n. An insoluble solid alcohol (C12H25OH) with an unbranched paraffin chain, used to make detergents, such as sodium lauryl sulfate.
Syn. -- lauryl alcohol [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. Rich or highly ornamented cake, to be distributed to the guests at a wedding, or sent to friends after the wedding. [ 1913 Webster ]

pref. [ Cf. Ten. ] A prefix, from Gr. de`ka, signifying ten; specifically: (Metric System), a prefix signifying the weight or measure that is ten times the principal unit. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. de`ka ten + ke`ras a horn. ] (Zool.) The division of Cephalopoda which includes the squids, cuttlefishes, and others having ten arms or tentacles; -- called also Decapoda. [ Written also Decacera. ] See Dibranchiata.

{ } n. [ Gr. deka`chordos tenstringed; de`ka ten + chordh` a string. ] 1. An ancient Greek musical instrument of ten strings, resembling the harp. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Something consisting of ten parts. W. Watson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. decacuminare to cut off the top. See Cacuminate. ] Having the point or top cut off. [ Obs. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A decade. [ 1913 Webster ]

Averill was a decad and a half his elder. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to ten; consisting of tens. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. décade, L. decas, -adis, fr. Gr. &unr_;, fr. de`ka ten. See Ten. ] A group or division of ten; esp., a period of ten years; a decennium; as, a decade of years or days; a decade of soldiers; the second decade of Livy. [ Written also decad. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

During this notable decade of years. Gladstone.

{ } n. [ LL. decadentia; L. de- + cadere to fall: cf. F. décadence. See Decay. ] A falling away; decay; deterioration; declension. “The old castle, where the family lived in their decadence.” Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Decaying; deteriorating. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One that is decadent, or deteriorating; esp., one characterized by, or exhibiting, the qualities of those who are degenerating to a lower type; -- specif. applied to a certain school of modern French writers.

The decadents and æsthetes, and certain types of realists. C. L. Dana.

The business men of a great State allow their State to be represented in Congress by “decadents”. The Century. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. A writer of a book divided into decades; as, Livy was a decadist. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. deca- + Gr. &unr_; a corner or angle: cf. F. décagone. ] (Geom.) A plane figure having ten sides and ten angles; any figure having ten angles. A regular decagon is one that has all its sides and angles equal. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to a decagon; having ten sides.

{ } n. [ F. décagramme; Gr. de`ka ten + F. gramme. See Gram. ] A mass in the metric system equal to ten grams, and equal to about 154.32 grains avoirdupois. See 3rd Gram. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. de`ka ten + gynh` a woman, a female. ] (Bot.) A Linnæan order of plants characterized by having ten styles.

a. Having ten sides. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. E. Decahedrons L. Decahedra [ Pref. deca- + Gr. 'e`dra a seat, a base, fr. 'e`zesqai to sit: cf. F. décaèdre. ] (Geom.) A solid figure or body inclosed by ten plane surfaces. [ Written also, less correctly, decaedron. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The removal of calcareous matter. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Decalcified p. pr. & vb. n. Decalcifying. ] To deprive of calcareous matter; thus, to decalcify bones is to remove the stony part, and leave only the gelatin.

{ } n. [ F. décalcomanie. ] The art or process of transferring pictures and designs to china, glass, marble, etc., and permanently fixing them thereto.

{ } n. [ F. décalitre; Gr. de`ka ten + F. litre. See Liter. ] A measure of capacity in the metric system; a cubic volume of ten liters, equal to about 610.24 cubic inches, that is, 2.642 wine gallons. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Decalogue. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who explains the decalogue. J. Gregory. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. décalogue, L. decalogus, fr. Gr. &unr_;; de`ka ten + &unr_; speech, &unr_; to speak, to say. See Ten. ] The Ten Commandments or precepts given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai, and originally written on two tables of stone. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ It. decamerone, fr. Gr. de`ka ten + &unr_; part; though quite generally supposed to be derived from "hme`ra day: cf. F. décaméron.] A celebrated collection of tales, supposed to be related in ten days; -- written in the 14th century, by Boccaccio, an Italian.

{ } n. [ F. décamètre; Gr. de`ka ten + mètre. See Meter. ] A measure of length in the metric system; ten meters, equal to about 393.7 inches. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Decamped p. pr. & vb. n. Decamping. ] [ F. décamper; pref. dé- (L. dis) + camp camp. See Camp. ] 1. To break up a camp; to move away from a camping ground, usually by night or secretly. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence, to depart suddenly; to run away; -- generally used disparagingly. [ 1913 Webster ]

The fathers were ordered to decamp, and the house was once again converted into a tavern. Goldsmith. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. décampement. ] Departure from a camp; a marching off. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. décanal. See Dean. ] Pertaining to a dean or deanery. [ 1913 Webster ]

His rectorial as well as decanal residence. Churton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Decanal side, the side of the choir on which the dean's tall is placed. --
Decanal stall, the stall allotted to the dean in the choir, on the right or south side of the chancel. Shipley. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. de`ka ten + &unr_;, &unr_;, a man. ] (Bot.) A Linnæan class of plants characterized by having ten stamens.

{ } a. [ Cf. F. décandre. ] (Bot.) Belonging to the Decandria; having ten stamens. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Deca-. ] (Chem.) A liquid hydrocarbon, C10H22, of the paraffin series, including several isomeric modifications. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. deca- + angular. ] Having ten angles. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖a. [ L., lit., of the dean. ] Used of the side of the choir on which the dean's stall is placed; decanal; -- correlative to cantoris; as, the decanal, or decani, side. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Decanted; p. pr. & vb. n. Decanting. ] [ F. décanter (cf. It. decantare), prop., to pour off from the edge of a vessel; pref. dé- (L. de) + OF. cant (It. canto) edge, border, end. See Cant an edge. ] To pour off gently, as liquor, so as not to disturb the sediment; or to pour from one vessel into another; as, to decant wine. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To decant. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. décantation. ] The act of pouring off a clear liquor gently from its lees or sediment, or from one vessel into another. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A vessel used to decant liquors, or for receiving decanted liquors; a kind of glass bottle used for holding wine or other liquors, from which drinking glasses are filled. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who decants liquors. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. deca- + Gr. &unr_; leaf: cf. F. décaphylle. ] (Bot.) Having ten leaves. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Decapitated; p. pr. & vb. n. Decapitating. ] [ LL. decapitatus, p. p. of decapitare; L. de- + caput head. See Chief. ] 1. To cut off the head of; to behead. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To remove summarily from office. [ Colloq. U. S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. having had the head cut off.
Syn. -- beheaded. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ LL. decapitatio: cf. F. décapitation. ] The act of beheading; beheading. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. décapode. ] (Zool.) A crustacean with ten feet or legs, as a crab; one of the Decapoda. Also used adjectively, as a decapod crustacean. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖prop. n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. de`ka ten + poy`s, podo`s, foot. ] 1. (Zool.) The order of Crustacea which includes the shrimps, lobsters, crabs, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ They have a carapace, covering and uniting the somites of the head and thorax and inclosing a gill chamber on each side, and usually have five (rarely six) pairs of legs. They are divided into two principal groups: Brachyura and Macrura. Some writers recognize a third (Anomura) intermediate between the others. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) A division of the dibranchiate cephalopods including the cuttlefishes and squids. See Decacera.

{ } a. (Zool.) Belonging to the decapods; having ten feet; ten-footed. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To deprive of carbonic acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The action or process of depriving a substance of carbon. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Decarbonized p. pr. & vb. n. Decarbonizing. ] To deprive of carbon; as, to decarbonize steel; to decarbonize the blood. [ 1913 Webster ]

Decarbonized iron. See Malleable iron. --
Decarbonized steel, homogenous wrought iron made by a steel process, as that of Bessemer; ingot iron. [ 1913 Webster ]