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dis·tem·per 1 (dĭs-tĕmpər)
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n.
1. Any of various infectious diseases of animals, especially:
2. An illness or disease; an ailment: "He died ... of a broken heart, a distemper which kills many more than is generally imagined" (Henry Fielding).
3. Ill humor; testiness.
4. Disorder or disturbance, especially of a social or political nature.
tr.v. dis·tem·pered, dis·tem·per·ing, dis·tem·pers
1. To put out of order.
2. Archaic To unsettle; derange.

[From Middle English distemperen, to upset the balance of the humors, from Old French destemprer, to disturb, from Late Latin distemperāre : Latin dis-, dis- + Latin temperāre, to mix properly.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
dis·tem·per 2 (dĭs-tĕmpər)
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n.
1.
a. A process of painting in which pigments are mixed with water and a glue-size or casein binder, used for flat wall decoration or scenic and poster painting.
b. The paint used in this process.
2. A painting made by this process.
tr.v. dis·tem·pered, dis·tem·per·ing, dis·tem·pers
1. To mix (powdered pigments or colors) with water and size.
2. To paint (a work) in distemper.

[Middle English distemperen, to dilute; see DISTEMPER1.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.