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deign - 5 dictionary results
deign
[deyn] 
–verb (used without object)
| 1. | to think fit or in accordance with one's dignity; condescend: He would not deign to discuss the matter with us. |
–verb (used with object)
| 2. | to condescend to give or grant: He deigned no reply. |
| 3. | Obsolete. to condescend to accept. |
Origin:
1250–1300; ME deinen < OF deignier < L dignārī to judge worthy, equiv. to dign(us) worthy + -ārī inf. suffix
1250–1300; ME deinen < OF deignier < L dignārī to judge worthy, equiv. to dign(us) worthy + -ārī inf. suffix
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To deign
| deign (dān) v. deigned, deign·ing, deigns v. intr. To think it appropriate to one's dignity; condescend: wouldn't deign to greet the servant who opened the door. See Synonyms at stoop1. v. tr. To condescend to give or grant; vouchsafe. "Nor would we deign him burial of his men" (Shakespeare). [Middle English deinen, from Old French deignier, to regard as worthy, from Latin dignārī, from dignus, worthy; see dek- in Indo-European roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Deign
Deign\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deigned; p. pr. & vb. n. Deigning.] [OE. deinen, deignen, OF. degner, deigner, daigner, F. daigner, fr. L. dignari to deem worthy, deign, fr. dignus worthy; akin to decere to be fitting. See Decent, and cf. Dainty, Dignity, Condign, Disdain.]1. To esteem worthy; to consider worth notice; -- opposed to disdain. [Obs.] I fear my Julia would not deign my lines. --Shak. 2. To condescend to give or bestow; to stoop to furnish; to vouchsafe; to allow; to grant. Nor would we deign him burial of his men. --Shak.Deign
Deign\, v. i. To think worthy; to vouchsafe; to condescend; - - followed by an infinitive. O deign to visit our forsaken seats. --Pope. Yet not Lord Cranstone deigned she greet. --Sir W. Scott. Round turned he, as not deigning Those craven ranks to see. --Macaulay. Note: In early English deign was often used impersonally. Him deyneth not to set his foot to ground. --Chaucer.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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deign
1297, from O.Fr. deignier, from L. dignari "to deem worthy or fit," from dignus "worthy" (see dignity). Sense of "take or accept graciously" led to that of "condescend" (1589).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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