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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

decay en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /diˈkeɪ/ (US)
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • dē-kāʹ (US)
  • /dɪˈkeɪ/ (UK)

Etymology

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

Meanings

  1. (uncountable, usually) Rot; any processes or result of organic matter being gradually decomposed, especially by microbial action.
    • He spent himself, the labour of his axe, And leave it there far from a useful fireplace To warm the frozen swamp as best it could With the slow smokeless burning of decay. 1914, Robert Frost, The Wood-pile:
    • I fancied at first the stuff was paraffin wax, and smashed the jar accordingly. But the odor of camphor was unmistakable. It struck me as singularly odd, that among the universal decay, this volatile substance had chanced to survive, perhaps through many thousand years. 1895, H. G. Wells, chapter X, in The Time Machine:
    • tooth decay/dental decay—wood-decay fungi—bacterial decay—photochemical decay
  2. (uncountable, usually) Deterioration of condition; loss of status, quality, strength, or fortune.
    • Although the best room of the inn, it had the melancholy aspect of grandeur in decay, and was much too vast for comfort. 1841 February–November, Charles Dickens, “Barnaby Rudge. Chapter 10.”, in Master Humphrey’s Clock, volume II, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC:
    • civic and moral decay—systemic decay—fall into decay—urban decay—arrested decay—memory decay
  3. (uncountable, usually) Radioactive decay; decomposition of an atom or its nucleus.
    • alpha decay—gamma decay—fission decay—decay chain
  4. (uncountable, usually) Particle decay; decomposition of a sub-atomic particle.
  5. (uncountable, usually) Continuous decrease of a quantity.
    • exponential decay—decay rate—orbital decay—decay time—decay constant—time decay
  6. (obsolete, uncountable, usually) Overthrow, destruction, ruin, death.
    • 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: c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene vi:
  7. (uncountable, usually) Array decay.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
decays Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

weight decay · time decay · bit decay · photodecay · semidecay · particle decay · radioactive decay · volatility decay · decaylessness · non-stop decay · alpha decay · gamma decay · beta decay · predecay · nuclear decay · decayable · decayless · exponential decay · biodecay · decay time · vacuum decay · platform decay · digital decay · c-decay · urban decay · delta decay · decay series · nonsense-mediated decay · arrested decay · decay constant · array decay · orbital decay · decayability · dental decay · tooth decay · bacterial decay · decayer · decay chain

Relateds

deciduous

Synonyms

nuclear decay—atomic decay

Translations (104)

mi popo (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · ca descomposició (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · fa تباهی (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · id peluruhan (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · pt decomposição (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · nl verval (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · sh raspad (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · da svækkelse (deterioration of condition) · gd mùthadh (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · es deterioración (deterioration of condition) · pt putrefação (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · id peluruhan (deterioration of condition) · hu pusztulás (deterioration of condition) · mk ра́спад (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · tl pugnaw (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · id kemerosotan (deterioration of condition) · de Verwesung (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · da nedbrydning (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · he דעיכה (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · gl deterioración (deterioration of condition) · es putrefacción (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · de Verfall (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · la cariēs (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · uk розпад (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · pt deterioração (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · ru упа́док (deterioration of condition) · hi अपघटन (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · nds-de Fuulnis (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · ga meathlú (deterioration of condition) · sv förruttnelse (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · mk распа́ѓање (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · gl deterioración (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · hu romlás (deterioration of condition) · sv sönderfall (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · pl rozkład (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · ro decădere (deterioration of condition) · ca decadència (deterioration of condition) · fa واپاشی (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · de Fäulnis (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · id pelapukan (deterioration of condition) · es decaimiento (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · es decaimiento (deterioration of condition) · sa क्षय (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · ru спад (deterioration of condition) · hu bomlás (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · uk розложення (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · ca deteriorament (deterioration of condition) · pl rozkład (deterioration of condition) · cs rozklad (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · ca desintegració (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · ga meath (deterioration of condition) · gl apodrecemento (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · fi laho (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · io dekado (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · fi lahoaminen (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · fi rapautuminen (deterioration of condition) · cs rozklad (deterioration of condition) · hu hanyatlás (deterioration of condition) · uk розлож (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · ml ജീർണ്ണിക്കൽ (deterioration of condition) · ang þreax (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · cs hniloba (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · mi hanehane (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · ko 쇠약 (deterioration of condition) · id pelapukan (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · pl degradacja (deterioration of condition) · es deterioración (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · fi heikkeneminen (deterioration of condition) · fr décrépitude (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · ja 腐敗 (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · el σήψη (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · ga meath (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · ru гние́ние (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · ms susutan (deterioration of condition) · ro descompunere (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · ru распа́д (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · gl putrefacción (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · gl decadencia (deterioration of condition) · gd crìonadh (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · ms kerosakan (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · es descaecimiento (deterioration of condition) · ru разложе́ние (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · bg разлагане (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · ko 부패 (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · uk розклада́ння (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · pt apodrecimento (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · la tābēs (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · bg влошаване (deterioration of condition) · ota خراب (deterioration of condition) · es podredumbre (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · es descomposición (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · da forfald (deterioration of condition) · ms pereputan (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · es decadencia (deterioration of condition) · grc σῆψις (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · nb nedbryting (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · uk розклад (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · mk влошу́вање (deterioration of condition) · da forfald (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · es desintegración (deterioration of condition) · sv förfall (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · uk розпадання (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · ar نَخْر (process or result of being gradually decomposed) · ml ജീർണ്ണിക്കൽ (process or result of being gradually decomposed)

decay en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • /diˈkeɪ/ (US)
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • dē-kāʹ (US)
  • /dɪˈkeɪ/ (UK)

Etymology

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

Meanings

  1. (intransitive) To deteriorate, to get worse, to lose strength or health, to decline in quality.
    • The pair loved to take pictures in the decaying hospital on forty-third street.
    • "The signalling at Salisbury has be replaced for safety reasons in the next handful of years. It's worn out. Last week, there was a signal cable issue near Tisbury that stopped proper running for four whole days. The system is decaying. 2026 February 18, Paul Clifton, “West of England Line problems laid bare”, in RAIL, number 1055, page 7:
  2. (intransitive, of storage media or the data on them) To deteriorate, to get worse, to lose strength or health, to decline in quality. ▸ To undergo bit rot, that is, gradual degradation.
  3. (intransitive, of software) 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.
  4. (intransitive, of a satellite's orbit) To deteriorate, to get worse, to lose strength or health, to decline in quality. ▸ To undergo prolonged reduction in altitude (above the orbited body).
    • Damaged on lift-off, Skylab was left in orbit until its orbit decayed. 2009, Francis Lyall, Paul B. Larsen, Space Law: A Treatise, page 120:
  5. (intransitive, of organic material) To rot, to go bad.
    • The largest tree known to us is at Syon (Plate 124), which in 1904 was no less than 60 feet in height by 7 feet in girth and still a fine tree, though its trunk is decaying inside. 1907, Henry John Elwes and Augustine Henry, The Trees of Great Britain & Ireland, Volume 2/Cladastris:
    • The cat's body decayed rapidly.
  6. (intransitive, of an unstable atom, transitive) To change by undergoing fission, by emitting radiation, or by capturing or losing one or more electrons; to undergo radioactive decay.
    • Uranium decays to radium through a long series of steps with a cumulative half-life of 4.4 billion years. 2005, Encyclopedia of Earth Science, edited by Timothy M. Kusky, →ISBN, page 349:
  7. (intransitive, of a quantum system, transitive) To undergo optical decay, that is, to relax to a less excited state, usually by emitting a photon or phonon.
  8. (intransitive) Loss of airspeed due to drag.
  9. (transitive) To cause to rot or deteriorate.
    • The extreme humidity decayed the wooden sculptures in the museum's collection in a matter of years.
    • Infirmity, that decays the wise. c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene v]:
  10. (intransitive) Of an array: to lose its type and dimensions and be reduced to a pointer, for example when passed to a function.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
decaying Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
decays Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
decayed Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
decayed Tense=Past lexicographic

Deriveds

nondecaying · undecaying · decayingly · semidecaying

Synonyms

fester

Translations (53)

da brydes ned (to deteriorate) · ru распада́ться (To change by undergoing fission, by emitting radiation, or by capturing or losing one or more electrons.) · sv mattas (to deteriorate) · hu tönkremegy (to deteriorate) · cs rozkládat se (to deteriorate) · ru распа́сться (To change by undergoing fission, by emitting radiation, or by capturing or losing one or more electrons.) · da nedbrydes (to deteriorate) · ca desintegrar-se (To change by undergoing fission, by emitting radiation, or by capturing or losing one or more electrons.) · sv tackla av (to deteriorate) · sv försämras (to deteriorate) · fr pourrir (to deteriorate) · uk розпа́стися (To change by undergoing fission, by emitting radiation, or by capturing or losing one or more electrons.) · tr fenalaşmak (to deteriorate) · fi rappeutua (to deteriorate) · eo kadukiĝi (to deteriorate) · nl verloederen (to deteriorate) · pt deteriorar (to deteriorate) · fi heikentyä (to deteriorate) · da forfalde (to deteriorate) · bg разлагам се (to deteriorate) · ro descompune (to deteriorate) · es descaecer (to deteriorate) · ca fer-se malbé (to deteriorate) · sv förfalla (to deteriorate) · de verderben (to deteriorate) · hu elpusztul (to deteriorate) · ru ухудша́ться (to deteriorate) · fa تباهیدن (to deteriorate) · pt decompor-se (to deteriorate) · uk розпада́тися (To change by undergoing fission, by emitting radiation, or by capturing or losing one or more electrons.) · es periclitar (to deteriorate) · ga meath (to deteriorate) · ar اضمحل (to deteriorate) · ru по́ртиться (to deteriorate) · mi koropungapunga (to deteriorate) · es decaer (to deteriorate) · ml ജീർണ്ണിക്കുക (to deteriorate) · ga meathlaigh (to deteriorate) · fi rapautua (to deteriorate) · ka ფუჭდება (to deteriorate) · de verfallen (to deteriorate) · mi taimate (to deteriorate) · ko 부패하다 (to deteriorate) · fr se désintégrer (To change by undergoing fission, by emitting radiation, or by capturing or losing one or more electrons.) · hy փչանալ (to deteriorate) · nl in verval raken (to deteriorate) · fa واپاشیدن (to deteriorate) · da henfalde (to deteriorate) · ar تضعضع (to deteriorate) · bg развалям се (to deteriorate) · fi heiketä (to deteriorate) · nl vervallen (to deteriorate) · ca deteriorar-se (to deteriorate)