‖a. [ F., p. p. of dégager to disengage. See De-, 1st Gage, and cf. Disgage. ] Unconstrained; easy; free. Vanbrugh.

A graceful and dégagé manner. Poe. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. degarnished p. pr. & vb. n. degarnishing. ] [ F. dégarnir; pref. dé-, des- (L. dis-) + garnir to furnish. See Garnish, and cf. Disgarnish. ] 1. To strip or deprive of entirely, as of furniture, ornaments, etc.; to disgarnish; as, to degarnish a house, etc. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To deprive of a garrison, or of troops necessary for defense; as, to degarnish a city or fort. [ R. ] Washington. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of depriving, as of furniture, apparatus, or a garrison. [ R. ]

n. 1. To make a (steel) ship's hull nonmagnetic by applying an opposing magnetic field. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. To remove irregular magnetization in (the electron gun of a cathode-ray tube); -- used to improve picture quality, especially in computer monitors. [ PJC ]

n. the process of making a (steel) ship's hull nonmagnetic by producing an opposing magnetic field. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

{ } v. i. [ See Degenerate. ] To degenerate. [ Obs. ] “Degendering to hate.” Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

He degenereth into beastliness. Joye. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Degenerate, a. ] 1. The act of becoming degenerate; a growing worse. [ 1913 Webster ]

Willful degeneracy from goodness. Tillotson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The state of having become degenerate; decline in good qualities; deterioration; meanness. [ 1913 Webster ]

Degeneracy of spirit in a state of slavery. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

To recover mankind out of their universal corruption and degeneracy. S. Clarke. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. degeneratus, p. p. of degenerare to degenerate, cause to degenerate, fr. degener base, degenerate, that departs from its race or kind; de- + genus race, kind. See Kin relationship. ] Having become worse than one's kind, or one's former state; having declined in worth; having lost in goodness; deteriorated; degraded; unworthy; base; low. [ 1913 Webster ]

Faint-hearted and degenerate king. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

A degenerate and degraded state. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Degenerate from their ancient blood. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

These degenerate days. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

I had planted thee a noble vine . . . : how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me? Jer. ii. 21. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Degenerated; p. pr. & vb. n. Degenerating. ] 1. To be or grow worse than one's kind, or than one was originally; hence, to be inferior; to grow poorer, meaner, or more vicious; to decline in good qualities; to deteriorate. [ 1913 Webster ]

When wit transgresseth decency, it degenerates into insolence and impiety. Tillotson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Biol.) To fall off from the normal quality or the healthy structure of its kind; to become of a lower type. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. a person who has declined from a high standard, especially a sexual deviate; -- usually used disparagingly or opprobriously of persons whose sexual behavior does not conform to the norms of accepted morals. [ PJC ]

2. a person or thing that has fallen from a higher to a lower state, or reverted to an earlier type or stage of development or culture. RHUD [ PJC ]