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decayactionactivitynatural actionnatural processcariescavitydental cariestooth decaycorruptionbreakdowndecompositionputrefactionrotrottingdilapidationruinspoilagespoiling

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decay

noun

1 decay

The process of gradually becoming inferior.

Roget 653: uncleanness etc. adj.; impurity; immundity, immundicity; impurity etc. 961 [of mind]. defilement, contamination etc. v.; ... show more

2 decay

A gradual decrease; as of stored charge or current.

synonym: decline.

Roget 659: deterioration, debasement; wane, ebb; recession etc. 287; retrogradation etc. 283; decrease etc. 36.    ... show more

Roget 124: oldness etc. adj.; age, antiquity; cobwebs of antiquity.    maturity; decline, decay; senility etc. 128.    seniority, eldership, ... show more

Roget 655: disease; illness, sickness etc. adj.; ailing &c.; all the ills that flesh is heir to" [Hamlet]; morbidity, morbosity; infirmity, ailment, indisposition; ... show more

Dutch: decadentie

3 decay

The organic phenomenon of rotting.

synonym: decomposition.

Polish: rozkład, rozpad

4 decay

An inferior state resulting from the process of decaying.

5 decay

The spontaneous disintegration of a radioactive substance along with the emission of ionizing radiation.

synonyms: disintegration, radioactive decay.

verb

1 decay

Lose a stored charge, magnetic flux, or current.

synonyms: decompose, disintegrate.

Roget 735: be ill off etc. adj.; go hard with; fall on evil, fall on evil days; go on ill; not prosper etc. 734.    go downhill, go to rack and ruin etc. (destruction) ... show more

Roget 195: become small, become smaller; lessen, decrease etc. 36; grow less, dwindle, shrink, contract, narrow, shrivel, collapse, wither, ... show more

Dutch: verloederen

2 decay

Fall into decay or ruin:
— The unoccupied house started to decay.

synonyms: crumble, dilapidate.

Roget 36: decrease, diminish, lessen; abridge etc. (shorten) 201; shrink etc. (contract) 195; drop off, fall off, tail off; ... show more

Dutch: verarmen, verloederen, verpauperen, vervallen

3 decay

Undergo decay or decomposition.


adjective

Roget 659: unimproved etc. (improve) etc. 658; deteriorated etc. v.; altered, altered for the worse; injured etc. v.; ... show more

Moby thesaurus: ablate, ablation, atomization, atomize, atrophy, biodegradability, biodegradation, break down, break up, breakup, canker, caries, carrion, catalysis, catalyst, collapse, come apart, consume, contaminate, corrode ... show more.

Find more on decay elsewhere: etymology - rhymes - Wikipedia.

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