Part 88

De*cum"bi*ture (?; 135), n. 1. Confinement to a sick bed, or time of taking to one's bed from sickness. Boyle.

2. (Astrol.) Aspect of the heavens at the time of taking to one's sick bed, by which the prognostics of recovery or death were made.

Dec"u*ple (?), a. [F. décuple, L. decuplus, fr. decem ten.] Tenfold. [R.]

Dec"u*ple, n. A number ten times repeated. [R.]

Dec"u*ple, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Decupled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Decupling (?).] To make tenfold; to multiply by ten. [R.]

De*cu"ri*on (?), n. [L. decurio, decurionis, fr. decuria a squad of ten, fr. decem ten.] (Rom. Antiq.) A head or chief over ten; especially, an officer who commanded a division of ten soldiers.

De*cu"ri*on*ate (?), n. [L. decurionatus, fr. decurio.] The office of a decurion.

De*cur"rence (?), n. The act of running down; a lapse. [R.] Gauden.

De*cur"rent (?), a. [L. decurrens, -entis, p. pr. of decurrere to run down; de- + currere to run: cf. F. décurrent.] (Bot.) Extending downward; -- said of a leaf whose base extends downward and forms a wing along the stem. -- De*cur"rent*ly, adv.

De*cur"sion (?), n. [L. decursio, fr. decurrere. See Decurrent.] A flowing; also, a hostile incursion. [Obs.] Sir M. Hale.

De*cur"sive (?), a. [Cf. F. décursif. See Decurrent.] Running down; decurrent.

De*cur"sive*ly, adv. In a decursive manner.

Decursively pinnate (Bot.), having the leaflets decurrent, or running along the petiole; -- said of a leaf.

De*curt" (?), v. t. [L. decurtare; de- + curtare.] To cut short; to curtail. [Obs.] Bale.

De`cur*ta"tion (?), n. [L. decurtatio.] Act of cutting short. [Obs.]

Dec"u*ry (?), n.; pl. Decuries (#). [L. decuria, fr. decem ten.] A set or squad of ten men under a decurion. Sir W. Raleigh.

De*cus"sate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Decussated; p. pr. & vb. n. Decussating.] [L. decussatus, p. p. of decussare to cross like an X, fr. decussis (orig. equiv. to decem asses) the number ten, which the Romans represented by X.] To cross at an acute angle; to cut or divide in the form of X; to intersect; -- said of lines in geometrical figures, rays of light, nerves, etc.

{ De*cus"sate (?), De*cus"sa*ted (?), } a. 1. Crossed; intersected.

2. (Bot.) Growing in pairs, each of which is at right angles to the next pair above or below; as, decussated leaves or branches.

3. (Rhet.) Consisting of two rising and two falling clauses, placed in alternate opposition to each other; as, a decussated period.

De*cus"sate*ly (?), adv. In a decussate manner.

De`cus*sa"tion (?), n. [L. decussatio.] Act of crossing at an acute angle, or state of being thus crossed; an intersection in the form of an X; as, the decussation of lines, nerves, etc.

De*cus"sa*tive (?), a. Intersecting at acute angles. Sir T. Browne.

De*cus"sa*tive*ly, adv. Crosswise; in the form of an X. "Anointed decussatively." Sir T. Browne.

De"cyl (?), n. [L. decem ten + -yl.] (Chem.) A hydrocarbon radical, C10H21, never existing alone, but regarded as the characteristic constituent of a number of compounds of the paraffin series.

De*cyl"ic (?), a. (Chem.) Allied to, or containing, the radical decyl.

De*dal"ian (?), a. See Dædalian.

Ded"a*lous (?), a. See Dædalous.