DECAY

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does decay mean? 

• DECAY (noun)
  The noun DECAY has 5 senses:

1. the process of gradually becoming inferior

2. a gradual decrease; as of stored charge or current

3. the organic phenomenon of rotting

4. an inferior state resulting from the process of decaying

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

  Familiarity information: DECAY used as a noun is common.

• DECAY (verb)
  The verb DECAY has 3 senses:

1. lose a stored charge, magnetic flux, or current

2. fall into decay or ruin

3. undergo decay or decomposition

  Familiarity information: DECAY used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DECAY (noun)

Sense 1

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 2

Meaning:

A gradual decrease; as of stored charge or current

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Synonyms:

decay; decline

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 organic phenomenon of rotting

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural phenomena

Synonyms:

decay; decomposition

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 4

Meaning:

An inferior state resulting from the process of decaying

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Context example:

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

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)

Sense 5

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Synonyms:

decay; disintegration; radioactive decay

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)

• DECAY (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they decay    ... he / she / it decays   
Past simple: decayed   
Past participle: decayed   
-ing form: decaying   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Lose a stored charge, magnetic flux, or current

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

decay; decompose; disintegrate

Context example:

the particles disintegrated during the nuclear fission process

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 2

Meaning:

Fall into decay or ruin

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

crumble; decay; dilapidate

Context example:

The unoccupied house started to decay

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 3

Meaning:

Undergo decay or decomposition

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

The body started to decay and needed to be cremated

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)

 Context examples 

The organic material won't decay and release its carbon as long as it stays frozen.

(Alaska Shows No Signs of Rising Arctic Methane, NASA)

Unstable isotopes have an excess of nuclear energy and eventually decay into a stable form.

(Stellar Corpse Reveals Origin of Radioactive Molecules, ESO)

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

(Disintegration per Second, NCI Thesaurus)

It contains carbon-rich organic material, such as leaves, that froze without decaying.

(Far Northern Permafrost May Unleash Carbon Within Decades, NASA)

As the tower decays, it can form a layer of dust 35 miles (56 kilometers) above the surface.

(Global Storms on Mars Launch Dust Towers Into the Sky, NASA)

This is entirely separate from any radioactive decay that may or may not be present.

(Biological Half-Life, NCI Thesaurus)

This protein is involved in both translation initiation and nonsense mediated mRNA decay.

(Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 3 Subunit E, NCI Thesaurus)

A person who treats dead bodies with embalming fluid (a chemical like formaldehyde) to keep them from decaying.

(Embalmer, NCI Dictionary)

Some weeks before their death, they feel a gradual decay; but without pain.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

Tooth decay of an unspecified location.

(Caries, Region Unknown, NCI Thesaurus)