decay

Plural: decays

Noun

the process of gradually becoming inferior
a gradual decrease; as of stored charge or current
the organic phenomenon of rotting
an inferior state resulting from the process of decaying
- "the corpse was in an advanced state of decay"
- "the house had fallen into a serious state of decay and disrepair"
the spontaneous disintegration of a radioactive substance along with the emission of ionizing radiation
The process or result of being gradually decomposed; rot, decomposition.
A deterioration of condition; loss of status, quality, strength, or fortune.
A deterioration of condition; loss of status, quality, strength, or fortune.
Ellipsis of radioactive decay.
A deterioration of condition; loss of status, quality, strength, or fortune.
a gradual decrease of a stored charge, magnetic flux, current, etc.
A deterioration of condition; loss of status, quality, strength, or fortune.
progressive change in the path of an earth-orbiting satellite due to atmospheric drag.
Overthrow, downfall, destruction, ruin.
The situation, in programming languages such as C, where an array loses its type and dimensions and is reduced to a pointer, for example by passing it to a function.

Verb

Verb Forms: decayed, decaying, decays

To decompose or rot; to decline in quality.
lose a stored charge, magnetic flux, or current
fall into decay or ruin
- "The unoccupied house started to decay"
undergo decay or decomposition
- "The body started to decay and needed to be cremated"
To deteriorate, to get worse, to lose strength or health, to decline in quality.
To deteriorate, to get worse, to lose strength or health, to decline in quality.
To undergo bit rot, that is, gradual degradation.
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.
To deteriorate, to get worse, to lose strength or health, to decline in quality.
To undergo prolonged reduction in altitude (above the orbited body).
To rot, to go bad.
To change by undergoing fission, by emitting radiation, or by capturing or losing one or more electrons; to undergo radioactive decay.
To undergo optical decay, that is, to relax to a less excited state, usually by emitting a photon or phonon.
Loss of airspeed due to drag.
To cause to rot or deteriorate.
Of an array: to lose its type and dimensions and be reduced to a pointer, for example when passed to a function.

Examples

civic and moral decay
His lead began to DECAY after his opponent played a powerful seven-letter word.
systemic decay
The cat's body decayed rapidly.
The extreme humidity decayed the wooden sculptures in the museum's collection in a matter of years.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English decayen, dekeyen (“to decrease, diminish”), from Anglo-Norman decaeir (“to fall away, decay, decline”), from Vulgar Latin *dēcadere, etymologically restored form of Latin dēcidere (“to fall away, fail, sink, perish”), from de (“down”) + cadere (“to fall”). Compare decadent and decadence.

Synonyms

crumble, decline, decompose, decomposition, dilapidate, disintegrate, disintegration, radioactive decay, fester

Scrabble Score: 11

decay: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
decay: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
decay: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 11

decay: valid Words With Friends Word