n. [ /Ale + con, OE. cunnen to test, AS. cunnian to test. See Con. ] Orig., an officer appointed to look to the goodness of ale and beer; also, one of the officers chosen by the liverymen of London to inspect the measures used in public houses. But the office is a sinecure. [ Also called aletaster. ] [ Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Ale + L. costus an aromatic plant: cf. Costmary. ] (Bot.) The plant costmary, which was formerly much used for flavoring ale. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Elec.) The quantity of electricity delivered in hour by a current whose average strength is one ampère. It is used as a unit of charge quantity; the Ampere hour is equal to 3600 coulombs. The terms and are sometimes similarly used. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. 1. a unit of charge equal to that acquired by the accumulation of one ampere for one second.
Syn. -- coulomb, C [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A name given to that part of the Anglican liturgy for the communion, which precedes the consecration of the elements. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An instrument for measuring the height of objects. Knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. apo- + Gr. &unr_; length + -metry. ] The art of measuring the distance of objects afar off. [ Obs. or R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Bargeboard. ] (Arch.) A part of the tiling which projects beyond the principal rafters, in buildings where there is a gable. Gwilt. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. Became p. p. Become; p. pr. & vb. n. Becoming. ] [ OE. bicumen, becumen, AS. becuman to come to, to happen; akin to D. bekomen, OHG.a piquëman, Goth. biquiman to come upon, G. bekommen to get, suit. See Be-, and Come. ] 1. To pass from one state to another; to enter into some state or condition, by a change from another state, or by assuming or receiving new properties or qualities, additional matter, or a new character. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Lord God . . . breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Gen. ii. 7. [ 1913 Webster ]

That error now which is become my crime. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To come; to get. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

But, madam, where is Warwick then become! Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

To become of, to be the present state or place of; to be the fate of; to be the end of; to be the final or subsequent condition of. [ 1913 Webster ]

What is then become of so huge a multitude? Sir W. Raleigh. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To suit or be suitable to; to be congruous with; to befit; to accord with, in character or circumstances; to be worthy of, or proper for; to cause to appear well; -- said of persons and things. [ 1913 Webster ]

It becomes me so to speak of so excellent a poet. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

I have known persons so anxious to have their dress become them, as to convert it, at length, into their proper self, and thus actually to become the dress. Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Proper; decorous. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

And gave him what becomed love I might. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Appropriate or fit; congruous; suitable; graceful; befitting. [ 1913 Webster ]

A low and becoming tone. Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

Formerly sometimes followed by of. [ 1913 Webster ]

Such discourses as are becoming of them. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Seemly; comely; decorous; decent; proper. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. That which is becoming or appropriate. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a becoming manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being becoming, appropriate, or fit; congruity; fitness. [ 1913 Webster ]

The becomingness of human nature. Grew. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One dressed in blue, as a soldier, a sailor, a beadle, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. D. boerenkool (lit.) husbandman's cabbage. ] A brassicaceous plant of many varieties, cultivated for its leaves, which are not formed into a compact head like the cabbage, but are loose, and are generally curled or wrinkled; kale. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ , n. A sort of sweet wine. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F., fr. contre (L. contra) + coup a blow. ] (med.) A concussion or shock produced by a blow or other injury, in a part or region opposite to that at which the blow is received, often causing rupture or disorganisation of the parts affected. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Decocted; p. pr. & vb. n. Decocting. ] [ L. decoctus, p. p. of decoquere to boil down; de- + coquere to cook, boil. See Cook to decoct. ] 1. To prepare by boiling; to digest in hot or boiling water; to extract the strength or flavor of by boiling; to make an infusion of. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To prepare by the heat of the stomach for assimilation; to digest; to concoct. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To warm, strengthen, or invigorate, as if by boiling. [ R. ] “Decoct their cold blood.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being boiled or digested. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. décoction, L. decoctio. ] 1. The act or process of boiling anything in a watery fluid to extract its virtues. [ 1913 Webster ]

In decoction . . . it either purgeth at the top or settleth at the bottom. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An extract got from a body by boiling it in water. [ 1913 Webster ]

If the plant be boiled in water, the strained liquor is called the decoction of the plant. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

In pharmacy decoction is opposed to infusion, where there is merely steeping. Latham. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A decoction. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. to convert from a coded form into the original form; -- of communications. Inverse of encode.
Syn. -- decrypt, decipher[ WE1 ]. [ PJC ]

n. [ Pref. de- + coherer. ] (Elec.) A device for restoring a coherer to its normal condition after it has been affected by an electric wave, a process usually accomplished by some method of tapping or shaking, or by rotation of the coherer. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Decollated; p. pr. & vb. n. Decollating. ] [ L. decollatus, p. p. of decollare to behead; de- + collum neck. ] To sever from the neck; to behead; to decapitate. [ 1913 Webster ]

The decollated head of St. John the Baptist. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Zool.) Decapitated; worn or cast off in the process of growth, as the apex of certain univalve shells. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. decollatio: cf. F. décollation. ] 1. The act of beheading or state of one beheaded; -- especially used of the execution of St. John the Baptist. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A painting representing the beheading of a saint or martyr, esp. of St. John the Baptist. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. See Décolleté. ] (Costume) 1. The upper border or part of a low-cut (i.e., décolleté) dress. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

2. The exposed upper parts of the breasts of a woman wearing a low-cut dress; as, transfixed by her stunning decolletage. [ PJC ]

‖a. [ F., p. p. of décolleter to bare the neck and shoulders; dé- + collet collar, fr. L. collum neck. ] 1. Leaving the neck and shoulders uncovered; cut low in the neck, or low-necked, as a dress. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Wearing a décolleté gown. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. Beheading. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

By a speedy dethroning and decolling of the king. Parliamentary History (1648). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. same as decolonization. [ mostly British ] [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. the action of changing from colonial to independent status.
Syn. -- decolonisation. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. to grant independence to (a former colony). [ Also spelled decolonise. ] [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. i. to release one's colonies and free them to become independednt nations; -- of nations. [ Also spelled decolonise. ] [ PJC ]

v. t. [ Cf. F. décolorer, L. decolorare. Cf. Discolor. ] To deprive of color; to bleach. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. décolorant, p. pr. ] A substance which removes color, or bleaches. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. decoloratus, p. p. of decolorare. ] Deprived of color. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To decolor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. decoloratio: cf. F. décoloration. ] The removal or absence of color. Ferrand. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To deprive of color; to whiten. Turner. -- De*col`or*i*za"tion n. [1913 Webster]

a. [ Pref. de- (intens.) + complex. ] Repeatedly compound; made up of complex constituents. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being resolved into constituent elements. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Decomposed p. pr. & vb. n. Decomposing. ] [ Cf. F. décomposer. Cf. Discompose. ] To separate the constituent parts of; to resolve into original elements; to set free from previously existing forms of chemical combination; to bring to dissolution; to rot or decay. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To become resolved or returned from existing combinations; to undergo dissolution; to decay; to rot. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Zool.) Separated or broken up; -- said of the crest of birds when the feathers are divergent. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. de- (intens.) + composite. ] 1. Compounded more than once; compounded with things already composite. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) See Decompound, a., 2. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Anything decompounded. [ 1913 Webster ]

Decomposites of three metals or more. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. de- (in sense 3 intensive) + composition: cf. F. décomposition. Cf. Decomposition. ] 1. The act or process of resolving the constituent parts of a compound body or substance into its elementary parts; separation into constituent part; analysis; the decay or dissolution consequent on the removal or alteration of some of the ingredients of a compound; disintegration; as, the decomposition of wood, rocks, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The state of being reduced into original elements. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Repeated composition; a combination of compounds. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Decomposition of forces. Same as Resolution of forces, under Resolution. --
Decomposition of light, the division of light into the prismatic colors. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. causing organic decay. [ WordNet 1.5 ]