Library / English Dictionary

DECAY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The organic phenomenon of rotting

Synonyms:

decay; decomposition

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural phenomena

Hypernyms ("decay" is a kind of...):

organic phenomenon ((biology) a natural phenomenon involving living plants and animals)

Derivation:

decay (fall into decay or ruin)

decay (undergo decay or decomposition)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A gradual decrease; as of stored charge or current

Synonyms:

decay; decline

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Hypernyms ("decay" is a kind of...):

decrease; decrement (a process of becoming smaller or shorter)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "decay"):

exponential decay; exponential return (a decrease that follows an exponential function)

Derivation:

decay (lose a stored charge, magnetic flux, or current)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The process of gradually becoming inferior

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Hypernyms ("decay" is a kind of...):

action; activity; natural action; natural process (a process existing in or produced by nature (rather than by the intent of human beings))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "decay"):

caries; cavity; dental caries; tooth decay (soft decayed area in a tooth; progressive decay can lead to the death of a tooth)

corruption (decay of matter (as by rot or oxidation))

breakdown; decomposition; putrefaction; rot; rotting ((biology) the process of decay caused by bacterial or fungal action)

dilapidation; ruin (the process of becoming dilapidated)

spoilage; spoiling (the process of becoming spoiled)

Sense 4

Meaning:

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

Synonyms:

decay; disintegration; radioactive decay

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Hypernyms ("decay" is a kind of...):

nuclear reaction ((physics) a process that alters the energy or structure or composition of atomic nuclei)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "decay"):

alpha decay (radioactive decay of an atomic nucleus that is accompanied by the emission of an alpha particle)

beta decay (radioactive decay of an atomic nucleus that is accompanied by the emission of a beta particle)

Derivation:

decay (lose a stored charge, magnetic flux, or current)

Sense 5

Meaning:

An inferior state resulting from the process of decaying

Example:

the house had fallen into a serious state of decay and disrepair

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("decay" is a kind of...):

unsoundness (a condition of damage or decay)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "decay"):

rancidity (the state of being rancid; having a rancid scent or flavor (as of old cooking oil))

deterioration; impairment (a symptom of reduced quality or strength)

decomposition; disintegration (in a decomposed state)

putrefaction; rot (a state of decay usually accompanied by an offensive odor)

Derivation:

decay (fall into decay or ruin)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Fall into decay or ruin

Example:

The unoccupied house started to decay

Synonyms:

crumble; decay; dilapidate

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "decay" is one way to...):

change (undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "decay"):

deteriorate (become worse or disintegrate)

corrode; rust (become destroyed by water, air, or a corrosive such as an acid)

weather (change under the action or influence of the weather)

eat at; erode; gnaw; gnaw at; wear away (become ground down or deteriorate)

droop; wilt (become limp)

ruin (fall into ruin)

break; bust; fall apart; wear; wear out (go to pieces)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Derivation:

decadent (a person who has fallen into a decadent state (morally or artistically))

decay (the organic phenomenon of rotting)

decay (an inferior state resulting from the process of decaying)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Lose a stored charge, magnetic flux, or current

Example:

the particles disintegrated during the nuclear fission process

Synonyms:

decay; decompose; disintegrate

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "decay" is one way to...):

change integrity (change in physical make-up)

Verb group:

disintegrate (cause to undergo fission or lose particles)

Domain category:

natural philosophy; physics (the science of matter and energy and their interactions)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

decay (a gradual decrease; as of stored charge or current)

decay (the spontaneous disintegration of a radioactive substance along with the emission of ionizing radiation)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Undergo decay or decomposition

Example:

The body started to decay and needed to be cremated

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "decay" is one way to...):

change (undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "decay"):

decompose; molder; moulder; rot (break down)

go bad; spoil (become unfit for consumption or use)

putrefy (become putrid; decay with an offensive smell)

deliquesce (melt away in the process of decay)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

decay (the organic phenomenon of rotting)

Credits

 Context examples: 

The amount of energy required to produce these temperatures is more than scientists think could be provided by decay of radioactive elements in the interior.

(Powering Saturn's Active Ocean Moon, NASA)

It also highlights the fact that physical activity during aging can continue to help fend off bone decay.

(Physical Activity Brings Lasting Bone Benefits, NIH, US)

Tooth decay that is increasing in size or scope.

(Active Caries, NCI Thesaurus)

Ammonia is made by bacteria and decaying plants and animals and is found in water, soil, and air.

(Ammonia, NCI Dictionary)

This allele, which encodes protein CASC3, plays a role in the regulation of nonsense-mediated messenger RNA decay.

(CASC3 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

No leaf will decay because we are removed, nor any branch become motionless although we can observe you no longer!

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

And birds' lightweight, hollow bones break easily, accelerating the decay of the DNA within.

(Extinct Caribbean bird yields DNA after 2,500 years in watery grave, National Science Foundation)

Procedures utilized to save organic substances from decay.

(Biologic Sample Preservation Procedure, NCI Thesaurus)

If enough radioactive material accumulates in an asteroid, the heat produced as it decays will be sufficient to melt ice inside the asteroid.

(Vitamin B3 might have been made in space, delivered to Earth by meteorites, NASA)

A unit of radioactive decay expressed in atoms of radioactive material that decay over a period of time equal to sixty seconds.

(Disintegration per Minute, NCI Thesaurus)