Lower vs Decay - What's the difference?
lower | decay | Related terms |
(low)
bottom; more towards the bottom than the middle of an object
(geology, of strata or geological time periods) older
To let descend by its own weight, as something suspended; to let down
to pull down
To reduce the height of
To depress as to direction
To make less elevated
To reduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of
To bring down; to humble
(reflexive) (lower oneself ) To humble oneself; to do something one considers to be beneath one's dignity.
To reduce (something) in value, amount, etc.
To fall; to sink; to grow less; to diminish; to decrease
To decrease in value, amount, etc.
The process or result of being gradually decomposed.
* 1895 , H. G. Wells, The Time Machine Chapter X
A deterioration of condition.
To deteriorate, to get worse, to lose strength or health, to decline in quality.
# (intransitive, electronics, of storage media or the data on them) To undergo , that is, gradual degradation.
# (intransitive, computing, of software) To undergo , that is, to fail to be updated in a changing environment,so as to eventually become legacy or obsolete.
# (intransitive, physics, of a satellite's orbit) To undergo prolonged reduction in altitude (above the orbited body).
(of organic material) To rot, to go bad.
(intransitive, transitive, physics, chemistry, of an unstable atom) To change by undergoing fission, by emitting radiation, or by capturing or losing one or more electrons.
* 2005 , Encyclopedia of Earth Science (edited by Timothy M. Kusky; ISBN 0-8160-4973-4), page 349:
(intransitive, transitive, physics, of a quantum system) To undergo , that is, to relax to a less excited state, usually by emitting a photon or phonon.
(aviation)
To cause to rot or deteriorate.
* Shakespeare
Lower is a related term of decay.
In lang=en terms the difference between lower and decay
is that lower is to decrease in value, amount, etc while decay is to cause to rot or deteriorate.As verbs the difference between lower and decay
is that lower is to let descend by its own weight, as something suspended; to let down or lower can be while decay is to deteriorate, to get worse, to lose strength or health, to decline in quality.As an adjective lower
is (low).As an adverb lower
is .As a noun decay is
the process or result of being gradually decomposed.lower
English
Etymology 1
From (low) +Adjective
(head)Antonyms
* (more low) higher * (bottom) upper * (older) upperAdverb
(head)Verb
(en verb)- lower a bucket into a well
- to lower a sail of a boat
- to lower a flag
- Lowered softly with a threefold cord of love / Down to a silent grave. .
- lower a fence or wall
- lower a chimney or turret
- lower the aim of a gun
- to lower one's ambition, aspirations, or hopes
- lower the temperature
- lower one's vitality
- lower distilled liquors
- lower one's pride
- I could never lower myself enough to buy second-hand clothes.
- lower the price of goods
- lower the interest rate
- The river lowered as rapidly as it rose.
Synonyms
* bring down * shorten * * reduce * reduce, turn down * * be humble * cut, reduce * die off, drop, fall, fall off, shrink * become/get smaller, become/get lower, lessen, reduceEtymology 2
Statistics
*decay
English
(wikipedia decay)Noun
- I fancied at first the stuff was paraffin wax, and smashed the jar accordingly. But the odor of camphor was unmistakable. It struck me as singularly odd, that among the universal decay , this volatile substance had chanced to survive, perhaps through many thousand years.
Derived terms
* bacterial decay * decayability * decayable * decayer * orbital decay * particle decay * radioactive decayVerb
(en verb)- The pair loved to take pictures in the decaying hospital on forty-third street.
- 2009 , Francis Lyall, Paul B. Larsen, Space Law: A Treatise , page 120:
- Damaged on lift-off, Skylab was left in orbit until its orbit decayed .
- The cat's body decayed rapidly.
- Uranium decays to radium through a long series of steps with a cumulative half-life of 4.4 billion years.
- The extreme humidity decayed the wooden sculptures in the museum's collection in a matter of years.
- Infirmity, that decays the wise.