<B>decillion, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>1 with 33 zeros following it (in the U.S., Canada, and France). <DD><B> 2. </B>1 with 60 zeros following it (in Britain and Germany). </DL>
<A NAME="decillionth">
<B>decillionth, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>having to do with a decillion. <DD><B> 2. </B>having the magnitude or position of one of a decillion equal parts. <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the quotient of unity divided by a decillion. <DD><B> 2. </B>one of a decillion equal parts. </DL>
<A NAME="decim">
<B>decim.,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> decimeter. </DL>
<A NAME="decimal">
<B>decimal, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a fraction like .04 or 4/100, .2 or 2/10; decimal fraction. <DD><B> 2. </B>a number containing a decimal fraction. (Examples:) 75.24, 3.062, .7, .091. <DD><I>adj. </I> of tens; proceeding by tens. <BR> <I>Ex. United States money has a decimal system. The metric system is a decimal system of measurement.</I> (SYN) denary, decadic. </DL>
<A NAME="decimalclassification">
<B>decimal classification,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a system of library classification using numbers and decimals, such as the Dewey decimal system. </DL>
<A NAME="decimalfraction">
<B>decimal fraction,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a fraction whose denominator is ten or a multiple of ten, expressed by placing a decimal point to the left of the numerator. (Examples:) .04 = 4/100, .2 = 2/10. </DL>
<B>decimalist, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>an expert in the use of the decimal system. <DD><B> 2. </B>an exponent of a decimal notation. </DL>
<A NAME="decimalization">
<B>decimalization, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a decimalizing; reduction to a decimal system. <BR> <I>Ex. A bill for the decimalization of the Union's coinage would also be introduced (Cape Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="decimalize">
<B>decimalize, </B>transitive verb, intransitive verb, <B>-ized,</B> <B>-izing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to reduce to a decimal system. <BR> <I>Ex. The century-old battle for reform of Britain's currency seemed to be over ... The Government announced that it would drop pounds, shillings, and pence and decimalize (Anthony Lewis).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="decimally">
<B>decimally, </B>adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>by means of decimals. <DD><B> 2. </B>by tens. </DL>
<A NAME="decimalpoint">
<B>decimal point,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a period placed before a fraction expressed in decimal figures, as in 2.03 or .623. </DL>
<A NAME="decimalsystem">
<B>decimal system,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>any system of numeration which is based on units of ten. <DD><B> 2. </B><B>=decimal classification.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="decimate">
<B>decimate, </B>transitive verb, <B>-mated,</B> <B>-mating.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to destroy much of; kill a large part of. <BR> <I>Ex. War had decimated the tribe, but the survivors kept on fighting.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to select by lot and execute every tenth man of. <BR> <I>Ex. The mutineers were decimated by order of the captain.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to take or destroy one tenth of. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Obsolete.) to take a tenth or tithe from. </DL>
<A NAME="decimation">
<B>decimation, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a decimating or being decimated. <BR> <I>Ex. If full-scale nuclear war developed, their people and territories would share in the general decimation (Bulletin of Atomic Scientists).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Obsolete.) <DD><B> a. </B>the taking of tithes or tenths. <DD><B> b. </B>the tithe. </DL>
<A NAME="decimator">
<B>decimator, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a person or thing that decimates. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Obsolete.) a collector of tithes or tenths. </DL>
<A NAME="decime">
<B>decime, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (French.) a French copper coin equal to 10 centimes or formerly about two cents, no longer used. </DL>
<A NAME="decimeter">
<B>decimeter, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a unit of measure of length in the metric system equal to one tenth of a meter, or about 3.937 inches. (Abbr:) dm. </DL>
<B>decimetric, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>having to do with decimeters; measured in decimeters. <DD><B> 2. </B>of or having to do with radio waves ranging from 0.1 to 1 meter in length, or a frequency of 300 to 3000 megahertz. <BR> <I>Ex. This magnetosphere is believed to be the source of the decimetric (not to be confused with the dekametric) radio emanations that come from the planet [Jupiter] (Science News).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="decinormal">
<B>decinormal, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Chemistry.) in one tenth of its normal strength. </DL>
<A NAME="decipher">
<B>decipher, </B>transitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to make out the meaning of (something that is not clear). <BR> <I>Ex. I can't decipher this poor handwriting. We just couldn't decipher the mystery.</I> (SYN) interpret, translate, unravel, explain. <DD><B> 2. </B>to change (something in code) into ordinary language; interpret (secret writing) by using a key; decode. <BR> <I>Ex. The spy deciphered the secret message.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Archaic.) to describe; depict. noun <B>decipherer.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="decipherable">
<B>decipherable, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> that can be deciphered. <BR> <I>Ex. The form which affairs in Europe may assume is not yet decipherable by those out of the cabinet (Thomas Jefferson).</I> </DL>
<B>decision, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the act of making up one's mind; resolution. <BR> <I>Ex. Not knowing which color he would like, I have not come to a decision on what sweater to buy him.</I> <DD><B> 2a. </B>the deciding or settling of a question or dispute by giving judgment to one side. <DD><B> b. </B>(Boxing.) the winning of a match on points or by the verdict of the referee and judges, rather than by a knockout. <BR> <I>Ex. Carter, appearing in his eleventh title fight ... gained a decision over Smith in Cincinnati in 1950 (New York Times).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>the judgment reached or given. <BR> <I>Ex. The jury brought in a decision of not guilty. In this contest, the decision of the judges is final.</I> (SYN) verdict, decree, order. <DD><B> 4. </B>firmness and determination; being decided. <BR> <I>Ex. to act with decision. She is a woman of decision who makes up her mind what to do and then does it.</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> (Informal, Boxing.) to defeat (an opponent) by a decision. <BR> <I>Ex. In his 13th bout Machen decisioned Nino Valdes (Saturday Evening Post).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="decisional">
<B>decisional, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with a decision. <BR> <I>Ex. The judges work from what is called decisional law--the body of legal theory built up over the years by the state courts deciding similar cases before them (Harper's).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="decisionprocedure">
<B>decision procedure,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Mathematics, Statistics.) a formal method by which any problem expressible in a given formula can be solved in a finite number of steps. <BR> <I>Ex. Decision procedures--sometimes called algorithms--are familiar in everyday mathematics. For example, the technique of long division represents a decision procedure for the predicate "x is divisble by y," where x and y can be any natural numbers (Scientific American).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="decisiontable">
<B>decision table,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a table listing all the conditions of a problem and the possible actions to be taken, used to help make decisions or plans in any system. </DL>
<A NAME="decisiontree">
<B>decision tree,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a diagram in the form of a branching tree representing alternate strategies or methods and the respective values assigned to them, used to help make decisions or plans in any system. </DL>
<A NAME="decisive">
<B>decisive, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>having or giving a clear result; settling something beyond question or doubt. <BR> <I>Ex. The team won by 20 points, which was a decisive victory. The Battle of Saratoga was a decisive defeat for the British.</I> (SYN) conclusive. <DD><B> 2a. </B>having or showing decision. <BR> <I>Ex. When I asked for a decisive answer, he said flatly, "No."</I> (SYN) resolute, determined. <DD><B> b. </B>calling for a decision or decisions. <BR> <I>Ex. a decisive moment.</I> adv. <B>decisively.</B> noun <B>decisiveness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="decistere">
<B>decistere, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a unit of measure of volume in the metric system equal to one tenth of a stere, 1/10 cubic meter, or .1308 cubic yard. </DL>
<A NAME="decivilization">
<B>decivilization, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a decivilizing or being decivilized. </DL>
<A NAME="decivilize">
<B>decivilize, </B>transitive verb, <B>-lized,</B> <B>-lizing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to reduce or degrade from a civilized condition. </DL>
