decay : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: decay	by the DICT Development Group
6 results for decay
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
decay n the process of gradually becoming inferior a gradual decrease; as of stored charge or current Synonym(s): decay, decline the organic phenomenon of rotting Synonym(s): decay, decomposition 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 Synonym(s): decay, radioactive decay, disintegration v lose a stored charge, magnetic flux, or current; "the particles disintegrated during the nuclear fission process" Synonym(s): disintegrate, decay, decompose fall into decay or ruin; "The unoccupied house started to decay" Synonym(s): decay, crumble, dilapidate undergo decay or decomposition; "The body started to decay and needed to be cremated"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Decay \De*cay"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Decayed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Decaying}.] [OF. decaeir, dechaer, decheoir, F. d[82]choir, to decline, fall, become less; L. de- + cadere to fall. See {Chance}.] To pass gradually from a sound, prosperous, or perfect state, to one of imperfection, adversity, or dissolution; to waste away; to decline; to fail; to become weak, corrupt, or disintegrated; to rot; to perish; as, a tree decays; fortunes decay; hopes decay. Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey, Where wealth accumulates and men decay. --Goldsmith.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Decay \De*cay"\, v. t. 1. To cause to decay; to impair. [R.] Infirmity, that decays the wise. --Shak. 2. To destroy. [Obs.] --Shak.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Decay \Decay"\, n. 1. Gradual failure of health, strength, soundness, prosperity, or of any species of excellence or perfection; tendency toward dissolution or extinction; corruption; rottenness; decline; deterioration; as, the decay* of the body; the decay of virtue; the decay of the Roman empire; a castle in decay. Perhaps my God, though he be far before, May turn, and take me by the hand, and more - May strengthen my decays. --Herbert. His [Johnson's] failure was not to be ascribed to intellectual decay. --Macaulay. Which has caused the decay of the consonants to follow somewhat different laws. --James Byrne. 2. Destruction; death. [Obs.] --Spenser. 3. Cause of decay. [R.] He that plots to be the only figure among ciphers, is the decay of the whole age. --Bacon. Syn: Decline; consumption. See {Decline}.
From Jargon File (4.2.0, 31 JAN 2000) [jargon]:
decay n.,vi [from nuclear physics] An automatic conversion which is applied to most array-valued expressions in {C}; they `decay into' pointer-valued expressions pointing to the array's first element. This term is borderline techspeak, but is not used in the official standard for the language.
From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (15Feb98) [foldoc]:
decay [Nuclear physics] An automatic conversion which is applied to most array-valued expressions in {C}; they "decay into" pointer-valued expressions pointing to the array's first element. This term is not used in the official standard for the language. [{Jargon File}]