Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The fourth letter of the Latin and English alphabets. It is rarely spelled out, being usually represented by the simple character. See
D , 1. - A form of -d, -d, or -ed, -ed in older English, as in solde, tolde, fledde, etc., now extant only in made, the (contracted) preterit and past participle of make. See -ed, -ed.
- A French preposition, found in English only in some French phrases, as couleur de rose, or in proper names, as in Simon de Montfort, Cæur de Lion, De Vere, etc., either of Middle English origin, or modern and mere French.
- A Latin preposition, meaning ‘from’ or ‘of,’ occurring in certain phrases often used in English: as, de novo, anew; de facto, of fact; de jure, of right.
- A verb-prefix of Latin origin, expressing in Latin, and hence with modifications in modern speech, various phases of the original meaning ‘from, away from, down from.’
- In some words a reduced form of the original Latin prefix dis-, Latin de- and dis- being in Old French and Middle English more or less merged in form and meaning (see
dis- ). Seedefer , deface, defame, decry, etc.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun
from (operator), this is (operator) - verb Northumbrian To
do .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word de.
Examples
-
No está claro si el mundo se acabará o entraremos a una "nueva etapa de florecimiento espiritual", pero ¡de que se destruye, se destruye!
Pseudohistoria: 2012, el fin del mundo se acerca (��Otra vez?) 2009
-
In his _Popius_ eam in ludibrium vertit, &c. Sed eximius Poeta neque in veteribus suæ ipsius linguæ, nedum Græcæ monumentis versatus, tantum scilicet de antiqua illa litera vidit, quantum _de Shakespearii_
-
Describing the insolence of the actors, Gil Blas says, "Bien loin de traiter d'excellence les seigneurs, elles ne leur donnoient pas même _de la seigneurie_."
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine - Volume 55, No. 344, June, 1844 Various
-
So far as the wholesale declaration of the illusoriness of physical evil -- the ravages and tortures of disease -- is concerned, the implicit belief extended to the pretensions of this creed to master all such ills is proof, if proof were wanted, of the success which rewards those who act on the maxim, "_de l'audace, toujours de l'audace_!"
Problems of Immanence: studies critical and constructive Joseph Warschauer
-
Beauregard, the name became Toutant de Beauregard, the prefix _de_ having subsequently been dropped.
As I Remember Recollections of American Society during the Nineteenth Century Marian Gouverneur
-
"Me go to massa grave, and de water come into me yeye; but me can't help it, massa, _de water will come into me yeye_."
The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Omnibus American Anti-Slavery Society
-
While in St. Petersburg, she had given him money to buy some gift for Anna, so he planned to take both of them many beautiful things, and _une cave de parfums_ as a gift _de nez a nez_.
Women in the Life of Balzac Juanita Helm Floyd
-
But in 1813 Baden joined the coalition, and since then that nation created of odds and ends (_de bric et de broc_) and always handsomely treated by us, had not ceased to take a leading part in the struggles against our country.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 2 "Baconthorpe" to "Bankruptcy" Various
-
If as _balayeur_ he could lay hands on a _morceau de pain_ or _de viande_, he bore it as before to our beds; but Jean was always called over to partake of the forbidden pleasure.
The Enormous Room 1928
-
The book is dedicated to Lorillard Ronalds who, the author explains in a few French phrases, asked him to write something "_de très pure et de très chaste, pour une jeunesse, sans doute_."
The Merry-Go-Round Carl Van Vechten 1922
-
Where does the term "partial-birth" abortion come from? The term was first coined by the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) in 1995 to describe a recently introduced medical procedure to remove fetuses from the womb. Alternately known as "dilation and extraction," or D&X, and "intact D&E," it involves removing the fetus intact by dilating a pregnant woman's cervix, then pulling the entire body out through the birth canal. After a physician presented a paper at a conference of the National Abortion Federation describing the new procedure, the NRLC commissioned drawings to illustrate it and published them in booklet form, as well as placing them as paid advertisements in newspapers to build public opposition. In an interview with The New Republic magazine in 1996, the NRLC's Douglas Johnson explained that the term was thought up in hopes that "as the public learns what a 'partial-birth abortion' is, they might also learn something about other abortion methods, and that this would foster a growing opposition to abortion." In 1995, Rep. Charles Canady (R-FL) included the term as part of a bill he proposed that would make it a federal crime to perform a "partial-birth" abortion.
Bulky Cameras, Meet The Lens-less FlatCam Julie Rovner 2006
-
In 2015, Catherine Nichols submitted proposals for a novel to agents and publishers under both her own name and a “homme de plume.”
The Hazards of Writing While Female Helen Lewis 2019
-
Francois Truffaut dismissed much of French cinema of the 1950s as “cinema de papa,”1 which roughly translates to “dad movies” with the same sneer that music critics use the phrase “dad rock” to describe hair bands from the 1980s.
Of Earrings and Eras: The Earrings of Madame de… and Cinematic History – Perisphere Finn Odum 2024
-
This is a far cry from the polemical tone of his Cahiers articles, especially the famous essay - ''A Certain Tendency of the French Cinema'' (1954) - which attacked ''le cinema de papa'' for its overly literary and polished products.
HOW THE MATURE NEW WAVE SHAPES NEW FILMS (Published 1984) The New York Times 1984
-
The cinema de papa refers to a specific instance in the 50's, during the relatively long period we call the Tradition of Quality, which begins in the late 30's/early 40's.
-
Sal de gusano, meaning "worm salt" in Spanish, is a type of seasoned salt that indeed includes insects. When ground and combined with chilies and salt, these insects create a blend that is mineral-driven, salty, earthy, spicy, and smoky.
What Is Sal De Gusano (Aka Worm Salt) And How Do You Use It? - Food Republic Sarah Sierra-Mohamed 2023
-
I would like to get some sal de gusano, or worm salt, that is traditionally served on an orange to accompany mezcal.
Sal de Gusano/Worm Salt Suggestions TropsForTheBros 2025
Comments
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.