Word of the Day: Deign

deign

deign / dān

verb

1. to condescend to give, permit, provide, etc.; to vouchsafe

Live, then, and be happy, beloved children of my heart, and never forget, that until the day God will deign to reveal the future to man, all human wisdom is contained in these two words, ‘Wait and Hope.

From “The Count of Monte Cristo” by Alexandre Dumas, 1802 – 1870

2. to do something one considers beneath them; to stoop

The greater the power that deigns to serve you, the more honor it demands of you.

Socrates, 471 BC – 399 BC