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DECREASE
decrease, diminution, reduction, step-down
(noun) the act of decreasing or reducing something
decrease, decrement
(noun) the amount by which something decreases
decrease, lessening, drop-off
(noun) a change downward; “there was a decrease in his temperature as the fever subsided”; “there was a sharp drop-off in sales”
decrease, decrement
(noun) a process of becoming smaller or shorter
decrease, diminish, lessen, fall
(verb) decrease in size, extent, or range; “The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester”; “The cabin pressure fell dramatically”; “her weight fell to under a hundred pounds”; “his voice fell to a whisper”
decrease, lessen, minify
(verb) make smaller; “He decreased his staff”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Verb
decrease (third-person singular simple present decreases, present participle decreasing, simple past and past participle decreased)
(intransitive) Of a quantity, to become smaller.
(transitive) To make (a quantity) smaller.
Synonyms
• (become smaller): drop, fall, go down, plummet (rapidly), plunge (rapidly), reduce, shrink, sink; See also decrease
• (make smaller): abate, cut, decrement, lower, reduce; See also diminish
Antonyms
• (become larger): go up, grow, increase, rise, soar (rapidly), shoot up (rapidly); See also increase
• (make larger): increase, increment, raise, up (informal); See also augment
Noun
decrease (countable and uncountable, plural decreases)
An amount by which a quantity is decreased.
(knitting) A reduction in the number of stitches, usually accomplished by suspending the stitch to be decreased from another existing stitch or by knitting it together with another stitch. See Decrease (knitting).
Synonyms
• (amount by which a quantity is decreased): cut, decrement, drop, fall, loss, lowering, reduction, shrinkage
Antonyms
• (amount by which a quantity is decreased): gain, increase, increment, raise (US, of pay), rise
Anagrams
• deceaser
Source: Wiktionary
De*crease", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Decreased; p. pr. & vb. n. Decreasing.] Etym: [OE. decrecen, fr. OF. decreistre, F. décroître, or from the OF. noun (see Decrease, n.), fr. L. decrescere to grow less; de + crescere to grow. See Crescent, and cf. Increase.]
Definition: To grow less, -- opposed to increase; to be diminished gradually, in size, degree, number, duration, etc., or in strength, quality, or excellence; as, they days decrease in length from June to December. He must increase, but I must decrease. John iii. 30.
Syn.
– To Decrease, Diminish. Things usually decrease or fall off by degrees, and from within, or through some cause which is imperceptible; as, the flood decreases; the cold decreases; their affection has decreased. Things commonly diminish by an influence from without, or one which is apparent; as, the army was diminished by disease; his property is diminishing through extravagance; their affection has diminished since their separation their separation. The turn of thought, however, is often such that these words may be interchanged. The olive leaf, which certainly them told The flood decreased. Drayton. Crete's ample fields diminish to our eye; Before the Boreal blasts the vessels fly. Pope.
De*crease", v. t.
Definition: To cause to grow less; to diminish gradually; as, extravagance decreases one's means. That might decrease their present store. Prior.
De*crease", n. Etym: [OE. decrees, OF. decreis, fr. decreistre. See Decrease, v.]
1. A becoming less; gradual diminution; decay; as, a decrease of revenue or of strength.
2. The wane of the moon. Bacon.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
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NURSE
(verb) treat carefully; “He nursed his injured back by lying in bed several hours every afternoon”; “He nursed the flowers in his garden and fertilized them regularly”
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