Encyclopaedia Britannica; or, A dictionary of arts and sciences, compiled upon a new plan … > Volume 2, C-L

DEE
It is alfo applied to the crackling of the falls during
the operation.
DECRETAL, in the canon-law, a letter of a pope,
determining fome point or queftion in the ecclefiafti-
cal law. The decretals compofe the fecond part of
canon law. The firlt genuine one acknowledged by all
the learned as fuch, is the letter of pope Siricius,
written in the year 385, to Himerus biihop of Tarra¬
gona in Spain, concerning fome diforders which had
crept into the churches of Spain.
DECUMANI dentes, in heraldry. See Dancette.
DECUPLE proportion, that of ten to one.
DECURIO, in Roman antiquity, a commander of ten
men in the army, or the chief of a decury.
DECURRENT leaf. See Botany, p. 641.
DECURY, ten perfons ranged under one chief, or lead¬
er, called the decurio.
The Roman cavalry was divided into decuries,
which were fubdivifions of a century, each century
containing ten decuries.
DECUSSATION, a term in geometry, optics, and a-
natomy, fignifying the crofling of any two lines, rays,
or nerves, when they meet in a point, and then go on
feparately from one another.
DECUSSORIUM, a furgeon’s inflrument, which, by
prefling gently on the dura mater, caufes an evacua¬
tion of the pus collected between the cranium and the
before mentioned membrane, through the perforation
made by the trepan.
DEDDINGTON, amarket town of Oxfordfliire, about
fifteen miles north of Oxford: W. long. i° 20', and
N. lat. 51° 5 j'.
DEDHAM, a market-town in Eflex, about thirty-five
miles north-ealt of Chelmsford : E. long. i° io’, and
N. lat. 520 j'.
DEDICATION, a folemn devoting or fetting apart
any perfon or thing to the fervice of God and the
purpofes of religion.
feajl o/" Dedication, an anniverfary feftival among
the Jews, in memory of Judas Maccabaeus, who re¬
paired and dedicated anew the temple and altar, which
had been plundered and profaned by Antiochus Epi-
phanes. It was obferved on the twenty-fifth of Cifleu,
and continued eight days.
DEE, the name of feveral rivers, as that on which Che-
fter Hands, that whereon Aberdeen Hands, fac.
DEED, in Scots laws, any fettlement, difpofition, con-
traft, or other legal writing.
DEED, an inflrument written on paper or parchment,
comprehending fome contract:, bargain or agreement
between the parties thereto, in relation to the matter
therein contained.
DEEMSTERS, or Demsters. All controverlles in
the Ifle of Man are decided without procefs, writings,
or any charges, by certain judges, chofen yearly from
among themfelves, called deemflers; there being two
of them for each divifion of the ifland : they fit judges
in all courts, either for life or property ; and with the
advice of twenty-four keys, declare what is law, in
uncommon emergencies.
DEEPING, a market-town of Lincolnfliire, aboutthirty-
D E F
five miles fouth of Lincoln: W. long. 20°, and N.
lat. 520 3j'.
DEER, in zoology. See Cervus.
DEFAMATION, the fpeaking flanderous words of an¬
other ; for which the flanderer is punifhable, according
to the nature of his offence, either by aftion upon the
cafe at common law, or by Hatute, or in the ecciefiaf-
tical court.
DEFAULT, in law, is generally taken for non appear¬
ance in court, at a day afligned ; but imports any o-
miflion of that which we ought to do, for which
judgment may be given againfl the defaulter.
DEFEASANCE. See Defeisance.
DEFECATE, orDEFiECATE, in chemiflry, aterm ap¬
plied to a body freed and purged from faeces and im¬
purities,
DEFEISANCE, in law, a condition relating to fome
certain deed, which being performed, the deed is de¬
feated and rendered void, as if it had never been
made.
DEFENCE, in fortification, all forts of works that co¬
ver and defend the opppfite pofls, as flanks, cafements,
parapets, and fauffebrays. See Fortification.
Line ^Defence, a fuppofed line drawn from the angle
of the curtin; or from any other part in the curtin,
to the flanked angle of the oppofite baflion. See For¬
tification.
DEFENDER of ths faith, a peculiar title, belonging
to the king of Great Britain, as Catholic does to the.
king of Spain, Chriflian to the king of France, <bc.
This title was firff given by pope Leo X. to king
Henry VIII. for writing againfl Luther.
DEFERENT, in anatomy, a term applied to certain
veffels in the body, that ferve for the conveyance of
humours from one part to another. See Anatomy.
Deferent, in the Ptolemaic aftronomy, a circle invent¬
ed to account for the eccentricity, perigee, and apogee
of the planets.
DEFERENTIA vasa. See Vol. I. p. 273.
DEFILE, in fortification, a ftrait narrow paflage, thro’
which a company of hoife or foot can pafs only in file,
by making a fmall front.
DEFINITE, in grammar, is applied to an article that
has a precife determinate fignification; fuch as the
article the in Englifli, le and la in French, fac. which
fix andafcertain the noun they belong to, tofome parti¬
cular, as the king, le roy; whereas in the quality of
king, de roy, the articles of and de mark nothing pre¬
cife, and are therefore indefinite.
DEFINITION, an idea of any fcience, fubjedt, <bc.
conveyed in a few words.
DEFINITIVE, a term applied to whatever terminates
a procefs, queftion, <bc, in oppofition to provifional
and interlocutory.
DEFLAGRATION, in chemiflry, the kindling or fet¬
ting fire to a fait or mineral, <bc. either alone, or mix¬
ed for that purpofe with a fulphureous one in order
to purify it. See Chemistry.
DEFLECTION of the rays of light. See Optics.
DEFLUXION, in medicine, the falling of humours
from a fuperior to an inferior part of the body.
DEFORCEMENT,
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