Part 154

2. (Anat.) A teacher of practical anatomy.

De*mon"stra*to*ry (?), a. Tending to demonstrate; demonstrative. Johnson.

De*mor"age (?; 48), n. Demurrage. [Obs.] Pepys (1663).

De*mor`al*i*za"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. démoralisation.] The act of corrupting or subverting morals. Especially: The act of corrupting or subverting discipline, courage, hope, etc., or the state of being corrupted or subverted in discipline, courage, etc.; as, the demoralization of an army or navy.

De*mor"al*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Demoralized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Demoralizing.] [F. démoraliser; pref. dé- (L. dis- or de) + moraliser. See Moralize.] To corrupt or undermine in morals; to destroy or lessen the effect of moral principles on; to render corrupt or untrustworthy in morals, in discipline, in courage, spirit, etc.; to weaken in spirit or efficiency.

The demoralizing example of profligate power and prosperous crime.

Walsh.

The vices of the nobility had demoralized the army.

Bancroft.

Dem`os*then"ic (?), a. [L. Demosthenicus: cf. F. Démosthénique.] Pertaining to, or in the style of, Demosthenes, the Grecian orator.

De*mot"ic (?), a. [Gr. dhmotiko`s, fr. dh^mos the people: cf. F. démotique.] Of or pertaining to the people; popular; common.

Demotic alphabet or character, a form of writing used in Egypt after six or seven centuries before Christ, for books, deeds, and other such writings; a simplified form of the hieratic character; -- called also epistolographic character, and enchorial character. See Enchorial.

De*mount" (?), v. i. To dismount. [R.]

Demp"ne (?) v. t. To damn; to condemn. [Obs.] Chaucer.

{ Demp"ster (?; 215), Dem"ster (?), } n. [See Deemster.] 1. A deemster.

2. (O. Scots Law) An officer whose duty it was to announce the doom or sentence pronounced by the court.

De*mulce" (?), v. t. [L. demulcere; de- + mulcere to stroke, soothe.] To soothe; to mollify; to pacify; to soften. [R.] Sir T. Elyot.

De*mul"cent (?), a. [L. demulcens, p. pr. of demulcere.] Softening; mollifying; soothing; assuasive; as, oil is demulcent.

De*mul"cent, n. (Med.) A substance, usually of a mucilaginous or oily nature, supposed to be capable of soothing an inflamed nervous membrane, or protecting it from irritation. Gum Arabic, glycerin, olive oil, etc., are demulcents.

De*mul"sion (?), n. The act of soothing; that which soothes. Feltham.

De*mur" (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Demurred (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Demurring.] [OF. demurer, demorer, demourer, to linger, stay, F. demeurer, fr. L. demorari; de- + morari to delay, tarry, stay, mora delay; prob. originally, time for thinking, reflection, and akin to memor mindful. See Memory.] 1. To linger; to stay; to tarry. [Obs.]

Yet durst not demur nor abide upon the camp.

Nicols.

2. To delay; to pause; to suspend proceedings or judgment in view of a doubt or difficulty; to hesitate; to put off the determination or conclusion of an affair.

Upon this rub, the English embassadors thought fit to demur.

Hayward.

3. To scruple or object; to take exception; as, I demur to that statement.

4. (Law) To interpose a demurrer. See Demurrer, 2.