Equal decrement of life. (a) The decrease of life in a group of persons in which the assumed law of mortality is such that of a given large number of persons, all being now of the same age, an equal number shall die each consecutive year. (b) The decrease of life in a group of persons in which the assumed law of mortality is such that the ratio of those dying in a year to those living through the year is constant, being independent of the age of the persons.
De*crep"it (?), a. [L. decrepitus, perhaps orig., noised out, noiseless, applied to old people, who creep about quietly; de- + crepare to make a noise, rattle: cf. F. décrépit. See Crepitate.] Broken down with age; wasted and enfeebled by the infirmities of old age; feeble; worn out. "Beggary or decrepit age." Milton.
Already decrepit with premature old age.
Motley.
Sometimes incorrectly written decrepid.
De*crep"i*tate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Decrepitated; p. pr. & vb. n. Decrepitating.] [Cf. F. décrépiter.] To roast or calcine so as to cause a crackling noise; as, to decrepitate salt.
De*crep"i*tate, v. i. To crackle, as salt in roasting.
De*crep`i*ta"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. décrépitation.] The act of decrepitating; a crackling noise, such as salt makes when roasting.
De*crep"it*ness (?), n. Decrepitude. [R.] Barrow.
De*crep"i*tude (?), n. [Cf. F. décrépitude.] The broken state produced by decay and the infirmities of age; infirm old age.
||De`cres*cen"do (?), a. & adv. [It.] (Mus.) With decreasing volume of sound; -- a direction to performers, either written upon the staff (abbreviated Dec., or Decresc.), or indicated by the sign.
De*cres"cent (?), a. [L. decrescens, p. pr. of decrescere. See Decrease.] Becoming less by gradual diminution; decreasing; as, a decrescent moon.
De*cres"cent, n. (Her.) A crescent with the horns directed towards the sinister. Cussans.
De*cre"tal (?), a. [L. decretalis, fr. decretum. See Decree.] Appertaining to a decree; containing a decree; as, a decretal epistle. Ayliffe.
De*cre"tal, n. [LL. decretale, neut. of L. decretalis. See Decretal, a.] 1. (R. C. Ch.) An authoritative order or decree; especially, a letter of the pope, determining some point or question in ecclesiastical law. The decretals form the second part of the canon law.
2. (Canon Law) The collection of ecclesiastical decrees and decisions made, by order of Gregory IX., in 1234, by St. Raymond of Pennafort.
De*crete" (?), n. [L. decretum. See Decree.] A decree. [Obs.] Chaucer.
De*cre"tion (?), n. [From L. decrescere, decretum. See Decrease.] A decrease. [Obs.] Pearson.
De*cre"tist (?), n. [LL. decretista, fr. decretum: cf. F. décrétiste. See Decree, n.] One who studies, or professes the knowledge of, the decretals.
De*cre"tive (?), a. [From L. decretum. See Decree, n.] Having the force of a decree; determining.
The will of God is either decretive or perceptive.
Bates.
Dec`re*to"ri*al (?), a. Decretory; authoritative. Sir T. Browne.
Dec"re*to*ri*ly (?), adv. In a decretory or definitive manner; by decree.
Dec"re*to*ry (?), a. [L. decretorius, from decretum. See Decree.] 1. Established by a decree; definitive; settled.
The decretory rigors of a condemning sentence.
South.
2. Serving to determine; critical. "The critical or decretory days." Sir T. Browne.
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De*crew" (?), v. i. [F. décrue, n., decrease, and décru, p. p. of décroître. See Decrease, and cf. Accrue.] To decrease. [Obs.] Spenser.
De*cri"al (?), n. [See Decry.] A crying down; a clamorous censure; condemnation by censure.
De*cri"er (?), n. One who decries.
De*crown" (?), v. t. To deprive of a crown; to discrown. [R.] Hakewill.
De`crus*ta"tion (?), n. [Cf. OF. décrustation.] The removal of a crust.
De*cry" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Decried (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Decrying.] [F. décrier, OF. descrier; pref. des- (L. dis-) + crier to cry. See Cry, and cf. Descry.] To cry down; to censure as faulty, mean, or worthless; to clamor against; to blame clamorously; to discredit; to disparage.
For small errors they whole plays decry.
Dryden.
Measures which are extolled by one half of the kingdom are naturally decried by the other.
Addison.
Syn. -- To Decry, Depreciate, Detract, Disparage. Decry and depreciate refer to the estimation of a thing, the former seeking to lower its value by clamorous censure, the latter by representing it as of little worth. Detract and disparage also refer to merit or value, which the former assails with caviling, insinuation, etc., while the latter willfully underrates and seeks to degrade it. Men decry their rivals and depreciate their measures. The envious detract from the merit of a good action, and disparage the motives of him who performs it.
Dec`u*ba"tion (?), n. [From L. decubare; de- + cubare. See Decumbent.] Act of lying down; decumbence. [Obs.] Evelyn.
||De*cu"bi*tus (?), n. [NL., fr. L. de- + cubare, to lie down: cf. F. décubitus.] (Med.) An attitude assumed in lying down; as, the dorsal decubitus.
Dec"u*man (?), a. [L. decumanus of the tenth, and by metonymy, large, fr. decem ten.] Large; chief; -- applied to an extraordinary billow, supposed by some to be every tenth in order. [R.] Also used substantively. "Such decuman billows." Gauden. "The baffled decuman." Lowell.
{ De*cum"bence (?), De*cum"ben*cy (?), } n. The act or posture of lying down.
The ancient manner of decumbency.
Sir T. Browne.
De*cum"bent (?), a. [L. decumbens, -entis, p. pr. of decumbere; de- + cumbere (only in comp.), cubare to lie down.] 1. Lying down; prostrate; recumbent.
The decumbent portraiture of a woman.
Ashmole.
2. (Bot.) Reclining on the ground, as if too weak to stand, and tending to rise at the summit or apex; as, a decumbent stem. Gray.
De*cum"bent*ly, adv. In a decumbent posture.
De*cum"bi*ture (?; 135), n. 1. Confinement to a sick bed, or time of taking to one's bed from sickness. Boyle.
2. (Astrol.) Aspect of the heavens at the time of taking to one's sick bed, by which the prognostics of recovery or death were made.