prop. n. [ Ar. al-debarān, fr. dabar to follow; so called because this star follows upon the Pleiades. ] (Astron.) A red star of the first magnitude, situated in the eye of Taurus; the Bull's Eye. It is the bright star in the group called the Hyades. [ 1913 Webster ]

Now when Aldebaran was mounted high
Above the shiny Cassiopeia's chair. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The scapula. See Blade, 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The marriage bed. [ Poetic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ L. debacchatus, p. p. of debacchari to rage; de- + bacchari to rage like a bacchant. ] To rave as a bacchanal. [ R. ] Cockeram. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. debacchatio. ] Wild raving or debauchery. [ R. ] Prynne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. débâcle, fr. débâcler to unbar, break loose; pref. dé- (prob. = L. dis) + bâcler to bolt, fr. L. baculum a stick. ] 1. (Geol.) A breaking or bursting forth; a violent rush or flood of waters which breaks down opposing barriers, and hurls forward and disperses blocks of stone and other débris. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A sudden breaking up or breaking loose; a violent dispersion or disruption; impetuous rush; outburst. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

3. a complete and ludicrous failure; a rout, as of an army; a great disaster; a fiasco. [ PJC ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Debarred p. pr. & vb. n. Debarring. ] [ Pref. de- + bar. ] To cut off from entrance, as if by a bar or barrier; to preclude; to hinder from approach, entry, or enjoyment; to shut out or exclude; to deny or refuse; -- with from, and sometimes with of. [ 1913 Webster ]

Yet not so strictly hath our Lord imposed
Labor, as to debar us when we need
Refreshment. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Their wages were so low as to debar them, not only from the comforts but from the common decencies of civilized life. Buckle. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Pref. de- + L. barba beard. ] To deprive of the beard. [ Obs. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. & i. [ imp. & p. p. Debarked p. pr. & vb. n. Debarking. ] [ F. débarquer; pref. dé- (L. dis-) + barque. See Bark the vessel, and cf. Disbark. ] To go ashore from a ship or boat; to disembark; to put ashore. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Disembarkation. [ 1913 Webster ]

The debarkation, therefore, had to take place by small steamers. U. S. Grant. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Hindrance from approach; exclusion. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Cf. F. débarrasser. See Embarrass. ] To disembarrass; to relieve. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Debased p. pr. & vb. n. Debasing. ] [ Pref. de- + base. See Base, a., and cf. Abase. ] To reduce from a higher to a lower state or grade of worth, dignity, purity, station, etc.; to degrade; to lower; to deteriorate; to abase; as, to debase the character by crime; to debase the mind by frivolity; to debase style by vulgar words. [ 1913 Webster ]

The coin which was adulterated and debased. Hale. [ 1913 Webster ]

It is a kind of taking God's name in vain to debase religion with such frivolous disputes. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

And to debase the sons, exalts the sires. Pope.

Syn. -- To abase; degrade. See Abase. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Her.) Turned upside down from its proper position; inverted; reversed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of debasing or the state of being debased. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who, or that which, debases. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a manner to debase. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. OF. debatable. See Debate. ] Liable to be debated; disputable; subject to controversy or contention; open to question or dispute; as, a debatable question. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Debatable Land or
or Ground, a tract of land between the Esk and the Sark, claimed by both England and Scotland; the Batable Ground. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Debated; p. pr. & vb. n. Debating. ] [ OF. debatre, F. débattre; L. de + batuere to beat. See Batter, v. t., and cf. Abate. ] 1. To engage in combat for; to strive for. [ 1913 Webster ]

Volunteers . . . thronged to serve under his banner, and the cause of religion was debated with the same ardor in Spain as on the plains of Palestine. Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To contend for in words or arguments; to strive to maintain by reasoning; to dispute; to contest; to discuss; to argue for and against. [ 1913 Webster ]

A wise council . . . that did debate this business. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Debate thy cause with thy neighbor himself. Prov. xxv. 9.

Syn. -- To argue; discuss; dispute; controvert. See Argue, and Discuss. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To engage in strife or combat; to fight. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Well could he tourney and in lists debate. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To contend in words; to dispute; hence, to deliberate; to consider; to discuss or examine different arguments in the mind; -- often followed by on or upon. [ 1913 Webster ]

He presents that great soul debating upon the subject of life and death with his intimate friends. Tatler. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. débat, fr. débattre. See Debate, v. t. ] 1. A fight or fighting; contest; strife. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

On the day of the Trinity next ensuing was a great debate . . . and in that murder there were slain . . . fourscore. R. of Gloucester. [ 1913 Webster ]

But question fierce and proud reply
Gave signal soon of dire debate. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Contention in words or arguments; discussion for the purpose of elucidating truth or influencing action; strife in argument; controversy; as, the debates in Parliament or in Congress. [ 1913 Webster ]

Heard, noted, answer'd, as in full debate. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Subject of discussion. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Statutes and edicts concerning this debate. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Full of contention; contentious; quarrelsome. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. With contention. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. debatement a beating. ] Controversy; deliberation; debate. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

A serious question and debatement with myself. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who debates; one given to argument; a disputant; a controvertist. [ 1913 Webster ]

Debate where leisure serves with dull debaters. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of discussing or arguing; discussion. [ 1913 Webster ]

Debating society or
Debating club, a society or club for the purpose of debate and improvement in extemporaneous speaking. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In the manner of a debate. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. & i. [ imp. & p. p. Debauched p. pr. & vb. n. Debauching. ] [ F. débaucher, prob. originally, to entice away from the workshop; pref. dé- (L. dis- or de) + OF. bauche, bauge, hut, cf. F. bauge lair of a wild boar; prob. from G. or Icel., cf. Icel. bālkr. See Balk, n. ] To lead away from purity or excellence; to corrupt in character or principles; to mar; to vitiate; to pollute; to seduce; as, to debauch one's self by intemperance; to debauch a woman; to debauch an army. [ 1913 Webster ]

Learning not debauched by ambition. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

A man must have got his conscience thoroughly debauched and hardened before he can arrive to the height of sin. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

Her pride debauched her judgment and her eyes. Cowley. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. débauche. ] 1. Excess in eating or drinking; intemperance; drunkenness; lewdness; debauchery. [ 1913 Webster ]

The first physicians by debauch were made. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An act or occasion of debauchery. [ 1913 Webster ]

Silenus, from his night's debauch,
Fatigued and sick. Cowley. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Dissolute; dissipated. “A coarse and debauched look.” Ld. Lytton. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a profligate manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being debauched; intemperance. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. débauché, n., properly p. p. of débaucher. See Debauch, v. t. ] One who is given to intemperance or bacchanalian excesses; a man habitually lewd; a libertine. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who debauches or corrupts others; especially, a seducer to lewdness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Debaucheries 1. Corruption of fidelity; seduction from virtue, duty, or allegiance. [ 1913 Webster ]

The republic of Paris will endeavor to complete the debauchery of the army. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Excessive indulgence of the appetites; especially, excessive indulgence of lust; intemperance; sensuality; habitual lewdness. [ 1913 Webster ]

Oppose . . . debauchery by temperance. Sprat. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of corrupting; the act of seducing from virtue or duty. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Debauchedness. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. de of + beige the natural color of wool. ] A kind of woolen or mixed dress goods. [ Written also debage. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Cf. F. débeller. See Debellate. ] To conquer. [ Obs. ] Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. debellatus, p. p. of debellare to subdue; de- + bellum war. ] To subdue; to conquer in war. [ Obs. ] Speed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. debellatio. ] The act of conquering or subduing. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. debentur they are due, fr. debere to owe; cf. F. debentur. So called because these receipts began with the words Debentur mihi. ] 1. A writing acknowledging a debt; a writing or certificate signed by a public officer, as evidence of a debt due to some person; the sum thus due. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A customhouse certificate entitling an exporter of imported goods to a drawback of duties paid on their importation. Burrill. [ 1913 Webster ]

It is applied in England to deeds of mortgage given by railway companies for borrowed money; also to municipal and other bonds and securities for money loaned. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Any of various instruments issued, esp. by corporations, as evidences of debt. Such instruments (often called
debenture bonds) are generally, through not necessarily, under seal, and are usually secured by a mortgage or other charge upon property; they may be registered or unregistered. A debenture secured by a mortgage on specific property is called a
mortgage debenture; one secured by a floating charge (which see), a
floating debenture; one not secured by any charge
a naked debenture. In general the term debenture in British usage designates any security issued by companies other than their shares, including, therefore, what are in the United States commonly called bonds. When used in the United States debenture generally designates an instrument secured by a floating charge junior to other charges secured by fixed mortgages, or, specif., one of a series of securities secured by a group of securities held in trust for the benefit of the debenture holders. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. Entitled to drawback or debenture; as, debentured goods. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Finance) The debt or series of debts, collectively, represented by a series of debentures; a debt secured by a trust deed of property for the benefit of the holders of shares in the debt or of a series of debentures. By the terms of much debenture stock the holders are not entitled to demand payment until the winding up of the company or default in payment; in the case of railway debentures, they cannot demand payment of the principal, and the debtor company cannot redeem the stock, except by authority of an act of Parliament. [ Eng. ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. [ L. debilis: cf. F. débile. See Debility. ] Weak. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. debilitants, p. pr. ] (Med.) Diminishing the energy of organs; reducing excitement; as, a debilitant drug. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Debilitated; p. pr. & vb. n. Debilitating. ] [ L. debilitatus, p. p. of debilitare to debilitate, fr. debilis. See Debility. ] To impair the strength of; to weaken; to enfeeble; as, to debilitate the body by intemperance. [ 1913 Webster ]

Various ails debilitate the mind. Jenyns. [ 1913 Webster ]

The debilitated frame of Mr. Bertram was exhausted by this last effort. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. lacking strength or vigor; weakened.
Syn. -- adynamic, asthenic, enervated. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. weakened due to illness.
Syn. -- enfeebled, infirm, seedy. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. causing weakness. Opposite of invigorating. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L. debilitatio: cf. F. débilitation. ] The act or process of debilitating, or the condition of one who is debilitated; weakness. [ 1913 Webster ]