decay
Pronunciation:
/dɪˈkeɪ//di.ˈkeɪ/noun
Definitions
The process or result of being gradually decomposed.
A deterioration of condition; loss of status or fortune.
verb
Definitions
To deteriorate, to get worse, to lose strength or health, to decline in quality.
Example: The pair loved to take pictures in the decaying hospital on forty-third street.
(of organic material) To rot, to go bad.
Example: The cat's body decayed rapidly.
(of an unstable atom) To change by undergoing fission, by emitting radiation, or by capturing or losing one or more electrons.
(of a quantum system) To undergo optical decay, that is, to relax to a less excited state, usually by emitting a photon or phonon.