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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

deech en · NOUN

Etymology

From Middle English dechen, from Old English dēċan (“to smear, plaster, daub”), from Proto-West Germanic *dōkijan (“to apply with a rag or cloth, smear”), from *dōk (“cloth, rag”), from Proto-Germanic *dōkaz (“rag”); see duck (“canvas, cloth”). Cognate with Dutch doeken, German tuchen. For the noun sense, compare gound.

Meanings

  1. (Northern-England, UK, dialectal, uncountable, usually) Dirt (or grime) ingrained on the hands, or in cracks, crevices, etc.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
deeches Number=Plur lexicographic
deche alternative, obsolete lexicographic
ditch alternative, dialectal lexicographic

deech en · VERB

Etymology

From Middle English dechen, from Old English dēċan (“to smear, plaster, daub”), from Proto-West Germanic *dōkijan (“to apply with a rag or cloth, smear”), from *dōk (“cloth, rag”), from Proto-Germanic *dōkaz (“rag”); see duck (“canvas, cloth”). Cognate with Dutch doeken, German tuchen. For the noun sense, compare gound.

Meanings

  1. (transitive) To smear, daub, plaster, or impregnate, especially with dirt which becomes hard and ingrained.
    • The mud of Flanders clung to his boots and clothes. It was "deeched" into his skin, and round his eyes had left a stain so dark, it looked as if he had been painted for a theatrical make-up. 1917, Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham, Brought Forward, page 60:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
ditch alternative, dialectal lexicographic
deche alternative, obsolete lexicographic
deeches Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
deeched Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
deeched Tense=Past lexicographic
deeching Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic