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Decay

Noun CEFR C2 Standard
dɪˈkeɪ

Definitions

  1. Rot; any processes or result of organic matter being gradually decomposed, especially by microbial action.
  2. Deterioration of condition; loss of status, quality, strength, or fortune.
  3. Radioactive decay; decomposition of an atom or its nucleus.
  4. Particle decay; decomposition of a sub-atomic particle.
  5. Continuous decrease of a quantity.
  6. Overthrow, destruction, ruin, death.
  7. Array decay.

Equivalents

34 more languages
فارسیتباهی
עבריתדעיכה
한국어부패쇠락쇠약
Te Reo Māorihanehanepōpō
Bahasa Melayukerosakanpereputan
Nederlandsverval
Tagalogpugnaw
Tiếng Việtbiến chất

Examples

tooth decay/dental decay—wood-decay fungibacterial decayphotochemical decay
“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.”
“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.”
Although the best room of the inn, it had the melancholy aspect of grandeur in decay, and was much too vast for comfort.”
civic and moral decaysystemic decayfall into decayurban decayarrested decaymemory decay
alpha decaygamma decayfission decaydecay chain
exponential decaydecay rateorbital decaydecay timedecay constanttime decay
“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:”

CEFR level

C2
Mastery
This word is part of the CEFR C2 vocabulary — mastery level.
See all C2 English words →

See also

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