Deess
(De"ess) n. [F. déesse, fem. of dieu god.] A goddess. [Obs.] Croft.
Deev
(||Deev) n. (Hind. & Pers. Myth.) See Dev.
Deface
(De*face") v. t. [imp. & p. p. Defaced (-fast"); p. pr. & vb. n. Defacing.] [OE. defacen to
disfigure, efface, OF. desfacier; L. dis- + facies face. See Face, and cf. Efface.]
1. To destroy or mar the face or external appearance of; to disfigure; to injure, spoil, or mar, by effacing
or obliterating important features or portions of; as, to deface a monument; to deface an edifice; to deface
writing; to deface a note, deed, or bond; to deface a record. "This high face defaced." Emerson.
So by false learning is good sense defaced.
Pope. 2. [Cf. F. défaire.] To destroy; to make null. [Obs.]
[Profane scoffing] doth . . . deface the reverence of religion.
Bacon.
For all his power was utterly defaste [defaced].
Spenser. Syn. — See Efface.
Defacement
(De*face"ment) n.
1. The act of defacing, or the condition of being defaced; injury to the surface or exterior; obliteration.
2. That which mars or disfigures. Bacon.
Defacer
(De*fa"cer) n. One who, or that which, defaces or disfigures.
De facto
(||De` fac"to) [L.] Actually; in fact; in reality; as, a king de facto, — distinguished from a king de
jure, or by right.
Defail
(De*fail") v. t. [F. défaillir to fail; pref. dé- (L. de) + faillir. See Fail, and cf. Default.] To cause
to fail. [Obs.]
Defailance
(De*fail"ance) n. [F. défaillance.] Failure; miscarriage. [Obs.]
Possibility of defailance in degree or continuance.
Comber. Defailure
(De*fail"ure) n. Failure. [Obs.] Barrow.
Defalcate
(De*fal"cate) v. t. [imp. & p. p. Defalcated; p. pr. & vb. n. Defalcating.] [LL. defalcatus,
p. p. of defalcare to deduct, orig., to cut off with a sickle; L. de- + falx, falcis, a sickle. See Falchion.]
To cut off; to take away or deduct a part of; — used chiefly of money, accounts, rents, income, etc.
To show what may be practicably and safely defalcated from them [the estimates].
Burke. Defalcate
(De*fal"cate), v. i. To commit defalcation; to embezzle money held in trust. "Some partner
defalcating, or the like." Carlyle.
Defalcation
(De`fal*ca"tion) n. [LL. defalcatio: cf. F. défalcation.]
1. A lopping off; a diminution; abatement; deficit. Specifically: Reduction of a claim by deducting a counterclaim; set-
off. Abbott.
2. That which is lopped off, diminished, or abated.
