Burke.
De*fy" (?), n. A challenge. [Obs.] Dryden.
De*gar"nish (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Degarnished (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Degarnishing.] [F. dégarnir; pref. dé- , des- (L. dis-) + garnir to furnish. See Garnish, and cf. Disgarnish.] 1. To strip or deprive of entirely, as of furniture, ornaments, etc.; to disgarnish; as, to degarnish a house, etc. [R.]
2. To deprive of a garrison, or of troops necessary for defense; as, to degarnish a city or fort. [R.] Washington.
De*gar"nish*ment (?), n. The act of depriving, as of furniture, apparatus, or a garrison. [R.]
{ De*gen"der (?), De*gen"er (?), } v. i. [See Degenerate.] To degenerate. [Obs.] "Degendering to hate." Spenser.
He degenereth into beastliness.
Joye.
De*gen"er*a*cy (?), n. [From Degenerate, a.] 1. The act of becoming degenerate; a growing worse.
Willful degeneracy from goodness.
Tillotson.
2. The state of having become degenerate; decline in good qualities; deterioration; meanness.
Degeneracy of spirit in a state of slavery.
Addison.
To recover mankind out of their universal corruption and degeneracy.
S. Clarke.
De*gen"er*ate (?), a. [L. degeneratus, p. p. of degenerare to degenerate, cause to degenerate, fr. degener base, degenerate, that departs from its race or kind; de- + genus race, kind. See Kin relationship.] Having become worse than one's kind, or one's former state; having declined in worth; having lost in goodness; deteriorated; degraded; unworthy; base; low.
Faint-hearted and degenerate king.
Shak.
A degenerate and degraded state.
Milton.
Degenerate from their ancient blood.
Swift.
These degenerate days.
Pope.
I had planted thee a noble vine . . . : how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?
Jer. ii. 21.
De*gen"er*ate (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Degenerated; p. pr. & vb. n. Degenerating.] 1. To be or grow worse than one's kind, or than one was originally; hence, to be inferior; to grow poorer, meaner, or more vicious; to decline in good qualities; to deteriorate.
When wit transgresseth decency, it degenerates into insolence and impiety.
Tillotson.
2. (Biol.) To fall off from the normal quality or the healthy structure of its kind; to become of a lower type.
De*gen"er*ate*ly (?), adv. In a degenerate manner; unworthily.
De*gen"er*ate*ness, n. Degeneracy.
De*gen`er*a"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. dégénération.] 1. The act or state of growing worse, or the state of having become worse; decline; degradation; debasement; degeneracy; deterioration.
Our degeneration and apostasy.
Bates.
2. (Physiol.) That condition of a tissue or an organ in which its vitality has become either diminished or perverted; a substitution of a lower for a higher form of structure; as, fatty degeneration of the liver.
3. (Biol.) A gradual deterioration, from natural causes, of any class of animals or plants or any particular organ or organs; hereditary degradation of type.