillotfon. 4. [In painting.] A term made ufe of t exprefs the leflening and rendering con3. To fall from its kind ; to grow wil or bafe fufed the appearance of diftant objeét Moft of thofe fruits that ‘ufe to be grafted, i in a landfcape, {fo as they may appea they-be fet of kernels or ftones, degencrate. Bacon there as they would do to an eye place DEGE'NERATE. adj. [from the verb. at tnat diftance from them Dig 1. Unlik his anceftors falle fro virtue and merit of his anceftors th Yet thou haft greater caufe to b Afham'd of them, than they of| thee Degencrate from their ancient brood 2. Unworthy ;. bafe ; departin kind or nature him of his office Shakefp Since firft the court allow'd them food Swvifr from it So all fhall turn degen'rate, all deprav'd Juftice and temperance, truth and faith, forgot ©One man except Milton When a man {b far becomes degenerate as to qui the principles of human nature, and to be a noxiOus creature, there is commonly an injury don fome perfon or other Locke DecE'NERATENESS, 7 /. [from degenerate.] Degeneracy ; a being grown wild or out of kind DEGENEI%A,TION. #s/. [from degenerate. 1. A deviatio fro anceftors the virtue of ope' 2. A falling from a more excellent fat ~ to one of lefs worth 3 The thing changed from its primitiv ftate In plants, thefe tranfplantations are obvious 2s that of barley into oats, of wheat into darnell and thofe grains which generally arife among corn a3 cockle, aracys, eegilops, and other degenerations Brown's Viigar Errours. w. a. {degrader, Fr. 1. To put one from his degree ; to depriv Thou art like enoug To fight againft me under Piercy's pay To dog his heels, and curt'fy at his frowns To fhow how much thou art degencrate 7o DEGRA'DE dignity, or title He thoul Be quite degraded, like a hedgeborn fwai That doth prefume to boaft of gentle blood Shakefpeare 2. To leflen ; to diminifh the value of Nor fhalt thou, by defcending to affum Man's nature, lefien or degrade thine own Milton All higher knowledge in her prefence fall Degraded Milton 3. To reduce from a higher to a lowe ftate, with refpeét to qualities : as, gol is degraded into filver Decrava'rion. #. /. [from degravatus of degravo, Lat.] The aét of makin heavy Dic DEGREE. #. /. [degré, Fr. from gradus Lat. 1. Quality ; rank; ftation; place of dignity 1t was my fortune, common to that age To love a lady: fair, of great degree The which was born of noble parentage And fet in higheft feat of dignity Spenfer 1 embrace willingly the ancient received courf and conveniency of that difcipline, which teachet inferior degrees and orders in the church of God Hooker Surely men of low degree are vanity, and me of high degree are a lye: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter fhan vanity Plalm 1xiis 9o Well then, Coleville is your name, a knighti Shakefpeare your degree, and your place the dale Degree being vizarded Th' unworthieft fhews as feirly in the matk. Shak This noble youth to madi efs loy'd a dam Dryden Of high degree, Honoria was her name Farmers in degree He a good hufband, a good houfewife the. Dryder But is no rank, no ftation, no degree From this contagious taint of forrow free ? %'r_ior condition ftate an comparativ 2. Th in which a thing is The book of Wifdom noteth degrees of idoh;ttry making that of worfhipping petty and vile idol more grofs than fimply the worfhipping of the crea Bacono ture As if there were degrees in infinite And Heav'n itfelf had rather want perfeétio Dryder Than punifh to excefs Poef Admits of no degrees; but muft be ftil Rofcommott Sublimely good, or defpicably ill 3. A ftep or preparation to any thing Her firft degree was by fetting forth her beautiess truly in nature no to be mifliked but as muc advanced to the eye, as abafed to the judgment, b Sidney art Which fight the knowledge of myfelf migh bring Which to trgue wifdom is the firft degree Dawicss 4. Order of lineage; defcent of family. King Latinus, in the third degree Dryden Had Saturn author of his family. 5. Orders or clafles The feveral degrees of angels may probably hav larger views, and be endowed with capacities abl to fet before them, as in.one picture,-all their paf knowledge at once Locke 6. Meafure ; proportion. If all the parts are equally heard as:loud as on another, they will ftun you to that dsgree, tha you will fancy your ears were torn in piecess Dryd 7. [In geometry.] The three hundred and fixtieth part of the circumference of circle. The fpace of one degree in th heavens is accounted to anfwer to fixt miles on earth In minds and manners, twins oppos'd we fee In the fame fign, almoft the fame degree. Dryden To you who live in chill degree Dryden As map informs, of fifty-three 8. [In arithmetick.] A degree confifts o three figures, viz. of three places, comand hundreds prehending units tens {fo three hundre 708 and fixty-five is a de-Cocker's Arithmetick. 9. The divifion of the lines upon fevera forts of mathematical inftruments 10. [In maufick.] The intervals of {founds which are ufually marked by little lines. Dig 11. [In philofophy.] The vehemence o flacknefs of the hot or cold quality The fecond, third, and fourth degrees of heat ar more eafily introduced than the firft: every on is both a preparative and a ftep to the next. Sonth By DecrEEs. adv. Gradually 5 by littl and little Their bodies are exercifed in all abilities bot of doing and fuffering, and their minds acquainted by degrees with danger Sidrey Dot of water not' this etherial medium glafs cryftal, and othe in paffing ou compaé an denfe bodies, into empty fpaces, grow denfer and denfer by degrees Newto Exulting in triumph now fwell the bold notes In broken air, trembling, the wild mufick floats 3 Tilly by degrees remote and {mall The ftrains decay An melt away In a dying, dying fall Popeo X perfon |