Decrease and Decay

noun

• A change downward.
  • usage: "there was a decrease in his temperature as the fever subsided"; "there was a sharp drop-off in sales"
  • synonyms: lessening, drop-off
• A process of becoming smaller or shorter.
  • synonyms: decrement
• The amount by which something decreases.
  • synonyms: decrement
• The act of decreasing or reducing something.
  • synonyms: diminution, reduction, step-down

verb

• Decrease in size, extent, or range.
  • usage: "The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester"; "The cabin pressure fell dramatically"; "her weight fell to under a hundred pounds"; "his voice fell to a whisper"
  • synonyms: diminish, lessen, fall
• Make smaller.
  • usage: "He decreased his staff"
  • synonyms: lessen, minify

• (v.t.) To cause to grow less; to diminish gradually; as, extravagance decreases one's means.
• (v.) A becoming less; gradual diminution; decay; as, a decrease of revenue or of strength.
• (n.) To grow less, -- opposed to increase; to be diminished gradually, in size, degree, number, duration, etc. or in strength, quality or excellence; as, they days decrease in length from June to December.
• (v.) The wane of the moon.

noun

• The process of gradually becoming inferior.
• A gradual decrease; as of stored charge or current.
  • synonyms: decline
• The organic phenomenon of rotting.
  • synonyms: decomposition
• An inferior state resulting from the process of decaying.
  • usage: "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.
  • synonyms: radioactive decay, disintegration

verb

• Lose a stored charge, magnetic flux, or current.
  • usage: "the particles disintegrated during the nuclear fission process"
  • synonyms: disintegrate, decompose
• Fall into decay or ruin.
  • usage: "The unoccupied house started to decay"
  • synonyms: crumble, dilapidate
• Undergo decay or decomposition.
  • usage: "The body started to decay and needed to be cremated"

• (n.) Cause of decay.
• (v.t.) To destroy.
• (v.t.) To cause to decay; to impair.
• (n.) 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.
• (n.) Destruction; death.
• (v.i.) 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.