Degenerate vs Quirky - What's the difference?

As adjectives the difference between degenerate and quirky

is that degenerate is (of qualities) having deteriorated, degraded or fallen from normal, coherent, balanced and desirable to undesirable and typically abnormal while quirky is given to quirks or idiosyncrasies; strange in a somewhat silly, awkward manner, potentially cute.

As a noun degenerate

is one is degenerate, who has fallen from previous stature.

As a verb degenerate

is to lose good or desirable qualities.

degenerate

English

Adjective

(en adjective)

(of qualities) Having deteriorated, degraded or fallen from normal, coherent, balanced and desirable to undesirable and typically abnormal.

* Shakespeare

faint-hearted and degenerate king

* Jonathan Swift

degenerate from their ancient blood

* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-03

, author= , title=The Smallest Cell , volume=101, issue=2, page=83 , magazine= citation , passage=It is likely that the long evolutionary trajectory of Mycoplasma went from a reductive autotroph to oxidative heterotroph to a cell-wall–defective degenerate parasite. This evolutionary trajectory assumes the simplicity to complexity route of biogenesis, a point of view that is not universally accepted.}}

(of a human or system) Having lost good or desirable qualities.

(of an encoding or function) Having multiple domain elements correspond to one element of the range.

''The genetic code is degenerate because a single amino acid can be coded by one of several codons.

(mathematics) A degenerate case is a limiting case in which a class of object changes its nature so as to belong to another, usually simpler, class.

(physics) Having the same quantum energy level.

Derived terms

* (physics) degenerate matter

Noun

(en noun)

One is degenerate, who has fallen from previous stature.

You are a degenerate , boy. You're a disgrace to your ancestors.

Verb

(degenerat)

To lose good or desirable qualities.

His condition continued to degenerate even after admission to hospital.

* 1870 , Shirley Hibberd, Rustic Adornments for Homes of Taste (page 170)

Another bird quickly learned to imitate the song of a canary that was mated with it, but as the parrakeet improved in the performance the canary degenerated , and came at last to mingle the other bird's harsh chitterings with its own proper music.

To cause to lose good or desirable qualities.

Derived terms

* degeneration

External links

* * ----

quirky

English

Adjective

(er)

Given to quirks or idiosyncrasies; strange in a somewhat silly, awkward manner, potentially cute.

She has a quirky laugh.

Derived terms

* quirkily * quirkiness * quirkyalone * quirky subject * unquirky