- decay
- 1. Destruction of an organic substance by slow combustion or gradual oxidation. 2. SYN: putrefaction. 3. To deteriorate; to undergo slow combustion or putrefaction. 4. In dentistry, caries. 5. In psychology, loss of information registered by the senses and processed into short-term memory. SEE ALSO: memory. 6. Loss of radioactivity with time; spontaneous emission of radiation or charged particles or both from an unstable nucleus. [L. de, down, + cado, to fall]- free induction d. (FID) in magnetic resonance imaging, the d. curve that is detected by the receiver coil after the application of an excitation pulse, without additional pulses.
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decay n1 a) ROT (1) specif aerobic decomposition of proteins chiefly by bacteriab) the product of decay2 a) spontaneous decrease in the number of radioactive atoms in radioactive materialb) spontaneous disintegration (as of an atom or a nuclear particle)* * *
n.(in bacteriology) the decomposition of organic matter due to microbial action.* * *
de·cay (de-kaґ) [de- + L. cadere to fall] 1. the gradual decomposition of dead organic matter. the process or stage of decline, as in aging.
Medical dictionary. 2011.
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Decay — 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… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
decay — vb Decay, decompose, rot, putrefy, spoil, disintegrate, crumble mean to undergo or, in some cases, to cause something to undergo destructive dissolution. Decay implies change, commonly a natural and gradual change, from a state of soundness or… … New Dictionary of Synonyms
decay — [dē kā′, dikā′] vi. [ME decaien < Anglo Fr & OFr decäir < VL * decadere: see DECADENCE] 1. to lose strength, soundness, health, beauty, prosperity, etc. gradually; waste away; deteriorate 2. to rot or decompose 3. to undergo radioactive… … English World dictionary
Decay — De*cay , v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Decayed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Decaying}.] [OF. decaeir, dechaer, decheoir, F. d[ e]choir, to decline, fall, become less; L. de + cadere to fall. See {Chance}.] To pass gradually from a sound, prosperous, or perfect… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Decay — De*cay , v. t. 1. To cause to decay; to impair. [R.] [1913 Webster] Infirmity, that decays the wise. Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. To destroy. [Obs.] Shak. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
decay — [n] breaking down, collapse adulteration, atrophy, blight, caries, consumption, corrosion, crumbling, decadence, decline, decomposition, decrease, decrepitude, degeneracy, degeneration, depreciation, deterioration, dilapidation, disintegration,… … New thesaurus
decay — I verb addle, atrophy, be reduced in worth, become enfeebled, become lower in quality, become putrescent, blight, break down, break up, canker, consume, corrode, corrupt, crumble, decline, decompose, decompound, degenerate, depreciate,… … Law dictionary
decay — ► VERB 1) rot through the action of bacteria and fungi. 2) decline in quality or vigour. 3) Physics (of a radioactive substance, particle, etc.) undergo change to a different form by emitting radiation. ► NOUN 1) the state or process of decaying … English terms dictionary
Decay — Contents 1 Science and technlogy 1.1 Biology 1.2 Physics 1.3 … Wikipedia
decay — {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} noun ADJECTIVE ▪ rapid ▪ slow ▪ dental (esp. BrE), tooth ▪ industrial (esp. BrE), urban … Collocations dictionary
decay — 01. The [decaying] leaves in the garden are actually good for it and make the soil richer. 02. Tooth [decay] is preventable with proper oral hygiene. 03. The dentist said my tooth is so [decayed] that he may have to pull it. 04. The rise in… … Grammatical examples in English