| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
decree (dɪˈkriː) ![]() | |
| —n | |
| 1. | an edict, law, etc, made by someone in authority |
| 2. | decree nisi See decree absolute an order or judgment of a court made after hearing a suit, esp in matrimonial proceedings |
| —vb , decrees, decreeing, decreed | |
| 3. | to order, adjudge, or ordain by decree |
| [C14: from Old French decre, from Latin dēcrētum ordinance, from dēcrētus decided, past participle of dēcernere to determine; see | |
| de'creeable | |
| —adj | |
| de'creer | |
| —n | |