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D — Discoverture to Discuss (Part 2 of 6)

Discreditor
(Dis*cred"it*or) n. One who discredits.

Discreet
(Dis*creet") a. [Compar. Discreeter ; superl. Discreetest.] [F. discret, L. discretus separated (whence the meaning reserved, prudent), p. p. of discernere. See Discern, and cf. Discrete.]

1. Possessed of discernment, especially in avoiding error or evil, and in the adaptation of means to ends; prudent; sagacious; judicious; not rash or heedless; cautious.

It is the discreet man, not the witty, nor the learned, nor the brave, who guides the conversation, and gives measures to society.
Addison.
Satire 's my weapon, but I 'm too discreet
To run amuck, and tilt at all I meet.
Pope.
The sea is silent, the sea is discreet.
Longfellow.

2. Differing; distinct. [Obs.] Spenser.

— Dis*creet"ly, adv. — Dis*creet"ness, n.

Discrepance
(Dis*crep"ance Dis*crep"an*cy) n.; pl. -ances -ancies [L. disrepantia: cf. OF. discrepance. See Discrepant.] The state or quality of being discrepant; disagreement; variance; discordance; dissimilarity; contrariety.

There hath been ever a discrepance of vesture of youth and age, men and women.
Sir T. Elyot.
There is no real discrepancy between these two genealogies.
G. S. Faber.

Discrepant
(Dis*crep"ant) a. [L. discrepans, -antis, p. pr. of discrepare to sound differently or discordantly; dis- + crepare to rattle, creak: cf. OF. discrepant. See Crepitate.] Discordant; at variance; disagreeing; contrary; different.

The Egyptians were . . . the most oddly discrepant from the rest in their manner of worship.
Cudworth.

Discrepant
(Dis*crep"ant), n. A dissident. J. Taylor.

Discrete
(Dis*crete") a. [L. discretus, p. p. of discernere. See Discreet.]

1. Separate; distinct; disjunct. Sir M. Hale.

2. Disjunctive; containing a disjunctive or discretive clause; as, "I resign my life, but not my honor," is a discrete proposition.

3. (Bot.) Separate; not coalescent; — said of things usually coalescent.

Discrete movement. See Concrete movement of the voice, under Concrete, a. — Discrete proportion, proportion where the ratio of the means is different from that of either couplet; as, 3:6::8:16, 3 bearing the same proportion to 6 as 8 does to 16. But 3 is not to 6 as 6 to 8. It is thus opposed to continued or continual proportion; as, 3:6::12:24. — Discrete quantity, that which must be divided into units, as number, and is opposed to continued quantity, as duration, or extension.

Discrete
(Dis*crete"), v. t. To separate. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

Discretely
(Dis*crete"ly), adv. Separately; disjunctively.

Discretion
(Dis*cre"tion) n. [F. discrétion, L. discretio separation, difference, discernment, fr. discernere, discretum. See Discreet, Discern.]

1. Disjunction; separation. [Obs.] Mede.