decay

English

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old French (deprecated template usage) decair < (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Medieval Latin *(deprecated template usage) decadere, restored form of (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin (deprecated template usage) decidere < (deprecated template usage) de + (deprecated template usage) cadere; cf. (deprecated template usage) decadent and (deprecated template usage) decadence.

Noun

decay (uncountable)

1. The process or result of being gradually decomposed.
2. A deterioration of condition.

Derived terms

• radioactive decay
• bacterial decay
• particle decay
• orbital decay

Translations

process or result of being gradually decomposed

• Bulgarian: разлагане n (razlagane)
• Czech: rozklad m, hniloba f
• French: décrépitude f
• German: Verfall m, Verwesung f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Polish: rozkład (pl) m
• Scottish Gaelic:
• Swedish: förruttnelse c

deterioration of condition

• Bulgarian: влошаване n (vlošavane)
• Czech: rozklad m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Polish: rozkład (pl) m

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• French: déchéance f
• Russian: распад m (raspad)

Verb

decay (third-person singular simple present decays, present participle decaying, simple past and past participle decayed)

1. To deteriorate, to get worse, to lose strength or health, to decline in quality.
2. To rot, to go bad.

Translations

deteriorate

• Arabic: Template:Arab, Template:Arab
• Armenian: փչանալ (pʻčʻanal)
• Bulgarian: разлагам се (razlagam se), развалям се (razvaljam se)
• Czech: rozkládat se
• Dutch: vervallen (nl), in verval raken, verloederen (nl)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• German: verfallen, verderben (de)
• Russian: портиться (portitʹsja) (pórtit’s’a)
• Spanish: deteriorarse
• Turkish: fenalaşmak (tr)

rot

• Armenian: փտել (pʻtel)
• Bulgarian: гния (gnija), загнивам (zagnivam)
• Czech: hnít
• Dutch: verrotten, slecht worden
• German: verfaulen, verrotten, verwesen
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hebrew: התקלקל m (hitkalkel)
• Polish: gnić (pl)
• Portuguese: apodrecer (pt)
• Russian: разлагаться (razlagatʹsja) (razlagát’s’a), гнить (gnitʹ) (gnit’)
• Turkish: çürümek

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Arabic: Template:Arab (taħállala)
• Chinese: 腐爛, 腐烂 (fǔlàn)
• Finnish: mädäntyä, rappeutua, kuihtua, lahota
• French: pourrir, se désintégrer (nucléaire)
• Georgian: ლპობა (lpoba), ხრწნა (xrts‘na), გაფუჭება (gap‘uč‘eba)
• German: faulen, verderben, verfallen, zerfallen, verwesen, abklingen, vermodern
• Hungarian: korhad, bomlás
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: imputridire
• Japanese: (1) 朽ちる (くちる, kuchiru), (2) 腐る (くさる, kusaru)
• Korean: 썩다 (sseokda)
• Russian: гнить (gnit’)
• Spanish: pudrirse
• Swedish: ruttna

Related terms

• cadence
• chance
• case

External links

• “decay”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “decay”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.