‖ desideratum
(dɪˌsɪdəˈreɪtəm)
Pl. -ata.
[a. L. dēsīderātum thing desired, neuter of dēsīderāt-us, pa. pple. of dēsīderāre: see desiderate v. The subst. use belongs to med.L. Also used in the L. form in mod.F. and Sp.]
Something for which a desire or longing is felt; something wanting and required or desired.
| 1652 N. Culverwel Light of Nat. 33 (Stanf.) All Desiderata shall be suppli'd. 1654 Whitlock Zootomia 454 Here that Desideratum my Lord Bacon speaketh of..is supplyed. 1668 Wilkins Real Char. Ep. to Rdr. 63 The various Desiderata, proposed by Learned men, or such things as were conceived yet wanting to the advancement of several parts of Learning. 1782 A. Monro Compar. Anat. Introd. (ed. 3) 6 A..technical dictionary..is one of the desiderata in anatomy. 1802 Playfair Illustr. Hutton. Th. 338 The explanation of them was still a desideratum in geology. 1807 Southey Life (1850) III. 105 One of the greatest desideratums in modern Oriental literature. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) III. 161 The fitness of the animal for food is the great desideratum. 1876 Mozley Univ. Serm. iii. (1877) 47 A great number of people in every age, do want morality without religion: it is a great desideratum. |