I. də̇ˈgrād, dēˈ-; in senses definable “to make or become lower in grade”, “ or ˈdē|g- verb
Etymology: Middle English degraden, from Middle French degrader, desgrader, from Late Latin degradare, from Latin de- + gradus step, pace — more at grade
transitive verb
1. : to lower in rank, grade, or status:
a. : to reduce from a higher to a lower rank or from a position of dignity or privilege : demote , depose
the world is weary of statesmen whom democracy has degraded into politicians — Benjamin Disraeli
b. : to strip of rank or honors ; specifically : to deprive (a priest) of office, privileges and in the Roman Catholic Church of all that outwardly betokens priesthood
c. : to lower from a superior to an inferior level : deprive of standing, efficacy, true function, or exalted status : pervert
the writer who degrades the press to a mere means of material livelihood — J.T.Farrell
they will claim that the biosystematists are attempting to degrade and wreck the classical concept of the genus — W.H.Camp
like the grandees of the Classical Renaissance they degraded art, which is a religion, to upholstery, a menial trade — Clive Bell
d. : to lower in grade : scale or step down or reduce (as a commercial product) in desirability or salability
because of the exposed area and the formation of callus tissue on its edges it seriously degrades logs — Ecology
good honey can easily be degraded in quality by unskilled handling and careless presentation — British Book News
turkeys not in prime condition are degraded
2. : to bring to low esteem or disrepute : expose to shame, humiliation, or contempt
he had degraded his office by shameless extortion — John Buchan
a compelled confession demoralizes the confessor and degrades the confessed — Saturday Review
eagerness of millions of voters to respond to an appeal that does not degrade them or pander to their worst instincts — Elmer Rice
3. : to bring low or drag down in moral or intellectual character : reduce to dishonor, ignominy, depravity, or moral degeneracy : debase , corrupt
the Indians who consume peyote buttons do not seem to be physically or morally degraded by the habit — Aldous Huxley
by the end of the 19th century love of country was being unusually degraded into contempt for foreigners — Herbert Agar
an age of compromise, or moral skepticism, and of practiced art in degrading the highest of all values into the service of the lowest of all compliances — W.L.Sullivan
4. : to lower or impair in respect to some physical property:
a. : to damage by weakening or removing some requisite property
it is recognized that rubber is degraded to some extent by contact with copper — D.W.Gay
b. : to diminish (some pertinent quality or capability) with deteriorating effect
they will, if they obey the physical law, hold that society does work by degrading its energies — Henry Adams
c. : to reduce the definition of (a photographic or projected picture)
in an air photographic system haze and air turbulence degrade the image
d. : to break up (as coal or ore) into small lumps or into dust
e. : to reduce the strength of (a fabric or textile fiber) giving a tendency to deteriorate or disintegrate
exposure to sunlight degrades nylon yarn
5. : to wear or scour by erosion
a stream in flood degrading its channel
the surrounding country … which has been degraded by the processes of denudation — Walter Fitzgerald
6. : to reduce the complexity of (a chemical compound) by splitting off one or more groups or larger component parts : decompose , depolymerize
degrade hexose sugars to pentoses
cellulose is degraded by the action of some bacteria
intransitive verb
1. : to pass from a higher grade or class to a lower
areas of the forest have degraded into scrub
2. : to postpone entering the examination for a degree in honors at Cambridge University beyond the usual or required time
3. biology : degenerate
4. of a chemical compound : to undergo degradation
II. ˈdēˌgrād noun
: lumber or a log found to be below grade in quality ; also : a reduction in grade