Definition of "deferve" [deferve]

• To boil down.

The Century Dictionary (Public Domain)

• "We believe eve - ry charafter what we know it to be; and if peo - ple lived, (o that no body would believe their upbraiders, Icandal would die away, and we fhould forget the name; '• but we find that the moft worthlefs are generally the moft tenacious of what they do not deferve, which is a good name and charatter."
• "They, however, deferve to be applauded for this aft of juflice; for if they had not. given their immediate affiflance, it would hardly have been in his power to have recovered the mufquet by any gentle means whatever; and by making ufe of any other, he was fure to lofe more than ten times its value."
• "Paffing by*nany of thofe things which have amufed by thejir ingenuity, or furprifed b£ their novelty, but which do hot deferve a ferious anfwer, I will endeavor to ftate diftinfctly the grounds taken by the oppo - nents of this bill, or rather the opponents of furnifhing the means of profecutmg the war: — Firftly."