De*mes"mer*ize (?), v. t. To relieve from mesmeric influence. See Mesmerize.
De*mesne" (?), n. [OE. demeine, demain, rule, demesne, OF. demeine, demaine, demeigne, domaine, power, F. domaine domain, fr. L. dominium property, right of ownership, fr. dominus master, proprietor, owner. See Dame, and cf. Demain, Domain, Danger, Dungeon.] (Law) A lord's chief manor place, with that part of the lands belonging thereto which has not been granted out in tenancy; a house, and the land adjoining, kept for the proprietor's own use. [Written also demain.] Wharton's Law Dict. Burrill.
Ancient demesne. (Eng. Law) See under Ancient.
De*mesn"i*al (?), a. Of or pertaining to a demesne; of the nature of a demesne.
Dem"i- (?). [F. demi-, fr. L. dimidius half; di- = dis- + medius middle. See Medium, and cf. Demy, Dimidiate.] A prefix, signifying half.
De*mi" (?), n. See Demy, n.
Dem"i*bas"tion (?; 106), n. [Cf. F. demi- bastion.] (Fort.) A half bastion, or that part of a bastion consisting of one face and one flank.
Dem"i*bri*gade" (?), n. [Cf. F. demi- brigade.] A half brigade.
Dem"i*ca`dence (?) n. (Mus.) An imperfect or half cadence, falling on the dominant instead of on the key note.
Dem"i*can"non (?), n. (Mil. Antiq.) A kind of ordnance, carrying a ball weighing from thirty to thirty-six pounds. Shak.
Dem"i*cir`cle (?), n. [Cf. F. demi- cercle.] An instrument for measuring angles, in surveying, etc. It resembles a protractor, but has an alidade, sights, and a compass.
Dem"i*cul"ver*in (?), n. (Mil. Antiq.) A kind of ordnance, carrying a ball weighing from nine to thirteen pounds.
Dem"i*de"i*fy (?) v. t. To deify in part. Cowper.
Dem"i*dev`il (?), n. A half devil. Shak.
Dem"i*god (?), n. A half god, or an inferior deity; a fabulous hero, the offspring of a deity and a mortal.
Dem"i*god`dess (?), n. A female demigod.
Dem"i*gorge` (?), n. [Cf. F. demi- gorge.] (Fort.) Half the gorge, or entrance into a bastion, taken from the angle of the flank to the center of the bastion.
Dem"i*grate (?), v. i. [L. demigrare, demigratum, to emigrate. See De-, and Migrate.] To emigrate. [Obs.] Cockeram.
Dem`i*gra"tion (?) n. [L. demigratio.] Emigration. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.
Dem"i*groat` (?), n. A half groat.
Dem"i-is`land (?), n. Peninsula. [Obs.] Knolles.
Dem"i*john (?), n. [F. dame- jeanne, i.e., Lady Jane, a corruption of Ar. damajna, damjna, prob. fr. Damaghan a town in the Persian province of Khorassan, once famous for its glass works.] A glass vessel or bottle with a large body and small neck, inclosed in wickerwork.
Dem"i*lance` (?), n. A light lance; a short spear; a half pike; also, a demilancer.
Dem"i*lan`cer (?), n. A soldier of light cavalry of the 16th century, who carried a demilance.
Dem"i*lune` (?), n. [F. demi- lune.] 1. (Fort.) A work constructed beyond the main ditch of a fortress, and in front of the curtain between two bastions, intended to defend the curtain; a ravelin. See Ravelin.
2. (Physiol.) A crescentic mass of granular protoplasm present in the salivary glands.
Each crescent is made of polyhedral cells which under some circumstances are supposed to give rise to new salivary cells.
Dem"i*man` (?), n. A half man. [R.] Knolles.
Dem`i*monde" (?), n. [F.; demi + monde world, L. mundus.] Persons of doubtful reputation; esp., women who are kept as mistresses, though not public prostitutes; demireps.
Literary demimonde, writers of the lowest kind.
Dem"i*na"tured (?; 135), a. Having half the nature of another. [R.] Shak.
Dem"i*qua`ver (?), n. (Mus.) A note of half the length of the quaver; a semiquaver. [R.]
{ Dem`i*re*lief" (?), Dem`i*re*lie"vo (?), } n. Half relief. See Demi- rilievo.
Dem"i*rep` (?), n. [Contr. fr. demi- reputation.] A woman of doubtful reputation or suspected character; an adventuress. [Colloq.] De Quincey.
||Dem"i-ri*lie"vo (?), n. [Pref. demi- + It. rilievo.] (Fine Arts) (a) Half relief; sculpture in relief of which the figures project from the background by one half their full roundness. (b) A work of sculpture of the above character. See Alto-rilievo.
De*mis`a*bil"i*ty (?), n. (Law) The state of being demisable.
De*mis"a*ble (?), a. [From Demise.] (Law) Capable of being leased; as, a demisable estate.
De*mise" (?), n. [F. démettre, p. p. démis, démise, to put away, lay down; pref. dé- (L. de or dis-) + mettre to put, place, lay, fr. L. mittere to send. See Mission, and cf. Dismiss, Demit.] 1. Transmission by formal act or conveyance to an heir or successor; transference; especially, the transfer or transmission of the crown or royal authority to a successor.
2. The decease of a royal or princely person; hence, also, the death of any illustrious person.
After the demise of the Queen [of George II.], in 1737, they [drawing- rooms] were held but twice a week.
P. Cunningham.
3. (Law) The conveyance or transfer of an estate, either in fee for life or for years, most commonly the latter. Bouvier.
The demise of the crown is a transfer of the crown, royal authority, or kingdom, to a successor. Thus, when Edward IV. was driven from his throne for a few months by the house of Lancaster, this temporary transfer of his dignity was called a demise. Thus the natural death of a king or queen came to be denominated a demise, as by that event the crown is transferred to a successor. Blackstone.
Demise and redemise, a conveyance where there are mutual leases made from one to another of the same land, or something out of it.
Syn. -- Death; decease; departure. See Death.
De*mise", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Demised (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Demising.] 1. To transfer or transmit by succession or inheritance; to grant or bestow by will; to bequeath. "Power to demise my lands." Swift.
What honor
Canst thou demise to any child of mine?
Shak.