decay
verb
[ dɪˈkeɪ ]
• (of organic matter) rot or decompose through the action of bacteria and fungi.
• "the body had begun to decay"
Similar:
decompose,
rot,
putrefy,
go bad,
go off,
spoil,
fester,
perish,
deteriorate,
degrade,
break down,
break up,
moulder,
shrivel,
shrivel up,
wither,
mortify,
necrotize,
sphacelate,
corrupt,
decay
noun
• the state or process of rotting or decomposition.
• "hardwood is more resistant to decay than softwood"
Similar:
decomposition,
rotting,
going bad,
putrefaction,
putrescence,
putridity,
festering,
spoilage,
perishing,
withering,
shrivelling,
rot,
mould,
mildew,
fungus,
corruption,
corrosion,
corroding,
caries,
cavities,
holes,
cariosity,
Origin:
late Middle English: from Old French decair, based on Latin decidere ‘fall down or off’, from de- ‘from’ + cadere ‘fall’.
