▪ I. decease, n.
(dɪˈsiːs)
Forms: α. 4 deces, deses, dises, 4–7 decess(e, 5 decez, dicese, 6 dicesse, Sc. deceis, 7 deceyse, 5– decease. β. 4 desces, Sc. desceiss, 4–5 dessece, 5 desseyse, discese, -cees, -sese, -sees, dysces, -sees, -seys, -sease, 5–6 disease, dyssesse, 6 Sc. diseis.
[ME. deces, etc., a. F. décès, ad. L. dēcess-us departure, death, vbl. n. f. ppl. stem of dēcēdĕre to depart, go away. In OF. often also desces (see de- prefix I. 6), hence also in ME. with des-, dis-, dys-, spellings which often confused it in form with disease. See the vb.]
Departure from life; death.
In its origin a euphemism (L. dēcessus for mors), and still slightly euphemistic or at least less harsh and realistic than death; it is the common term in legal and technical language where the legal or civil incidence of death is in question, without reference to the act of dying.
| α c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 15 After his fader decesse. Ibid. 126 If þat Henry die, or Steuen mak his deses. c 1440 Gesta Rom. lv. 237 (Harl. MS.) Aftir hir dicese, þe Emperoure weddid anoþer woman. 1513 More in Grafton Chron. II. 761 At the time of his fathers decease. 1654 Gataker Disc. Apol. 79 The decesse of one Pope..and entrance of another. 1751 Smollett Per. Pic. lxxiii, A groan which announced his decease. 1818 Cruise Digest (ed. 2) II. 289 In case his said daughter should die without issue of her body living at her decease. 1849 Lingard Hist. Eng. (1855) I. vi. 182/2 The surname of ‘the Confessor’ was given to him [Edward] from the bull of his canonization, issued by Alexander III, about a century after his decease. |
| β c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 254 After Blanche desces. c 1350 Will. Palerne 4101 After mi dessece. c 1440 Gesta Rom. xv. 49 Aftere his dissese. 1494 Fabyan Chron. v. cxxxi. 113 Worde came to hym of his faders disease. 1580 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 293 A Lady..who after the disease of hir Father hadde three sutors. |
| γ 1417 E.E. Wills (1882) 29 After þe sesse [corruption of decease] of her. |
† b. Said of the death of many; mortality, slaughter. Obs.
| 1513 Douglas æneis xii. ix. 5 Sa feill and diuers slauchteris as war thair, And gret deces of dukis. |
▪ II. decease, v.
(dɪˈsiːs)
Forms: α. 5 decess, -sesse, 5–6 -cesse, 5–7 -ceasse, 6 -cese, -sece, dicesse, Sc. deceiss, 6– decease. β. 5 disceas, -ceyse, -sese, -sease, 5–6 -cess(e, -cease, 6 descece, -cess, -sece, disceasse, dyscess, -cece, -scesse, -sese, -sesse, disease.
[f. decease n. Taken as the Eng. repr. of L. dēcēdere and F. décéder. In L. dēcēdĕre and discēdĕre were nearly synonymous in the sense ‘depart, go away’, and in med.L. discēdĕre, discessus, were also used for dēcēdĕre, dēcessus in senses ‘die, death’; hence OF. descès = decès, and the ME. and 16th c. forms in des-, dis-, dys-, some of which were identical with variant spellings of disease. Cf. the n.]
intr. To depart from life; to die.
| α 1439 E.E. Wills (1882) 123 Yf the saide Iohn decesse withoute heires. 1513 More Rich. III Wks. 36/2 So deceased..this noble Kynge. 1623 Favine Theat. Hon. ix. i. 356 Deceassing without children. 1639 Fuller Holy War iii. x. (1840) 132 Queen Sibyll who deceased of the plague. 1777 Life Abp. Abbot 41 He deceased at his palace of Croydon. 1868 Browning Ring & Bk. iv. 103 If the good fat easy man..decease..being childless. |
| β 1439 E.E. Wills (1882) 123 If he discesse without heires. 1463 Bury Wills (1850) 28 As God disposith for me to dissese. 1530 Palsgr. 517/2, I discease, I dye or departe out of this worlde. 1556 Chron. Gr. Friars (Camden) 41 Thys yere the good qwene Jane dessecid the xxiij. day of October. |
† b. to decease this world (cf. to depart this life). Obs. rare.
| 1515 Epitaph in Wood Ath. Oxon., James Stanley..who decessed thys transytory wourld the xxii of March. |
c. fig. To come to an end, perish; cease.
| 1538 Lichfield Gild Ord. 8 Bring the parties together that ther may be made a good end, and discord clene desecedd. 1591 Sylvester Du Bartas i. vii. (1641) 60/2 How often had this world deceast, except Gods mighty arms had it upheld and kept. 1635 Swan Spec. M. (1670) 93 This circle never corrupteth nor deceaseth. |
Hence † deˈceasing vbl. n., death, decease.
| 1591 Percivall Sp. Dict., Finamiento, the dieng, the deceasing, death. 1691 E. Taylor Behmen's Threefold Life xviii. 313 At deceasing of the Body. |