Hypertext Webster Gateway: "decent"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Decent \De"cent\, a. [L. decens, decentis, p. pr. of decere to
be fitting or becoming; akin to decus glory, honor, ornament,
Gr. ? to seem good, to seem, think; cf. Skr. d?c to grant, to
give; and perh. akin to E. attire, tire: cf. F. d['e]cent.
Cf. {Decorate}, {Decorum}, {Deig?}.]
1. Suitable in words, behavior, dress, or ceremony; becoming;
fit; decorous; proper; seemly; as, decent conduct; decent
language. --Shak.
Before his decent steps. --Milton.
2. Free from immodesty or obscenity; modest.
3. Comely; shapely; well-formed. [Archaic]
A sable stole of cyprus lawn Over thy decent
shoulders drawn. --Milton.
By foreign hands thy decent limbs composed. --Pope.
4. Moderate, but competent; sufficient; hence, respectable;
fairly good; reasonably comfortable or satisfying; as, a
decent fortune; a decent person.
A decent retreat in the mutability of human affairs.
--Burke.
-- {De"cent*ly}, adv. -- {De"cent*ness}, n.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
decent
adj 1: socially or conventionally correct; refined or virtuous;
"from a decent family"; "a nice girl" [syn: {nice}]
2: according with custom or propriety; "her becoming modesty";
"comely behavior"; "it is not comme il faut for a
gentleman to be constantly asking for money"; "a decent
burial"; "seemly behavior" [syn: {becoming}, {comely}, {comme
il faut}, {decorous}, {seemly}]
3: conforming to conventions of sexual behavior; "speech in
this circle, if not always decent, never became lewd"-
George Santayana [ant: {indecent}]
4: enough to meet a purpose; "an adequate income"; "the food
was adequate"; "a decent wage"; "enough food"; "food
enough" [syn: {adequate}, {enough}]
5: (informal) decently clothed; "are you decent?"
6: observing conventional sexual mores in speech or behavior or
dress; "a modest neckline in her dress"; "though one of
her shoulder straps had slipped down, she was perfectly
decent by current standards"
adv : in the right manner; "please do your job properly!" "can't
you carry me decent?" [syn: {properly}, {decently}, {in
good order}, {right}, {the right way}] [ant: {improperly}]
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