DECAY

decay, decomposition

(noun) the organic phenomenon of rotting

decay, decline

(noun) a gradual decrease; as of stored charge or current

decay

(noun) the process of gradually becoming inferior

decay, radioactive decay, disintegration

(noun) the spontaneous disintegration of a radioactive substance along with the emission of ionizing radiation

decay

(noun) an inferior state resulting from the process of decaying; “the corpse was in an advanced state of decay”; “the house had fallen into a serious state of decay and disrepair”

decay, crumble, dilapidate

(verb) fall into decay or ruin; “The unoccupied house started to decay”

disintegrate, decay, decompose

(verb) lose a stored charge, magnetic flux, or current; “the particles disintegrated during the nuclear fission process”

decay

(verb) undergo decay or decomposition; “The body started to decay and needed to be cremated”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

decay (countable and uncountable, plural decays)

The process or result of being gradually decomposed.

A deterioration of condition; loss of status or fortune.

Verb

decay (third-person singular simple present decays, present participle decaying, simple past and past participle decayed)

(intransitive) To deteriorate, to get worse, to lose strength or health, to decline in quality.

(intransitive, electronics, of storage media or the data on them) To undergo bit rot, that is, gradual degradation.

(intransitive, computing, of software) To undergo software rot, that is, to fail to be updated in a changing environment, so as to eventually become legacy or obsolete.

(intransitive, physics, of a satellite's orbit) To undergo prolonged reduction in altitude (above the orbited body).

(intransitive, of organic material) To rot, to go bad.

(intransitive, transitive, physics, chemistry, of an unstable atom) To change by undergoing fission, by emitting radiation, or by capturing or losing one or more electrons.

(intransitive, transitive, physics, of a quantum system) To undergo optical decay, that is, to relax to a less excited state, usually by emitting a photon or phonon.

(intransitive, aviation) Loss of airspeed due to drag.

(transitive) To cause to rot or deteriorate.

Anagrams

• Dacey

Source: Wiktionary

De*cay", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Decayed; p. pr. & vb. n. Decaying.] Etym: [OF. decaeir, dechaer, decheoir, F. déchoir, to decline, fall, become less; L. de- + cadere to fall. See Chance.]

Definition: To pass gradually from a sound, prosperous, or perfect state, to one of imperfection, adversity, or dissolution; to waste away; to decline; to fail; to become weak, corrupt, or disintegrated; to rot; to perish; as, a tree decays; fortunes decay; hopes decay. Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey, Where wealth accumulates and men decay. Goldsmith.

De*cay", v. t.

1. To cause to decay; to impair. [R.] Infirmity, that decays the wise. Shak.

2. To destroy. [Obs.] Shak.

De*cay", n.

1. Gradual failure of health, strength, soundness, prosperity, or of any species of excellence or perfection; tendency toward dissolution or extinction; corruption; rottenness; decline; deterioration; as, the decay of the body; the decay of virtue; the decay of the Roman empire; a castle in decay. Perhaps my God, though he be far before, May turn, and take me by the hand, and more -May strengthen my decays. Herbert. His [Johnson's] failure was not to be ascribed to intellectual decay. Macaulay. Which has caused the decay of the consonants to follow somewhat different laws. James Byrne.

2. Destruction; death. [Obs.] Spenser.

3. Cause of decay. [R.] He that plots to be the only figure among ciphers, is the decay of the whole age. Bacon.

Syn.

– Decline; consumption. See Decline.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

DECAY

Etymology

Noun

Verb

Anagrams

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