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Decay

//diˈkeɪ// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun

1
Rot; any processes or result of organic matter being gradually decomposed, especially by microbial action. uncountable, usually
"tooth decay/dental decay—wood-decay fungi—bacterial decay—photochemical decay"
2
the organic phenomenon of rotting wordnet
3
Deterioration of condition; loss of status, quality, strength, or fortune. uncountable, usually
"Although the best room of the inn, it had the melancholy aspect of grandeur in decay, and was much too vast for comfort."
4
a gradual decrease; as of stored charge or current wordnet
5
Radioactive decay; decomposition of an atom or its nucleus. uncountable, usually
"alpha decay—gamma decay—fission decay—decay chain"

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6
the process of gradually becoming inferior wordnet
7
Particle decay; decomposition of a sub-atomic particle. uncountable, usually
8
the spontaneous disintegration of a radioactive substance along with the emission of ionizing radiation wordnet
9
Continuous decrease of a quantity. uncountable, usually
"exponential decay—decay rate—orbital decay—decay time—decay constant—time decay"
10
an inferior state resulting from the process of decaying wordnet
11
Overthrow, destruction, ruin, death. obsolete, uncountable, usually
"Let’s cheere our ſouldiers to incounter him, That grieuous image of ingratitude: That fiery thirſter after Soueraigntie: […] Reſolue my Lords and louing ſouldiers now, To ſaue your king and country from decay:"
12
Array decay. uncountable, usually

Verb

1
To deteriorate, to get worse, to lose strength or health, to decline in quality. intransitive
"The pair loved to take pictures in the decaying hospital on forty-third street."
2
fall into decay or ruin wordnet
3
To deteriorate, to get worse, to lose strength or health, to decline in quality.; To undergo bit rot, that is, gradual degradation. intransitive
4
lose a stored charge, magnetic flux, or current wordnet
5
To deteriorate, to get worse, to lose strength or health, to decline in quality.; To undergo software rot, that is, to fail to be updated in a changing environment, so as to eventually become legacy or obsolete. intransitive

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6
undergo decay or decomposition wordnet
7
To deteriorate, to get worse, to lose strength or health, to decline in quality.; To undergo prolonged reduction in altitude (above the orbited body). intransitive
"Damaged on lift-off, Skylab was left in orbit until its orbit decayed."
8
To rot, to go bad. intransitive
"The cat's body decayed rapidly."
9
To change by undergoing fission, by emitting radiation, or by capturing or losing one or more electrons; to undergo radioactive decay. intransitive, transitive
"Uranium decays to radium through a long series of steps with a cumulative half-life of 4.4 billion years."
10
To undergo optical decay, that is, to relax to a less excited state, usually by emitting a photon or phonon. intransitive, transitive
11
Loss of airspeed due to drag. intransitive
12
To cause to rot or deteriorate. transitive
"The extreme humidity decayed the wooden sculptures in the museum's collection in a matter of years."
13
Of an array: to lose its type and dimensions and be reduced to a pointer, for example when passed to a function. intransitive

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English decayen, dekeyen (“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 away, fail, sink, perish”), from de (“down”) + cadere (“to fall”). Compare decadent and decadence.

Etymology 2

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