Definition of distemper Distemper

/dɪstɛˈmpɚ/ - [distemper] - dis•tem•per

We found 27 definitions of distemper from 5 different sources.

What does distemper mean?

Noun Plural: distempers
distemper - any of various infectious viral diseases of animals
		animal disease a disease that typically does not affect human beings
		canine distemper a viral disease of young dogs characterized by high fever and respiratory inflammation
distemper - a method of painting in which the pigments are mixed with water and a binder; used for painting posters or murals or stage scenery
		painting the occupation of a house painter; "house painting was the only craft he knew"
distemper - a painting created with paint that is made by mixing the pigments with water and a binder
		painting, picture the occupation of a house painter; "house painting was the only craft he knew"
distemper - paint made by mixing the pigments with water and a binder
distemper - an angry and disagreeable mood
		ill humor, ill humour
		good humor, good humour, good temper, amiability a cheerful and agreeable mood
		mood, temper, humor, humour verb inflections that express how the action or state is conceived by the speaker
		moodiness having temperamental and changeable moods
Verb distempers, distempering, distempered
distemper - paint with distemper
		paint apply paint to; coat with paint; "We painted the rooms yellow"
		artistic creation, artistic production, art the creation of beautiful or significant things; "art does not need to be innovative to be good"; "I was never any good at art"; "he said that architecture is the art of wasting space beautifully"

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distemper (Noun)
A viral disease of animals, such as dogs and cats, characterised by fever, coughing and catarrh.
distemper (Noun)
A disorder of the humours of the body; a disease.
distemper (Noun)
A water-based paint.
distemper (Noun)
A painting produced with this kind of paint.
distemper (Verb)
To disturb and disorder, hence to make sick.
distemper (Verb)
To paint using distemper.

distemper (v. t.)
To temper or mix unduly; to make disproportionate; to change the due proportions of.
distemper (v. t.)
To derange the functions of, whether bodily, mental, or spiritual; to disorder; to disease.
distemper (v. t.)
To deprive of temper or moderation; to disturb; to ruffle; to make disaffected, ill-humored, or malignant.
distemper (v. t.)
To intoxicate.
distemper (v. t.)
To mix (colors) in the way of distemper; as, to distemper colors with size.
distemper (v. t.)
An undue or unnatural temper, or disproportionate mixture of parts.
distemper (v. t.)
Severity of climate; extreme weather, whether hot or cold.
distemper (v. t.)
A morbid state of the animal system; indisposition; malady; disorder; -- at present chiefly applied to diseases of brutes; as, a distemper in dogs; the horse distemper; the horn distemper in cattle.
distemper (v. t.)
Morbid temper of the mind; undue predominance of a passion or appetite; mental derangement; bad temper; ill humor.
distemper (v. t.)
Political disorder; tumult.
distemper (v. t.)
A preparation of opaque or body colors, in which the pigments are tempered or diluted with weak glue or size (cf. Tempera) instead of oil, usually for scene painting, or for walls and ceilings of rooms.
distemper (v. t.)
A painting done with this preparation.

distemper
dis-tem′pėr, n. a coarse mode of painting, in which the colours are mixed in a watery glue, white of egg, &c., chiefly used in scene-painting and in staining paper for walls.—Also Destem′per. [Same ety. as succeeding word.]
distemper
dis-tem′pėr, n. a morbid or disorderly state of body or mind: disease, esp. of animals, specifically a typhoid inflammation of the mucous membranes of young dogs: ill-humour.—v.t. to derange the temper: to disorder or disease.—adj. Distem′perate, not temperate, immoderate: diseased.—n. Distem′perature (arch.), want of proper temperature: intemperateness, disturbance: uneasiness of mind: indisposition.—p.adj. Distem′pered, disordered: intemperate, ill-humoured, put out of sorts. [O. Fr. destemprer, to derange—L. dis, apart, temperāre, to govern.]