[VERB 动词](尸体或死去的植物）腐烂，腐朽，腐败；(牙齿）遭蛀蚀 When something such as a dead body, a dead plant, or a tooth decays, it is gradually destroyed by a natural process.
[V]
[V-ing]
The bodies buried in the fine ash slowly decayed...
埋在灰烬里的尸体慢慢地腐烂了。
The ground was scattered with decaying leaves.
地上满是腐败的落叶。
Decay is also a noun.
When not removed, plaque causes tooth decay and gum disease.
牙斑如果不清除就会导致牙齿蛀蚀和牙龈疾病。
decayed
...decayed teeth.
蛀牙
2
[VERB 动词](社会、制度、机构等）衰败，衰退，衰落 If something such as a society, system, or institution decays, it gradually becomes weaker or its condition gets worse.
[V]
[V-ing]
Popular cinema seems to have decayed...
大众电影似乎已经衰落了。
Congress has tried dozens of approaches to revitalize decaying urban and rural areas.
国会已试行过数十种方法来重振正在走向衰败的城乡地区。
Decay is also a noun.
There are problems of urban decay and gang violence.
存在城市衰败和帮派暴力的问题。
Oxford
decay★/dɪˈkeɪ; NAmEdɪˈkeɪ/
noun
,
verb
decaydecaysdecayeddecayingnoun★[uncountable ]1★the process or result of being destroyed by natural causes or by not being cared for (= of decaying) 腐烂；腐朽◆tooth decay蛀牙◆The landlord had let the building fall into decay.房东任由房子变得破烂不堪。◆The smell of death and decay hung over the town.城镇上空弥漫着死人和腐烂的气味。2★the gradual destruction of a society, an institution, a system, etc. （社会、机构、制度等的）衰败，衰退，衰落◆economic/moral/urban decay经济衰退；道德败坏；城市衰落◆the decay of the old industries旧工业的衰败verb★1★[intransitive , transitive ]decay(sth) to be destroyed gradually by natural processes; to destroy sth in this way （使）腐烂，腐朽SYN
rot
◆decaying leaves/teeth/food烂叶；蛀齿；腐烂食物2★[intransitive ]if a building or an area decays,its condition slowly becomes worse （建筑、地方等）破败，衰落，衰败◆decaying inner city areas衰败中的市中心区3[intransitive ]to become less powerful and lose influence over people, society, etc. （力量、影响等）衰弱，衰退，衰减◆decaying standards of morality道德标准日趋低下decay/dɪˈkeɪ; NAmEdɪˈkeɪ/
LDC
decay1 verb
decay2 noun
decayde‧cay1 /dɪˈkeɪ/ ●●○ verb
Word Origin
Verb Table
Examples
Thesaurus
Collocations
1[intransitive, transitive] to be slowly destroyed by a natural chemical process, or to make something do this: Her body was already starting to decay. Most archaeological finds are broken, damaged, or decayed. decaying organic matterRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say rot rather than decay when talking about food:· There was a smell of rotting vegetables.2[intransitive] if buildings, structures, or areas decay, their condition gradually becomes worse: Hundreds of historic buildings are being allowed to decay. Britain’s decaying inner cities3[intransitive] if traditional beliefs, standards etc decay, people do not believe in them or support them anymoreSYN decline: In Orthodox Europe, mass religion seems to have decayed less.THESAURUSdecay to be slowly destroyed by a natural chemical process – use this especially about natural things such as wood or plants, or about teeth: · The leaves decay and enrich the soil.· He had bad breath and decaying teeth.· The fabric slowly began to decay.rot to decay. Rot is less formal than decay and is more common in everyday English: · The fruit was left to rot on the ground.· rotting teeth· Most of the wood under the paint had rotted.· the smell of rotting vegetation (=decaying leaves and plants)go off British English if food goes off, it starts to smell bad and is no longer be safe to eat: · I think the milk’s gone off.· The meat smells as if it's gone off.spoil if food spoils, it starts to decay, so that it is no longer safe to eat. Spoil is more formal and is less common in everyday British English than go off: · Food left in the sun will quickly start to spoil.go mouldy British English, moldy American English to begin to have a soft green or black substance growing on the surface of the food, so that it is not good to eat anymore: · Ugh, the cheese has gone mouldy!decompose formal to decay – use this especially about dead plants or flesh: · leaves decomposing on the forest floorputrefy formal to decay and have a very bad smell – use this especially about flesh or plants: · After two days, the body was already beginning to putrefy.· putrefying meatbiodegrade to decay naturally into substances that do not harm the environment – use this especially about man-made materials and chemicals: · Unlike many other materials, plastic does not biodegrade.
decay1 verb
decay2 noun
decaydecay2 ●●○ noun [uncountable]
Examples
Thesaurus
Collocations
1the natural chemical change that causes the slow destruction of something: old cars in various stages of decaytooth decay2the gradual destruction of buildings, structures etc because they have not been cared for: poverty and urban decayfall into (a state of) decay During the war, the area fell into decay.3the gradual destruction of ideas, beliefs, social or political systems etc: moral decayCOLLOCATIONSverbscause decay· Bacteria stick to food and cause decay.prevent decay· You can use a preservative on the wood to prevent further decay.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + decaytooth/dental decay· Eating too much sugar causes tooth decay.natural decay· Everything in our environment is subject to natural decay.phrasesthe process of decay· The natural processes of decay gradually destroys archaeological sites.a sign of decay· I couldn't see any signs of decay on the fruit.
open
www.ankiedu.club
Learn with these flashcards. Click next, previous, or up to navigate to more flashcards for this subject.