ALL meanings of decay
de·cay
D d - verb decay When something such as a dead body, a dead plant, or a tooth decays, it is gradually destroyed by a natural process. 3
- verb decay Decay is also a noun. 3
- verb decay If something such as a society, system, or institution decays, it gradually becomes weaker or its condition gets worse. 3
- verb decay to decline or cause to decline gradually in health, prosperity, excellence, etc; deteriorate; waste away 3
- verb decay to rot or cause to rot as a result of bacterial, fungal, or chemical action; decompose 3
- verb decay (of an atomic nucleus) to undergo radioactive disintegration 3
- verb decay (of an elementary particle) to transform into two or more different elementary particles 3
- verb decay (of a stored charge, magnetic flux, etc) to decrease gradually when the source of energy has been removed 3
- noun decay the process of decline, as in health, mentality, beauty, etc 3
- noun decay the state brought about by this process 3
- noun decay decomposition, as of vegetable matter 3
- noun decay rotten or decayed matter 3
- noun decay a spontaneous transformation of an elementary particle into two or more different particles 3
- noun decay (of an excited atom or molecule) the losing of energy by the spontaneous emission of photons 3
- noun decay a gradual decrease of a stored charge, magnetic flux, current, etc, when the source of energy has been removed 3
- noun decay the fading away of a note 3
- intransitive verb decay to lose strength, soundness, health, beauty, prosperity, etc. gradually; waste away; deteriorate 3
- intransitive verb decay to rot or decompose 3
- intransitive verb decay to undergo radioactive disintegration spontaneously 3
- verb transitive decay to cause to decay 3
- noun decay a gradual decline; deterioration 3
- noun decay a wasting away 3
- noun decay a rotting or decomposing, as of vegetable matter 3
- noun decay rottenness 3
- noun decay decayed or rotted matter 3
- noun decay the spontaneous disintegration of radioactive atoms with a resulting decrease in their number 3
- noun decay the spontaneous disintegration of a particle or nucleus, as a meson, baryon, etc., as it changes into a more stable state 3
- verb without object decay to become decomposed; rot: vegetation that was decaying. 1
- verb without object decay to decline in excellence, prosperity, health, etc.; deteriorate. 1
- verb without object decay Physics. (of a radioactive nucleus) to change spontaneously into one or more different nuclei in a process in which atomic particles, as alpha particles, are emitted from the nucleus, electrons are captured or lost, or fission takes place. 1
- verb with object decay to cause to decay or decompose; rot: The dampness of the climate decayed the books. 1
- noun decay decomposition; rot: Decay made the wood unsuitable for use. 1
- noun decay a gradual falling into an inferior condition; progressive decline: the decay of international relations; the decay of the Aztec civilizations. 1
- noun decay decline in or loss of strength, health, intellect, etc.: His mental decay is distressing. 1
- noun decay Also called disintegration, radioactive decay. Physics. a radioactive process in which a nucleus undergoes spontaneous transformation into one or more different nuclei and simultaneously emits radiation, loses electrons, or undergoes fission. 1
- noun decay Aerospace. the progressive, accelerating reduction in orbital parameters, particularly apogee and perigee, of a spacecraft due to atmospheric drag. 1
- noun decay (of organic matter ) rot or decompose through the action of bacteria and fungi. 1
- noun Definition of decay in Technology [Nuclear physics] An automatic conversion which is applied to most array-valued expressions in C; they "decay into" pointer-valued expressions pointing to the array's first element. This term is not used in the official standard for the language. 1
- noun decay rot 1
- abbreviation DECAY decline 1
- intransitive verb decay decompose, rot 1
- intransitive verb decay animal, plant 1
- abbreviation DECAY deteriorate 1