decay
UK /dɪˈkeɪ/ · US /diˈkeɪ/ noun, verb
Forms decays decaying decayed
- noun (biology) Rot; any processes or result of organic matter being gradually decomposed, especially by microbial action. “tooth decay/dental decay—wood-decay fungi—bacterial decay—photochemical decay”
- noun Deterioration of condition; loss of status, quality, strength, or fortune. “civic and moral decay—systemic decay—fall into decay—urban decay—arrested decay—memory decay”
- noun (physics) Radioactive decay; decomposition of an atom or its nucleus. “alpha decay—gamma decay—fission decay—decay chain”
- noun (physics) Particle decay; decomposition of a sub-atomic particle.
- noun Continuous decrease of a quantity. “exponential decay—decay rate—orbital decay—decay time—decay constant—time decay”
- noun (obsolete) Overthrow, destruction, ruin, death.
- noun (programming) Array decay.
- verb (intransitive) To deteriorate, to get worse, to lose strength or health, to decline in quality. “The pair loved to take pictures in the decaying hospital on forty-third street.”
- verb (intransitive, electronics, of storage media or the data on them) To undergo bit rot, that is, gradual degradation.
- verb (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.
- verb (intransitive, physics, of a satellite's orbit) To undergo prolonged reduction in altitude (above the orbited body).
- verb (intransitive, of organic material) To rot, to go bad. “The cat's body decayed rapidly.”
- verb (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; to undergo radioactive decay.
- verb (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.
- verb (intransitive, aviation) Loss of airspeed due to drag.
Synonyms
nuclear decay—atomic decay fester decline decomposition radioactive decay disintegration disintegrate decompose crumble dilapidate
Etymology
From Middle English decaien (“to decrease, diminish”) and decai (“deterioration, decline in value”), from Anglo-Norman decaeir (“to fall away, decay, decline”), from Vulgar Latin *dēcadere, etymologically restored form of Latin dēcidere (“to fall down, to fail, sink or perish”), from de- (“of, from, away, down”) + cadere (“to fall”). Compare decadent and decadence.
Webster’s 1913
- verb 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.
- verb To cause to decay; to impair. [R.]
- verb To destroy. [Obs.] Shak.
- noun 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.
Etymology [OF. decaeir, dechaer, decheoir, F. déchoir, to decline, fall, become less; L. de- + cadere to fall. See Chance.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “decay”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details