DECAY


Meaning of DECAY in English

v. & n.

--v.

1. a intr. rot, decompose. b tr. cause to rot or decompose.

2 intr. & tr. decline or cause to decline in quality, power, wealth, energy, beauty, etc.

3 intr. Physics a (usu. foll. by to) (of a substance etc.) undergo change by radioactivity. b undergo a gradual decrease in magnitude of a physical quantity.

--n.

1. a rotten or ruinous state; a process of wasting away.

2 decline in health, quality, etc.

3 Physics a change into another substance etc. by radioactivity. b a decrease in the magnitude of a physical quantity, esp. the intensity of radiation or amplitude of oscillation.

4 decayed tissue.

Derivatives:

decayable adj.

Etymology: ME f. OF decair f. Rmc (as DE-, L cadere fall)

Oxford English vocab.      Оксфордский английский словарь.