perdu

Founding-era definition · Webster's 1828 American Dictionary

PERDU' PERDU'E, adverb [Latin perdo.] Close; in concealment. The moderator, out of view, Beneath the desk had lain perdue. PERDU', noun One that is placed on the watch or in ambush. PERDU', adjective Abandoned; employed on desperate purposes; accustomed to desperate purposes or enterprises.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI

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