- (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.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). decay. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/decay/definitions/1994889 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "decay" http://smartdefine.org/decay/definitions/1994889 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, decay, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/decay/definitions/1994889>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "decay" 27 May 2011. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/decay/definitions/1994889> |