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Webster 1913 Edition


Digress

Di-gress′

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Digressed
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Digressing
.]
[L.
digressus
, p. p. of
digredi
to go apart, to deviate;
di-
=
dis-
+
gradi
to step, walk. See
Grade
.]
1.
To step or turn aside; to deviate; to swerve; especially, to turn aside from the main subject of attention, or course of argument, in writing or speaking.
Moreover she beginneth to
digress
in latitude.
Holland.
In the pursuit of an argument there is hardly room to
digress
into a particular definition as often as a man varies the signification of any term.
Locke.
2.
To turn aside from the right path; to transgress; to offend.
[R.]
Thy abundant goodness shall excuse
This deadly blot on thy
digressing
son.
Shakespeare

Di-gress′

,
Noun.
Digression.
[Obs.]
Fuller.

Webster 1828 Edition


Digress

DIGRESS

,
Verb.
I.
[L., to step. See Grade.]
1.
Literally, to step or go from the way or road; hence, to depart or wander from the main subject, design or tenor of a discourse, argument or narration; used only of speaking or writing.
In the pursuit of an argument there is hardly room to digress into a particular definition, as often as a man varies the signification of any term.
2.
To go out of the right way or common track; to deviate; in a literal sense. [Not now in use.]

Definition 2024


digress

digress

English

Verb

digress (third-person singular simple present digresses, present participle digressing, simple past and past participle digressed)

  1. (intransitive) To step or turn aside; to deviate; to swerve; especially, to turn aside from the main subject of attention, or course of argument, in writing or speaking.
    • Holland
      Moreover she beginneth to digress in latitude.
    • John Locke
      In the pursuit of an argument there is hardly room to digress into a particular definition as often as a man varies the signification of any term.
    • 1959, Tom Lehrer (music), “In Old Mexico”:
      [] For I hadn't had so much fun since the day / my brother's dog Rover / got run over. / (Rover was killed by a Pontiac. And it was done with such grace and artistry that the witnesses awarded the driver both ears and the tail – but I digress.)
  2. (intransitive) To turn aside from the right path; to transgress; to offend.
    • Shakespeare
      Thy abundant goodness shall excuse / This deadly blot on thy digressing son.

Synonyms

  • (turn from the course of argument): sidetrack

Related terms

Translations