2. (Law) (a) A decision, order, or sentence, given in a cause by a court of equity or admiralty. (b) A
determination or judgment of an umpire on a case submitted to him. Brande.
3. (Eccl.) An edict or law made by a council for regulating any business within their jurisdiction; as, the
decrees of ecclesiastical councils.
Syn. — Law; regulation; edict; ordinance. See Law.
Decree
(De*cree") v. t. [imp. & p. p. Decreed ; p. pr. & vb. n. Decreeing.]
1. To determine judicially by authority, or by decree; to constitute by edict; to appoint by decree or law; to
determine; to order; to ordain; as, a court decrees a restoration of property.
Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee.
Job xxii. 28. 2. To ordain by fate.
Decree
(De*cree"), v. i. To make decrees; - - used absolutely.
Father eternal! thine is to decree;
Mine, both in heaven and earth to do thy will.
Milton. Decreeable
(De*cree"a*ble) a. Capable of being decreed.
Decreer
(De*cre"er) n. One who decrees. J. Goodwin.
Decreet
(De*creet") n. [Cf. Decree.] (Scots Law) The final judgment of the Court of Session, or of an
inferior court, by which the question at issue is decided.
Decrement
(Dec"re*ment) n. [L. decrementum, fr. decrescere. See Decrease.]
1. The state of becoming gradually less; decrease; diminution; waste; loss.
Twit me with the decrements of my pendants.
Ford.
Rocks, mountains, and the other elevations of the earth suffer a continual decrement.
Woodward. 2. The quantity lost by gradual diminution or waste; — opposed to increment.
3. (Crystallog.) A name given by Haüy 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.
4. (Math.) The quantity by which a variable is diminished.
Equal decrement of life. (a) 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. (b) 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.
Decrepit
(De*crep"it) a. [L. decrepitus, perhaps orig., noised out, noiseless, applied to old people, who
creep about quietly; de- + crepare to make a noise, rattle: cf. F. décrépit. See Crepitate.] Broken down
with age; wasted and enfeebled by the infirmities of old age; feeble; worn out. "Beggary or decrepit age."
Milton.
Already decrepit with premature old age.
Motley. Sometimes incorrectly written decrepid.
