; def. se deorca, seó, ðæt deorce; adj. DARK, obscure, gloomy, sad; tenebrōsus, obscūrus :-- Niht-helm geswearc, deorc ofer dryhtgumum the helm of night grew murky, dark o'er the vassals, Beo. Th. 3584; B. 1790: Exon. 30 b; Th. 95, 22; Cri.1561: 101 b; Th. 384, 2; Rä. 4, 21. Hí me asetton on seáþ [MS. sceaþ] hinder, ðǽr wæs deorc þeóstru, and deáþes scúa posuērunt me in lacu inferiōri, et in tenĕbris, et in umbra mortis, Ps. Th. 87, 6: Lk. Bos. 11, 34. Biþ se deorca deáþ ge-endad the dark death shall be ended, Exon. 63 a; Th. 231, 34; Ph. 499: Ps. Th. 101, 9. Seó deorce niht gewíteþ the dark night departs, Exon. 57 a; Th. 204, 16; Ph. 98. Adó me of deópe deorces wæteres libĕra me de profundo aquārum, Ps. Th. 68, 14. He hí of ðám þýstrum ðanon alǽdde, and of deáþes scúan deorcum generede eduxit eos de tenĕbris, et umbra mortis, 106, 13. On ðære deorcan niht in the dark night, Andr. Kmbl. 2922; An. 1464: Exon. 50 b; Th. 175, 8; Gú. 1191. Drihten sealde him dimne and deorcne deáþes scúwan the Lord gave him death's shadow dim and dark, Cd. 223; Th. 293, 14; Sat. 455: Exon. 61 a; Th. 225, 2; Ph. 383. Ðú dæg settest, and deorce niht tuus est dies, et tua est nox, Ps. Th. 73, 16: 142, 4. Wæs ðæs fugles flyht dyrne and dégol ðám ðe deorc gewit hæfdon on hréðre the bird's flight was hidden and secret to those who had a dark understanding in their breasts, Exon. 17 a; Th. 40, 18; Cri. 640: Cd. 5; Th. 7, 19; Gen. 108. Se ðis deorce líf deópe geondþenceþ he profoundly contemplates this dark life, Exon. 77 b; Th. 291, 28; Wand. 89. Feónd seondon réðe, dimme and deorce our foes are fierce, dim and dark, Cd. 215; Th. 271, 13; Sat. 105: Ps. Th. 73, 19: 113, 12. Gebrecu féraþ deorc ofer dreohtum [MS. dreontum] the crashes go dark over multitudes, Exon. 102 a; Th. 385, 15; Rä. 4, 45: 48 b; Th. 168, 1; Gú. 1071. Cwíst ðú oncnáwaþ hí wundru ðíne, on ðám dimmum deorcan þýstrum numquid cognoscentur in tenebris mirabĭlia tua? Ps. Th. 87, 12. He wát deorce grundas he knows the dark places, 134, 6: 145, 6. Ðú scealt andettan hwæt ðú þurhtogen hæbbe deorcum gedwildum thou shalt confess what thou hast accomplished by dark errors, Exon. 72 b; Th. 270, 4; Jul. 460: Beo. Th. 556; B. 275. Þurhdrifon hí me mid deorcan næglum they pierced me with dark nails, Rood Kmbl. 91; Kr. 46. [Prompt. derke: Wyc. derk-: Chauc. dark-: Piers P. derk: R. Glouc. derk: O. H. Ger. tarni latens, tarhnjan occultāre: Icel. dökkr: Gael. dorch dark, black, dusky.] DER. deorce: deorcian, a-: deorcung.