Part 117

De*gen"er*ous (?), a. [L. degener. See Degenerate.] Degenerate; base. [Obs.] "Degenerous passions." Dryden. "Degenerous practices." South.

De*gen"er*ous*ly, adv. Basely. [Obs.]

De*glaz"ing (?), n. The process of giving a dull or ground surface to glass by acid or by mechanical means. Knight.

De*glo"ried (?), a. Deprived of glory; dishonored. [Obs.] "With thorns degloried." G. Fletcher.

De*glu"ti*nate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deglutinated; p. pr. & vb. n. Deglutinating.] [L. deglutinatus, p. p. of deglutinare to deglutinate; de- + glutinare to glue, gluten glue.] To loosen or separate by dissolving the glue which unties; to unglue.

De*glu`ti*na"tion (?), n. The act of ungluing.

Deg`lu*ti"tion (?), n. [L. deglutire to swallow down; de- + glutire to swallow: cf. F. déglutition. See Glut.] The act or process of swallowing food; the power of swallowing.

The muscles employed in the act of deglutition.

Paley.

Deg`lu*ti"tious (?), a. Pertaining to deglutition. [R.]

De*glu"ti*to*ry (?), a. Serving for, or aiding in, deglutition.

Deg`ra*da"tion (?), n. [LL. degradatio, from degradare: cf. F. dégradation. See Degrade.] 1. The act of reducing in rank, character, or reputation, or of abasing; a lowering from one's standing or rank in office or society; diminution; as, the degradation of a peer, a knight, a general, or a bishop.

He saw many removes and degradations in all the other offices of which he had been possessed.

Clarendon.

2. The state of being reduced in rank, character, or reputation; baseness; moral, physical, or intellectual degeneracy; disgrace; abasement; debasement.

The . . . degradation of a needy man of letters.

Macaulay.

Deplorable is the degradation of our nature.

South.

Moments there frequently must be, when a sinner is sensible of the degradation of his state.

Blair.

3. Diminution or reduction of strength, efficacy, or value; degeneration; deterioration.

The development and degradation of the alphabetic forms can be traced.

I. Taylor (The Alphabet).

4. (Geol.) A gradual wearing down or wasting, as of rocks and banks, by the action of water, frost etc.

5. (Biol.) The state or condition of a species or group which exhibits degraded forms; degeneration.

The degradation of the species man is observed in some of its varieties.

Dana.