Part 2986

<h1>Dervish, Dervise, Dervis</h1> <Xpage=396>

<hw><hw>Der"vish</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <hw>Der"vise</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <hw>Der"vis</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>,<hw> <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Per. <ets>derw<?/sch</ets>, fr. OPer. <ets>derew</ets> to beg, ask alms: cf. F. <ets>derviche</ets>.]</ety> <def>A Turkish or Persian monk, especially one who professes extreme poverty and leads an austere life.</def>

<h1>Derworth</h1> <Xpage=396>

<hw>Der"worth</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[AS. <ets>de\'a2rwurpe</ets>, lit., dearworth.]</ety> <def>Precious.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Piers Plowman.</i>

<h1>Descant</h1> <Xpage=396>

<hw>Des"cant</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[OF. <ets>descant</ets>, <ets>deschant</ets>, F. <ets>d\'82chant</ets>, <ets>discant</ets>, LL. <ets>discantus</ets>, fr. L. <ets>dis + cantus</ets> singing, melody, fr. <ets>canere</ets> to sing. See <er>Chant</er>, and cf. <er>Descant</er>, <tt>v. i.</tt>, <er>Discant</er>.]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> <fld>(Mus.)</fld> <sd>(a)</sd> <def>Originally, a double song; a melody or counterpoint sung above the plain song of the tenor; a variation of an air; a variation by ornament of the main subject or plain song.</def> <sd>(b)</sd> <def>The upper voice in part music.</def> <sd>(c)</sd> <def>The <i>canto</i>, <i>cantus</i>, or soprano voice; the treble.</def>

<i>Grove.</i>

<blockquote>Twenty doctors expound one text twenty ways, as children make <b>descant</b> upon plain song. <i>Tyndale.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>She [the nightingale] all night long her amorous <b>descant</b> sung. <i>Milton.</i></blockquote>

<note>&hand; The term has also been used synonymously with counterpoint, or polyphony, which developed out of the French <i>d\'82chant</i>, of the 12th century.</note>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>A discourse formed on its theme, like variations on a musical air; a comment or comments.</def>

<blockquote>Upon that simplest of themes how magnificent a <b>descant</b>! <i>De Quincey.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Descant</h1> <Xpage=396>

<hw>Des*cant"</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>v. i.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Descanted</er>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Descanting</er>.]</wordforms> <ety>[From <ets>descant</ets>; <ets>n.</ets>; or directly fr. OF. <ets>descanter</ets>, <ets>deschanter</ets>; L. <ets>dis-</ets> + <ets>cantare</ets> to sing.]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> <def>To sing a variation or accomplishment.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>To comment freely; to discourse with fullness and particularity; to discourse at large.</def>

<blockquote>A virtuous man should be pleased to find people <b>descanting</b> on his actions. <i>Addison.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Descanter</h1> <Xpage=396>

<hw>Des*cant"er</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>One who descants.</def>

<h1>Descend</h1> <Xpage=396>

<hw>De*scend"</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>v. i.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Descended</er>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Descending</er>.]</wordforms> <ety>[F. <ets>descendre</ets>, L. <ets>descendere</ets>, <ets>descensum</ets>; <ets>de-</ets> + <ets>scandere</ets> to climb. See <er>Scan</er>.]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> <def>To pass from a higher to a lower place; to move downwards; to come or go down in any way, as by falling, flowing, walking, etc.; to plunge; to fall; to incline downward; -- the opposite of <i>ascend</i>.</def>

<blockquote>The rain <b>descended</b>, and the floods came. <i>Matt. vii. 25.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>We will here <b>descend</b> to matters of later date. <i>Fuller.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>To enter mentally; to retire.</def> <mark>[Poetic]</mark>

<blockquote> with holiest meditations fed, Into himself <b>descended</b>. <i>Milton.</i></blockquote>