Page:A Desk-Book of Errors in English.djvu/79 Errors in English
depository a place in which anything is deposited for safe-
keeping. depravation, depravity: These terms are not synonymous.
Depravation is the act or process of depraving or corrupting;
depravity is the condition of being depraved. desert. Compare
abandon. desert, dessert: Discriminate carefully between these
words. A desert is a barren waste; an uncultivated and
uninhabited wilderness; a dessert is a service, as of fruits or
sweetmeats, at the close of a dinner. despatch: This word may be
spelt correctly either "despatch" or "dispatch," notwithstanding
the fact that some writers condemn the word "dispatch." develop
is to "unfold" or "bring to light by degrees" and should not be
used for "expose" which means to "reveal or lay bare," without
regard to manner. device, devise: Discriminate carefully between
these words. A device is something designed, invented, or
constructed for a special purpose or for promoting an end, and
may be used in either a