DEIGN

condescend, deign, descend

(verb) do something that one considers to be below one’s dignity

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Verb

deign (third-person singular simple present deigns, present participle deigning, simple past and past participle deigned)

(intransitive) To condescend; to do despite a perceived affront to one's dignity.

(transitive) To condescend to give; to do something.

(obsolete) To esteem worthy; to consider worth notice.

Anagrams

• Edgin, digne, dinge, gnide, nidge

Source: Wiktionary

Deign, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deigned; p. pr. & vb. n. Deigning.] Etym: [OE. deinen, deignen, OF. degner, deigner, daigner, F. daigner, fr. L. dignari to deem worthy, deign, fr. dignus worthy; akin to decere to be fitting. See Decent, and cf. Dainty, Dignity, Condign, Disdain.]

1. To esteem worthy; to consider worth notice; -- opposed to disdain. [Obs.] I fear my Julia would not deign my lines. Shak.

2. To condescend to give or bestow; to stoop to furnish; to vouchsafe; to allow; to grant. Nor would we deign him burial of his men. Shak.

Deign, v. i.

Definition: To think worthy; to vouchsafe; to condescend; -- followed by an infinitive. O deign to visit our forsaken seats. Pope. Yet not Lord Cranstone deigned she greet. Sir W. Scott. Round turned he, as not deigning Those craven ranks to see. Macaulay.

Note: In early English deign was often used impersonally. Him deyneth not to set his foot to ground. Chaucer.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition