Part 2830

<h1>Decrement</h1> <Xpage=378>

<hw>Dec"re*ment</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>decrementum</ets>, fr. <ets>decrescere</ets>. See <er>Decrease</er>.]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> <def>The state of becoming gradually less; decrease; diminution; waste; loss.</def>

<blockquote>Twit me with the <b>decrements</b> of my pendants. <i>Ford.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>Rocks, mountains, and the other elevations of the earth suffer a continual <b>decrement</b>. <i>Woodward.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>The quantity lost by gradual diminution or waste; -- opposed to <ant>increment</ant>.</def>

<p><b>3.</b> <fld>(Crystallog.)</fld> <def>A name given by Ha\'81y to the successive diminution of the layers of molecules, applied to the faces of the primitive form, by which he supposed the secondary forms to be produced.</def>

<p><b>4.</b> <fld>(Math.)</fld> <def>The quantity by which a variable is diminished.</def>

<cs><col>Equal decrement of life</col>. <sd>(a)</sd> <cd>The decrease of life in a group of persons in which the assumed law of mortality is such that of a given large number of persons, all being now of the same age, an equal number shall die each consecutive year.</cd> <sd>(b)</sd> <cd>The decrease of life in a group of persons in which the assumed law of mortality is such that the ratio of those dying in a year to those living through the year is constant, being independent of the age of the persons.</cd></cs>

<h1>Decrepit</h1> <Xpage=378>

<hw>De*crep"it</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>decrepitus</ets>, perhaps orig., noised out, noiseless, applied to old people, who creep about quietly; <ets>de-</ets> + <ets>crepare</ets> to make a noise, rattle: cf. F. <ets>d\'82cr\'82pit</ets>. See <er>Crepitate</er>.]</ety> <def>Broken down with age; wasted and enfeebled by the infirmities of old age; feeble; worn out.</def> "Beggary or <i>decrepit</i> age."

<i>Milton.</i>

<blockquote>Already <b>decrepit</b> with premature old age. <i>Motley.</i></blockquote>

<note>&hand; Sometimes incorrectly written <i>decrepid</i>.</note>

<h1>Decrepitate</h1> <Xpage=378>

<hw>De*crep"i*tate</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Decrepitated</er>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Decrepitating</er>.]</wordforms> <ety>[Cf. F. <ets>d\'82cr\'82piter</ets>.]</ety> <def>To roast or calcine so as to cause a crackling noise; <as>as, to <ex>decrepitate</ex> salt</as>.</def>

<h1>Decrepitate</h1> <Xpage=378>

<hw>De*crep"i*tate</hw>, <tt>v. i.</tt> <def>To crackle, as salt in roasting.</def>

<h1>Decrepitation</h1> <Xpage=378>

<hw>De*crep`i*ta"tion</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Cf. F. <ets>d\'82cr\'82pitation</ets>.]</ety> <def>The act of decrepitating; a crackling noise, such as salt makes when roasting.</def>

<h1>Decrepitness</h1> <Xpage=378>

<hw>De*crep"it*ness</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>Decrepitude.</def> <mark>[R.]</mark>

<i>Barrow.</i>

<h1>Decrepitude</h1> <Xpage=378>

<hw>De*crep"i*tude</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Cf. F. <ets>d\'82cr\'82pitude</ets>.]</ety> <def>The broken state produced by decay and the infirmities of age; infirm old age.</def>

<h1>Decrescendo</h1> <Xpage=378>

<hw>De`cres*cen"do</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a. & adv.</tt> <ety>[It.]</ety> <fld>(Mus.)</fld> <def>With decreasing volume of sound; -- a direction to performers, either written upon the staff (abbreviated <i>Dec</i>., or <i>Decresc</i>.), or indicated by the sign.</def>

<h1>Decrescent</h1> <Xpage=378>